EXT. FOREST PATH - DAY
It took several hours to march out of the dense forest where
the road opened to an expanse of uncultivated fields. Far
ahead, a thick column of black smoke twisted and billowed
over the next village.
When they arrived, the flames had already died, but the town
still smoldered and sent up clouds of acrid smoke. Brick
and stone buildings stood blackened from the intensity of
the inferno, with everything inside burnt to ashes. Along
the streets, charred human remains were scattered, now
unrecognizable. It was impossible to discern if they were
plague victims.
The answer came when they reached the town center. Five
people stood tied to posts, their bodies blackened from being
burned at the stake, to which the flames apparently leapt
out of control and took over the rest of the village. A
papal soldier examined the remains and found a Star of David
dangling from a burnt neck.
PAPAL SOLDIER
Jews. I thought they were expelled
some years ago.
Elouan slumped. Jews had indeed been expelled from the
country in 1306; nevertheless, they were always scapegoated
during times of crisis. In a time of rampant plague, no
doubt scores of them were being massacred all over Europe.
FATHER GILBERT
Like all vermin, they slither their
way back in where they're not wanted.
Rumors about, they were poisoning
Christian wells to kill us all with
this pestilence. But we know
differently, don't we, boy? Even
so, see what happens when you disavow
Christ?
Indeed, the devastation of the village and the heinous plight
of the corpses spoke volumes about how far people were willing
to go when it came to reacting against another group based
solely on religious perspective. Elouan didn't want to
imagine what was going to happen to him because of his beliefs
from the mystery school, but understood why Rachel was so
distraught at the prospect.
(BIRD CALL) The calling of the hawk reassured him he wasn't
alone. And it was the same bird from earlier, Elouan noted.
(MARCHING ON)
EXT. FOREST CAMP - NIGHT
By twilight, the village lay far behind, and they had entered
another patch of dense forest. Navigation could only be
done by torchlight, which led them to a small clearing off
the road.
FATHER GILBERT
We shall camp here tonight. Unpack
the provisions.
EXT. FOREST PATH - NIGHT
There weren't too many forks along the road from the
farmlands, and Rachel knew the general direction of where
they were taking Elouan. It wasn't hard to keep up.
The journey had fatigued her. Much more than usual, she
thought, but also not unexpected, considering the breadth of
the circumstances. She remained a half-grove behind the
company, out of sight from the encampment. She tied the
horse, then hid behind in the darkness cast by a crop of
trees and thick bushes.
EXT. FOREST CAMP - NIGHT
(COUGHING) Father Gilbert illuminated the coughing soldier's
face with his torchlight.
FATHER GILBERT
Where?
The soldier pouted and motioned toward his thigh, signaling
the location of a bubo.
FATHER GILBERT
My poor friend.
He motioned the sign of the cross over him, then turned to
another soldier.
FATHER GILBERT
Do away with him.
(COUGH-SWISH-SILENCE).
Gilbert stopped in front of Elouan's cage and shined the
torchlight on him. Though still restrained in shackles,
Elouan meditated peacefully.
FATHER GILBERT
Do you see what you have made me do,
Satan? Does it bring you delight to
watch us die in such agony?
Gilbert thrust the torch through the bars, but Elouan refused
to come alive, much less show any signs of being hazed.
Unsettled, Gilbert retreated to the safety of his retinue.
EXT. FOREST CAMP - LATER
A pair of sentries kept watch over Elouan, but soon fell
asleep along with everyone else in the papal group. Using
shafts of moonlight to guide her way, Rachel snuck through
the thick of the brush and made it into the camp. She kept
to the shadows along the bonfire perimeter to reach Elouan's
prison carriage.
RACHEL
Elouan ...
Elouan, eyes still closed in meditation, shook his head in
the negative, but also showed no surprise at hearing her
voice.
RACHEL
I am going to get you out of here.
ELOUAN
I need to go with them. They are
taking me to my father.
RACHEL
How do you know that? You can't be
that sure.
ELOUAN
Are you that sure a seed will sprout
and grow to grain if properly tended?
All things conspire toward its growth,
many of which our eyes cannot see.
RACHEL
You have no idea what they are going
to do to you.
ELOUAN
(stifling cough)
It is not what they do to me that
matters -- it is how my father
embraces my message.
RACHEL
I can't leave you like this.
ELOUAN
You need not leave -- you can follow.
But I must remain prisoner. It is
the only way.
(GROAN FROM WATCHMAN) Rachel worried their conversation
might be rousing a watchman. She quickly leaned into the
cage bars and met Elouan with a kiss. She held his head,
keeping his brow touched with hers.
ELOUAN
Remember, I will always be with you.
Rachel sucked in his breath, savoring his promise, then
disappeared into the shadows.
EXT. FOREST PATH - DAY
A bright morning sky kissed Rachel as she laid sprawled asleep
on the forest floor, still nestled in a horse blanket. The
heaviness of fatigue made it impossible for her to open her
eyes fully, and her limbs ached. She ran her hand through
the dirt, then struggled to buttress herself onto her knees.
She fell into a seated position and took note of how she
physically felt. The weight of her body seemed twice as
heavy. Her head swelled. The crook of her neck burned.
She slowly brought a hand to the spot, then flinched from
the pain of the touch. She sat rigid, craned her neck, then
gently probed the area with her fingers. Her eyes bulged
from the horrifying discovery: a bubo, the size of an acorn.
But what of Elouan? Her soul couldn't leave him behind,
regardless of the illness. She lifted her head to listen
for sounds of the prison camp, but instead heard only silence.
A new wave of fear tore through her. She hoisted herself
onto her legs, released the hatchet from her hip, then
stumbled through the brush.
The pair of smokeless bonfires hit Rachel when she rushed
in, signaling the place had been abandoned long before she
woke, most likely at dawn's first light.
EXT. ROAD TO CITY - DAY
The great city loomed on the coming horizon, twice the size
Ville de la Baie. The wall surrounding it was also twice as
high, twice as deep, and twice as ornate, capped with parapets
and fortifications every thirty feet above the walkways.
Though it was not perched alongside a bay, the city spread
high and wide on the shores of a great river, with a single
bridge spanning the mighty watercourse.
Father Gilbert glanced back at Elouan, wondering if he could
spot any impact in his prisoner's demeanor from witnessing
the enormity (and power) of their destination. Instead, he
saw Elouan lost in trance, eyes closed. Gilbert sneered.
(MARCHING ON)
EXT. FOREST CAMP - DAY
(INHALING ...) Rachel's knuckles glowed white as she gripped
the handle of the hatchet with suppressed fury.
(A sudden flurry of footsteps rushed from behind).
Rachel spun around, hatchet raised high. A hand grabbed her
wrist before she could react. The grip came with a slight
twist that shot a burning pain through her nerves, forcing
her to drop the weapon. Moreover, the attack knocked her
off-balance and she fell backward.
Golda caught her before she could hit the ground.
EXT. ROAD TO CITY - DAY
Father Gilbert put a cloth to his nose to cover the stench
from the bloated bodies floating on the river. He peered
down at the grotesque carcasses as the entourage crossed the
bridge.
EXT. MAIN ROAD - SECOND CITY - DAY
The papal caravan passed through the open gate and entered
the city of narrow streets, tightly packed tenements, and
dying citizens. Elouan at last opened his eyes but remained
vigilant within the trance.
(The snapping of whips).
A winding crowd of thirty groaning and shrieking men appeared.
They plodded down the street, whipping their exposed upper
bodies with studded thongs. The self-scourging resulted in
horrific splats of blood and bruises, mimicking the passion
of their tortured savior's own journey to Calvary. A crowd
of citizens swelled behind them -- wailing, praying, cheering
with passionate encouragement at the spectacle.
FLAGELLANT MASTER
We scourge ourselves, oh lord, that
you may forgive all mankind of our
sins! Spare this city from any more
of this great mortality!
GROUP CHANT
We repent! We repent!
A few women fainted with glee. Others pounded fists in the
air, shouting along with them, while more circled in a dance
that perhaps the Lord might witness within the melee.
Elouan couldn't watch. His body twitched with each snapping
of the whips as his caravan went past. The energy erupting
from the Flagellants was powerful, their entreaties to God
sincere. He had to shield himself from the tearing sensation
that ripped through him upon every hit of the thong to their
backs.
FATHER GILBERT
Show-offs.
The papal caravan left the concert behind as they turned
down several more streets. Elouan looked out again upon the
world. The sights were familiar: people huddled over
cesspools to inhale the putrid fumes; others wandering in a
numb stupor, passing carelessly by corpses decaying in the
street; monks rushing away from biers loaded with the dead
in a refusal to give last rites, (leaving the corpse carriers
to shout indignities at the cowardice). Huge bonfires also
burned on street corners, no doubt to purify the "corrupted
air." Elouan couldn't blame anyone for the reactions. The
prevalence of the pestilence beckoned the apocalypse.
EXT. CATHEDRAL OF THE INQUISITION - CONTINUOUS
The entourage turned onto a wide road which led straight to
an imposing cathedral that appeared to be growing out the
side of a mountain. That it was buttressed against the slope
of a steep hill made it look like it grew out of the landscape
by the very hand of God. The building pierced the sky with
its spires, complete with sumptuous cloisters tapped in gold
overlay, ribbed arches bracing the nave, and enormous multi-
colored windows. Finely shaped trees and shrubbery encircled
the edifice, ending at the flight of ten steps to the grand
entrance.
The caravan rolled Elouan past the entry. As the procession
wound a corner, they were shadowed by an isolation cage
dangling from an iron hanger shaped like a tongue protruding
from the stone mouth of a hideous gargoyle perched on the
upper cornice. A rotted corpse laid inside. Elouan thought
the clothing reminded him of Isabel from a month or so
earlier. Her death was clearly not from the plague.
Father Gilbert stopped in a small alcove where the side of
the church met the mountain. It was a secluded area, with
the light blocked by the hillside and surrounding shrubbery.
Meanwhile, the soldiers unlocked Elouan's prison from the
girdle. Armored sentries ascended from a ramp on the other
side of the gate leading into the church and opened the
partition.
A pair of the traveling guard took hold of Elouan's carriage
and hauled it through the threshold, then down the long
tunnel. The air turned musty. The light dim. Elouan shut
the gloom from his sight and centered his spirit.
EXT. FOREST - DAY
Golda didn't like the feel of the local clothing or keeping
her hair hidden beneath the veil on her head. Nonetheless,
she and Wimarc had traded their school's usual attire to
match the apparel of the world they had plunged themselves
into. She tried to ignore the rough texture of the inner
sleeve as she reached to pull the fabric at Rachel's neckline
to examine the bubo. Rachel let her do it. She was thankful
they came with a cart for her to sit and rest, as well as
the provision of fruit piled into the wagon's cargo bed --
though the growing sickness tended to curb the appetite.
RACHEL
(impatient)
I know where they are taking him.
WIMARC
We do as well.
He lifted an arm, and a familiar hawk landed perfectly on
his wrist. He gazed deeply into its eyes, carrying on a
silent conversation with the bird.
GOLDA
This lump looks new. Fresh.
RACHEL
We have to go now.
(HAWK FLIES OFF)
WIMARC
I agree.
He pulled a sack from the driver's bench and dug into it,
finding a leather roll. He promptly unwound it, showing
several small bottles sewn in. He released a trio of vials
and dumped small amounts of dust from each into his palm.
WIMARC
Do you think she can manage?
GOLDA
Possibly. It's early.
WIMARC
Good.
Wimarc tossed the dust into a flask and shook it to mix. He
handed the flask to Rachel.
WIMARC
Drink this. It will slow the disease.
Rachel downed the concoction, then wiped her chin of the
excess.
RACHEL
Slow, but not stop.
GOLDA
That will be up to you.
RACHEL
If it's my path ...
(SOUNDS OF OPENING A COMPARTMENT)
GOLDA
You've been listening, and he has
been willing to teach. That's good.
Now, in here. The city will not
admit us if they think we are ill.
Rachel slid inside and nodded when she felt secure. Golda
closed the hatch and rearranged a few of the fruit baskets
to obscure the compartment, then joined Wimarc on the driver's
bench. They placed cloth masks over their faces, then ushered
the horse forward.
INT. TRIBUNAL CHAMBER - DAY
Hooded monks hauled Elouan into the dank, musty courtroom
hewn out of the hillside bedrock. Chandeliers of lighted
candles cast a threatening glow from above as they marched
him toward the high bench. The clerics kept his throat in a
collar attached to poles, long enough they may keep their
distance and hopefully be safe from plague (or witchcraft
magic) but inflict discipline if necessary. His hands were
bound, one on top of the other, in a single cuff that appeared
just large enough to contain them. A harsh tug brought him
to an abrupt stop before the raised table where tapered
candles highlighted four waiting archbishops, overseen by a
cardinal. Father Gilbert sat on the side of the clustered
group to observe the opening remarks.
Elouan strained the back of his neck against the collar to
look up. He understood the elevation of the bench was meant
to make the accused feel small; it was a natural subconscious
reaction when people peered upward to feel that whatever was
"above" had reverence, power, and majesty, and by contrast,
the one "below" did not. He noted a huge effigy of Christ
on the cross -- three times the size of a normal man --
already hanging in judgment behind the panel.
He took stock of each man: the cardinal decked out in his
auspicious red robes, dark eyes, no wrinkle lines to denote
a hint of laughter ever to cross his face; the archbishops
with their alb tunics, vestments, and mitre hats, perhaps a
bit more sparkle in their faces, but the gravity of the trial
heavy within their accusatory looks. The first archbishop
stifled a cough, then tensed to remain propitious, lest anyone
think he might be ill.
Every cell of Elouan's body vibrated at the countenance of
the third archbishop. It was him. Ranulf. His father.
Older than Elouan's memory of him, but nonetheless,
unmistakable. Ranulf coughed. The fourth archbishop looked
toward him with a bit of alarm.
The cardinal leaned forward.
CARDINAL
I am told you know why you are here.
How do you plead?
ELOUAN
I confess ...
(COUGH)
(YANKING OF CHAIN)
Elouan stared at his father, as if seeing into his soul.
ELOUAN
I confess to having abandoned life
and relinquished it to iniquity.
The statement sounded like he was talking about himself, but
Elouan hoped Ranulf knew otherwise.
CARDINAL
Very good.
Father Gilbert's lips stretched into a sinister smile.
CARDINAL
If you convert now and accept the
Church as your Lord and Savior --
ELOUAN
Were I a woman in the first century,
in some parishes, would I not have
to change myself into a man before I
be saved?
The question flummoxed the panel. Father Gilbert's smile
instantly transformed to a sneer.
ELOUAN
All of God's angels are seen as men,
are they not? Is that really the
guise of a universal creator? Who
truly gains from such imagery?
ARCHBISHOP #1
'Tis blasphemy.
ELOUAN
Were you there?
ARCHBISHOP #4
Were you??
Elouan replied with a hardened look. It startled the
clergyman, as it seemed Elouan was suggesting he had been
present in the first century.
Father Gilbert glowered. On his lap, his hands twisted into
frustrated fists.
CARDINAL
Profanity. Make confession. Absolve
yourself of your sins and you may be
freed.
ARCHBISHOP #1
You brought this pestilence upon of
us, did you not? After you assaulted
Father Jacque in Ville de la Baie?
Elouan again turned his attention to Ranulf.
ELOUAN
I confess ... that the guilt within
has grown to poison every part of
the body and kills the soul, much
like how this sickness has killed
the world.
CARDINAL
So, you admit your sin?
ELOUAN
The guilt ... must be purged.
(COUGH)
Ranulf shifted uncomfortably. The way Elouan looked at him
when he said it, the message burned him in the pit of his
abdomen. It instantly brought back memories of Roesia,
drowning him in the sea of regret he secretly floundered in
daily.
CARDINAL
Yes ... Your guilt will be wiped
away by God's merciful hand.
ELOUAN
(cough)
'Tis not my guilt to be purged.
Ranulf stiffened. His temples pulsed with the sudden pounding
of his heart. He knew Elouan meant him.
CARDINAL
(confused)
What are you saying?
ELOUAN
I plead not to a room of ignorant
children ... but to only that of the
eternal light.
FATHER GILBERT
Sinner!
CARDINAL
Heretic!
ELOUAN
A light that consecrates not a word
of your doing.
FATHER GILBERT
Confess your sins, demon!
ARCHBISHOP #2
Yes! Confess!
ARCHBISHOP #1
Confess!
Ranulf shuddered with another cough -- making him unable to
command repentance.
A pair of the archbishops glared at Father Gilbert,
admonishing him for his speaking out-of-turn. Father Gilbert
remained rooted, hatred billowing like heatwaves from his
spirit.
(Elouan coughed, hard, then spat the blood from his mouth).
CARDINAL
You wish to dirty my hands with your
heresy. Very well. I am forgiven.
In one hour, your sins will be purged.
With that, the monks heaved Elouan from the room.
The cardinal turned to his comrades; the ultimate decision
made.
FATHER GILBERT
Burn the bastard!
INT. CATHEDRAL OF THE INQUISITION - HALLWAY - DAY
(Elouan's feet haphazardly scraped the floor).
SOLDIER 2
They are going to send you back to
Hell, they will.
Elouan grinned.
EXT. DIRT ROAD - NEW CITY GATE - DAY
Wimarc and Golda drew closer to the city's gate. Archers
bore down at them from the turrets.
WIMARC
We have come with food. Look --
fruit and vegetables.
GOLDA
We carry no sickness.
The guards hesitated, then waved a welcome.
The carriage bucked over the connector joining the wooden
bridge to the earthen roadway. The jolt hit Rachel in the
chest, bringing a stifled cough to spurt.
An archer peered down, but only saw Golda twisted backward
in her seat shuffling a few of the crates. Perhaps it was
the scraping of the boxes that made him thought he heard
coughing.
GOLDA
Everything looks good here.
WIMARC
(playing along)
Good.
She and Wimarc pulled up their masks, then she found her
hand firmly in his.
Wimarc saw the hawk glide overhead. He gently tugged the
reins to position the horse in the direction of the flight.
The plight of the populace consumed Golda. She tightened
her hold on Wimarc's hand, then closed her eyes to meditate.
(She sucked in deeply, then slowly let the breath emerge in
the familiar notes of Elouan's tune).
INT. DUNGEON CELL - DAY
The song vibrated throughout Elouan's spirit as soon as he
closed his eyes. It made him relax, placing his consciousness
within the vastness of his Alpine temple generally, and right
alongside Golda and Wimarc specifically. Once out of the
body, he drew in the pools of strengthening energy and secured
it firmly to his spirit.
He leaned against the bars, which was all he could do in the
tightness of the cell. There was less than an arm's length
of space between him and the dungeon's grimy perimeter wall
of stones stained with who knew what. How many others
laid cramped in here at some time, he wondered. Fortunately,
he could expand his mind beyond the hold and gain a momentary
sense of freedom, but he knew from the emanations of the
rocks, previous prisoners felt suffocating torture within
the restricted confine.
Something furry rubbed against his foot, (then squeaked).
Elouan grabbed the black rat by the tail and held it up for
a closer look. A lightning bolt burst inside his brain and
he suddenly understood the nexus of the pestilence. The
rats would always be the first to die, followed by people.
And the rats were always around people. He understood that
whatever killed the rats had to find new feeding ground, so
the scourge moved on to whatever was closest. The plague
had nothing to do with tainted air (something no one at the
school believed in anyway).
ELOUAN
Are we not to have dominion over
every creeping and crawling thing?
I suspect you will do me less harm
than they.
EXT. CATHEDRAL OF THE INQUISITION - SUNSET
Wimarc made sure the shadows cast by the mountainside and
tallest trees kept the cart hidden near the cathedral wall
as Golda helped Rachel out of the compartment. He unwound
the leather pack upon the driver's bench and emptied a few
more vials into a second flask, shook it, then handed it
over.
Golda felt Rachel's forehead.
GOLDA
The fire is raging.
She took the flask from Wimarc and handed it to Rachel.
Rachel guzzled, then sat restlessly on the edge of the cart.
Wimarc noticed the hawk descend and perch upon the cornice
of the spire. He nodded toward it, then the bird took off
again. It circled the building, watching for anyone who
might stumble upon them.
Wimarc turned to Golda. They both closed their eyes and
sensed the atmosphere.
GOLDA/WIMARC
They are bringing him in now.
Rachel perked as newfound fear raced through her.
INT. TORTURE CHAMBER - NIGHT
The fire was large, hot, but still not enough to bring light
up to the vaulted ribs of the ceiling. As the monks dragged
him into the chamber, Elouan noted within the flickering
dance of the firelight an angled table, a big wooden chair,
a tool rack with various devices dangling from the main
crossbeam, and a rope sagging from the overhead blackness.
The cardinal and archbishops sat at the head of the chamber,
again atop a raised stage lit by a chandelier of candles,
flanked by two bulky headsmen draped in dark robes and pointed
hoods that shielded their faces.
Father Gilbert sat alone in a jury box, which would normally
have several ecclesiastics, but because of the plague, too
many had died and no one else wanted to participate.
The monks tugged Elouan to a halt before the tribunal,
released the poles from his collar, then circled on their
heels to quickly abandon the proceeding. The headsmen stepped
down from the platform and skirted him. They were a good
head-and-shoulders taller than he, a height that would surely
terrify most others.
CARDINAL
It does not have to go any further
than this. You still can be saved.
Our lord is merciful. Do you wish
now to confess or convert?
ELOUAN
I will confess ... to ultimately
forgive you for the lack of mercy
you are about to show me, in contrast
to what you think of as God.
CARDINAL
Our Heavenly Father can also be
jealous and vengeful. Pull him.
The headsmen nabbed Elouan by his clothes. In a single yank,
they ripped the fabric away, leaving him brutally naked before
the judges. Elouan let them do it, all the while keeping
his eyes firmly on Ranulf.
ARCHBISHOP #1
(gasp)
He has the lump and the rosies!
Ranulf felt a sudden surge of grief. None of this felt right.
Father Gilbert leaned forward to get a closer look. He was
skeptical of the bubo and the rash but couldn't deny they
appeared real.
The headsmen took the end of the rope hanging from the ceiling
and nabbed Elouan's hands.
ELOUAN
You are like children. You know not
the consequences of your actions.
The headsmen grabbed a pair of ropes attached to two stone
blocks and tied them around Elouan's ankles.
CARDINAL
Quite the contrary.
With the turn of a massive wooden rotor, the rope at Elouan's
wrists stretched through pulleys locked in the ceiling and
yanked him off the floor. The bones of his rib cage quickly
found their way to the edges of his flesh.
Father Gilbert watched with an icy stare of vengeance.
Elouan couldn't see how far up the rope was taking him, but
already felt the burning of the muscles in his arms. Then
the cables at his ankles cinched tight as the stone weights
worked against his ascension. Pulled from above and below,
his internal organs screamed. He clenched his teeth to fight
against mounting internal pressure. The ropes tied to the
blocks quivered taut, then Elouan's thighs and calves burst
afire as if the muscles were seconds away from tearing as
the stones asserted the enormity of their heaviness. Inch
by excruciating inch, the weights lifted from the floor, his
legs pulled as tight as the rope itself.
CARDINAL
Do you wish to confess??!
The weights slowly ascended two feet off the floor. Elouan
felt his hips pulled from his midsection, as well as the gap
between rib bones widening.
His right shoulder joint popped.
Father Gilbert rose from his seat, astounded by Elouan's
resolve. Surely this demonstrated his captive's demonic
allegiance.
(Elouan wailed) Elouan's pulled bubo tore open and oozed its
darkened, sickened blood. Even worse, the ropes choked the
flesh at his wrists and ankles, tearing at them.
CARDINAL
Confess, Demon! Do it now!
Gilbert watched with fascination as the bubo's inky fluid
ran down Elouan's fraught skin in a poisonous stream.
(Elouan Grunts)
Ranulf's eyes widened as he witnessed a reddish-brown stain
spread out beneath his own tunic near his upper thigh, as if
he had his own bubo that had just burst. He fumbled his
clothing to cover it, straining to look in control. The
eruption baffled him, as he failed to experience any pain.
The cardinal motioned and the headsman released the wheel.
Elouan plummeted from the ceiling and crashed onto the
weights. His torso rolled, slumped, then his face struck
the floor. He remained limp as the headsmen untied the knots
around his wrists and ankles, showing the flesh burned and
torn.
CARDINAL
Anything to confess, beast?
Ranulf couldn't resist the pressure to cough. The archbishop
on his left gave him a specious looked, then pulled his seat
farther away.
Elouan rolled onto his back (and gasped several bouts of
air). His right shoulder burned, while the whole of the arm
tingled all the way to the fingertips. No longer did the
collar bone and arm connect in a smooth curve, but instead a
hideous square shape marred the shoulder's dislocation.
Elouan clenched his teeth, then slowly slid the damaged arm
over the crown of his head. The archbishops stared in
amazement as he twisted the arm deeper behind his back, the
hand reaching for the nape of his neck. He twisted to the
side, landing on the bulge of the bubo, which sent a series
of painful waves through him. (Grunting) He rose onto his
knees, keeping the dislocated arm firmly behind his back and
twisting toward the left shoulder. The cardinal's eyes grew
wide as the Alpine guardian threw himself onto the stone
weights and cracked his ruined shoulder back into place.
Elouan smiled, relief flooding through his tissues, then he
collapsed again onto his back.
(WALKING OVER)
CARDINAL
Impressive. I think you would like
a drink.
The headsmen clamped poles into Elouan's collar and heaved
him toward the angled table.
CARDINAL
This will also give you more
encouragement for the saving of your
own soul from the fires of the damned.
The headsmen tossed him upon the tabletop, face up, then
tilted the slab backward until it was parallel with the floor.
One of the hooded assistants tied Elouan's wrists and wrapped
the cinched roped around a wooden roller secured to the table
just above his head, while the other shoved a large funnel
into his mouth.
Father Gilbert returned to his seat, willing to wait out the
procedure.
Ranulf's face tightened, anxiety gripping him. He wiped the
sweat from his brow, (then wheezed a few more coughs).
The cardinal approached Elouan, heaving a large ceramic
pitcher.
CARDINAL
Time for confession is now, if you
would like.
He motioned to the headsman. The assistant pinched Elouan's
nose closed. The cardinal tipped the pitcher at the mouth
of the funnel, then poured the water with relentless abandon.
With his nose pinched, he couldn't get any air and could
feel his mind begin to fog from the lack of oxygen.
It suddenly stopped. Elouan felt the warm air course through
the funnel into his lungs. The mental fog momentarily lifted,
while his hands and feet tingled.
The cardinal tipped the pitcher again.
Elouan's hands clenched into fists and strained against the
confinement of the ropes. He squirmed frantically while the
cardinal kept pouring. Occasionally the clergyman missed
the funnel as Elouan lashed about, spilling water over his
face.
EXT. CATHEDRAL OF THE INQUISITION - NIGHT
Rachel looked desperately in the direction of the cathedral
while Golda and Wimarc sat behind the cart in meditation.
GOLDA
The flame, Elouan. Surrender not
the flame.
WIMARC
Focus.
INT. TORTURE CHAMBER - NIGHT
(Elouan panting) To Elouan's relief, a headsman removed the
funnel from his lips. The guard tilted the table backward,
elevating Elouan's feet over his head. Immediately, the
pressure from his gut made him nauseous.
CARDINAL
Confess now, Lucifer, or the weight
of your filled belly will crush your
heart and lungs.
Elouan closed his eyes, then reached for the place that took
him away from time and space. He couldn't grasp it. The
image of the candle kept burning out -- the physical injuries
too distracting.
Father Gilbert slowly stood from his seat, looking curious.
(ELOUAN'S TUNE).
CARDINAL
What is this you are doing? He sings
a hymn to Satan. Pound him.
A headsman took hold of a hefty mallet and positioned himself
for the strike. With a foul swing, he buried the hammer
into Elouan's midsection.
EXT. CATHEDRAL OF THE INQUISITION - NIGHT
Rachel bounded from the cart, then suddenly stumbled
(COUGHING).
Golda and Wimarc broke their meditation and caught her.
WIMARC
No, we cannot!
GOLDA
It is his path.
RACHEL
What are they doing to him in there?
INT. TORTURE CHAMBER - NIGHT
A headsman released Elouan from the upturned table.
CARDINAL
Now ... do you wish to convert?
Father Gilbert slid to the front of his chair, eager to hear
a response.
The headsmen stabbed Elouan's collar with the poles and hauled
him to the front of the chamber. (ELOUAN MOAN). He collapsed
on his face before the raised stage of the committee.
(Clang!) Something landed near his head: a small device made
of iron -- three posts connecting two spiked vice plates,
the middle post containing a screw that drove the upper plate
down.
CARDINAL
You know, I witnessed the aftermath
of what you did to Father Jacque.
It does not serve your soul to
withhold your confession.
Indeed, when Jacque returned from Ville de la Baie, he was a
different man. The clergyman refused to make any more
pilgrimages for indulgences; in fact, he started questioning
everything the Church did. He highlighted programs as geared
more toward the expansion of coffers and power rather than
saving people's souls. Then the plague came, and he insisted
on administering last rites in the streets, making him
vulnerable to the ferocity of the pestilence.
With a motion from the cardinal, each headsman nabbed Elouan's
hands and inserted both his thumbs within the contraption.
CARDINAL
I am waiting, but the Lord's patience
is ... wearing thin.
(Elouan breathing peacefully).
With a twist, the spikes burrowed into Elouan's thumbs. He
winced but held his breath, so as not to give the satisfaction
to his captors.
CARDINAL
(urgent)
Confess! Confess now!
The archbishops fidgeted -- even they didn't like the look
of this. One of them scowled. Ranulf remained frozen, his
mind unable to process the torture.
Father Gilbert gripped the chair's armrests, sensing the
enormity of Elouan's pain.
CARDINAL
Profess your sins to God!
(Elouan Shrieks) The second headsman suddenly sat on Elouan's
back, holding him in place while he spasmed under the crushing
of his thumbs.
CARDINAL
Shall we press this upon your very
knuckles? Confess now!
Father Gilbert couldn't look away. He wasn't relishing it,
but it was a necessary evil to cleanse the world of such
demons, he told himself.
Ranulf stared helplessly.
The cardinal stopped the headsman from driving any deeper.
ELOUAN
(through tears)
I confess ...
CARDINAL
At last ... Good. To what sins?
EXT. CATHEDRAL OF THE INQUISITION - NIGHT
Rachel struggled against Golda and Wimarc as they kept her
on the edge of the cart.
RACHEL
This is madness!
WIMARC
Madness sometimes serves a purpose.
GOLDA
(beat)
You two coupled, didn't you?
Rachel's mouth dropped, shocked she had asked. Wimarc
suddenly put one hand on Rachel's back, then the other on
her belly.
WIMARC
You have something inside of you far
more important than the pestilence.
He looked at Golda, then they both gazed at Rachel. She was
pregnant.
RACHEL
Then we have to save him!
WIMARC
We will.
GOLDA
But it will be on his terms.
Rachel froze, despondent. What would those terms be? How
would they know?
INT. TORTURE CHAMBER - NIGHT
Father Gilbert rose triumphantly from his seat.
Elouan rolled onto his back, then held up his disfigured,
mangled thumbs.
CARDINAL
To what sins do you wish to confess?
ELOUAN
For believing you could ever see
your own souls. You are truly blind.
CARDINAL
Deceiver ... Seat him.
The headsmen lifted him from the floor and dragged him toward
the large chair.
ELOUAN
But I forgive you ... You cannot see --
with your back turned to the very
fountain of creation.
Ranulf burst into a long cough. The archbishop who had pulled
away earlier grabbed his seat and retreated an even greater
distance. No sooner had he sat than the first archbishop
let loose. The second archbishop turned ashen, seeming
trapped on both sides by sickness.
The headsmen tossed Elouan into the seat, then tied his
bloodied wrists to the armrests. Elouan smiled, as he felt
his consciousness blend with the object of his words.
ELOUAN
We are but projections of the Infinite
Light, spread out across eternity.
CARDINAL
Profanity! Sacrilege!
ELOUAN
In the year 325, first council of
Nicaea, all mentions to multiple
lives in the Bible were stricken --
CARDINAL
Blasphemy!
ELOUAN
-- because Constantine feared if
people knew they had more than one
life, they would not live this one
to its fullest. They would not be
able to be ruled. Our light
transcends --
Father Gilbert sneered and wobbled on his feet. The jury
box had suddenly become a prison he felt he must break to
exact the Lord's punishment on Elouan's profanity.
A headsman reached for an object from the hanging tool supply:
the Pear. The bulbous hand-held apparatus was small, seeming
quite harmless at first glance.
CARDINAL
You wicked sinner --
ELOUAN
He knew not of the natural thrust of
life -- to become all it must be.
Beyond even time and space. We exist
beyond it all.
CARDINAL
Lies!
FATHER GILBERT
Deceiver!
Ranulf and the first archbishop coughed again. The second
archbishop cowered, then raised his vestments to cover his
nose and mouth.
At last, Elouan found his essence blended with a source
greater than his physical existence. It relieved his pain;
the anguish of both his body and mind. The energy of this
foundational consciousness coursed through him like lightning.
ELOUAN
The soul is greater than the temporal
world!
CARDINAL
Shut him up! Now!
ELOUAN
Turn toward the light. Blend with
the source of your creation!
The headsman shoved the Pear into Elouan's mouth (forcing
him to gag on it).
Father Gilbert raced in. He pushed the headsman aside and
grabbed the Pear's handle, twisting it with rage. The device
opened at the back of Elouan's throat, expanding with each
turn of the handle. Within seconds, Elouan felt it pulling
at the joints of his lower jaws and against the underside of
his palette.
FATHER GILBERT
You will convert! Demon!
CARDINAL
Father Gilbert!
The astonished cardinal reached to stop the livid priest.
Gilbert shoved him away, then returned to vengefully twist
the device. Elouan closed his eyes to fight against the
agony.
Flabbergasted, the panel of archbishops jumped from their
chairs.
FATHER GILBERT
Convert! Goddamn you!
The cardinal gawked as Elouan's face distorted from his jaws
being torturously expanded outward, until -(Crack)!
The headsmen tackled Gilbert and yanked him away. The furious
priest stared in madness at his ruined victim.
INT. DUNGEON CELL - NIGHT
Elouan's battered body fell like a rag doll into the cramped
cell, dropped carelessly by the headsmen. Every inch of him
stung from the destruction of his corporeal vehicle, with
several tributaries of blood coursing out of tortured wounds.
EXT. CATHEDRAL OF THE INQUISITION - NIGHT
GOLDA
He is close now.
INT. DUNGEON CELL - NIGHT
Ranulf ushered the soldiers away.
RANULF
Leave us.
Guilt devoured the cleric. Seeing the beaten man curled up,
unaware of his presence amidst the unbearable destruction of
his body, singed the elder's nerves from head to toe.
Elouan stirred. He ignored the screaming of his insides as
he struggled to place his arm underneath himself. He turned,
then propped his back against the rock wall to face him.
RANULF
I don't know who you are, but I know
what you said in there was meant for
me. How ... do you know me?
Elouan shifted, grimacing in pain, as he struggled to get
closer. His body fell forward, head hitting the cell bars,
then he pulled back and gazed up at him. He made a circular
motion around his ear, suggesting Ranulf needed to come nearer
to be heard.
The archbishop crouched and leaned in. Elouan weakly reached
through the bars, his arm trembling from the loss of strength.
Ranulf wasn't sure what he was doing but felt his captive's
injuries were too great to be of any threat.
Elouan stretched for Ranulf's face, making the clergyman
wonder if he wanted to experience a simple touch of skin.
Knowing it might be the last physical connection the ruined
stranger might have, the archbishop moved closer, willing to
offer it.
Elouan brushed Ranulf's cheek with his fingers, then slid
them to his father's ear and gently cupped it.
Ranulf's eyes grew wide as his mind blew open. Images piled
into his imagination, flooded with a torrent of emotion.
Though Elouan was too physically damaged to speak, he said
more through such touch than his words could ever have
expressed. Ranulf tipped under the weight of it all. He
gripped the cell bars to stay upright.
RANULF
Roesia! You're my ... We ... we
were not married. It was a sin.
ELOUAN
No ...
RANULF
If people had found out -- our
families, the church --
(COUGHS)
How did you find me? I had to make
penance. My whole life ... penance.
Elouan shuddered, his body too damaged to cough. When he
settled, he pleaded into Ranulf's mind:
ELOUAN
(effect)
Please forgive me for your life of
penance.
RANULF
It is my sin ...
ELOUAN
(effect)
Then you must forgive ... your self.
Elouan's words burrowed into Ranulf's mind, followed by a
blitz of images. He saw a reunion with Roesia in the
afterlife, but it could only happen if he authentically
admitted his love for her and forgave himself for his own
ignorance, for the pain he caused, and the self-inflicted
wound he tried futilely to cover throughout his entire life
by devoting himself to the Church.
ELOUAN
(effect)
Forgive yourself, so that you may
love again. It is the only way to
be reunited in the next life.
Ranulf collapsed into the cell bars.
Elouan touched his forehead to his father's, Ranulf's ear
still within the grasp.
Ranulf nodded with exhaustion at Elouan's final message.
RANULF
Guards!
(The sentries returned). Ranulf stood, separated and at ease
from his captive.
RANULF
Take him outside the gate.
Elouan rolled his back onto the bars, blocking the soldiers
from seeing his deformed smile. They hesitated, baffled by
the request.
RANULF
You heard me! Now I have paid you
well! And forgiven your
transgressions!
(COUGH)
The soldiers unlocked the gate and stabbed Elouan's collar.
He hung like an inert puppet as they raised him up and dragged
him from the cell. Elouan's chest collapsed in exhale; the
edge of his lip still curled in a broken smile -- his mission
complete.
(RANULF COUGHING) Ranulf fell on his rear and collapsed
backward into the cell. His skull slammed against the
chamber's stone wall, and within seconds, a warmth billowed
out. The shoulders of his robes were soon stained with the
flow of blood.
A brilliant light suddenly bathed his face. At first, Ranulf
had to squint, but then he recognized a figure emanating
from the radiant glow. It was Roesia, smiling warmly.
RANULF
I am sorry. I am so ...
His lips curled in a relieved grin as his spirit evaporated
from the body.
EXT. CATHEDRAL OF THE INQUISITION - REAR GATE - NIGHT
The hawk descended from the darkness of early night. It
leveled off to the height of Wimarc's chest, then soared
past him and glided around the corner of the cathedral.
WIMARC
Now!
Golda snatched Rachel's hand and they hurried after.
Time slowed as they rounded the final corner to see Isabel's
corpse in the isolation cage, then Elouan laid bare on the
ground below her. Rachel instantly fell at his side.
RACHEL
Oh my God! Oh my God! Elouan!
She lifted him into her lap.
Golda and Wimarc looked equally stunned. They fell to their
knees and placed hands upon Elouan's chest.
Elouan cracked a mangled grin. Blood drooled out his
shattered mouth.
ELOUAN
I did it.
GOLDA
Speak not.
WIMARC
Say nothing.
Closing their eyes, Golda and Wimarc reached inward to
coalesce all the healing energy they could muster and transfer
it into Elouan's form. Rachel placed her hand atop theirs,
aiding in whatever way she could.
RACHEL
(swoon)
I love you.
Another hand joined the rank. Golda and Wimarc glanced up
to see Roesia, bathed in a gentle light. She beamed
wondrously at her son.
RACHEL
Please, Heavenly Father ... Don't
take him from me.
Suddenly, a bright light erupted in the darkness, capturing
even Rachel's attention. Giovanni, Fina, Umfrey, Emma, Father
Jacque, and Duke Areles appeared, all dressed in white robes,
a glow at their backs, smiling. Rachel gawked, spellbound,
at last witnessing the mien of spirits. The group knelt
with Roesia around Elouan. Emma and Umfrey acknowledged
their loving daughter with a nod, then placed their hands on
the Alpine guardian's body.
(Golda and Wimarc gasped).
GOLDA
Master Euric ...
The spirit of Master Euric stooped to join the ensemble.
With a warm expression of love and gratitude, he took Elouan's
hand.
Elouan met the eyes of all the spirits come to greet him.
The joy was beyond comprehension. Still, he knew Rachel was
breaking inside.
ELOUAN
(whisper)
I will always be with you.
He gently moved his head to catch her gaze. They locked in
a moment of soulful union, but he couldn't hold the position
long. He smiled, then released himself from his wrecked
body.
(Rachel bellowed) The light disappeared, taking all the
spirits and Elouan's soul with it.
(SOUND OF WIND)
Rachel, Wimarc, and Golda fell away as Elouan's awareness
ascended. He watched the night's darkness envelope them as
he drew off.
But he would not be shadowed in the depths of blackness;
rather, a white light flooded over him, first coming at the
edges of his sight, then consuming his entire field. And it
loved him.
EXT. MOUNTAINSIDE - DAY
Their exhaustion didn't deter Rachel, Wimarc, and Golda from
bringing Elouan's wrapped body home. Dressed in attire
suitable for the climb along with supplies stashed at a hiding
post, they were well-equipped to complete the journey. They
carried Elouan's bier up the mountainside, taking three days
to reach the first caves from the base camp below. When
they arrived, Rachel was astonished to see the mystery school
was more than just the carved tunnels, but also a series of
grand outer temples.
EXT. MUEIN TEMPLE COURTYARD - NIGHT
Nighttime had drawn its starry curtain when Elouan's corpse
lit afire alongside several swathed bodies of deceased
brethren. The remaining pupils and masters held hands and
formed a chain encircling the ritual pyre in the school's
grand courtyard.
Wimarc and Golda flanked Rachel as they watched the
procession.
WIMARC
We knew the night Elouan left the
school, the plague would find us
here, like everywhere else.
GOLDA
But they will endure, as life is
forever eternal.
They noted Rachel's bubo had vanished. Rachel wondered if
it had gone, as she found her strength returning with fewer
coughs.
GOLDA
The life in your belly is very
powerful. It burns like a single
flame, casting out the darkness.
Rachel touched her stomach, wondering.
EXT. MONASTERY - FIELD - DAY
Nine months later, Rachel birthed a healthy boy. She remained
at the school, becoming a student herself, to soak up its
wisdom and give her child the best life (and mind) possible
in a harsh, dirty, chaotic, divided world. It was also the
best way to honor Elouan, as well as pay forward what Umfrey
had done for her.
Of course, Aaron was not like most children -- then again,
most born inside the school weren't. On one hand, he was
just as rambunctious, playful, and hard to control as any;
but on the other, he was incredibly loving, compassionate,
and easily understood what his intuition told him. Rachel
often wondered if the soul of her son was Elouan himself --
reborn -- different only in the context of being a child.
An answer came when Aaron was about five years old. Rachel
was working in the courtyard, soaking up the warmth of the
spring sun, when he came running up to her with something
hidden behind his back.
AARON
Mommy! Mommy!
Rachel accepted him with a gracious hug.
AARON
See what I got you?
He handed her a bouquet of roses; his face lighting up with
glee.
RACHEL
(surprised)
Where did you get these?
AARON
Master Olivier just got back from
his pilgrim. He gave them to me.
Rachel knew he meant "pilgrimage of service," but was fine
not correcting him. She planted the flowers firmly against
her nose (and savored their fragrance).
RACHEL
Mmmm. They smell wonderful.
AARON
You need not use them for bad air.
That was silly.
The remark startled her. She had never spoken to Aaron about
the Great Pestilence, or the use of sweet smells to ward off
miasma. Before she could respond, Aaron went about organizing
small rocks nearby. (Lost in the depths of his imagination,
he entertained himself by humming. It was Elouan's tune).
RACHEL
Aaron -- where did you hear that
song?
AARON
I know it. From my other life.
Samantha, a four-year-old girl, rushed his direction.
SAMANTHA
Aaron! Come play with us. We need
you to finish our circle!
She took him by the hand and hurried him back to a group of
three other youngsters.
Rachel watched, filled with wonder at her son's comment of
another life. Was this what Elouan meant when he promised
he'd always be with her? For now, she would have to be
patient, and let Aaron evolve naturally.
Meanwhile, Aaron and his friends held hands and danced in a
circle. Whether the children understood the meaning of the
rhyme, Rachel wasn't sure, but the lyrics always left her
feeling nauseous.
CHILDREN
Ring around the Rosie ... A pocketful
of posies ... Ashes ... Ashes ... We
all fall down!
(CHILDREN GIGGLING)
FROM THE YEARS 1347 TO 1350 THE BLACK PLAGUE RAVAGED EUROPE,
WIPING OUT MORE THAN A THIRD OF THE POPULATION. SOME CITIES
LOST 40 TO 60 PERCENT OF ITS CITIZENS. NO ONE WAS SPARED
FROM THE PLAGUE'S EFFECTS.
NO ONE KNEW WHAT CAUSED IT UNTIL 1896.
VARIOUS FORMS OF RELIGIOUS INQUISITION EXISTED FROM 1184 TO
1834. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WERE TORTURED AND MURDERED, ACCUSED
OF HERESY AND DEFILING THE ORDER OF THE CHURCH. MOST OF
THEM WERE WOMEN.
WE MUST LEARN TO FORGIVE... BUT NEVER FORGET.