EPISODE 3: Smells Like Teen Spirit (part 1)
EXT Hills near a pool, Day.
It is morning. A circle of weapons, belongings, makeshift blankets etc. around a fire show that the gang have slept rough again. DIANA and SHEILA sit by the fire, cooking potatoes on a spit.
SHEILA:
Are you male?
DIANA:
Yes. Nineteen.
SHEILA:
Are you alive?
DIANA:
No. Eighteen.
SHEILA:
This isn't fair! You're gonna
do another old writer I never
heard of.
DIANA:
Yes or no questions only,
Sheila.
SHEILA:
Are you some other old writer I
never heard of?
DIANA grins.
DIANA:
Yes. Seventeen.
CUT TO
EXT The pool, a little way from the camp.
CLOSE ON PRESTO as he washes his face and hair in the pool. He sits up and rubs the water from his eyes.
ERIC:
(o/s)
Please?
PRESTO shoots a sideways glance off left.
PAN OUT a little to show ERIC sitting to PRESTO's left, gazing at him pleadingly.
PRESTO:
No.
HANK:
(o/s)
Pretty please?
PAN OUT more to show HANK sitting to PRESTO's right.
PRESTO:
No!
PRESTO gets up and begins heading towards the fire. HANK and ERIC follow him.
HANK:
C'mon, Presto.
PRESTO:
It's no good, guys. I am not
magicing up cigarettes for you,
no matter how much you ask.
ERIC:
This isn't asking. This is
less dignified. It's called
begging.
HANK:
Presto, it's been nearly a
week. I'm at the end of my
tether here.
PRESTO stops and turns around, irritated.
PRESTO:
Well so am I. Food, water and
the odd comfort like soap or
blankets I'm happy to help you
guys out with. But I am not
gonna waste valuable magical
energy on fucking cigarettes!
On ERIC and HANK, a little taken aback.
PRESTO:
(contd, o/s)
Eric, you told me you'd quit
last New Year's and Hank
supposedly never started in the
first place. Maybe this is
fate's way of telling you to
stop for real.
ERIC:
But...
On PRESTO. He holds up a hand, silencing ERIC
PRESTO:
Now do you want the girls to
know about this conversation?
HANK:
No, but...
PRESTO:
Then shut up. And don't bring
it up again.
On HANK and ERIC.
ERIC:
Pres...
On PRESTO. He holds up his hand again.
PRESTO:
Uh!
On HANK and ERIC.
HANK:
You...
On PRESTO. He points towards the girls behind him.
PRESTO:
Nuh!
On HANK and ERIC. They roll their eyes and grudgingly follow PRESTO back towards the campfire. As they go, they pass BOBBY in the background, combing out UNI's mane.
ERIC:
(as they pass)
We'll see, Wizard. We shall see.
IN on BOBBY and UNI. UNI, watching them, whinnies fretfully.
BOBBY:
Don't worry about them, Uni.
They're just insane.
As the following conversation takes place o/s, BOBBY continues to groom UNI, in world of his own, he smiles faintly at the impending argument. UNI fails to be comforted by BOBBY, and grows increasingly twitchy.
DIANA:
(o/s)
One question left.
SHEILA:
(o/s)
I don't know! I give up.
DIANA:
(o/s)
Guess!
SHEILA:
(o/s)
I don't know the first thing
about early English drama. I
wouldn't know who to... Oh! Are
you John Webster?
DIANA:
(o/s)
Fuck!
SHEILA:
(o/s)
All right! I win!
DIANA:
(o/s)
How did you... Eric, did you
tell her?
ERIC:
(o/s)
Yep.
UNI whinnies, terrified, and rears up, narrowly missing BOBBY. BOBBY catches her mane and tries to steady her.
BOBBY:
Hey! What's wrong?
UNI, still neighing, twists out of his grasp and begins wildly backing up away from the camp site. BOBBY follows her gingerly.
BOBBY:
Uni?
CUT TO
EXT The camp fire, Day.
The other kids are all around the fire. Each has a potato for breakfast, and one rests cooling on a stick for Bobby.
DIANA:
(towards ERIC)
Cheater.
SHEILA:
(also towards ERIC)
Squealer.
ERIC grins and simultaneously flips both girls off. HANK notices the commotion and look up towards BOBBY and UNI.
HANK:
Hey. What's going on?
The others follow his eyeline.
DIANA:
(calls)
What's the prob, Bob?
On BOBBY, struggling to placate UNI, who continues to back away.
BOBBY:
I don't know. It's Uni.
On the others, around the fire.
ERIC:
Looks like she's scared of
somethin'.
On BOBBY and UNI.
BOBBY:
Yes, thank you, Eric. I
gathered that.
At this, UNI shrieks, turns and bolts.
BOBBY:
Uni?!?
BOBBY turns briefly at the others, but is already automatically jogging after UNI.
BOBBY:
Shit. I'd better go get her.
You guys stay put.
On the others, around the fire.
HANK:
Can do.
DIANA:
(over HANK)
Will you be OK?
On BOBBY.
BOBBY:
Don't worry about me, guys.
I'll be back as soon as I can.
BOBBY sprints off after UNI.
On the others. SHEILA half rises.
SHEILA:
Be careful, Bobby...
DIANA:
Sheila, he was fighting Ogres
when he was half his current
age and size.
SHEILA sits back down again.
DIANA:
(contd)
He'll be fine finding one
frightened little unicorn.
CLOSE On HANK, watching BOBBY run off.
HANK:
Huh. A few days ago that
frightened little unicorn was
notching Orc corpses up on her
horn. Now she's afraid of a
camp fire. I tell ya, she's
grown up pretty weird...
HANK trails off and irritably bats SHEILA's hand away from his hair. PAN OUT a little to show that as he's been talking, SHEILA has crept up behind him and begun plaiting little pigtails into his long hair. SHEILA smiles at him playfully and shuffles away a little. HANK starts unbraiding his hair, scowling.
On PRESTO, laughing quietly. His eyes fall on the fire. His face falls.
On the fire. It is more lively than a fire should be. Several large crackles emanate from it, followed by a miniature explosion. The explosion doesn't escape the confindes of the flames, but is very noticeable and very unnatural.
On PRESTO.
PRESTO:
Woah. That's not good.
On SHEILA, HANK, ERIC and DIANA. They turn to look at him, all are concerned, but ERIC is inwardly distracted.
SHEILA:
What is it, Presto?
ERIC:
Ow.
Longer shot of the kids around the camp fire. There is a much larger explosion in the fire. The kids all flinch back a little.
HANK:
Jesus!
PRESTO leaps to his feet.
PRESTO:
That's not good at all!
HANK, SHEILA and DIANA get to their feet as well. ERIC tries to, but doubles over, clutching at his right shoulder.
ERIC:
Oh my God!
HANK, SHEILA and DIANA's attentions are turned to ERIC.
SHEILA:
What's happening?
On PRESTO, scrabbling for his hat.
PRESTO:
It doesn't matter.
On DIANA and ERIC, ERIC still hunched in pain.
DIANA:
Of course it matters.
On PRESTO. He grabs his hat and points it open at the fire. Water floods out of it onto the fire. However, the fire somehow deflects the water away from it. The deflected water hits PRESTO and the others.
PRESTO:
Shit.
On ERIC and DIANA. ERIC looks up at the others, wincing.
ERIC:
Incoming!
Longer shot as a ball of magical energy hits the misbehaving fire from o/s. The resulting explosion is far bigger than the previous two, pushing the kids backwards.
On HANK and SHEILA, now both sodden and reeling from the force of the explosion.
HANK:
Great. Let's all fight fire
with fire, shall we?
SHEILA:
Well water wasn't working.
HANK looks up angrily o/s.
HANK:
Why'd he have to show up,
anyway?
Longer shot on the kids, all looking off in the direction that the ball of energy came from, where VENGER now stands.
VENGER:
If you must know, because you
are in terrible danger.
DIANA:
Aren't we always?
The fire explodes again, and grows.
VENGER:
I recommend that you leave.
The fire continues to grow. VENGER swaps a brief glance with PRESTO, who begins to quietly gather up the other weapons.
PRESTO:
Let's go.
On ERIC.
ERIC:
Why? Since when are we
listening to... Aargh!
He creases up in agony again, but shoots a look up to VENGER, fury burning through the pain.
ERIC:
Did you do that, you corpse
faced ass scraping?
Longer shot, as the fire continues to grow.
VENGER:
Just get your weapons and go.
HANK:
Why? What is that?
VENGER:
Furnus has found you.
DIANA:
Well we can take him on.
VENGER:
No. The Dungeon Master believes
that you are not ready yet.
Besides, two of you are
missing.
SHEILA:
So? Half of us have fought you
one on one.
VENGER:
Furnus is not me. Now, will you
go of your own accord?
On the kids.
HANK:
Why, what'll you do if we...
There is a flash of green light.
CUT TO
EXT Pathway through farmland, Day.
HANK, SHEILA, DIANA, ERIC and PRESTO are suddenly on a small road leading through farmland. There is a village in the distance. The pool, campfire and Venger are nowhere to be seen.
HANK:
Son of a bitch!
They look wildly around themselves.
DIANA:
Shit! Where the Hell are we?
On SHEILA, HANK and PRESTO.
SHEILA:
How's Bobby gonna find us now?
PRESTO:
I... I don't know.
HANK puts a hand on SHEILA's shoulder.
HANK:
He'll be OK, Babe.
CUT TO
EXT Ransacked Marketplace, Day.
The Marketplace in this small, rural town was obviously thriving earlier in the day, but has been turned upside down by the many Orcs who still run riot through it. Stalls are overturned, food and wares lie trampled and ruined on the floor. There are no townsfolk to be seen, but a woman can be heard screaming desperately. Most of the Orcs that we can see are gathering excitedly around UNI, who rears and cries out in panic, drowning out the woman's screams. The bodies of three Orcs are slumped at her hooves and her horn is blooded, but two other Orcs have managed to lasso it. They hold her head back and keep her from charging. Many of the other Orcs brandish swords and knives.
ORC 1:
That thing killed our men!
ORC 2:
Slit its throat.
No sooner does ORC 2 speak than it is laid out with a Bobby's club hitting his head from behind. BOBBY doesn't even wait for ORC 2 to fall, but pushes his way through the throng, knocking out several Orcs around him.
BOBBY:
Good idea, Uni. This is much
better than having a hot
breakfast with our friends.
On ORCs 3 & 4, the ones restraining UNI.
ORC 3:
What in name of Furnus..?
On BOBBY. He ducks, narrowly dodging an Orc lashing at him with his sword. As he ducks, BOBBY swings out with his club and hits ORC 3 in the legs, knocking his feet from beneath him. As ORC 3 falls, he releases the rope around UNI's horn, leaving UNI free to twist her head out of ORC 4's hold. BOBBY rises.
BOBBY:
Better?
On UNI and ORC 4. They gaze furiously at one another for the briefest moment, then ORC 4's expression changes to one of fear. UNI growls, and in a flash, lowers her head, thrusts and impales him. The Orcs surrounding them wince and step back a little as ORC 4 screams in agony, hanging from the horn in his punctured torso. ORC 4's scream falls to a death rattle and he slumps. The o/s woman's screams are finally properly audible beneath the on screen commotion. On BOBBY. Hearing the scream, he turns and punches an ORC out of his way. BOBBY's POV: a way off, ORC 5 is attacking a woman, lying on top of her. He almost entirely obscures her, but it can be just about seen that she has still managed to remain clothed, and that she is struggling like Hell. She is NOT being raped. Yet. But she is running out of fight. On BOBBY. He glances very briefly at UNI, who is now causing some serious damage to the Orcs surrounding her. BOBBY dodges out of the fray and sprints towards ORC 5.
BOBBY:
Hey!
On ORC 5. He looks up and grins. As he does so, LILAC, the woman beneath him, becomes visible. She is very beautiful, around 30, and her dress is a fine gown, or was before it became torn and muddied.
ORC 5:
I was hoping a boy would come
help you...
ORC 5 rises and steps out to meet the oncoming BOBBY.
LILAC:
Young man! Run away! Hide!
On BOBBY. He rushes at the approaching ORC 5, his club raised, and swings it into the ORC's stomach. ORC 5 drops, winded. Barely breaking his stride, BOBBY continues to run right up to LILAC, who still lies, propped up, on the ground.
BOBBY:
You're kidding, right?
BOBBY offers LILAC a hand.
BOBBY:
He didn't hurt you, did he?
LILAC gets up without BOBBY's help.
LILAC:
No.
Beat.
LILAC:
Lilac.
LILAC grabs BOBBY's extended hand and shakes it. BOBBY looks nonplussed.
LILAC:
My name.
BOBBY:
Oh. Right. I'm Bob. Say, what
did you guys do to have this
hap...
BOBBY is cut short as ORC 5 leaps up behind him and grabs his throat, pulling him back.
LILAC:
No!
BOBBY, startled, drops his club, loses his balance and falls into ORC 5. As they hit the ground, ORC 5 rolls over BOBBY so that BOBBY is flat out on his stomach, with ORC 5 sitting on his back, still choking him. ORC 5 puts his mouth to BOBBY's ear.
ORC 5:
Oh yes. You very young.
BOBBY's eyes widen as he reaches out an arm to grope for his club, lying nearby but just out of reach.
BOBBY:
What the fuck?
On UNI. She spots Bobby being attacked and tries to go to his aid. A large Orc grabs her by the mane, and she struggles to get out of his grasp. On BOBBY and ORC 5. LILAC runs up behind them, and tries ineffectually to wrench ORC 5 away.
LILAC:
Let him be!
BOBBY:
My club...
LILAC makes a grab for the dropped club, and hits ORC 5 around the head with it. She is not as strong as Bobby, and the club does not react magically to her, but she manages to stun ORC 5 enough for BOBBY to wriggle free. BOBBY struggles to his feet and just manages to take the club from LILAC before ORC 5 leaps up again and makes a grab for his waist. BOBBY strikes downwards at ORC 5's head with the handle of his club. ORC 5, dazed, releases him and briefly slumps yet again. BOBBY only has time to step back slightly before ORC 5 leaps up once more, this time with his sword flashing as he unsheathes it. ORC 5 presses the blade of his sword against BOBBY's throat, pushing him right back, into a market stall. The stall collapses under their weight and they fall, amid a clatter of foodstuffs in pots and pans.
BOBBY:
Augh!
The awning of the stall is torn from its props and flutters down on top of them both. LILAC stalls for a second, watching the shapes under the collapsed awning shift and heave.
LILAC:
Bob?
BOBBY:
(muffled)
Oh, shit!
LILAC glances nervously from the collapsed stall to UNI, still fighting, and rapidly increasing body count about her. LILAC makes a sudden dash to the nearest corpse and wrenches the mace from his hand. She begins to run back to the market stall.
On the collapsed stall. A bloody faced BOBBY disentangles himself from the awning and stands, with difficulty. The shape of ORC 5, still beneath the awning, begins to rise also.
Closer on BOBBY. There is a real horror and hate in his expression. He is shaking.
BOBBY:
Leave me alone!
BOBBY swings his club down onto the figure under the awning. It drops down a little, to BOBBY's knees. BOBBY brings his club down on the figure again. This time the figure completely collapses. A red pool begins to form where Bobby had struck.
BOBBY:
Why won't you leave me alone?
BOBBY strikes with his club at the growing red patch twice more, then stops abruptly. He is shaking even more now. He looks from the end of his club to the shape at his feet. Both are wet with blood. He puts his hand to his mouth. He looks up at LILAC, who has stood, watching the whole thing, the mace still in her hand. She nods, calmly, understanding.
BOBBY:
I...
LILAC:
You killed it yourself. Good
for you.
BOBBY:
I really killed him?
LILAC shrugs.
LILAC:
Take a look.
BOBBY gingerly lifts up the awning at his feet and looks under it. He drops it again swiftly, his breath labouring with panic.
On UNI. There are only a few living Orcs surrounding her now, and most of them are beginning to scatter. Around ten are dead about her. One Orc is slow to flee. She kicks him in the head. There is a snap, the Orc's head twists to a crazy angle and he falls. The rest are out of reach and running scared, no longer a threat. UNI snorts and walks towards BOBBY and LILAC.
On BOBBY and LILAC. As UNI joins them, BOBBY is picking his way out of the remains of the stall. He stumbles over a fallen prop and LILAC catches him. She looks hard at him. Close on BOBBY as he looks up at her and tries to right himself. He has cuts on his face and a bad gash along his throat where ORC 5 held the sword. He is trembling with adrenaline and distress and - for once - looks his tender age.
LILAC:
You are very young.
BOBBY nods.
BOBBY:
Sixteen.
UNI pushes her head between BOBBY and LILAC. BOBBY smiles bravely and puts his arm around UNI's neck.
BOBBY:
Officially at least. I was 9
twice so it's hard to call.
LILAC looks confused. BOBBY, distracted, looks off down the main street. UNI follows his gaze.
BOBBY:
I have to go back. The
others'll be worried.
LILAC pulls his face back to hers.
LILAC:
You will not, young man. You're
badly hurt and exhausted.
You'll be tended to in my home
until you're fit. It's the
least I can do.
BOBBY pushes her hand away.
BOBBY:
That's very nice of you, Lilac,
but I left my friends waiting
for me outside the village.
LILAC:
Then I'll send a boy out for
them. They can all stay.
There's room enough. I'm Lord
of the Manor here.
LILAC takes BOBBY's arm and begins to lead him away.
BOBBY:
Really? You don't look like a
Lord to me.
LILAC:
It's an old tradition. When a
Lady is widowed childless, she
inherits her late husband's
Lordship.
BOBBY laughs a little, still shaky.
BOBBY:
Wow. Guess I landed on my feet
here. The others'll be pleased.
CUT TO
EXT Road through farmland, Day. Drizzling.
On PRESTO, ERIC and DIANA, on the pathway. They are looking ahead of them. ERIC and PRESTO are trudging wearily, but DIANA has stopped in protest.
DIANA:
No way, guys! We're going to a
bar? That's our plan?
On HANK and SHEILA, ahead of them. A few yards along the road is a small tavern. They stop and turn.
HANK:
It's not a bar, it's a tavern.
On DIANA, resolute.
DIANA:
Same difference.
On HANK and SHEILA.
SHEILA:
Diana, I know it's not ideal,
but at least we can ask there
about where we are. And about
Bobby.
Longer shot which includes ERIC and PRESTO, who have also stopped ahead of DIANA and turned to her. The rain and wind have picked up.
PRESTO:
Venger wouldn't have sent us
far away if he knew the others
weren't with us.
HANK:
Yeah, he's sweet like that.
SHEILA:
And if Bobby and Uni did pass
by, they'd be pretty hard to
forget.
ERIC:
It has a roof. And chairs. And
hot food. Personally, I'm sold.
On DIANA. She rolls her eyes and continues walking.
DIANA:
OK then. But we ask a few
questions, we get warm and then
we go Barbarian hunting again.
On HANK, already at the tavern door.
HANK:
Agreed.
CUT TO
INT Tavern, Day.
SFX:
General chatter of drinkers.
On the door as HANK opens it, revealing himself and the others, soggy and bedraggled, peering in. The chattering stops.
On the inside of the tavern. It is a basic, but quite cozy rural pub. The drinkers are almost entirely male farmhands. All gaze at the strangers in an oppressive, still silence.
On the kids in the doorway.
HANK:
Hi.
On the BARMAN, standing guardedly at the bar, a half poured drink in his hand.
BARMAN:
Hello.
On the kids in the doorway.
ERIC:
Listen, I don't suppose any of
you fellas have come across a
six foot tall bodybuilder with
a spiked helmet, chasing a half
insane unicorn, have you?
On the BARMAN.
BARMAN:
Nope.
On the kids in the doorway.
DIANA:
OK, second question, bit weird
I know, but... do you know
where we are?
On the BARMAN.
BARMAN:
Yep. You're standing in the
doorway of the Hole In The
Head. And you're getting wet,
not to mention letting in a
draft.
Beat. Nobody stirs.
BARMAN:
Come in.
Longer shot on the kids in the doorway.
SHEILA:
(whispers)
He's telling us to come in.
We'd better get out of here.
A BURLY drinker close to them suddenly stands up, grabs PRESTO and SHEILA by the wrists and drags them in through the door.
BURLY:
Come in!
DIANA:
Hey!
DIANA, ERIC and HANK automatically follow PRESTO and SHEILA in. BURLY, his hands still on SHEILA and PRESTO's wrists, eyes them all closely.
ERIC:
Hey, nice hospitality!
They all jump a little as another drinker slams the door behind them.
HANK:
What's going on here?
BURLY releases PRESTO and SHEILA.
BURLY:
It's all right. There's a
wizard and the others are
armed, but who here isn't?
They're human at least. Young
'uns, at that.
The drinkers in the bar visibly relax. Their expressions become more of interest than suspicion. On the BARMAN. He continues to pour the drink.
BARMAN:
You're strangers. You must
excuse us, we're not used to
innocent travellers round here.
Not any more. Now. You were
asking questions.
Longer shot of the tavern with the kids clustered together in the centre, still guarded.
PRESTO:
We need to find our friend.
Last time we saw him was a
hilly place with a pool, five
days North West from Swinville.
BARMAN:
Well everyone knows that place!
Lovely spot for camping, not
far from the town.
ERIC:
Whaddaya know, Presto was
right. We didn't go far after
all.
SHEILA:
That's great!
SHEILA goes up to the bar.
SHEILA:
Please? How do we get back
there?
Closer on the BARMAN and SHEILA. The BARMAN regards her carefully.
BARMAN:
What did you say your friend
looked like?
SHEILA:
He's not my friend, he's my
brother. He's fair, like me,
and he's dressed as a
Barbarian.
BARMAN:
(recalling an old memory)
With a hat of horns and a
mighty club...
Longer shot as the drinkers in the tavern all suddenly burst into a line of song.
DRINKERS:
(singing, in unison)
And the unicorn made seven!
On the kids. They start at this single line of folk song and look from the drinkers to each other.
HANK:
Well... yeah. Have you seen
them?
On a table of drinkers. They look at each other with strange, knowing expressions.
On the BARMAN. He smiles to himself.
BARMAN:
No. But I know someone who
might've.
The BARMAN reaches behind the bar, and retrieves five shot glasses.
SHEILA:
You do?
The BARMAN opens a large glass bottle of an amber liquid and begins pouring out the five drinks.
BARMAN:
Old Tom. He goes all about this
area. Always stops in for a
drink and a gossip at the end
of his day. He's the main
source of knowledge for the
most of us poor countryfolk.
You can wait for him here.
Perhaps you would like a drink.
The BARMAN pushes a glass towards SHEILA. She frowns and turns to the others.
PRESTO:
I think we should get on.
BARMAN:
The rain is getting worse,
young Wizard. Nobody will want
to be out in weather like that.
Not even your friend. Wait for
Old Tom. And have a drink. It's
on the house.
PRESTO:
Look, I really must insist...
BARMAN:
No, I really must insist. We
used to get travellers here.
They'd tell stories, sing
songs, of great deeds. We'd
reward them with a free drink.
Allow me to do that again. Do
not deny me that honour.
The BARMAN slams the bottle back down on the bar. The drinkers watch them expectantly. PRESTO turns to the others.
PRESTO:
What do we think?
ERIC:
Just the one can't hurt.
DIANA:
It'd better just be one, Eric.
ERIC:
Jesus Christ, Ya get found face
down in the gutter one lousy
time and you never hear the end
of it!
HANK joins SHEILA at the bar.
HANK:
We'll have one.
DIANA, PRESTO and ERIC join them. They all take a glass from the bar, suspiciously. They pause, and look at HANK, in the centre of the five. HANK sniffs the drink and wrinkles his nose.
HANK:
OK...
Beat. HANK holds his glass aloft.
HANK:
Absent friends.
The other kids raise their glasses to meet HANK's.
KIDS:
Absent friends.
They all down their shots as one, then slam their glasses on the bar, reacting to the kick of the alcohol. On DIANA, smacking her lips in recognition of the taste. A realisation dawns on her. She looks up, delighted.
DIANA:
Oh my God!
On SHEILA, also pleased.
SHEILA & DIANA:
It's tequila!
On ERIC and PRESTO, also concentrating on the aftertaste.
ERIC:
How can it be tequila?
PRESTO:
I don't know. But it is.
On the kids at the bar.
HANK:
Well I'll be. A taste of home.
You know, we'd just need some
salt, limes and a whole load of
nachos and we could be at my
21st birthday party again.
On the BARMAN.
BARMAN:
Well, I never heard of no
"nachos", but we've got salt
and limes all right. I can get
some if you like.
On DIANA.
DIANA:
Really? 'Cos they'd go great
with this stuff.
On the BARMAN.
BARMAN:
But that's for cooking with,
not drinking with.
On the kids at the bar.
ERIC:
The child has much to learn.
CUT TO
EXT Outside the Manor, Day. Bad Rain. Establishing shot of Lilac's Medieval looking Manor House. Wind and rain lash at it and at the MESSENGER who rides at speed towards the front door.
CUT TO
INT Drawing room of the Manor, Day. The main light comes from the roaring fire in the grate, since the light outside the windows is grey with the storm. LILAC and BOBBY sit in chairs by the fire. There is a bowl of steaming water between them. They are both cleaning their wounds. BOBBY regards the weather outside.
BOBBY:
God, it's really starting to
come down. The others are gonna
be pretty pissed off...
BOBBY checks the cloth he was cleaning his throat wound with. It's still stained with blood.
BOBBY:
Shit.
LILAC:
Still bleeding?
BOBBY:
Yeah.
BOBBY holds a hand out flat. It trembles slightly.
BOBBY:
Still shaking, too.
LILAC sighs.
LILAC:
I didn't meant to be
insensitive earlier. I never
thought that might have been
your first kill.
BOBBY:
I haven't been here long... I
mean, I was here for a year,
but that was when I was a kid.
Before everything got all
twisted. We've only been back a
few days since.
Beat.
BOBBY:
A week ago I thought I could
never take a life. Then I see
my little Unicorn doing it like
it's second nature to her. And
my sister had to. And my
friend, when the girl he likes
was... was gonna be...
Beat.
BOBBY:
What was that bastard trying to
do to me?
LILAC:
The same thing he was trying
to do to me. You really have
been away a long while, haven't
you? There's no decency or
safety in this world any more.
The fire of Furnus wants to
burn every living soul. And
to fight it you must be
prepared to kill. And to
survive that, you have to see
ending their lives as a
victory. Because if you don't
kill them first...
LILAC rinses out the cloth she'd been dabbing her wounds with.
BOBBY:
They killed your husband,
didn't they?
LILAC continues cleaning her wounds. She doesn't meet BOBBY's gaze.
LILAC:
Eventually. They thought it
would be fun to let me live.
For that mistake I've stopped
seventeen of their filthy
hearts. So far.
BOBBY sits back, shocked.
BOBBY:
Lilac. That's so sad.
LILAC finally looks at him. Her face is set, masking the rage and sorrow beneath.
LILAC:
It's only sad because my task
is yet unfulfilled. Orc
soldiers are just decoration
for my husband's grave. I won't
rest until I've tracked down
and destroyed the one behind
all this. The one they answer
to. The Demon Furnus.
BOBBY scowls, rinsing his bloodied cloth again.
BOBBY:
Furnus. Yeah, I got a bone to
pick with him too.
LILAC reaches over and presses a clean cloth against the wound on BOBBY's throat.
LILAC:
Who hasn't?
BOBBY:
We'll find him, Lilac. We'll
whup his ass for you, don't you
worry.
MESSENGER:
(o/s)
My Lord!
BOBBY and LILAC look up in the direction of the voice. On the MESSENGER, soaked and unhappy in the doorway.
MESSENGER:
Apologies, my Lord.
BOBBY stands.
BOBBY:
Where are the others?
MESSENGER:
I could not find them.
BOBBY:
Then you need to look harder.
MESSENGER:
I am sorry, young master. But I
don't think I shall ever find
them.
BOBBY:
What do you mean?
MESSENGER:
The camp site is gone. There is
nothing now but a scorch
reaching from pool to hill. The
evil stain of Furnus.
LILAC bows her head sadly.
BOBBY:
Furnus was there and I missed
him? Where are my friends?
LILAC rises from her chair.
LILAC:
Perhaps it ended well for them.
BOBBY:
Yeah. Maybe they won.
LILAC:
No. Maybe they fled.
BOBBY:
No way. Not after what that
Bastard did. They'd fight.
LILAC:
Then they are dead.
BOBBY turns on LILAC, his eyes welling with tears.
BOBBY:
No! No they're not!
LILAC takes BOBBY's hand.
LILAC:
I'm sorry, Bob. I know how you
feel.
BOBBY:
They are not dead!
LILAC:
Then where are they?
CUT TO
INT The tavern, Dusk. It is hard to tell that the sun is setting because the sky has been so dark with rain for so long. All the drinkers are gathered around the kids at the bar, watching them with fascination. There are several sucked out lime segments littering the bar. Each kid has a full shot glass in one hand and a slice of lime in the other.
PRESTO:
OK. Just one more.
ALL KIDS:
(in unison)
Three, two, one, go!
In synch, SHEILA and HANK down their shot, lick salt from the back of their hands and suck their limes and ERIC, DIANA and PRESTO lick the salt first, then down the shot, then suck the lime. All five screw up their faces at the sharpness of the lime and slam their empty glasses on the bar at the same time.
On the BARMAN, laughing.
BARMAN:
Again! You're still all doing
it differently.
On the kids, all reaching the dizzy level of inebriation. HANK gestures drunkenly towards ERIC and PRESTO.
HANK:
They're doin' it the gay way.
ERIC:
Am not.
HANK:
Am too. You're doin' it the gay
way in your little homosexual
tequila drinkin' tryst thingy.
HANK waves his hands vaguely at ERIC and PRESTO.
ERIC:
(smiling)
Fuck off.
HANK:
Hey. It's cool. It's totally...
just admit to it guys, set a
date, Maseltov, everybody's
happy.
DIANA & SHEILA:
Shut up, Hank.
ERIC:
He's only messing...
PRESTO, the most sober, is unimpressed.
PRESTO:
Yeah. Well I think we should
stop drinking now.
OTHER KIDS:
Nooo...
PRESTO:
Yesss. It was only supposed to
be one. We're... we're taking
advantage of our host.
Longer shot of the bar. The other drinkers laugh.
BARMAN:
Oh, I don't mind, young Wizard.
It's just so nice to have new
faces around here again.
HANK flails wildly again as an idea hits him.
HANK:
Yes! Barman, you said that
travellers used to pay for
their drinks with songs. We can
sing to you and pay our way.
The BARMAN and drinkers react, delighted.
BARMAN:
Really? You'd sing us a song
from your world?
On PRESTO, frowning confusedly.
PRESTO:
We never said we were from
another w...
PRESTO is drowned out by the chanting drinkers.
DRINKERS:
(chanting)
Song! Song! Song! Song!
SHEILA:
I don't wanna sing.
BARMAN:
For one song, you can have
food, lodgings and all you can
drink all night.
Close on HANK. He stands, a little wobbly.
HANK:
Gentlemen. I need a guitar.
On SHEILA and DIANA. SHEILA looks aghast.
SHEILA:
Oh no.
DIANA:
C'mon! It's cool. It's so
Tolkeinesque.
SHEILA:
No it's not.
Longer shot as HANK receives an acoustic guitar from a drinker and plucks experimentally at a couple of strings.
SHEILA:
Hank only knows how to play one
song on the guitar...
HANK:
OK guys. You all know this one.
Sing along!
SHEILA squeezes the bridge of her nose, embarrassed, and the others look up at HANK nonplussed as he begins to (badly) strum out the opening bars of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit".