Dragon Slayer Page #7

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Someone brings out a dagger and hands it to Greil. Valerian

pushes it away.

VALERIAN:

We've seen enough tests.

But Greil persists, waving the knife at the group.

GREIL:

Well I haven't. All I've seen is

death. Death in our families, death

on the road, and tonight, death at

home.

He lashes out with the knife. Galen jumps back, but Valerian

steps in, delivering a quick kick to Greil's gut, followed

by a right to the jaw that sends the bigger man sprawling.

He takes the knife.

VALERIAN:

What's come over you, anyway? Have

you lost your wits?

He propels Galen out of harm's way and sits him down on the

other side of the fire. Greil nurses his jaw.

GREIL:

I don't like it. Young snot-nose

comes in here for sport at our

expense. We're on a fool's errand,

but we don't have to listen to this.

I don't want to hear any more about

sorcery. I don't want to hear any

more about spells.

Valerian hands Galen a plate of food.

VALERIAN:

You must be hungry.

GALEN:

(nods)

What's the matter with him?

VALERIAN:

It's not just him. It's all of us.

It's the equinox.

They both look up at the moon.

CUT TO:

DRAGON COUNTRY - NIGHT

The moon shines down on the far reaches of the Kingdom of

Urland, coldly lighting a barren landscape filled with the

skeletons of dead trees, blackened rock and bare ground.

Advancing across this mournful terrain is a troop of armed

men leading a blindfolded horse and tumbril. The horse is

skittish. Finally, in spite of shouts and lashings, it refuses

to go further. The leader, Horsrik, barks out an order:

HORSRIK:

Close enough! Bring her out!

A young woman, no more than seventeen, is brought forth from

the cart. Long black hair falls down over a white tunic. Her

dark eyes dart fearfully around in her pale face. She is

half-carried, half dragged to the edge of a steaming crack

in the ground where she is manacled to a wooden post. By

lantern-light, Horsrik reads from a parchment scroll.

HORSRIK:

Now be it known throughout the

kingdom, that this maiden, having

lawfully been chosen by a deed of

fortune and destiny, shall hereby

give up her life for the greater

good of Urland.

There is a low rumble; the earth shakes. Horsrik glances

nervously around. He carries on by rote.

HORSRIK:

By this act shall be satisfied the

powers that dwell underground and

the spirits that attend thereto. In

gratitude for this sacrifice His

Majesty has declared the family --

what's the name? --

He prods the girl, but she is too terrified to speak. Beneath

them, the earth seems to groan. Smoke issues from the mouth

of the pit. One of the nervous witnesses leans forward.

RETAINER:

Plowman! The family Plowman!

HORSRIK:

(rushing it)

-- the family Plowman to be free of

obligations, taxations, levys and

imposts for a period not to exceed

five years...

The horse suddenly rears, and blindfold notwithstanding,

gallops off, dragging the tumbril over the rocks. The men

behind Horsrik break ranks and scatter.

HORSRIK:

-- ordained and signed this day,

etc., Casiodorus, in his glory the

reigning king of this our realm...

his seal, his mark, duly read by

Chancellor Horsrik in his holy name.

Now Horsrik joins the flight, chasing his men back over the

murky horizon.

THE GIRL:

She strains against her manacles, cocking her head to listen

as the rumblings below subside. Presently the steam and smoke

blow away and she can see the horse pawing and stamping a

hundred yards distant, the wheel of the cart jammed between

rocks. Summoning up a wild will to live, she squeezes her

hands against the cold iron rings. No use. She spits on her

wrists and twists desperately. Blood starts. One hand slips

free. She looks at the horse. The animal tosses off its

blindfold and looks back at her. Now she strains again and

pulls her other hand free. She wipes the blood on her frock

and sprints toward the horse. But she doesn't get there. The

earth abruptly shifts from under her feet, tumbling her among

cracked and steaming rocks. When she raises her head a huge

shadow has fallen over the horse. There is a piteous whinny,

then a roar. The girl's face is suddenly lit by flames. She

scrambles to her feet and rushes back the other way.

THE CHASE:

The girl hasn't taken a dozen steps when something huge

hurtles forward and blocks her way. Something scaly and

glittering. She whirls and stumbles off in a new direction.

This time she's cut off by a monstrous claw tipped with rapier-

like talons. She screams and crawls away. Another claw

prevents her escape.

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