EXT. ISLAND - DAY
Two days had past and already the thickness of spirit energy
had regained considerable weight. At first, Elouan's plan
succeeded. The impact of the cold water upset the vibrations
of his body so that it became impossible for spirit energies
to harmonize with its sensory systems. He did blackout
momentarily but came to realizing his body was in a process
of slowed vibration -- too slow for the rapidity of a
disembodied awareness to manage.
After pulling himself into the boat, he rowed further away
to gain a psychological as well as visual sense of distance
between himself and the epidemic. Eventually, he dozed off
into a deep slumber, coming to only when the boat floundered
onto the small beach. Still sluggish, he climbed off the
boat and took a moment to lie in the sand and promptly fell
back asleep.
Now awake, he scanned the environment. Butting up against
the beach were shrubs with trees deeper in. Scanning the
horizon, he saw a few other islands both east and west, a
few much larger than where he stood, jutting out with mighty
stone hilltops. Nonetheless, he welcomed where he had landed
and trudged into the greenery to find food.
As his strength returned, he sensed the invisible multitudes
still hovering about, regardless of how far he was from Ville
de la Baie. He didn't know how he would deal with the
onslaught of the dead a second time. There had to be some
way to shield his senses; to armor his psyche.
He plopped himself onto the beach and assumed a meditative
posture. First, he inwardly prayed to those souls whose job
it was to rescue the newly deceased. These rescuers would
surround the naturally confused and bewildered who had died,
answer their questions, then lead them compassionately into
the spirit world. He then prayed to his own spirit guides,
who were a group of beings near the level of angels in terms
of wisdom and strength. He hoped they would give him advice
on how to remain vibrationally safe from being overrun again.
They gave him the impression they were doing all they could
to keep unwanted spirits at bay, but there were so many, and
everything was still quite chaotic; they couldn't keep up
against the multitudes that could see Elouan's light.
It seemed his years and rank as Guardian did not prepare him
for this kind of trial.
As the blue of the sky turned to the tapestry of starlight,
the position of the constellations had him thinking he had
drifted southward along the coast. He didn't fear for his
return; he trusted that whatever force landed him here would
guide him safely to where he needed to be next.
Elouan spent the next two days eating, resting, and gathering
his strength. By the third day, the heaviness of crowding
spirits mounted. No matter how far from the mainland he
might have been, his light was still a beacon in that in-
between world of earth and spirit.
If any time was more pressing for Golda and Wimarc's help,
it was now. Elouan took his meditative position upon the
sand and risked the sovereignty of his senses to connect
with the souls of his brethren. It took several minutes to
soothe his consciousness as he feared a piercing entry from
unwanted plague dead, but when he reached a certain pitch,
he cast his awareness through the dense fog of the deceased
to focus back on his mountain home. He felt a cold breeze
whirling. It wasn't a harsh wind, but a gentle waft that
settled the snow peacefully outside the cave dwellings. The
sensation brought an added level of relief; the recognition
of a climate he was so familiar with.
INT. MUEIN TEMPLE - EURIC CHAMBER
His mind soared toward a cave at the base of the school temple
complex. He missed the cave's opening and slammed through
the rock that heralded the aperture. The stone sucked him
in, taking his awareness through the depth of the mountainside
until it opened to show his beloved Master Euric sitting in
a circle with other masters. They were meditating within
the glow of candles circled around them. A sense of
providence warmed the atmosphere.
EURIC
Elouan ... We recognize you. You
need to focus.
INT. MUEIN TEMPLE - WIMARC & GOLDA - CONTINUOUS
In another cave, Wimarc and Golda sat with a handful of
acolytes, meditating to assess Elouan's situation. In fact,
the whole monastery was aware of him. The entire school
felt the loss of so many people dying across the continent,
as it had been when the pestilence struck the Far East; but
this time, one of their own stood in the middle of it.
Tapping into the energy of his soul, they perceived in greater
detail the nature of his harrowing experience.
WIMARC
There are so many dead around him.
He cannot block out their voices.
GOLDA
Elouan, you must focus.
INT. MUEIN TEMPLE - EURIC - CONTINUOUS
EURIC
Focus upon the flame, Elouan. Let
that light guide you. Let it cast
out the darkness surrounding you.
EXT. BEACH
Elouan's body rocked with the intensity of concentration. He
knew, if he could blend his consciousness into the inner
image of a bright candle flame --become one with it-- the
union might just give him the type of armor he needed. But
it wasn't easy. He felt the warmth of the flame, but not
its vitality.
EURIC
It protects you. You and the light
are one and the same.
GOLDA
You and the light are one.
Elouan suddenly remembered: no separation existed anywhere
in the universe. All things were connected and thus one.
All he had to do was let go of his own sense of individuality;
toss away his notion of personal identity. Yes, he was a
unique manifestation in the universe, but he was not carved
out and separated from it. Rather, he was much more like a
singular whirlpool that gives an illusion of separateness in
the water but is still part and parcel of the water itself.
The revelation exploded his soul. As he released his prideful
individuality, he spiritually became the fullness of the
flame's vitality. His unique perspective and personality
did not dissolve in the eruption but remained protected within
Life's eternal power, shielded from the minds of those spirits
desperate to connect so long as he remained blended with
the eternal flame.
WIMARC
If you must help, help those that
are left behind.
Elouan's awareness returned to the beach. Upon opening his
eyes, everything shined clear. His organs, nerves, hearing --
all pristine. He shoved the boat into the open sea and jumped
aboard.
INT. MUEIN TEMPLE - EURIC - MOMENTS LATER
The circle of Muein temple masters disbanded. Master Euric
approached a large tapestry. He stared, probing it, almost
as if he were becoming one with it like Elouan had done with
the flame. A stinging beneath his right armpit interrupted
the moment. He placed his left hand gently upon the silk
robes, then cracked a knowing grin. Master Perrin noticed
and edged close, giving him a look of expectant inquiry.
Euric nodded in the affirmative.
EXT. MUEIN TEMPLE - LATER
A hundred twenty-five small stone huts covered the expanse
of cleared mountainside just beyond the Muein temple walls.
Each pod rose about half a body's height, with a single door
constructed of thick wood. Master Perrin and Master Amelia
assisted Master Euric into one of the small huts. The beloved
elder sat in meditative position and faced the open doorway,
looking calm and serene. All around them, other monks entered
their own personal pods. Some sat in meditation, while others
laid themselves down on their backs, all assisted by members
of the temple. Those taking residence showed signs of the
disease, whether it be a bubo, the plague rash, or a spasmodic
cough. The one hundred twenty-five pods represented a quarter
of the temple's population -- a lesser amount than the loss
of those in the cities and towns across the continent, mainly
because the coolness of the Alpine climate kept it less
virulent. Nonetheless, a quarter of the school (including
one of its most venerable masters) were fated to make the
transition into spirit by a result of the scourge. They
took it in stride. They accepted that on a certain level,
an agreement existed in the larger portion of their souls to
transition in such a manner; they did not consider themselves
victims. Rather, the disease was the means to their physical
ends, and it was pre-destined to happen. The pods gave each
of them the privacy to experience the transition in their
own way; it honored each one's individual spiritual journey,
while at the same time quarantining them from the members
still in good health. Whether or not there would be more
brethren afflicted, no one knew, but the response would be
the same.
Once all the plague-pods were occupied, the remaining monks
closed and locked the doors. But they didn't leave their
brothers and sisters behind. Instead, the healthy banded
together -- the remaining three hundred seventy and more --
and created a border around the expanse. They knelt before
a post of unlit torch wood, each monk with his own post, and
began the procession. A single flame passed along the group,
going from one to another, moving through the hands of Golda
and Wimarc who lit their own posts. When the flames reached
the last hand, the entire pod village glowed inside the ring
of fantastic, brilliant orange light. Then the mass hummed
the requiem. It echoed straight to the heavens.
EXT. MEDITERRANEAN SEA - DAY
It took another two days upon the sea to find Villa de la
Baie, following the schools of fish just below the surface
of the aqua blue water as they brought guidance. After rowing
through several floating bodies, Elouan bounded onto the
docks before the boat touched the rigging post.
EXT. CITY - MAIN ROAD - DAY
In no time, he found himself on the main street running
through town. A rushing friar nearly hit him head-on, but
remarkably steered clear at the last second.
DOCTOR MASCI
Come back! I must make confession!
The familiar voice came from Doctor Masci, sitting on the
ground near the edge of the cobblestone street, still dressed
in the plague-doctor robes. He had removed the bird-beak
mask to reveal his jaundiced face, bloodshot eyes, and black
tokens peeking out upon the edges of his neck.
Elouan rushed to cradle the dying physician in his arms.
DOCTOR MASCI
You! You ready to hear my confession?
ELOUAN
You have done your very best to help
others. No sin could ever diminish
the value of your deeds.
DOCTOR MASCI
Thank you. How does this end?
ELOUAN
You will find yourself floating above
your body. You'll notice a silver
thread connected to your belly ...
it will break. Then you will rush
down a tunnel toward a bright white
sun. It will embrace you with the
most beloved warmth you have ever
felt. So much love. And you will
be taken to the fields of Heaven,
which are more beautiful than all
the fields of earth ... with the
scent of aromatic flowers, and petals
of the most brilliant colors.
DOCTOR MASCI
Sounds beautiful.
(cough)
ELOUAN
It is.
DOCTOR MASCI
This mortality ... has opened my
eyes to the oneness of life .... we
all share.
ELOUAN
And there is still much more you
will see.
DOCTOR MASCI
Thank you.
ELOUAN
THANK YOU.
(FINAL BREATH)
Elouan closed Masci's eyes and gently laid him on the ground.
(WALKING/SCRAPING) The sound of scraping drew him to recognize
a young lady dragging a bloated body from an apartment. The
ruined corpse was that of Authori -- the man who gave his
wife, Isabel, to the papal authorities. The lady disposing
him was the maid he had left her for. She returned Elouan's
stare with a non-plussed resignation as she let her deceased
lover fall carelessly on his disease-ravaged face. She slowly
returned inside, having grown cold to the reality of the
Grim Reaper's visit.
(BANGING ON DOOR) Elouan saw a trio of dirty ruffians, faces
wrapped, hammering on an apartment's entrance.
RUFFIAN
Anyone alive in there?
INSIDE VOICE
Do I know you?
RUFFIAN
Just checking.
They moved on to the next building. Elouan knew they weren't
really concerned to find people alive, rather they were
looking for quite the opposite.
A woman wearing a brilliant white robe surprised Elouan as
she suddenly walked by. She kept her back to him, moving
with a sense of purpose. There was something about her.
Whereas everyone else on the street appeared beaten from the
pestilence, this stranger walked with vibrancy; an energy
that towered above the carnage. The brown color of her hair
reminded him of his mother, but he had failed to see her
face when she crossed his path. Nonetheless, he took note
her white robe had a slight shimmer to it, though it was
difficult to ascertain if the glistening was a play of the
daylight or a feature of the robe itself. Curious, he followed
her.
Not once did the lady peer back to acknowledge him. She
just kept walking. A corner here. An alleyway there. She
paid no attention to the corpses lining the route. It was
as if she was heading to an important meeting and couldn't
be distracted. The mystery of her captured Elouan. At first,
he wanted to call out, but then decided it more important to
just follow her lead. Instead, he reached her direction
with an expanded awareness of mind, but was unable to gain
anything of value, as if she wasn't there. Nevertheless,
she appeared as solid and material as anyone, perfectly clean
in the obscure white robe.
CORPSE SCAVENGER
Bring out your dead! Bring 'em out!
CORPSE CARRIER2
This is the poor part of town. No
one is going to pay.
CORPSE SCAVENGER
The whole town's gone poor. Keep
walking.
The lady marched by the livery Rachel used, then entered the
stairwell of a tenement across the street. Elouan followed
her up the steps and watched her enter an apartment on the
third floor, leaving the door ajar. When he arrived, he
looked in to see she had disappeared; however, Gladwin lied
alone on a cot, his chest bare, a bubo bursting from an
armpit. Elouan realized the woman was a spirit, meaning to
lead him here to find the dying boy.
INT. GLADWIN'S ROOM - 3RD STORY - CONTINUOUS
Elouan carefully wrapped his fingers around Gladwin's right
ear and allowed his own energy to dive into the youth. As
the blending thickened, the images seared into the child's
consciousness came to the surface: his mother and father
hurriedly packing clothes and minor household items into
rucksacks, while he remained on the bed, ravaged by the
disease. He had begged them to not leave, but they acted as
if they weren't hearing him; nay -- as if he was invisible
to them. He screamed for their love, yet they still fled,
leaving him alone in the darkness.
ELOUAN
I'm sorry. I cannot speak for why
they abandoned you. What is your
name? Tell me, Gladwin, when you
grow up ... when you get over this
sickness ... what would you like to
be?
The response prompted Elouan to stare wistfully at Gladwin's
wooden sword propped against the wall. It represented the
hopes and dreams of a life that could now never be lived.
ELOUAN
I promise, you will be the greatest
crusader this world has ever known.
You fight valiantly and are embraced
joyously by the light of the creative
source. You are there now, feeling
its love -- the true love of a divine
parent -- never to be left alone
again. You are taken in this Father's
embrace, and given the wondrous plume
of a crusader's victory.
(GLADWIN DEATH SIGH)
ELOUAN
Mother! Why have you sent me here?
Where is my father? I wish to leave
this place!
ROESIA
You cannot leave, as there are still
things yet to be done.
Elouan spun around to see her standing behind him. Roesia
was more beautiful than his memories of her. Her skin was
as smooth and supple as a newborn baby; her brown hair platted
and braided; her robe a glistening white with a faint glow
emanating from behind. Indeed, it had been her who had led
him through the streets to this very apartment.
ROESIA
You knew the nature of this path,
and you accepted it with joy.
ELOUAN
You cannot expect me -- you cannot
expect anyone -- to continue in a
way such as this. Even knowing what
I know.
ROESIA
About what? That every moment is
precious, no matter where or when
you are? And that we are all
connected as One, despite such beliefs
to the contrary? It is precisely
because of those beliefs that you
are on this journey. Finding your
father is your pilgrimage of service
in this life ... a task that is more
about yourself and him than it has
ever been for me.
ELOUAN
You beseeched me. Begged me to find
him.
ROESIA
Of course, I did. I had to. Because
you know, for many, time is short.
ELOUAN
Why can you not tell me where he is
and I will go there?
ROESIA
As I have said when you've asked
before, the map is not mine to reveal;
it is you and your father's, and
those you share the journey with.
ELOUAN
From where you live, is it not already
complete?
ROESIA
From where I live, all possible
outcomes are known and understood.
But from where you live, in your
head and heart, you only experience
one. And that one outcome will ripple
like a rock tossed in the water of
your soul for the rest of your life,
as well as his. You both learn from
its furrow ... and return such
knowledge to Life's greater Oneness.
I cannot tell you where your father
is, for that would betray the path
you are on, the path that your friends
share with you, the path he also
treads ... And what all Life is
seeking to unfold through your
expressions. Where and when must be
fulfilled naturally by your own Selves
for all Life's authentic realization.
ELOUAN
How much time do I have?
ROESIA
Like you, I can only inspire.
Elouan took another glance at Gladwin. Considering what he
knew of the disease, from its desolation across Asia and
India and now experiencing it first-hand -- the body of a
victim right here before him -- the plague was a race against
time. Unfortunately, he lacked any awareness of what his
next steps had to be.
ROESIA
Regardless of the outcome, Elouan
... The skies of eternity ... they
still live on.
Elouan nodded but didn't feel any better. She was right, in
the sense that no one ever died; however, at least in respect
to his own mission, failure in finding his father would mean
a dire development for both his and Ranulf's greater life,
as he came to understand it. Physical existence was only
one thread of the greater tapestry of spirit, yet if that
thread were to be torn away, the wholeness of the soul would
be impoverished by the loss of lessons only a material life
could instill. Roesia had pleaded to Elouan that Ranulf may
feel himself condemned to eternal darkness were he not to
intervene, since he was unable to be influenced by her spirit
due to cultural conditioning. At the same time, the quest
would also unfold what Elouan's greater self was hoping to
learn. All of that now hung in the balance because of the
plague.
ROESIA
I will always love you, my sweet
son.
Elouan continued staring at Gladwin, wondering what lessons
the child was supposed to have learned. He glanced up in
the hope the spirit of his mother might give him a clue,
like his beloved Master Euric would do. But she had vanished.
EXT. CITY - MAIN ROAD - DAY
Elouan carefully wrapped Gladwin's body in a blanket and
then carried him out of the apartment. Each footfall down
the outer stairs pressed more deeply into his psyche the
reality of death's hand reaching to end his quest. It was
surreal. He had to trust in the web of life to unite him
with Ranulf; maybe that was his overall lesson in the current
disparity of his life's unfoldment. It certainly left one
feeling helpless with no inkling of a true map to salvation.
Perhaps it was this same notion of grave vulnerability that
compelled some of the townsfolk into behavior they would
have never considered prior to the outbreak. Elouan
considered this as he alighted onto the sidewalk and witnessed
the rogue wanderers coming out of apartments with their arms
filled with loot. From the smiles and laughter, they clearly
didn't mourn the death of their neighbors, but relished in
it.
LOOTER #1
Look at all this I found!
Elouan gently laid Gladwin's body on the ground as he watched
the looters compare riches. He noted one of them was a tower
watchman from the gate, still wearing his uniform.
WATCHMAN #1
Let us honor the dead for giving us
these many valuable treasures, so
that we can better live.
(HAIL! CLINK)
LOOTER #1
From peasant to noble!
(LAUGHTER)
Elouan suddenly wondered about Duke Areles. Also his wife.
Even Jehan. (RUNNING)
EXT. DUKE'S MANOR - BALCONY - MOMENTS LATER
When Elouan arrived at the duke's estate, the damage was
already evident. The immaculate gardens sat shoddy and
untended, many of the plants snapped or stripped of their
foliage, and the horses had taken up pasture in the courtyard.
A thief raced out with a wheelbarrow full of dining bowls,
rolled up tapestries, and one of the dining hall chandeliers.
LOOTER #1
Better get in there before it's all
gone!
With urgency, Elouan raced inside.
INT. DUKE'S MANOR - STAIRCASE - DAY
Indeed, all valuables had been stolen and the rooms left in
shambles. Broken ceramics were spilled about; statues fallen
and fragmented by the inadequate strength of would-be looters;
even worse, bodies of plague-ridden servants laid where they
had taken their final breaths.
Elouan sprinted through the dining hall, up the stairs, and
into the duke's bed chamber where he had been with Rachel on
that fateful night.
INT. DUKE'S MANOR - PRIVATE CHAMBER - DAY
A thief stopped at the very moment of seizing a memento when
he saw Elouan clamor in. Thinking better of it, he left the
piece on its mantle and raced from the room. Elouan didn't
stop him. Instead, his gaze froze in remorse at what lay
before him: Areles sitting up in bed, cradling Beatrix in a
final loving embrace -- both rotting from the pestilence.
The duke's eyes were still open, but glazed over, gone for
days.
Though he had only known them for one night, their hospitality
(along with the duke's own course to personal redemption)
had filled him with love for both of them. He had hoped to
know them better, perhaps after finding his father. Now,
all that was impossible. With crushing gloom, Elouan closed
Areles's eyes.
EXT. DUKE'S MANOR - COURTYARD - LATER
A quick search through the manor told Elouan that Jehan had
fled.
Finding the house absent of all inhabitants (as well as most
of its goods), Elouan went outside to survey the grounds.
Here, too, the estate echoed of total abandonment.
Elouan rounded up the horses and returned them to the stables.
With the courtyard clear, he set about gathering all manner
of broken bushes, twigs, and wooden furniture from inside
the home and fashioned two large heaps in the open yard.
Under the dark azure skies of twilight, he sat naked between
the burning pyres and meditated. While his mind floated
detached, his body sweated profusely from the heat of the
flames. This was by design. He theorized if there was any
essence of plague within his physical tissues, the heat would
likely kill it and his body would secrete it out. What's
more, he had set over the flames a ruined bowl found in the
kitchens, wherein he placed his clothes to be purified by
the boiling water.
When the darkness of night fell, Elouan grew the bonfires
higher and hung his clothes to dry. He stood tall while
continuing to meditate, bathed in sweat and wrapped in smoke,
with an occasional whisp of flame billowing toward his skin.
Not once did he get burned. Instead, he used the fires to
re-establish the mental and spiritual armor of the eternal
flame within.
Cleansed by the crucible, Elouan dressed and returned to the
duke's chamber with a piece of burning wood in hand. With
reverence and a thoughtful prayer, he placed the flaming tip
to the sheets and lit the bed afire. The flames quickly
consumed the noble couple, then soon jumped to the wall and
swept across the chamber, taking with it any remaining
valuables.
Within minutes, Elouan committed the entire manor to the
wildfire. After freeing the horses from the barn (which was
also sure to burn), Elouan strode calmly from the estate.
The house raged like a beacon in the starry night behind
him, while the horses galloped on way to newfound liberation.
EXT. CITY - MAIN ROAD - NIGHT
Few left their apartments to notice the huge blaze dissolving
the duke's manor into ashes. Some pointed fingers, others
made hushed comments, but overall, no one showed any sense
of alarm. If anything, the whole episode seemed just another
sad event in a long list of calamities. It made Elouan's
return to the heart of the city devoid of obstacles or
explanations. His only goal now was to make the town gate
and head out to the countryside, where he could better connect
with Nature and perhaps receive the clues needed to locate
Ranulf.
The sparse glow of street lanterns guided him. Not all were
lit, but enough to make out the path at the edges of the
roadway, with the center of the street remaining cast in
darkness. He watched a looter run from an apartment and
stop abruptly as if to avoid hitting something in the
blackness.
LOOTER #2
Oops. Sorry about that. Not wanting
to intrude.
(SOUND OF ELOUAN APPROACHING. THEN PEOPLE SCREWING. RUNNING
PAST).
The road curved, then straightened. Up ahead, the glow of a
tavern spilled out into the roadway with patrons bobbing in
and out.
PUB PATRON #1
To old Jeremiah and his kin! A down
for each of them!
(CHEERS - DRINKING GAME)
Mathias stepped out and lumbered to his usual spot in the
street to relieve himself. (PISS & BELCH)
PUB PATRON #2 (O.S.)
He was a grand old lad.
PUB PATRON #3 (O.S.)
Ah, he was a bastard!
(SOCK! - DOORS FLY OPEN) The patron landed in the piss
gutter. Mathias dowsed the poor loser with his own personal
stream (EXPLOSION OF LAUGHTER. BEATEN CUSTOMER CACKLES)
PUB PATRON #3 (O.S.)
Fill me another one! And the next
lot of you that dies, you will also
be bastards!
The door flashed open again and Marie emerged, dressed in
only a chemise. Elouan recognized her and instantly felt
miserable. She leaned on Mathias.
MARIE
If you come back inside, I promise
to show you something else you can
do with that thing.
MATHIAS
Best enjoy it while I still can, eh?
MARIE
Life may be over come tomorrow.
Mathias put an arm around her. Marie was only half his size,
which made the pairing even more glaring. Mathias sopped her
with a kiss, then dragged her into the pub. *
Elouan's muscles stiffened. He imagined the eternal light
sheathing him like the cocoon of a butterfly. With
reluctance, he put himself in the tavern's open doorway and
gained witness to (LET THE SOUNDS TELL THE STORY).
Elouan resigned himself to the depravity. He closed his
eyes to regain composure. (From the recesses of his larynx,
he found himself humming his tune).
(WALKING). Elouan spotted the portcullis three blocks away,
its gate wide open. (His footsteps quicken).
MAN IN CROWD
(growling)
Get away from there!
Elouan could make out the skinny bloke in the dim light of
street lanterns. The rogue waved a broken flag post to
frighten a pair of dogs from a corpse they had dragged into
the street. The canines deserted the bod y as he thrashed
the pole closer. The man knelt, then pulled something from
the corpse's neck. The object twinkled in the light and
cast a prism upon the ground -- Elouan's crystal still
attached to the leather string.
(RUNNING). Elouan saw that it was William. He glanced at
the tenement where the dogs had stolen the cadaver to see
more corpses lying outside a door, possibly William's entire
family.
CORPSE SCAVENGER
You looking upon something here,
boy?
ELOUAN
I gave that to him. It stays with
him or it comes with me.
CORPSE SCAVENGER
Come and get it.
INT. RACHEL AND UMFREY'S HOME - NIGHT
Umfrey shivered near unconsciousness on the floor, consumed
by fever. Rachel huddled over him, terrified of his fall,
yet outraged as a trio of looters ransacked their meager
home. The fiends were a pair of corpse carriers, accompanied
by the gatekeeper from the city's portcullis. One of the
corpse carriers stood over her, wielding a dagger to keep
her on the floor.
RACHEL
We are not even dead, yet you come
in here and steal our things?
BECCHINI #1
Just trying to survive. We do not
pray to hurt you.
The second corpse carrier found a coin pouch inside a drawer.
(JINGLING)
LOOTER #1
Looky here. Not that the markets
are really open, you know.
ARCHER #1
May be a better day tomorrow.
(The thieves laugh).
RACHEL
Dear Lord in Heaven, you have to
leave us with something!
ARCHER #1
You will just be dead along with him
in the next few days.
BECCHINI #1
And I'll probably be the one carrying
out your bodies.
(RAUCOUS LAUGHER at that realization).
(The door flies open)
ARCHER #1
Who are you?
It was Elouan. With William's crystal tied securely around
his throat. He nonchalantly stepped toward the carrier
hovering over Rachel. The goon swiped the dagger, but as
easily as taking a breath, Elouan nabbed the offending arm.
With a stylistic twist, he bent the appendage backward at
the shoulder.
GOON
AHHH!
The sheer pain forced the thief to drop the weapon. In a
flash, Elouan cinched the wrap around the bandit's head,
held his skull arrested, then swiped his legs out from under
him. (KABOOM!) As he fell, Eluoan slammed the thief's face
into his kneecap, breaking his nose. A rush of blood suddenly
washed over the cloth-mask.
GOON
SHRIEEEKKK!
The second carrier tucked the money pouch in his belt and
leaped. In an effortless movement, Elouan's feet rooted to
the floor and he arched his torso to perfectly slam an open
palm into the enemy's chest. A half-second later, Elouan
flew into the air. With a flash of his foot, the money pouch
tore from the fiend's waist and landed in Elouan's hand before
it could hit the ground. Then, with a swift spiral, the
thief's jaw cracked behind Elouan's heel.
Before he could make another move, Elouan felt the gatekeeper
on his back, wrapping his arms tightly around his chest and
fumbling quickly for his throat. Without warning, Elouan
lowered his chin, crouched, then flew forward in a rolling
somersault. The unexpected twirl catapulted the thug onto
the floor. But he was swiftly back on his feet.
With lightning speed, Elouan attacked using his feet and
hands. In a stunning display, he tossed the coin purse into
the air while in the midst of hitting and spinning -- catching
it after each blow. He nailed the gatekeeper's face (BOOM),
chest (BOOM), spleen (BOOM), knees (BOOM), then put him
squarely on the floor, (the thud of the goon's collapse
coinciding with the chiming of the coins landing in Elouan's
palm).
ARCHER #1
You're the devil.
Elouan backed off, giving him room to climb to his feet. He
hoped the fiend would gather his buddies and depart without
any more upset, but, of course, he underestimated the man's
pride. Instead, the sentry yanked a dagger from his boot.
Before the watchman could complete a thought, the blade
stapled the ceiling from a swipe of Elouan's foot (THWIP-
TWANG!). Elouan cocked an eyebrow, challenging the fiend
for more, if he desired.
ARCHER #1
Demon. You bloody demon!
The trio of looters stumbled together -- one holding his
bloody nose, the other his broken jaw, the gatekeeper his
ruined pride -- and fumbled into the street.
Rachel swiftly gathered a shard of the broken door brace the
trio had smashed when they invaded. She hurled it. (Striking
a loud scream from one of them).
LOOTER #1
You bitch!
Rachel responded by flinging the other half, (making her
mark and hearing a second scream).
LOOTER #1
You're going to pay for this!
RACHEL
You come near me again and I will
give you every bit of the plague!
(RUNNING OFF).
Rachel turned in, seeing Elouan already at Umfrey's side.
She knelt beside, looking embarrassed.
RACHEL
Bless you.
ELOUAN
You're not bad yourself.
RACHEL
He has what's come to us all.
Elouan gave her a sudden look. Rachel knew it meant he was
getting ready to do something most people would not be ready
to witness. He closed his eyes, then took Umfrey by the
ear, making that inner link she had seen him do with Father
Jacque.
ELOUAN
She is here for you, Umfrey. You
can see her. She is wearing a white
robe -- smiling.
A tear blossomed and fell down Rachel's cheek. Elouan was
talking about her mother, Emma. Indeed, in Elouan's eyes he
could see Umfrey's beloved wife as plainly as he did Roesia
earlier. She had long dark hair like her daughter, glistening
eyes. She wore a white robe similar to Roesai's, with a
faint glow emanating from the back. She knelt beside Umfrey,
caressing his temples, with a hopeful and expectant grin of
anticipation.
ELOUAN
You can let go of your guilt now,
about her death. It was meant for
her to go when she did, so you and
Rachel could have the life that you
lived -- so you could build the bond
that you share.
Rachel took her father's hand. Umfrey squeezed it, however
slight.
ELOUAN
Let go now, Umfrey. Release that
guilt. Forgive yourself. Forgive.
(UMFREY COUGH). For a brief second, Elouan could sense
Umfrey's spirit had lifted out of the flesh, but fell back
in. Emma also noticed. Her smile widened, ready to lovingly
receive him.
ELOUAN
That's it. Now take her hand. She
has missed you just as much as you
have missed her. You can leave Rachel
behind now. Reach -- reach.
A grin broke across Umfrey's face and he suddenly exhibited
an unusual serenity. Though his eyes remained closed, he
looked up at someone standing beside Elouan. He released
Rachel's grip to move his hand for the offering, taking hold
of the angelic savior. For a brief moment, the hand held
steady, then fell listlessly in concert with his final breath.
Rachel stared. She felt her father's presence vanish from
the room. Now all that lay before her was a shell -- which
meant she was truly alone. She fell into Elouan's arms.
(sobbing in waves of despair).
Rachel raised her eyes to his; humbled and honored by his
compassion. The recognition suddenly tunneled Elouan's
senses. The room disappeared and she was all he could see,
all he could feel.
A field of magnetism swelled and brought Rachel's mouth
passionately to his. In that moment, the tragedy of the
outside world stalled and a new force -- powerful,
multidimensional -- poured from their souls, going to the
other. Their embrace tightened; their singular energies
merged beyond the confines of the flesh. They continued the
kiss, refusing to separate the connection. Their combined
spirits cried out for greater union, so they extended the
kiss into a series of mere moments in which they could relieve
themselves of the clothing getting in the way of their bodies
bonding. Within moments, they were naked on the floor,
joined, enraptured, experiencing more than the sum of their
beings.