But... look at this monument! This is identical to the one I saw in the forest! It's NOT ours though...
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FADE IN: INT. CAVE In the darkened cave, a soft light suddenly appears. Following closely behind the light comes Myau, sniffing close to the ground, and just behind him comes Alis, cautiously stepping through the cave. Alis rotates her light between the ground in front of Myau and the cave's mid-level.
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She now keeps the light she holds at mid-level. Myau continues to sniff along.
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Myau stops. Sniffs the ground before him.
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Myau starts walking again. Alis follows. They get several paces up the hallway when Myau again suddenly stops, then leaps four feet ahead down the hallway. He turns to face Alis.
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Myau takes several more steps forward to give her room, then Alis leaps forward like he did. She then turns to look at the ground they jumped over, poking her sword at it.
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Suddenly, the ground falls out underneath her sword, and beyond the trap door the duo see a very deep drop down to a lower level of the passageway. Alis looks to Myau, awed at his power to detect the trap. Myau just stares back at her, the corners of his mouth turned into the faintest Musk Cat grin. Then, he's off, down the cavern.
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| They round another as Myau's nose continues to go over every inch of ground. Suddenly, Myau picks up a scent and begins walking faster, until he's almost in a run. |
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Myau is now sprinting, and Alis tries to keep up with
him. Ahead down the cavern, he rounds another corner.
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Her words break off into a startled scream as she rounds the corner and finds herself face to face with a man made of stone. Myau sits at the man's feet, casually wagging his tail back and forth, all the while keeping his eyes on Alis, not the statue. Alis glances at Myau, then carefully examines the statue. The man is incredibly tall and extremely well-built. His hair is closely-cropped. He wears battle armor, and near his feet, as if dropped from his hand, sits a battle axe. After several moments of examination, Alis looks to Myau.
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Myau nods his head, then stands on his hind legs, placing his front paws on Alis's leg, stretching as tall as he can. Alis reaches down towards his neck and removes the small bottle there. Myau then returns all four of his paws to the ground, and takes a step back from the statue.
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Alis gives the small glass bottle a few slight shakes, then she pulls the glass-topped cork stopper from the bottle. She takes a faint whiff of the pretty pink fluid inside, her nose curling at the pungent aroma. Then, giving the glass one more gentle shake, she pours it over the statue's head, slowly, as the fluid is thin and runs quickly. She pours until the bottle is empty, shaking it to produce a few last drops. Finally, she replaces the bottle's stopper, then takes a step back to stand with Myau. Nothing happens.
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They watch the effect (or lack thereof) of the fluid for another moment, and then, the gray stone of the statue starts to turn into a sky blue. The sky blue becomes pink, then white, until every color in the rainbow seems to fluctuate through the color of the stone. Slowly, the colors start to take on that of the man, and of his body armor, until all of the stone has transformed back into the man... Odin! The moment the transformation is complete, Odin flinches, as if under attack, then quickly looks around disoriented.
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Odin glances over and sees Myau, and in the same motion reaches down and quickly picks up his battle axe. He then looks back to Myau, and to Alis, but his eyes still occasionally wander around the cave.
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Odin closes his eyes, his chin resting on his chest, embarrassed by the defeat Medusa handed him. A moment later, he looks up at Alis.
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(smiles)
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They shake hands. Odin flashes a small, polite smile.
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Odin nods, bites his lip.
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Odin looks straight at Alis.
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Alis turns to leave.
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Myau walks down the cavern with Alis, glancing back at Odin.
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Odin reacts to Myau's words, watches the duo go.
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Alis steps from the cave and starts marching through the woods. It is now dark, but moonlight keeps the area lit enough that Alis does not need her flash. Myau follows closely behind Alis.
Myau leaps forward at a pair of glowing yellow eyes, the owner of which Alis can not make out. Before she even has a chance to, another Were-Bat rolls out of a nearby tree and spears his body into Alis, knocking the wind out of her and landing her flat on her back.
This second Were-Bat now sits atop her, and scrapes one of its claws deep into Alis's face. Its other paw scrapes across her upper chest.
Suddenly, the Were-Bat sits forward and howls, as Myau is now attached to its back, the claws on all four of his paws digging deeply into the creature, his mouth biting it viciously. The Were-Bat stands from Alis and tries to shake Myau off.
He accomplishes his goal, and Myau is sent into a nearby shrub, but he quickly stands up and takes into his mouth a weapon that hangs around his neck. The Fang, as it is called, is a mouthpiece that Myau bites down on with a blade attached to either side. Myau bares his fangs around the blade and pounces back at the Were-Bat, but the creature simply opens its wings and knocks Myau away again.
By this time, Alis has gotten back to her feet, bleeding badly from the face and neck, but she manages to bring her sword up behind the Were-Bat. Before she can attack, though, the first Were-Bat -- the one Myau initially attacked -- grabs her from behind, spins her around, and drives its claws into her abdomen. Alis screams in agony.
Just then, a hiss of metal is heard, and the Were-Bat attacking Alis turns its head in time to see an axe blade coming towards it. The blade cuts into the Were-Bat's upper chest and cleaves the creature into two. The creature's head and upper torso drop off its body, revealing to the camera Odin who wielded the axe.
Alis falls to the ground unconscious as the second Were-Bat opens its wings and flies towards Odin. Odin swings his axe and chops into one of its wings, dropping it to the ground. Even with its flight ability now impaired, it tries to stand, but Myau leaps forward and slashes across its face before it can do so, knocking it back down to the ground.
The Musk Cat's distraction gives Odin enough time to position himself for another attack. He stands over the beast, straddling it, and raises his axe behind his head and down into the creature's chest, killing it.
Odin then steps towards Alis. Myau is already at her side.
Moonlight shining in through the window and a flickering candle on the bedside table provide the only light to the room. The camera focuses tightly on Alis, who lies tucked in under the covers. Slowly, her eyes flicker and then open. She glances around the room, as if unaware of where she is at first.
EXT. FOREST
(smiles)
Myau suddenly stops walking, hisses at the trees in front of them. Before Alis can even ask him what's wrong...
Odin removes the satchel he carries on his back and lays it on the ground, going into it for medical supplies. He puts bandages and gauze on Alis's wounds.
The words came out angrier than he intended them to,
and Myau's ears fall. Odin shakes his head, finishes
bandaging Alis's wounds.
Odin straps his satchel back across his chest, places his axe in a belt loop, then crouches down to pick up Alis.
Alis groans in pain as Odin gently places her over his shoulder. Despite carrying her, his bag, and his axe, he seems strong and unencumbered by the load.
Myau trots through the forest, and Odin carries Alis close behind.
INT. ALIS'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Alis glances across the room near the window, where she -- and we -- now see Odin seated in a small wooden chair two sizes too small for him. He leans back on the chair's back legs, his face bathed in darkness. As he continues to speak, he leans forward, his face coming into the light, his big hands folded in front of him.
She struggles to sit up, wincing in pain from her stomach as she does so. Myau now appears, as well, jumping up onto the foot of her bed, and sitting quietly near her feet.
Odin shakes his head, still unable to believe her determination.
Odin is silent for a long time. When he finally speaks, he looks not at Alis, but out the window, at the distant city skyline.
(nods)
Odin turns and meets her eyes.
(shrugs)
Alis listens with dread. Myau's ears fall to his side, and he tucks his head low.
Tears of sadness and anger well up in Alis's eyes and she rubs them off her cheeks.
(shouting, interrupting her)
Myau's head sinks lower, feeling the pain he knows his
friend feels making this admission. Alis simply
stares at Odin, unsure what to make of his words.
Alis stares straight at Odin, who refuses to look at her, the shame evident on his face.
Odin considers her words for a long moment.
They share a smile, then Odin stands from his chair.
Alis nods, closes her eyes, and turns in her bed. Odin, meanwhile, walks across her room to the window and looks out at Camineet. Myau follows him there, jumps into the widow sill, and rubs against him, purring loudly.
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But... look at this monument! This is identical to the one I saw in the forest! It's NOT ours though... |
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| Please send all comments and feedback to mike at ripplinger dot us | ||||