The Last Legion Page #3

hand of he who was destined to rule."

I have work for you.

(Winch creaking)

Oh!

(Cracking)

(Yells)

(Screaming)

Uhn! Uh!

(Snoring softly)

Give me that sword.

Give it to me!

Uhn.

- You.

- Only two to rescue an emperor?

More are coming.

- WUKFILA:
Caesar!

- The temple!

(Wulfila yells)

Yours.

(Grunts)

(Gasps)

Uhn!

(Thuds, clatters)

(Head thuds, Wulfila yells)

(Screams)

(Running man yelling)

Uagh!

(Thuds, clatters)

Tsk.

(Swords clashing in distance)

AMBROSINUS:
Romulus!

You found the sword, boy?

Save the emperor!

AMBROSINUS:
Where's Caesar's sword?

ROMULUS:
It's this way!

Get them away.

Get them away!

(Banging on door)

I got it.

Batiatus.

Yours.

- Go!

- This way.

Get the boy away.

(Grunting)

(Slashes)

(Gurgles)

(Sea birds calling)

Roman.

(Swords ringing)

(Goths yelling)

Where's the boy?

Safe below with the others.

You were right, Batiatus. It

is quicker on the way down.

(Batiatus laughs)

"One edge to defend; one to defeat.

"In Britannia was I forged

To fit the hand of he

who is destined to rule."

Caesar's sword.

That is why it had such power.

Britannia.

Gather the men!

Made for a conqueror...

Julius Caesar.

Caius Julius Caesar ensis caliburnis.

Feel the weight.

This sword carries a prophecy.

Did you see anything...

Anything written?

Then you know all you need to know.

Take it.

It's yours.

Welcome, Caesar!

Aurelius.

All of you.

There is food and drink inside the tent.

We need to talk.

Alone.

You're safe now.

From here you'll be taken

to the Eastern Empire,

To Constantinople.

You'll have sanctuary.

Uh!

The ambassador has heard

from Constantinople.

The emperor will not

give sanctuary to the boy.

He will not oppose

Odoacer nor offend him.

Everything has changed.

The day after you left, the garrison

of Rome swore allegiance to Odoacer.

Now the rest of the

commanders have declared.

They all stand with the Goth.

There must be others still in the field.

What about the Ninth?

The Ninth Legion, they're

far to the north in Britannia.

For all we know, Britannia

has crumbled into the sea.

Then we must move fast.

Can you get me men?

(Sighs) Yes, you can keep

your rank, command a new army.

Good. Then do it now.

We'll drive out the invaders

if I can have 5,000 men--

Not for that, Aurelius, I can't do that.

Why not? What is it with you, Nestor?

- Odoacer isn't just a barbarian.

- Is he not?

No, he's become a politician,

and a very astute one.

Now he has the Senate on his side.

How many of the Senate?

We have to see things as they are.

You're with them.

In time, perhaps, we can

challenge Odoacer, not now.

So let's say you give

me this army, Senator.

What will you ask for in return?

The boy.

You mean Caesar?

Caesar is a word from the past.

There is no Caesar.

AMBASSADOR:
Prepare the horses.

Where is the boat?

I said prepare the horses.

Where is the boat to take

the emperor to Constantinople?

I gave you an order. What was it?

Prepare the horses.

Do it.

(Grunting, laughing)

(Thuds)

You are a soldier, Aurelius.

Leave the politics to me.

This is an order. Give up the boy.

Without the emperor, there is no Rome.

Then you will run like a

dog until they hunt you down.

Commander.

- Get the boy.

- The boy!

Get the boy!

Stop, comrades! We're all Romans!

Uhn!

(Screaming)

(Groans)

Rrrah!

Vatrenus.

You don't understand, Aurelius.

I had to do it.

Aurelius, my friend,

if you ever loved me...

For friendship.

Uhh...

(Coughs)

Uhn!

Now that the Eastern Empire

has gone over to the Goths,

We have no refuge in Constantinople.

Or here.

Or in Germania.

Where do we go, then?

The Ninth Legion is in Britannia.

It's the only way left to

us, north, to find them.

This is not your fight.

You're free to go.

Go?

Where should I go?

I have broken my sacred oath,

Killed my commander.

I'm like you.

I have no country now.

My road is your road.

Commander, where we go is

not your decision to make.

Caesar?

We go north, to Britannia.

AMBROSINUS:
beyond that peak is Gaul.

By the next full moon, we'll

be in sight of Britannia.

(Sea bird squawking)

My beloved Britannia!

BATIATUS:
Nobody alive, Commander.

There are horses here.

After all these years,

it's still happening.

Who could have done this?

Only one man.

His name is Vortgyn.

ROMULUS:
What is this place?

DEMETRIUS:
Hadrian's Wall, the

last fortress of the Empire.

AMBROSINUS:
A monument

to Roman law and order.

The Ninth Legion.

We've found them.

Look.

The dragon.

They were here once.

So where are the Ninth, old man?

This is your country.

What has happened here?

This is where the

Empire ends, Demetrius.

There's nothing left but this wall.

We came all this way

for a legion of ghosts.

Should've made our stand in Rome.

It would have been hopeless.

He must know.

Ah, he's fought hopeless battles before.

And you have stood by him.

Any time, anywhere.

(Birds flap as if disturbed)

DEMETRIUS:
They look like farmers.

KUSTENNIN:
Who are you?

I'm Aurelianus Antonius

of the Nova Invicta.

These are my men.

I'm Kustennin.

These are mine.

I'm looking for the Ninth

Legion of the Roman Army.

Why do you come so far for them?

Rome has fallen.

What happened here?

The Dragon Legion is no more.

They were more than 1,000 strong.

Who could have defeated them?

Kustennin, where are my countrymen?

Commander, I am Flavius

Constantinus Marcellus,

General of the Ninth Legion.

Rome abandoned us.

Some men left to fight in Gaul.

Those with families stayed here.

Now you see we live like Celts.

We have a whole new generation.

AURELIUS:
We saw villages

destroyed, people slaughtered.

KUSTENNIN:
Vortgyn, King of Anglia.

He's taken the southern kingdoms, and

now he wants to rule all Britannia.

He's left us in peace so

far. We are no threat to him.

And he knows we are no

ordinary farmers. Come.

We bring greetings to Lord Vortgyn,

conqueror of the Anglian people,

Rightful ruler of Britannia.

There is a boy.

A boy?

He carries a sword. The

sword carries a prophecy--

"One edge to defend; one to defeat.

In Britannia was I forged

to fit the hand of--"

"...He who is destined to rule."

You, uh, know of this.

You say a boy has it?

Where is this boy?

Here, in Britannia.

Oh!

I've waited all my life for this.

Lord Vortgyn, the

sword belongs--

To the hand of he who

is destined to rule!

This...is the hand.

Then I take the boy and the

man who travels with him.

This man...

Tell me about the man.

He is the boy's teacher.

Acts like a priest.

He is not Roman, maybe from

Gaul or here, in Britannia.

He has a scar here in

the shape of a sword.

Like this?

The same.

When I have the sword...

I will make you a gift of the boy.

And the man?

(Sighs tremulously)

The man is mine.

This blade was forged

from a flaming stone

That fell to Earth from the stars.

Who has ever seen such a thing

in the dark of the sky at night?

Then you will know, and you will know,

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