CHAPTER 4 - DARK ABYSS

EXT. ROYAL CASTLE LAKE - DAY

Amber stares in the distance at the pond contemplating the map she'd seen. Her little legs dangling off of a marble bench with a book beside her "The Art of Murder". Sunny and quaint with a few fluffy clouds in the distance.

A tall ROMULUS approaches with four little tails and ears, draped in a robe intricately designed, sharp features despite his young age.

ROMULUS

Amber… sitting alone again I see?

AMBER

I was only thinking about what papa said.

Romulus sits next to Amber

ROMULUS

Papa- he's interesting… he's desperate Amber… looking for a new heir to the throne none of us have met his satisfaction besides myself… even then my fifth tail has not yet sprouted.

AMBER

Sometimes… he is very mean and sometimes he is nice. I'm scared of him, Romulus.

ROMULUS

Well, It has been a century or two since the last blood king died, and we don't have a Divine monarch like the other races… so…

AMBER

Monarchs…? Dev… deveeen?

Romulus is amused and rubs his hand against her head.

ROMULUS

You're so adorable, even though we have a lot of siblings you're still my favourite little sister. You'll understand when you get older hehe.

Amber blushes looking down but not amused.

CUT TO:

EXT. ROYAL CASTLE GARDEN - DAY

Amber strolling through the forests from the lake she enters the arched gate into the garden. She sees the gardener working on clearing up the vines from the old gate that piqued her interest from before. Amber runs behind a tree, hiding. Opening the gate, he looks at the vines and puts down his tools scratching his head and walks off. Amber looks around as she runs from the tree to the gate, and approaches it vigilantly looking over her shoulders. Wind again hits her in the face and the voices from below calling her in the dark abyss.

VOICES

Yes, child follow, follow, help me, help me…

She tiptoes and places her foot on the ledge at the gateway.

Breaking into a cold sweat as the wind blows her hair back. She stares, hugging the walls as she walks down the spiral turret stairs.

AMBER

Agh!

Squirming, she slips slightly catches herself, holding the gate frame firmly. Covering her mouth she looks back, seeing nobody notice her high pitched scream. It's seemed so dark down below, she hesitated from fear, but her curiosity pushed her forward. As she walks further down, she misplaces her foot, falling through a missing step tripping, tries grabbing one of the steps but her hand slips and falls down into the dark abyss-

AMBER

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhh.h.h.h..h….h.h...…~~~~~

Her scream disappears into the dark landing on a mound of dirt and rocks breaking her ankle and her head cracking on one of the stones-

SMASH CUT TO - BLACK

VOICE

Mother… mother… Wake up mother.

POV: FADE IN (BLINKING):

Cerlincia wakes up in shock in a cold sweat.

CERLINCIA

Huh?

Gasping she shoots up looking around to see Romulus with his hand on her shoulder.

ROMULUS

The prophecy again is it? I had the same dream last night.

CERLINCIA

It's like the more Raizians they kill the worse it gets.

ROMULUS

Have you seen Amber mother? I've looked everywhere for her and couldn't find her.

CERLINCIA

She is probably in the library again…

CUT TO:

MONTAGE

Romulus checks a series of areas around the castle.

In the library opening up the doorIn the kitchen watching the cooks cookIn her bedroomAt the hallway

INT. ROYAL CASTLE KINGS QUARTERS

Romulus approaches his father and kneels.

ROMULUS

Your grace, The 168th princess, have you seen her perchance.

KING SORCA

Surely she is in her chambers.

ROMULUS

Her quarters are empty, your grace, I looked everywhere.

KING SORCA

Romulus please, I'm occupied for the moment. She is surely around somewhere.

Romulus stands and walks off

CUT TO:

GARDEN

In the garden watching the GARDNER cleaning the debris and packing the vines into a sack as well as his tools. Romulus frantically approaches the gardener.

ROMULUS

You there! The 168th princess… Lady Amber, have you seen her?

GARDENER

Sorry your Royal Highness-

As he locks the small rusted old gate that led to the dark abyss with his keys he looked at the prince.

GARDNER (CONT'D)

I didn't see anyone enter the quarters as of late. If I do see her I'll be the first to let you know. Is she missing?

ROMULUS

It seemed I was the last to see her then, nobody has spotted her since. I was sitting by the lake. She took off alone which I assumed only for a few minutes to get something.

CUT TO:

FLASHBACK

EXT. ROYAL CASTLE LAKE - MOMENTS EARLIER

Large lake with ducks, swans and sparrows on the bank of the river. Some cherry blossoms, raining down. As she looks down, blushing, she looks up and looks at Romulus.

AMBER

I'M TIRED.

ROMULUS

I'm sorry…?

Confused and with a puzzled look he takes his hand away from her.

AMBER

NOT FAIR, TIRED, TIRED, TIRED!!!

ROMULUS

Sorry Amber, if I offended you in any way forgive me…

AMBER

NO! NO NO NO!!! JUST BECAUSE I'M THE YOUNGEST DOESN'T MEAN I DON'T GET TO UNDERSTAND!

She gets up off the bench.

AMBER (CONT'D)

I'M OLD ASWELL. I'M AN ADULT… WHY EVERYTIME I GET TO ASK SOMETHING OFF OF YOU, PAPA OR MAMA… YOU GUYS ALWAYS SAY…

Amber starting to tear up slightly.

AMBER

"You will understand this when you're older…" "you'll understand that when you're older…" NOT FAIR!!!

Romulus is taken aback, breaks into a cold sweat not knowing what to say.

ROMULUS

(visibly confused)

…

AMBER

(Sobbing)

I'm an adult too y'know *sob* I'm a princess! How come I never get treated like one. *sob* I'm… a… lady…

She unbuttons her sundress at her chest and rips open to reveal her bare flat chest to Romulus.

AMBER (CONT'D)

SEE! LOOK! I'M A LADY TOO! MY BOOBIES ARE BIG! JUST LIKE MOMMIES.

ROMULUS

(covering his eyes)

AHH! AMBER! NOT LADY LIKE! COVER YOURSELF!!!

Romulus looking away and blushing in a deep red, obvious discomfort and embarrassment.

AMBER

I HATE YOU AND EVERYBODY ELSE WHO THINKS I'M STILL A BABY. I'M IMPORTANT TOO Y'KNOW. I DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE BORN WITH A LOT OF SIBLINGS! PAPA'S SUPER MEAN AND EVERYONE ELSE IS SUPER MEAN. Except you… and *Sob* mommy…

Amber dashes off covering her face crying towards the forest behind as Romulus watches her.

ROMULUS

Oh Amber… I suppose we all have a way at looking at things… I'm sorry, suppose you need a minute.

CUT TO:

END FLASHBACK

BACK TO - GARDEN

ROMULUS

She went missing. She got upset and dashed off somewhere. It was my fault…

GARDENER

Oh Your Highness… don't be hard on yourself. I have a daughter and usually they get upset at the little things. When I see her I'll inform you in a flash.

Romulus with a concerned look on his face steps back, and walks back into the castle.

CUT TO:

EXT. GRASSLANDS, THELBIAN COUNTRYSIDE - DAY

Wind ripping through the blades of grass in a backdrop of fluffy clouds with a slight hint of darker greys. Rolling hills, with a further silhouette of hazy mountains. MCDUNE cloaked with his hood up and his red hair spilling out of the base of his collar. A sack on his back and two rifles attached to his back in an x formation. As he is trekking through the grass lands he looks up to see a four winged dragon gliding upon the air.

From the breast of his cloak he takes one of his hands, clearly dried up with dark moon steel warlock dragon claws decorated with intricate patterns. The claws attached on each fingure tip, spiked and long, each connected to a thin chain running towards the back of his hand connecting to a ring, with more chains connected to a tight bracelet on his wrist.

MONO

Yeah man… totally not cool dude.

McDune turns around looking for the voice that called him. His hood from the wind ripples uncovering a mask he is wearing, a skull with long blood tipped horns. MONO, a blond messy-haired teen with blue eyes, carrying an hour glass is nowhere to be seen- then he suddenly appears behind him. With his hand palm facing towards McDune.

MONO

301 anomalies, 4,936,394 time lines created and 76 paradoxes that destroyed 654,683 alternative universes. Dude… not cool.

Shuts his book that's strapped to his belt- Mcdune turns and dashes back increasing the distance between him and Mono.

MCDUNE

You… How long will you continue to follow me…

MONO

Dude, Baydens not been happy, you keep messing around with the timelines, like… c'mon man.

MCDUNE

You are from my era… how do I go back…

MONO

Keep asking, wouldn't know… Bayden just pays me by the hour and I get sent home… true I can pull time… doesn't mean I rule it. He does all that and I just keep the time in check, by the way… getting really annoyed dude.

MCDUNE

HOW THE HELL DO I GO BACK TO MY TIME.

MONO

Three ways this is gonna go… A. You give up… and hand over Baydens hand… and stay here… pun intended by the way B. I kill you here and now or C. I bring you back but Death will catch you… I'll be getting the hand off you then anyways. You're supposed to die man… like… a couple of years back kinda thing… Why do you think you can run?

MCDUNE

He and you have been following me… and that… damned Bayden… my whole life… I've been running… for so… very…

MONO

(Scratching his arm)

Yeah dude… love to hear… but I have to fix your mess. Gimme the hand and I'll leave you be… c'mon man… please… this era is not too bad compared to others… well considering the prophecy.

MCDUNE

Go kill yoursel-

A massive blast is released towards Mcdune. He manages to dash to the side pulling out one of his rifles shooting Mono… The bullets from his rifle freezes mid air, hovering, as Mono pulls a few divine strings towards his side. Hunches slightly and curls his fingers whilst twisting his wrist.

Bullets fly back at McDune, covering himself from the rounds crossing his arms as they graze him.

MONO

Asked for it man…

As McDune uncovers, he looks up at Mono as he has his hand in the air above his head as the whole earth is warping into itself, crushing McDune under its gravity.

MONO (CONT'D)

Dude… the hand…

Mcdune falls on one knee and looks up at Mono.

MCDUNE

(coughing blood)

Can't kill me… until Death catches me… hehehe… he can't find me in these severed time lines anyway.

MONO

Tried I guess…

Mono pulls the earth towards the ground but before Mcdune pulls out his hand getting crushed by gravity, as he clenches his fist he disappears into thin air.

Bayden The Immortal grabs Mono's hand tightly as he appears behind him.

MONO

Bayden?

BAYDEN

Child… Alas executing him in such a manner is uncalled for as much as I'd like it to be done… your job is to maintain order… not execute…

MONO

C'mon Bayden… dude seriously the only reason why you're stressed is because this idiot is time hopping and making a mess of things.

BAYDEN

His death is imminent… and the folds and creases in the cloth of time will iron out. We should go.

MONO

Right…

CUT TO:

INT. INN, TORENS CHAMBER, MAIN SQUARE, STORIK CITY - DAY

The cold evening started to settle in as Casias with some tools measures Toren's height and weight with an obscure device. Quill and paper in hand as he scratches Toren's specifications.

TOREN

Casias… I didn't agree to this.

CASIAS

We went over this. You don't really have a choice.

TOREN

Well… even if I tried… I doubt I'll be able to pass all those exams...

CASIAS

Well… You'll receive a bronze crown… and you need to learn twenty poems, twenty historical accounts spanning at least ten years each and twenty myths and stories. Easy enough to pass.

TOREN

Casias, in Raizia I served as an escort for travellers and merchants… and sometimes an assassin. Not a writer. Last time I read a book was when I was 15…

CASIAS

(murmuring)

Your Raizian dialect needs to be standardised to New Orcish as well…

(Stands)

Well no matter what, you'll need to learn the standard New-Orcish script anyways.

TOREN

So I have to learn that gods forsaken script and change the way I speak? So much effort… Bards are supposed to be warriors-

CASIAS

- AND diplomats… if you want to only fight, join the army, you'll only be fodder for the Selcians experiments… other than your swordsmanship how far can you go without knowledge. You'll remain a grunt for the rest of your life serving blood kings, sultans and the like.

Casias steps back with the end of his quill to his mouth.

CASIAS (CONT'D)

But they can wait… the poems I mean… Devine Macrame takes priority.

TOREN

Warlockery…? But I already know how to pull some elements.

Casias turns and rummages through his bag.

CASIAS (CONT'D)

Yes, call it what you like… A crash course of sorts is needed for refinement.

(picking books from the pile next to the bed)

You need this, this and this book. Start with the thinnest one and work your way to the thickest one. Don't worry they are in standard script… Which we need to learn anyway… They're all mostly picture based, remember the poses and hand positions.

TOREN

I remember reading these as a kid in Raizia.

CASIAS

Great… jog your memory a bit. As you are healing make sure to complete them and take some notes. We will choose a single key string to focus on, pulling several elements can be risky to the people you surround anyway… forget most of what you know about Devine Macrame for this learning period.

END