Krull

FADE IN:

EXT. FOREST - JUST BEFORE DAWN

Mail-clad HORSEMEN gallop headlong through the dark, bent

low over their saddles. A bestial scream is heard, and

suddenly a saddle is empty, the rider sprawled face down in

a pool of blood.

At the head of the band, COLWYN, a boy of twenty-two, raises

his shield to ward off an unseen assailant. We hear a

horrendous tearing sound, and Colwyn's father, TUROLD,

riding beside him, looks over at the boy. Colwyn is unharmed

- but his shield is deeply gouged, as if by a huge claw.

EXT. PARAPET OF WHITE CASTLE - DAWN

A GUARD sees the band of warriors emerge from the forest.

GUARD:

(shouts)

Open the gate!

EXT. APPROACH TO WHITE CASTLE - DAWN

The warriors gallop toward the main gate of the castle.

Though their arms and armor are reminiscent of the Middle

Ages on Earth, this is not Earth ...

TWIN SUNRISE:

Behind the riders, TWO SUNS rise above the horizon.

EXT. MAIN GATE OF WHITE CASTLE - DAWN

Turold and Colwyn lead their men through the gate and

dismount. Waiting for them are LORD ROWAN, a man of Turold's

age, and an elderly COUNCILOR. Rowan notices the gouges in

Colwyn's shield.

ROWAN:

(to Turold)

You were attacked in the forest?

TUROLD:

Yes. We lost five.

ROWAN:

You were lucky. I lost thirty there.

INT. CORRIDOR IN WHITE CASTLE - DAY

Turold and Rowan walk down the corridor, followed by Colwyn

and the Councilor.

ROWAN:

I tried to reach Ynyr, the old one.

I led a hundred men to his place in

Granite Needle, but it was

surrounded. The Dark Ones guard it

by night and by day they call out

the Slayers. Ynyr cannot get out and

no one can get in.

TUROLD:

How many did you lose?

ROWAN:

Sixty at the needle, another thirty

in the forest. Only ten of us made

it back.

TUROLD:

We will have to try again. His

knowledge is great. Without it, we

cannot hope to win.

INT. QUEEN'S BEDROOM - DAY

The QUEEN is propped up in bed, eyes closed, head tilted

back. Her crown, a jeweled tiara, rests in her lap. She is

attended by two GIRLS-IN-WAITING, one of whom sponges her

forehead with a damp cloth. The Queen opens her eyes as the

elderly Councilor enters.

COUNCILOR:

Lord Turold and his son, my lady.

The Queen hands her tiara to one of the girls-in-waiting,

who places it on her head. Then she nods, and the Councilor

admits Turold and Colwyn, followed by Rowan. The three

kneel.

QUEEN:

He has turned out well.

Turold stands and looks down at Colwyn with an affectionate

smile.

TUROLD:

Middling well.

Colwyn stands and we see that he is several inches taller

than his father.

TUROLD:

Though a touch too tall for my

taste.

Colwyn smiles somewhat sheepishly.

QUEEN:

(to Colwyn)

My daughter is in the north tower.

Go to her.

COLWYN:

(flustered)

In my armor?

QUEEN:

If she's to marry a warrior, she'd

best get used to it.

Colwyn bows his head and leaves. The three men approach the

Queen.

QUEEN:

What news from our friends?

TUROLD:

Barak is still strong in the north,

and Tendo holds the high passes. But

the great desert forts have fallen.

QUEEN:

Freylag's stronghold?

TUROLD:

It has been taken, Freylag and all

his people slaughtered.

QUEEN:

It is only a few weeks and already

half our strong places have fallen.

TUROLD:

The attacks are unceasing: by night,

the Dark Ones; by day, those of our

people who have sold themselves to

them, those traitors who are called

the Slayers.

QUEEN:

It is the way of all invaders. Those

they would conquer they divide,

buying allies with promises of land

and power.

TUROLD:

We will hold. Their power is not

unlimited.

EXT. GLOOMY FOREST ROAD - DAY

Two mounted SLAYERS ride along the road. Their horses and

armor are black, as are their cylindrical, flat-topped

helmets, pierced with a T-slot for vision. Their weapons are

long-swords and maces.

Two more Slayers ride out of the forest and join the black

column. At a road up ahead wait three more, who swing in

behind the column as it passes.

Forest noises die at the Slayers' approach; the only sounds

we hear are the clink of metal and the heavy thud of the

horses' hooves.

INT. TOWER STAIRCASE - DAY

Colwyn mounts a narrow, circular staircase toward a wooden

door.

INT. TOWER ROOM - INTERCUT

LYSSA, the Queen's seventeen-year-old daughter, stares

across the circular room at the wooden door, listening to

Colwyn's approaching footsteps.

The door swings open and Colwyn enters. They stare at each

other for several moments: Colwyn, dusty and disheveled in

his armor, Lyssa freshly scrubbed and glowing in a

diaphanous gown.

COLWYN:

(nervous)

I'm Colwyn.

Lyssa nods, noncommittal. They start to circle the room,

eyes fixed on each other, like a pair of nervous cats.

COLWYN:

(plaintive)

Are you Lyssa?

She gives him another noncommittal nod. They resume their

tentative circling.

Suddenly, Lyssa turns away, leaning on the sill of a narrow

window. Her shoulders begin to heave, as if she's sobbing.

Colwyn is in agony; he rushes across the room to her.

COLWYN:

I don't care what arrangements were

made by our parents. You don't have

to go through with it!

Lyssa continues to heave.

COLWYN:

They can't force you. I won't let

them!

Lyssa turns around, and Colwyn sees that she's not sobbing,

but laughing.

LYSSA:

(trying to control her

laughter)

I'm sorry. I couldn't help it.

COLWYN:

(taking considerable umbrage)

I don't have to go through with it

either.

LYSSA:

(still laughing, touches his

arm)

You don't understand. I'm just so

relieved. I was sure you'd turn out

to be short and fat and gimpy.

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