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Fanfiction-reimagining of the pilot of the original animated series. |
FADE IN: EXT. GALDEBAR -- BEACH AND BAY -- DAY The Wraith rests close to the beach of a small, almost enclosed bay. The beach is sandy and quickly gives out to a tropical-style forest: trees that suggest palm and date; fern-like plants; bushes with sprays of berries. Ioz walks out of the forest, carrying a small tree trunk over his shoulder, toward the Wraith. Niddler swoops down off a yard arm past him and lands nearby, then waddles off the direction Ioz came. Ioz pauses to look over his shoulder at the retreating Niddler. IOZ And where are you going? NIDDLER I was feeling peckish, thought I'd forage for a little sustenance, rather than raid our stores. IOZ Hmph. Just don't go too far. Niddler flaps his wings. NIDDLER (sniffily) I'm not likely to get lost! IOZ Maybe not, but wings won't save you from the ghosts. Niddler freezes. His reaction is pique, though, not fear. NIDDLER Ghosts? IOZ There used to be a prison on this island, where they hanged smugglers. He indicates the tree-clad hills, not distant, that poke above the forest canopy. IOZ It's on the other side of all that, but it's still there. Rotten gallows, and a hillside covered in bleached bones. No one likes visiting this place, and we're not staying past dark. Now Niddler's expression does show concern. EXT. GALDEBAR -- THE FOREST -- Day Niddler is waddling through a clutch of low bushes, examining them and eyeing the berries. He stops to pick one, rolls it between his fingertips, sniffs it, then pops it in his mouth. He rolls it around there experimentally before swallowing. He pauses as a bush rustles, and Ren's head appears. REN Hsst! Niddler! Niddler starts. NIDDLER Ren! Aren't you supposed to be with your brother and the others? REN Yes, but I've got something else to do, and I need your help. NIDDLER I am accustomed to give service, but-- What? Ren looks up and over his shoulder, O.S. REN I need you to fly me over the island. I'm looking for something. Someone. NIDDLER You're not concerned about the ghosts? REN What ghosts? NIDDLER Ioz says there used to be a prison, and that they-- Ren wheels to look over his shoulder, up at the hills. REN Then that's what I'm looking for! But it's not a prison, it's an abbey! (softly) The Abbey of Galdebar. NIDDLER I can't help feeling that someone, somewhere, has been misinformed about something. He and Ren hold each other's eye. Niddler sighs. NIDDLER But we can probably make it quick, if you really know where you're going. CROSSFADE EXT. GALDEBAR -- MIDAIR -- DAY Looking down on the forest from high up as Niddler, bearing Ren, rapidly ascends. Ren studies the ground below as some very small, tree-hugging clouds pass beneath and between his dangling feet. NIDDLER I do hope this sort of thing isn't going to become habitual. It's more of a strain on me than you, you know. Ren's expression is intense as he scans the ground -- though there might be a little fear of falling in it too. NIDDLER Though I am of course obliged to you, there really is no tie between us, save friendship. Ren looks up at him in surprise. REN Really? I've never had a friend. NIDDLER (astonished) Never had a--! He cranes his head upside down to look at Ren. NIDDLER But every chick has had a friend! REN Not me. He looks down again, back to scanning. REN I've spent my whole life with Rathka and Jenna, and they're family, not friends. NIDDLER But what about those hens you were clamoring over in Janda-Town? Ren's eyes widen. There's an embarrassed kind of haste in his reply. REN Well, I do know a few people in Janda-Town, but I'm not there a lot. Being one of the prince's subwardens keeps me pretty busy. Ren bounces up and down as Niddler shakes him. NIDDLER And the hens? REN (shamefaced) Alright! Well-- With Kanya and Lura it's different. I-- I don't know how to explain. Ren ducks as though to hide his face. REN We-- We just like to go swimming together! Niddler cocks an eyebrow, as though he's had a thought. NIDDLER Hmm. Well, I don't know what goes on underwater with your kind. But when monkey-birds pair up to make a flutter in the treetops-- Ren interrupts, pointing. REN There! I think that's it! The have passed the hill, and on the other side ruins are coming into view: walls and the courtyard of a fortress nestled against the slope of the hills. NIDDLER Ah. I'm glad. I was wondering if you're old enough for talk of what goes on in treetops. EXT. ABBEY OF GALDEBAR -- DAY Ren and Niddler settle into the large courtyard. The abbey is built into the hills, with its front doors, windows, pillars and balconies erected against a bare and mossy cliff-face: think of Petra, but the look is more like Angkor Wat. The courtyard is of pale brick, and is ringed in front by a crenellated wall low enough (relative to the courtyard) that one could climb or leap atop it. A raised dais at one side of the courtyard encloses a stagnant pool of green water. From another angle we might see that the abbey face and its courtyard are built halfway between the top of the cliff and the base of the steep valley below. A tall, splashy waterfall plunges slowly but vertiginously off to one side, not far from the abbey, and trees grow out of the steep hillsides. Ren stand in the courtyard, looking around and taking it in: wide, dark portals leading into the hills behind; a carved arch at one end of the outer wall. A large wooden door hangs open inside this arch by one hinge. A massive boulder that extends precariously from the cliff face above, hangs directly over the arch. Ren is gazing up at the boulder when Niddler does a double-take at something O.S. NIDDLER Oh dear. Ren turns to follow his sight line. A trio of tall gallows stands at the opposite end of the outer wall, their arms extending over the void beyond. From one arm hangs a rotted bit of rope. From another, a rotted but complete noose. NIDDLER Unusual ornamentation for an abbey! Niddler exits in the direction of the gallows. Ren follows. Niddler and Ren look over the edge of the battlements by the gallows, into the steep valley below. The hillside here is shallower, and it is covered in white detritus. A closer shot will reveal the occasional jawless skull. The scrum of bone stretches up to the base of the outer wall. NIDDLER (quietly) I don't like to say it, Ren, but this does not look promising. Ren turns to walk toward the main building. Niddler follows. REN We can at least look around. Niddler starts to reply, but is interrupted by an O.S. SCREECHING. He looks up, and his beak opens in surprise and dismay. From the branches of trees growing in the cliffs, two monkey-birds -- the ones that flew with Niddler early in the story -- sweep out and fly away, SCREECHING. They disappear around the corner of the hillside. NIDDLER Oh, worse and worse. We really should get out of here, Ren. I know those two. Thoroughly bad customers, and certainly on their way back to Bloth. REN We have to look around first. This is important, Niddler! Niddler sighs as he slowly follows Ren. NIDDLER It must be, if Bloth is interested in it too. EXT. GALDEBAR -- VALLEY ENTRANCE -- DAY The two monkey-birds fly out of the entrance of the narrow valley -- hardly more than a gorge cutting into the hills. (The abbey is visible at the end). They fly out toward a wide beach. Resting offshore is the "Maelstrom." Small boats are already pulled up on the shore, and companies of men are parading on the beach. The monkey-birds descend toward them. INT. ABBEY OF GALDEBAR -- DAY Ren and Niddler enter through a wide portal that is supported by pillars. They come to mossy steps leading down. Ren and Niddler descend the staircase. It winds down endlessly into a crevice-like depth. It is dimly lit, but well enough to convey a sense of infinity to the stairs. The walls are punctuated at points by torch-like flames that dance atop iron bowls that extend on curved arms from the walls. Niddler's head turns to track one of these torches as they descend. NIDDLER I am really beginning to have concerns, Ren. REN Don't worry, there's someone here. Look at the torches. NIDDLER They are what concern me. They are not normal torch-- As he speaks, all the lights go out, leaving pitch darkness. Beat. When Niddler speaks, it is in the perfectly flat tone of one who is frightened to the center of his marrow. NIDDLER (O.S.) Ren ... REN (O.S.) Give me your hand, I'll guide us dow-- Whoa! In the pitch blackness comes the sound of THUDS, BUMPS, CRIES, and YELPS. These continue long enough to convey the impression of a very long, uncontrolled descent of a staircase by two luckless adventurers. It ends in one very heavy and densely textured THUD-OOF! Beat. REN (O.S.) Niddler, are you alright? NIDDLER (O.S.) Gmf-wmff ... (gasp) I am now that I've got your foot out of my mouth! REN (O.S.) (angrily) Why did you push me? NIDDLER (O.S.) I was trying to give you my hand! Oohhhh! This gasp as a greenish glow appears, extending gradually to dimly illuminate Ren and Niddler, who are sprawled in a tangle of limbs at the bottom of the stairs. They stare O.S. at the source of the light with widening eyes. Ren and Niddler sprawl on the floor of an immense chamber, so large that its walls retreat into shadow. Directly before them is a low, wide, circular wall (the lip of a an immense well, in fact: let's say at least fifty feet across), out of which is rising a pillar of greenish light. The light is brightening. In the pillar appears, as a transparency, an immense, lidless, floating eyeball. The eyeball tilts down to look at them, and the pupil shrinks as it focuses on them. Ren and Niddler, still in a tangle, paralyzed, gape at the eye. The eye regards them, then wavers and vanishes. Beat. Jaws unhinged, Ren and Niddler look at each other. There's a low RUMBLE, and the room trembles. Ren and Niddler go back to gaping O.S. at the light. A hump rises from the well, filling it. Frothing water pours off it, spilling over the top of the wall and rushing in a sizable wave out in all directions, and revealing gradually the head of an enormous frog, so immense that it fills the well from edge to edge. Its eyes and expression are blank. Ren and Niddler scramble to their feet as the water rushes at them. It only rises halfway up Ren's calves, though, before rapidly receding. The frog rises still, until its entire head is revealed. Then it and the RUMBLING and the flooding stop. For a moment, the head doesn't move. Then a crack shows near its chin. Ren and Niddler quail as the frog's mouth opens slowly. The jaw, almost like a drawbridge lowering, falls until the lower lip is parallel to the floor. The interior of the mouth is slimy, and something quivers in the back of its dark, immense gullet. A massive pink tongue unfurls like a great bolt of cloth, rolling toward Ren and Niddler who, pursued by it, scramble partway back up the stairs. They pause and look down at it once it is fully unfurled, like a carpet. The tongue quivers and begins to reshape itself. Ren and Niddler watch as the tip of the tongue rises upright, and oozes like viscous slime into the shape of a man. He has no clothes and no face, only the suggestive shape of shoulders, neck and head. Also chin, nose, and brow. But no mouth, ears or definition to the eyes. This form wobbles a little while standing upright, as though trying to maintain a precarious balance. Ren's eyes are nearly starting from his head. He swallows, and stammers. REN I-- I am Ren of Tanapango, and I am l-l-looking for-- The voice of the figure is deep but slightly breathless. It seems to emanate from the room itself. There is a bass rumble behind it. FIGURE Show me the sword of Prithma. Ren glances around, as though fearful of a cave-in. He addresses the figure again. REN I am looking for Alomar. FIGURE (deeper) Show me the sword of Prithma! A tremble runs through the room. Niddler touches Ren's shoulder. NIDDLER Better show him something, my boy. He doesn't seem the type to ask three times. Ren's eyes dart. Then he drops to his knee to pull the broken sword from his boot. He rises and holds out the sword in the palm of his hand. The figure SIGHS and wavers visibly. FIGURE At last! It shifts, seeming to put its back to Ren. FIGURE Follow! REN (desperately) I am seeking Alomar! The figure begins to move back along the length of the tongue, like a wave in a carpet, but it pauses. FIGURE I am Alomar. Ren's eyes pop. Ren and Niddler follow the figure until it has passed the frog's lips, when they pause. The figure glances back. FIGURE Follow! It then vanishes, and the mouth closes up. Ren and Niddler stare in astonishment as the head of the frog sinks, sinks, sinks back into its pool, with the sloshing water closing over it. Ren steps up to the edge of the well and looks into it. Niddler comes up behind. NIDDLER Better go without me. I'm not designed for water sport. Ren looks momentarily disgusted with Niddler, but then claps himself into a diver's stance, leaps up, and jack-knifes into the pool, making a splash-less entrance. INT. POOL -- DAY Ren, diving, enters the pool. It is far wider and larger beneath, so that the well is revealed to be the relatively small entrance (via the ceiling) to a water-logged cavern that spreads out below the chamber above. To his astonishment, as he looks about, it is like a drowned cathedral: pillars, alcoves, side chambers, arches, high ceilings, paved floors. Mosaics and faceless statues. Vast, circular windows of stained glass. There is slime and seagrass everywhere, but even this seems decorative. There are no fish, however. It is all imbued with a dim, greenish, sourceless light. Ren, holding his breath, treads in place as he looks around. He catches sight of something O.S. The figure now appears as a dark, man-shaped disturbance in the water, like a three-dimensional wave. It swims off down the length of the cathedral. Ren swims after in powerful strokes, and his passage shows us much of what is described above. INT. INNER CHAMBER -- DAY A vast pool, light welling up from below. The "figure" rises from it, appearing now as a tall, standing, man-shaped ripple in the surface of the water. It "walks" for shore as Ren pops up through surface, gasping deeply, gulping down as much air as he can. He then swims after the figure. Ren pulls himself from the pool to stand, dripping, on pavement. He looks around. It is a good-sized, circular chamber, but small compared to earlier spaces. It is covered over with a dome that is but a continuation of the plain walls. The light has no obvious source. A shadow moves across the wall. Ren trots over to join it. The wall is plain, maybe white-washed. The shadow that moves across it is actually a ripple in the surface, like a standing wave that takes the form of a shallow bas-relief. It shifts and behaves like a silhouette, showing the profile of a man occasionally. REN Alomar? No answer. REN I was told by King Prithma to seek you here, in the Abbey of Galdebar. I was told to seek you in his-- He starts, and steps back at the sound of a RIPPLING WHOOSH, like a jet of fire. His eyes widen at something O.S. REN (dwindling) In his name ... Ren stands before the wall, on which is now written in glowing letters a rhyme. Ren reads it aloud. REN (O.S.) Thirteen treasures of ancient time. Thirteen promises preserved in rhyme. To find the jewels in secret places, Follow where the compass faces. Ren glances back and forth across the wall. REN What does it mean? What compass? The shadow seems to turn its head. Another RIPPLING WHOOSH Ren steps back. He reads aloud what is O.S. REN Beware they fall in evil hands Lest darkness' sway covers all the lands. But plucked from shade by hand that's true, Then fails dark water's day of rue. (beat) I still don't understand. He points at the line "Thirteen treasures of ancient rhyme." REN Are those the treasures that King Prithma sought? Do you have the first one? The light vanishes, plunging all in darkness, save for a bright glow where the shadow's chest had been. It's a circular, blue spot, about the size of the base of a coffee cup. The glow illuminates a small part of the wall, and the face of Ren as he steps up to peer at it. It is a blue circle, ringed with a wide fringe of ornamented gold. A needle swings lazily back and forth across its face, and a silver chain hangs from it. Ren plucks it from the wall and examines it. REN (to himself) It's a compass! FIGURE (O.S.) (soft, dying) Always the Quest! Ren starts, then looks O.S. at a SCRAPING OF STONE. A wide streak of light splays across the floor to his feet. A doorway has opened up. Dim light shows through it. Ren's silhouette enters the doorway, and he ascends the steps on the other side. EXT. THE WRAITH -- UPPER DECK -- DAY Ioz crosses with a short trunk over his shoulder. He drops it next to a stack of six other trunks that are lying on the deck. IOZ (growling) "We should stop here to collect timber," Rathka says. "I'll go this way to look for some," Rathka says. He looks over at Tula, who is sunning herself on the other side of the deck. IOZ Apparently Rathka has all the ideas, and I get to do all the work! Chongo- longo, where is that rascal? EXT. ABBEY OF GALDEBAR -- COURTYARD -- DAY A small company of pirates (six or seven) stand in the courtyard, in an attitude of seeming waiting. One of them holds a flaming torch. In their midst, cowering under a net, is Niddler. Rathka is watching this from above. He stands on a shallow ledge extending from the very edge of one of the abbey's facades. Beside him is a dark window in the facade, separated from his ledge by a narrow windowsill/wall. Behind him is a cleft in the hillside, through which blue sky and clouds are visible. Rathka's expression is taut and watchful. Below, from under the pediment directly over the entrance portal step two figures. One is a muscular, almost-naked, totally bald pirate distinguished by all-covering tattoos. Call him TATTOO. The other is Mrs. Malamba. Both are holding torches. Rathka shifts his stance, tensing as though to spring, but he doesn't, and pokes his head out a little more to look down at Tattoo and Mrs. Malamba. Mrs. Malamba and Tattoo converse unintelligibly, then step aside as a third figure emerges from the portal: Bloth. Rathka, looking at all this from his perch, grins tightly to himself. BLOTH (to Mrs. Malambar) You're sure the old lighthouse woman said "Galdebar"? Rathka's face falls into an expression of horror. Bloth, Tattoo and Mrs. Malamba converse unintelligibly very briefly, then Bloth walks away, brushing past the netted Niddler. He exits through the archway at the end of the wall. Tattoo and Mrs. Malamba go back inside the portal. There is a FLAP of footsteps from the room whose window is next to Rathka's perch, and Rathka looks over alertly. Of course, he can't see through the wall that separates him from the dark room on the other side. So he doesn't see the glowing blue circle that gloams out of the darkness, or Ren himself as he follows and steps up to the window. He is wearing the compass, by its chain. He cautiously looks out and down into the courtyard. His expression just has time to register the tableau below when Rathka reaches around to grab and haul him out the window and around the corner, back onto the ledge. Both disappear behind a corner. EXT. GALDEBAR -- ABBEY -- FACADE -- LEDGE -- DAY On that ledge, around the corner and hidden from the courtyard, Rathka swings Ren all the way around to slam him against the side of the abbey. Ren GRUNTS and winces. Rathka pulls his fist back for a sledgehammer blow to Ren's face when his eyes pop and he catches himself. RATHKA (soft gasp) Ren! REN Rathka! BOTH (simultaneously) What are you doing -- [here]? REN Niddler and I came looking for the abbey. What about --? I thought you and Ioz were getting timber! RATHKA And I told you to get some timber! Ren glances around. REN You think maybe Ioz is up here too? Rathka slaps the wall next to Ren's ear. Then he points O.S. RATHKA Get back to the ship, Ren. There's a path that way that'll take you straight there. REN I'm not leaving Niddler! Or you! RATHKA I'm staying to get Niddler! You're going to get Ioz and bring him back! Beat as Ren doesn't budge. RATHKA Hurry! Ren tenses, but turns and exits O.S. Rathka watches him, then turns back toward the courtyard. Ren pauses to look behind at Rathka who, atop the ledge, hand gripping the hilt of the sword in his belt, is silhouetted against the sky as he looks down into the courtyard. Ren turns to return to Rathka, pauses, then turns again to run off toward the ship. INT. ABBEY OF GALDEBAR -- FROG CHAMBER -- DAY The chamber where the frog emerged. Mrs. Malamba and Tattoo stand on the edge of the well, holding torches aloft and looking around. Their torches are the only illumination. TATTOO [Fast, brief, unintelligible -- a native patois of some kind] MRS. MALAMBA Then he would have floated to the surface like any other drowned rat. TATTOO [Fast, brief, unintelligible] MRS. MALAMBA Because he knows something the captain wants to know. Mrs. Malamba looks around. TATTOO [Fast, brief, unintelligible, maybe a little longer than the other talk.] Mrs. Malamba wanders off, torch high. MRS. MALAMBA The minds of your kind close to me when you are older. But the morsel might still be young enough to be open to me. (lascivious hiss) But of course it's not his mind I'm interested in getting in to. TATTOO [Fast, brief, unintelligible] MRS. MALAMBA I'm not interested in anything about you. EXT. WRAITH'S LANDING BEACH -- DAY Ioz is striding for the nearby forest when Ren comes bursting out of the brush. REN Ioz! Ren points back the way he came. REN Rathka! Come with me! Niddler! At the abbey! He grabs at Ioz. REN Now! As they run O.S. together, Tula appears on the deck of the Wraith and watches them go. EXT. ABBEY OF GALDEBAR -- DAY Rathka is still perched in his corner, looking down into the courtyard. Niddler is still netted in the courtyard, but with only four guards. By their stances, it appears that these are nervous, and they keep looking off in the same direction O.S. Rathka eyes shift from the pirates below in the direction that they keep looking -- at the gallows. Rathka's eyes shift back to the pirates. A small smile appears on his face. He swings around to quickly duck into the window that Ren emerged from. EXT. FOREST TRACK -- DAY Ren and Ioz run up it, batting bushes and fan-sized leaves aside. IOZ So everyone except me and Tula took off to explore that jitatin old ruin? REN It's a long story, Ioz, but it has to do with the Thirteen Treasures of Ruel. IOZ Ay jitat, Ren! No one would bury a treasure up there, not on account of the--! A cold, shrill WAIL echoes in the distance. Ioz pauses in mid-stride, his eyes bulging with fear. IOZ (gulping) Ghosts! EXT. ABBEY OF GALDEBAR -- COURTYARD -- DAY The four remaining guards huddle close together, backs to backs, as a cacophony of WAILS, MOANS, and CHITTERING LAUGHS echo about them. In his net, even the monkey-bird hugs himself and WHIMPERS softly. As the cries increase in loudness and intensity, the guards swing their heads around, eyes rolling in terror. The guards looking agog at things O.S., and POV shots of these terrifying apparitions. Each POV SHOT is canted and is a short ZOOM IN: the three gallows; the facade of the abbey; the gallows with the rotten noose; a tree branch that resembles a grasping claw; the rotten noose. The facade behind the shivering guards includes the window that Rathka hid inside, and from it sails a small white object. It gets larger as it arc down toward the guards. A skull falls into frame from O.S. It bounces and its jawbone flies away before it settles, teeth-down, on the stones by the feet of the guards. With guttural SHRIEKS of their own, the guards bolt for the archway, disappearing through it, leaving Niddler in his net. The cries continue for a second or two more. Then silence. Rathka leaps from his hiding place, tumbling through the air to land in a crouch. He rises and swiftly runs to kneel by Niddler. He slashes at the net with his knife. A moment later, shaking off the ruins of the net, Niddler rises. With finger to chin, he looks around, puzzled. NIDDLER Um, at the risk of sounding gullible, but was all that caterwauling ... you? RATHKA Yes, now let's get out of here before anyone comes back. NIDDLER But Ren is still inside! And I believe-- RATHKA Ren's down at the beach with Ioz. Fly, monkey-bird! Niddler taps his knuckles together with embarrassment. NIDDLER That might prove ... difficult. He extends his wings. One extends fully, the other twists badly. Rathka's eyes widen. Then he sighs and bends over. RATHKA Onto my shoulders then. We'll climb out. Niddler looks surprised, but hops clumsily onto Rathka's bent shoulders. Carrying Niddler in this way, Rathka nimbly leaps onto the outer wall, runs up and over the archway, hops against the face of the cliff to grabs on with fingers and toes, then leaps over atop the boulder that leans over the archway. He is just straightening up and looking along the wall for a further foothold when the boulder suddenly gives way beneath him. He makes a quick leap and grabs onto the cliff face as with a CRACK and GRUMBLE of collapsing masonry the boulder vanishes. Niddler SQUAWKS and falls off Rathka's shoulders, clinging to his back by grabbing around Rathka's neck. The boulder has crushed the archway beneath it and blocked up the exit. Rathka scrabbles to keep hold of the cliff. His voice is choked and gasping when he speaks. RATHKA Get ... off ... me ... you jitatin-- MRS. MALAMBA (O.S.) By Goda's guts, who are you? Rathka twists his head around to look down. Mrs. Malamba is standing in the courtyard below, glaring up at him. He is flanked by TATTOO and four other crewmen. One of them holds a bow at his side. RATHKA Terrific. He lets go of the cliff. Rathka drops onto the boulder in the crushed archway, Niddler still clinging to his back. He glares into the courtyard. Then he turns to look down the other way. A P.O.V. shot should show a line of pirates marching up the valley toward him. RATHKA Malgar! He turns back to the courtyard. Mrs. Malamba's glare twist into a grin of evil delight as Rathka with Niddler leaps onto the outer wall. MRS. MALAMBA Oh! It's you again! The archer raises his bow; Mrs. Malamba puts out a hand to restrain him. MRS. MALAMBA (at Rathka) Where's the boy? Rathka runs along outer wall, glancing over the outer side into the valley below. The fall is impossible, except at the end where the hillside of bones slopes up almost to the bottom of the wall. Rathka smiles tightly to himself, until-- A whiplike tendril wraps about his neck, pulling backward off the wall. He and Niddler tumble off separately. Mrs. Malamba: Her head is back and her mouth gaping horribly wide. A quivering tentacle extends from her mouth, which is filled by the whitish-blob head of the cephalopod. Its glaring eye opens, locks focus on the opposite end of the tentacle (O.S.), then shoots out another tentacle. Then, like a hand cart on rails, it shoots forward along these "tracks" O.S. Rathka grimaces and chokes and tears at the tentacles wrapped about his throat. The "head" slides in from O.S. The eye glares down at Rathka, then shuts. The skin ripples and parts again, opening as a gummy, slimy maw. The proboscis extends and poises over Rathka's face like the crooked sting of a wasp. Ren appears at the gap where Rathka was standing earlier. His eyes pop at the O.S. scene before him. REN (fear and fury) No! He leaps down, revealing Ioz behind. Ioz too instantly reacts to the the drama below. IOZ (cold horror) Ay chongo chipongo! He leaps down after Ren. Ren falls feet-first onto a crewman, crushing him beneath, then leaps up and out of frame. Into a re-frame he leaps hands first to hit Tattoo in the shoulder with his dagger; they vanish O.S., then Ren rises again with his dagger still in hand to hurl himself O.S. in another direction. He charges, snarling, makes a flying kick at Mrs. Malamba in the back from behind, knocking her O.S. as he follows. Naturally, all this and what follows includes ROARS (REN) and CRIES (crewmen). The blob still has its proboscis hovering over Rathka's face when the eye opens on the opposite side, facing the O.S. noise being made by Ren. The eye focuses, then widens in alarm as the tentacles on that side slacken; almost instantly the body of its matronly host flies into it, knocking it and Rathka O.S. Ren follows into the frame feet first, vanishing O.S. below. He then rises, his face an enraged snarl, and reaches down to pull up Mrs. Malamba. But the figure flops emptily in his hand, like an empty set of pajamas, and in a spasm of disgust he flings it away. He reaches in again to pull the gasping Rathka upright. Both turn to look O.S. at the sound of the clash of steel. Ioz with his sword parries three crewman with their swords, taking time to twist, meet, and knock back slashes from three different sides. With sword and dagger out, Rathka and Ren rush to join the surrounded Ioz. Two of his attackers swing around to meet the charge as Tattoo and the other downed pirate struggle to their feet. Tattoo clutches his shoulder; his arm hangs limp. EXT. ABBEY OF GALDEBAR -- CRUSHED ARCHWAY -- DAY The former entrance to the abbey. It is completely filled in with rubble, including the immense boulder. The CLASH of steel and the CRY of battle is audible on the other side. Bloth regards it with hands on hips, with Konk by his side, and the first few of his troops. He turns to Konk. BLOTH Bring up two barrels of cinder-sand from the Maelstrom. EXT. ABBEY OF GALDEBAR -- COURTYARD -- DAY A wheeling fight of four: Ioz and Rathka and two opponents. They seem to be evenly matched, and Ioz and Rathka quickly come together to cover each other's backs. After some swordplay, Ioz makes a couple of glances O.S. in the same direction. IOZ Does the kid always fight like that? RATHKA Like what? IOZ Mad! Rathka spares himself a quick glance at what Ioz saw. Ren, his face a mask of rage, parries the slower sword strokes of his opponent with fast, quick slashes of his own. He pushes the man a little back, then leaps up in the air to kick the man in the face with both feet. Blood spurts from the man's nose as he falls O.S. Ren lands on his feet -- his torso not have moved an inch from his original position, and turns to glare, eyes blazing and mouth quivering. Another crewman flies into frame at him, sword in hand upraised, but Ren doesn't even spare him a glance as he catches the man's arm at the elbow with one hand and plunges his dagger into his armpit with the other. He then spins the HOWLING man around, jumps back, and with a savage kick to the small of his back sends him flying back O.S. Then with a snarl he charges at what he was glaring at. Ioz and Rathka are still fighting back to back, but they part enough that Ren can quickly dash between and past them. They each spare him a quick glance as he runs past them. RATHKA Give him time, he'll learn to relax. Ren, his dagger out, is making another leap when a strong arm shoots from O.S. and catches him around the neck. The dagger clatters to the pavement. Tattoo is a full head taller than Ren, and well-muscled. One arm dangles uselessly at his side, but with his good arm he crushes Ren to himself by locking Ren's neck in the crook of his elbow. He rears back, lifting Ren a little. Ren's boots come off the ground, kicking and flailing. Ren, snarling silently, grasps the man's forearm with both hands, then reaches behind to scrabble his palms and fingers over his smooth pate. His captor grins and tightens his grip around Ren's neck. Tattoo lifts his eyes to regard something O.S. TATTOO [Untranslated jibber-jabber!] Ren's eyes shift to focus on the object of Tattoo's attention. His face goes serious and rigid with concentration. Ren's feet stop kicking. One leg extends a little, though, tenses, then kicks back and up with vicious speed. Tattoo's eyes bulge, his breath explodes, and he hunches forward. Ren's feet touch the ground. His eyes are bulging, but Tattoo pulls Ren back again, and his feet come off the ground again -- not by much but enough. Niddler darts in from O.S., biting Tattoo's naked calf. Tattoo's eyes almost pop from his head, and he HOWLS. Ren's boots drop solidly onto the ground now. Crouched with his back to Tattoo, Ren reaches behind with both hands to grab Tattoo's head, then drops forward, rolling Tattoo over over his head and shoulders. Tattoo flies O.S. over Ren's head. Tattoo jack-knifes over the outer wall, beneath one of the gallows, falling out of view. A dish-like CLATTER and CRUNCH of brittle bones follows. Ren, his face a mask of smoldering hate, puts his dagger between his teeth and charges O.S. Beat. Niddler rises into frame, an expression of disgust on his face. He begins spitting at the ground and batting at his beak with his hand. Rathka and Ioz are still fighting their foes. IOZ Well, do you want to finish yours off? RATHKA What? IOZ I assume you're just toying with him now. RATHKA Actually, mine's pretty good. How about you finish off yours and come help me? IOZ Oh. Um, mine's pretty good too. Ioz dodges a nearly fatal blow from his opponent. IOZ (muttering) Ay jitata! Rathka glances up and does a double-take. RATHKA Look out! Tula dives in frame, feet first, barely missing the heads of Rathka and Ioz as she zooms by overhead, to disappear in the direction of Ioz's opponent. Ioz leaps back in surprise; there is an O.S. "OOF" and THUD. IOZ (to O.S.) Chongo-longo, woman, I was handling it! He jumps back as Tula charges back across the frame, dagger in hand. Rathka also jumps back as she charges O.S. There is a wet GASP, and a sword tumbles into the frame at Rathka's feet. Ioz covers his mouth with his hand as he and Rathka stare O.S. where Tula disappeared. IOZ Noy borga! RATHKA Yeah, they don't fight pretty at the Mast and Yard. TULA (O.S.) Ren! Rathka and Ioz whirl to look O.S. behind The cephalopod, fully out of a body now, is anchored by two of its tentacles atop one of the gallows. With its other two tentacles, wrapped under Ren's armpits and over his shoulders, it is hauling Ren up the post. Ren is writhing violently. RATHKA Ren! Rathka, followed by Ioz and Tula sprint toward the horror. Ren is hugging tight to the post of the gallows, dragging as he is hauled upward. Rathka, Ioz, Tula, and Niddler run to the gallows' base. The others stop, but Rathka leaps up to catch Ren's ankle, pulling him down slightly. The cephalopod's eye narrows into a scowl, and it resets its grip on the top of the gallows. The tentacles around Ren's shoulders also reset their grip. The tip of one of them curls into view, to float just in front of his shoulder. It has the "bracelet" on it. Rathka grabs Ren's other foot with his other hand. But the feet lift higher. Rathka's own feet leave the ground. Niddler runs forward and hops onto Rathka's back. Ioz and Tula run in to grab Rathka about the shoulders and waist, adding their weight to his. Ren's eyes clench shut and his mouth splits into a rictus. RATHKA Ren! Ren wrenches his eyes open and forces himself to look down at the others. RATHKA Cut yourself free! We don't want to tear you in two! Ren looks up. The thing at the top of the post glares down at him. Ren pulls the dagger from his belt. He sweeps the dagger at and across the tentacle. Nothing happens. Another slash -- nothing. Ren clenches his eyes shut again, and tears spring from the corners as he grins in agony. Ren hacks at the thing's tentacle with the edged weapon, but it bounces off like it's made of rubber. One, two, three hacks. Fourth hack, and the dagger bounces out of Ren's hand. It falls over the wall to clatter among the bones. The cephalopod's eye closes; its skin wrinkles; the maw opens and the proboscis extends. The head plunges down the arms to hover just over Ren's head. Behind Rathka's glare, his eyes shift to settle on the broken sword wedged in Ren's boot. With one hand, Rathka grabs and pull the sword out. RATHKA Ren! Catch! He tosses the sword upward. Ren looks down, though his face is a stretched with pain. He catches the sword as it reaches the top of its arc. Then he sweeps it across a tentacle. The broken edge of the sword rakes across the tentacle, which parts like soft meat, snapping the tentacle in two. The cephalopod's head wobbles and distorts violently. On the backswing, the sword slices through the other tentacle. Ren falls as the severed tentacles snap back. Rathka and others fall to the ground, Ren atop them. The severed tentacle with the "bracelet" hits the ground and writhes. Steam begins pouring off it. Lightning plays over the "bracelet" and it loses its luster. The cephalopod tumbles backward off the gallows, plunging behind the wall and into the valley below. The heap of heroes rolls apart, GROANING. But Ioz is instantly on his feet, grabbing and pulling Ren up. IOZ Get yer jitatin legs under you, boy, and let's get out of here before that thing comes back for a second bite! With his other hand he hauls up Tula. Rathka is already getting up. Half running and half stumbling, Ioz, pulling Ren and Tula, runs with Niddler waddling along behind. But Rathka runs off at another angle. Ioz and Tula reach the facade of the abbey and scramble up it for the ledge, but Ren stops at the base to look for Niddler who comes running up. Ren grabs Niddler and swings him up onto his shoulders. He starts to turn back to the facade, but pauses, staring O.S. Rathka is leaping to the top of the boulder that blocks the other exit. REN Rathka! What are you doing? RATHKA Go on, Ren! I'm just checking to see what Bloth is up to! Ren hesitates. Ioz and Tula on the ledge on the edge of the facade look down. IOZ Ren! That thing's not dead! It'll be on is way back up! REN Rathka! We have go! You too! Rathka points. RATHKA Get up there with Ioz! Ren grimaces, but scrambles up the facade. Ioz pulls up Ren, who turns to watch Rathka anxiously. IOZ He'll be fine, boy. We'll wait for him here. Ren anxiously watches Rathka. He is holding the sword and he twists the hilt anxiously. His face clouds slightly even as he watches Rathka. Then he lifts the sword to his face and frowns at it. Ren lifts the hilt over his head. REN Rathka! Rathka! Rathka looks back. REN This sword! Was it--? Was it father's? Really? Rathka rises erect and faces Ren full on. The boulder explodes in a flower of flame beneath him, engulfing him. Ren's eyes pop with horror. The light of the explosion plays on his face. REN Rathka! Ren leaps from the facade to the ground and sprints across the courtyard. He has only crossed partway before he is tackled from behind by Ioz and knocked to the ground. Ren, writhing in Ioz's arms is pulled to his feet. His face is a mask of horror. REN Let! Me! Go! Let! Me--! IOZ (also horrified) It's too late, Ren, he's already gone! Ren stops fighting. Tears well in his horrified eyes. The archway is great white cloud of smoke and dust. All is quiet for just a moment. But a shadow appears within the cloud, which resolves first into the shape then the form and substance of Bloth. He strides in confidently, hands on hips, and stops. He looks around as Konk and other men enter behind him. He freezes when his gaze settles on Ren. BLOTH Torment my eyes! Bloth, jaw hanging open, point O.S. His focus is on the compass dangling about Ren's neck. BLOTH The boy! He has the compass! (strangled) Get him! Get it! Ren seems not to register the new arrivals, but Ioz does. He pulls Ren back. IOZ Snap out of it boy, we have to go! Now! He releases Ren and turns to run, then pauses to look back at Ren, who is still rigid with horror. IOZ Ren! Ren comes to life and wheels, looking behind him past Ioz. REN Rathka?! Where--? The O.S. clank of swords draws his attention, and he looks back to where he lost Rathka. Half a dozen pirates, their swords drawn, are charging at him. Ren runs after Ioz to the facade, scampers up it behind him, and vanishes the way they came. The pirates reach the facade, but seem to be baulked by it. Bloth, hands on hips, watches this anticlimactic debacle without reacting. SLOW FADE OUT SLOW FADE IN EXT. OCEAN -- THE WRAITH -- DAY -- OCEAN -- establishing The ship drifts with slackened sail on the open sea. EXT. THE WRAITH -- POOP -- DAY Ran stands on deck, hands resting on the railing, staring out to sea with an expression of taut agony. The sun is touching the top of the ocean, sinking slowly but noticeably beneath it. Ren stares unseeing. Ren's hand, resting on the railing, bunches into a fist, then in a kind of spasm grabs the compass that is hanging about his neck, rips it away. Ren draws back to hurl it into the sea. Ioz appears behind Ren, and grabs his wrist. Ren twists about to glare at him. IOZ You dishonor your brother's memory by even thinking it, Ren. Ren's expression curls into an angry, bitter glare. REN What was the point of it all, if he--! He--! IOZ This thing you got had nothing to do with it, Ren. REN But if we hadn't come to Galdebar--! Ren slumps, hanging his head. IOZ Why did you come to Galdebar? And don't say it was for the timber. Ren only turns his head to look off O.S. IOZ Rathka told me a little, Ren. But I want to hear it from you. Ren looks up sharply at that. He and Ioz hold each other's gaze. Then Ren looks away, to lean against the railing. REN We were looking for someone on Galdebar. We had a message for him from King Prithma. (beat) The message was for Prince Arinaskya to deliver. But we were passing Galdebar anyway, so we-- stopped. Ren hangs his head. REN My fault! IOZ It was Rathka's idea to stop here, Ren, not yours. He was also looking for this thing you've got. (beat) So you're not going to throw it away. Ren sighs. REN You're right. We'll take it to Prince Arinaskya. It's what Rathka was going to do. Ren holds the compass in the palm of his hand. The glass glitters and the needle spins, then stops. Ren is staring down at the compass with a hard expression when a blue glow encompasses his face. His eyes widen, and he gasps. He straightens up and takes a step back. The compass in his hand is glowing hard, and from it shoots a blue beam, parallel to the horizon. Ioz grips Ren by the shoulder as he too stares at the beam. IOZ Chongo-longo, Ren, what is that thing, exactly? Ren raises his face and stares O.S., following the direction of the beam. REN (softly) To find the jewels in secret places Follow where the compass faces. IOZ Jewels?! Ren turns a distracted, wondering face on Ioz. REN The thirteen treasures of Mer. The ones King Prithma was looking for. Ren holds the compass loosely in the palm of his hand, then his fingers curl to grip it tightly. REN It points the way to them! Ioz LAUGHS and wheels Ren about. IOZ Well! Then what do you say we go looking for them? REN (shocked) We have to take it to the Citadel, Ioz. To Prince Arinaskya! IOZ We will, Ren, we will! But it will take time, this old girl doesn't handle so easily! And we'll be passing a lot of islands on the way. He leans in toward Ren with a grin. IOZ And if we brought Prince Arinaskya a couple of the treasures, which we picked up along the way? What would our reward be? Ren stares, still shocked, then turns away. He struggles visibly with his emotions, then settles on a decision. REN We make for the Citadel. (beat) But if the compass happens to point to someplace nearby ... Well, we can stop and look. Ioz claps him on the shoulder and laughs. IOZ Isn't that what I just said? So! At the next port we'll put the wench on a boat to Janda-Town-- TULA (O.S.) The wench is coming with you. Ren and Ioz both turn. Tula is standing behind them, hands on hips, legs splayed. Her expression is set. TULA This was Rathka's quest too, Ren, and I-- Rathka-- She bites her lip. TULA Besides, you and Ioz can't handle this old scow by yourselves-- IOZ (shocked, angry) "Scow"! Ay jitata, woman--! TULA And there's nothing for me in Janda- Town anyway. Niddler, his injured wing bandaged, comes up behind Tula. NIDDLER I too am rather at loose ends presently. He trails off with an expectant look on his face. Ren's expression is set, but it softens. He steps toward the others and puts out his hand, palm down. REN For Rathka, then. The others step forward and place their hands over Ren's. One at a time, each says "For Rathka." REN For Rathka, for Prince Arinaskya, for King Prithma, and for Mer! The Quest! Always the Quest! UNISON Always the Quest! CROSSFADE EXT. THE WRAITH -- BRIDGE -- DAY Ren at the wheel, the compass about his neck. The compass glitters, then a burst of blue ray shoots out, aiming noticeably off center but parallel to the horizon. Ren heaves the wheel in the direction the ray is pointing. He lifts his head as the sail billows and surges, and the ship heels into the open sea. Music swells. FADE OUT END CREDITS FADE IN EXT. ABBEY OF GALDEBAR -- COURTYARD -- NIGHT The courtyard is dimly lit by moonlight. Silence. A strong arm is flung over the wall, and slowly it pulls a body up with it. The body flops atop the wall, like a rag doll, and hangs there. Then the arm pushes, and the body overextends to fall into the courtyard. For a moment it lays there. The limbs with a CRACK twist and untwist, and the thing springs, still broken-backed, onto its feet. It levers itself upright, almost falls over forward, then raises itself upright again, though its head lolls. The legs and arms and back pull themselves into alignment with a sudden snap. The lolling head lifts, and we see now that it is twisted back to front. With a CRUNCH, the head twists about face-forward. The frothing mouth is open and the eyes are rolled back. But the figure is, recognizably, Tattoo. Or rather: Tattoo/Malamba A shudder ripples through it, it tightens up, holds ... And abruptly relaxes. The eyes roll forward and the mouth shuts. But the wounded arm still hangs limp. Tattoo/Malamba takes a few steps, stops, and looks at the wounded shoulder. All over him, his muscles shrink and tighten, and he becomes noticeably thinner and less robust. He rolls the shoulder experimentally, extends the arm, flexes it, then drops it. He resumes walking. The bracelet that Ren sliced away is resting on the pavement. The tentacle is gone--only a sticky residue is left, and the hand that reaches down to pluck the bracelet up has to tug to free it. Tattoo/Malamba examines the bracelet, then tosses it over his shoulder and looks off into the distance. TATTOO/MALAMBA (Malamba's voice) You've done me a great favor, morsel, even if you don't realize it. So when I catch up to you, I will thank you for it. Before I-- The eyes roll back, the jaw opens, the mouth froths. The proboscis extends to waver in the air briefly before withdrawing. As if in reverse, the face returns to normal. TATTOO/MALAMBA And I will catch up to you. And since you've broken the shackles Bloth hung on me, you will never ... see me ... coming! The camera pans up slightly, to center on his forehead, then DOLLIES IN on it. There is no octopus-with-four-arms tattoo there. FADE OUT THE END |
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