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ACT I
2. EXT. OVER THE WATERFALL
FADE IN:
As the canoe falls through the air, Xena and
Gabrielle struggle to dodge the rocks hurtling over the edge all around
them.
The canoe, hits the bottom, nose first, with a
splash, casting its passengers into the swirling water.
Stunned by the impact, both women seem to sink
to the lake before they regain their senses and slowly make their way to
the surface.
Their leathers made heavy by water, their
struggle to break the surface is tedious and lengthy. When they emerge
gasping, both take deep breaths and swim slowly toward shore.
Together they crawl out from the water, bodies
almost numb. Reaching the embankment, both women collapse.
They lay still in the sun for several moments,
until their shivering stops. Xena sits up and looks at the rushing
water.
Gabrielle turns over on her side and begins to
heave.
Xena places a sympathetic hand on her back.
When Gabrielle is done, she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand
and turns to Xena.
XENA
You alright?
GABRIELLE
(smiling apologetically)
Yeah. You know me and boats...
(beat)
What do you think that thing was?
Xena sits up and leans on her elbows, looking
up at the waterfall.
XENA
I don’t know...
(beat)
But whatever it was... It looked like it came
from Tartarus itself.
GABRIELLE
(surprised)
You saw it?!
XENA
(getting to her feet)
I saw its head break the surface just before
we got caught up in the current.
(beat)
It was big and it was ugly!
Gabrielle smiles weakly and glances up at the
fifty-foot waterfall.
GABRIELLE
I can’t believe we survived that!
Xena’s eyes travel back to the falls. On
either side, there is a wall of mountainous rock.
Her eyes scan the land. The embankment rises
upward at a steep incline. Sloping upward to the mountain of rock on
either side of the falls, are trees changing colors with the season,
some already barren, and numerous fir trees.
Xena turns her attention back to her
companion.
XENA
Yeah. Guess we’re lucky on both counts.
(extends a hand down to Gabrielle)
Come on. We’ve got to find a way out of here
and get a fire going so we can get warm and dry off.
Gabrielle grasps the proffered hand and is
helped to her feet.
XENA
(peels off her drenched coat)
Some fishing trip this turned out to be.
GABRIELLE
Well, when you boast about the one that got
away, you won’t be totally wrong.
XENA
(smiling)
No, but I’m sure in your scrolls, you’ll
definitely exaggerate the experience.
GABRIELLE
(laughing)
Now, when have I ever done that!?
CUT TO:
3. EXT. LAKE SHORE – LATE AFTERNOON
Xena and Gabrielle clamber up the rocks of the
embankment, only to be greeted by the sight and stench of death and
decay.
Blood is spattered on the surrounding rocks
and foliage. Half eaten, rotting carcasses of animals are strewn about.
Skeletal remains of what appear to be men, are heaped in a pile. One
corpse appears to be more recent, with bloody flesh clinging to the
bones and entrails strewn about.
GABRIELLE
(retching at the smell)
By the gods, Xena... I think we’ve fallen
right into the beast’s feeding grounds!
XENA
(grabs Gabrielle by the arm)
Then we’ve got to get out of here, fast!
As the two women pick up their pace to leave
the area, a bloody tomahawk with a black feather attached to it, catches
Gabrielle’s eye.
XENA
(eyes narrowing)
I’m not sure what did this, but I don’t want
to wait around to find out. C’mon.
GABRIELLE
Hold on. I see something...
Curious, the bard picks up the tomahawk.
Suddenly she reaches for her head and gasps.
She is inundated with visions of a brutal attack on a warrior.
CUT TO:
VISION:
A warrior trapped in the jaws of a creature.
He’s battling fiercely, sending his tomahawk smashing into the
creature’s neck. Then his struggling stops and the tomahawk falls to the
ground.
CUT TO:
PRESENT:
Xena places a concerned hand on Gabrielle’s
shoulder.
XENA
What’s wrong?
GABRIELLE
(holding her head)
I’m... I’m not really sure. I think I just
‘saw’ the owner of this tomahawk fighting a huge scaly creature... and
lose.
Xena puts a firm grip on Gabrielle’s shoulder.
The bard turns to Xena, who motions her with a finger to be quiet.
Slowly she removes her chakram from its clasp at her waist.
With a swift and powerful throw, the chakram
is sent hurtling through the air.
It whirls at a nearby tree, causing someone to
fall out, landing flat on his back.
Xena unsheathes her sword and rushes to the
fallen man, Gabrielle at her side.
They are both shocked to see that it is a
16-year-old boy. He is dressed in a tunic and a beaded, leather
headband. Strapped to his back is a quiver of arrows. Beside him, lies
his bow, a black feather attached to the top.
XENA
(sheathing her sword)
What are you doing lurking around here?
BOY
I ... I was looking for my father.
GABRIELLE
Your father? What would he be doing here?
BOY
He came to slay the beast.
The boy notices the tomahawk in Gabrielle's
hand; a look of sadness fills his face.
BOY
You hold his tomahawk.
Gabrielle looks at the weapon in her hand and
proffers it to the boy, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Solemnly the boy takes the tomahawk.
GABRIELLE
I’m Gabrielle and this is Xena. What’s your
name?
BOY
(proudly)
I am Hawkeye.
The boy removes the black feather from the
tomahawk and proceeds to remove an arrow from his quiver. With
reverence, he carefully attaches the black feather to one of his arrows.
XENA
Well, Hawkeye... this is definitely not a
place for a boy to be.
(she nudges him forward)
So come on, let’s move out of here.
Hawkeye stands firmly in place.
HAWKEYE
(indignantly)
I am not a boy. I am a warrior!
(holds arrow up defiantly )
This is the arrow I will use to kill the...
AN INHUMAN SCREAM RIPS THROUGH THE AIR
XENA
What in Tartarus?
HAWKEYE
The Lake Demon!
GABRIELLE
The what?
HAWKEYE
It is the beast that kills my people!
GABRIELLE
Xena, let’s get out of here.
XENA
Get us to your village, Hawkeye, and I
promise, we’ll help you get this creature, one way or another!
HAWKEYE
We should slay it now!
GABRIELLE
(firm hand on Hawkeye’s shoulder)
Now’s not the time! First you need a plan!
HAWKEYE
(agrees reluctantly)
Follow me. My village isn’t far.
CUT TO:
4. EXT. VILLAGE – LATE AFTERNOON
As Xena and Gabrielle are led into the
village, an old man dressed in a long robe and a headdress made of
antlers and fur approaches them. He is wearing a bear claw necklace and
an intricately beaded leather pouch is strapped to his belt.
OLD MAN
(concerned)
Hawkeye, where have you been? And who are
these strangers?
HAWKEYE
I went to look for my father … since no one
else will.
Hawkeye turns away abruptly and walks toward
and enters a small hut.
OLD MAN
(shaking his head sadly)
Thank you for bringing the boy back.
(beat – nods politely)
I am called Owl Eyes. I am the shaman of this
tribe.
XENA
I’m Xena. This is my companion, Gabrielle. We
found him in a cove not far from here. Not exactly a place for a boy to
be wandering around alone...
Owl Eyes begins to walk. Gabrielle and Xena
walk with him.
OWL EYES
He is a good boy. Will be a fine warrior
someday. But right now, his judgment is clouded by anger.
(with a sigh of defeat)
His father and some others went to hunt the
Lake Demon.
(beat)
They have been gone for several sunrises and I
fear that they instead became the hunted.
(beat)
I have meditated for many nights about what we
should do. I believe we should not send any more braves to hunt the
creature to destroy it. Some of the tribe have been considering moving
from this...our...land.
(beat)
I know that I cannot leave this place.
The medicine man stops just outside a hut and
lifts the flap.
OWL EYES
Come and change into some dry clothes, have a
hot meal and tell me what brought you to our cursed shore.
CUT TO:
5. EXT. VILLAGE - EVENING
Xena and Gabrielle, now in warm clothing given
to them by Owl Eyes, are sitting with the shaman around the fire in his
hut. They are eating and discussing the Lake Demon and what it has done
to the village.
A warrior enters, bringing a platter of cooked meat.
WARRIOR
My wife sends this bowl of food for you and
your guests, Owl Eyes.
OWL EYES
Ahote, join us.
As the man squats beside Owl Eyes, he watches
the female with the steely blue eyes.
Xena, not one to be shaken by stares, ignores
his glare.
XENA
Tell us more about this Lake Demon.
OWL EYES
The Lake Demon is the dread scourge that
terrorizes our people. It rises from the watery depths and slithers onto
the land looking for food. It takes our kills after a hunt...
(beat)
But mostly it prefers human flesh.
XENA
That explains what we saw down by the cove...
GABRIELLE
You said that your people have been
considering moving away from here?
OWL EYES
(nods solemnly)
There is talk around the tribe. Many think it
is our only option. But most of us will not leave the land of our
ancestors, for any reason.
AHOTE
(looking at Gabrielle)
This is our land. We will not be defeated and
sent like scavengers from our homes and our farms.
Gabrielle smiles understandingly.
XENA
Why can’t your warriors destroy it?
OWL EYES
Look around you – there are not many warriors
left. We have been trying to destroy the beast for many seasons. We were
once a mighty tribe of many brave warriors. Now we are a tribe of but a
few. The Lake Demon...
Suddenly terrified screams erupt outside.
Xena, Gabrielle, Ahote and Owl Eyes quickly
rise to their feet and race to the door.
The flap is pushed outward, and one by one
they step out into the night.
A giant dark serpentine silhouette is making
its way towards the village.
OWL EYES
It’s here!
The Lake Demon slithers through the forest,
knocking over trees as though they were toothpicks. As it reaches the
outskirts of the village, it rears its head and roars menacingly.
CUT TO:
6. EXT. VILLAGE - LAKE DEMON - NIGHT
Its blood red eyes pass over terrified
villagers who are running out of their homes before the creature's bulk
can destroy them.
Its bulk cuts through wooden huts as if they
were made of straw; panic-stricken people flee in terror. Mothers stoop
to gather up the children, warriors cover their retreat. The elders
hobble away as fast as they can.
Carrying their children, women are pointed
toward the opposite end of the village by Owl Eyes as he instructs them
to head to the caves in the distance.
Warriors, bows and arrows in hand, fire at the
beast, only to have their arrows deflected by its scales. Others charge
the creature with spears and tomahawks.
The Lake Demon ducks its head low, protecting
itself from their spears.
Xena and Gabrielle are in battle stance, as
they watch the chaos around them.
XENA
Get them to safety!
GABRIELLE
But...
XENA
(reaching for her chakram)
No buts, Gabrielle. Just do it!
And on those words, Xena runs toward the
beast, as Gabrielle nudges the shaman toward the scattering villagers.
The warrior throws her chakram at the
creature’s head.
CUT TO:
7. EXT. VILLAGE - OWL EYES AND GABRIELLE
The two are hurriedly leading a group of
frightened children to the outskirts of the village, where elders are
guiding their tribesmen toward the safety of the caves just outside the
clearing.
OWL EYES
That’s it children, keep on going.
Suddenly Owl Eyes stops.
OWL EYES
Wait … where’s Red Crow’s son?
GABRIELLE
I’ll go back... You stay here!
Gabrielle races back and stops dead. There, in
the center of the nearly devastated village, she sees the small boy
standing near the Lake Demon.
Gabrielle rushes toward him.
The Lake Demon draws its head back, and is
ready to strike.
With a powerful lunge, Gabrielle sails toward
the boy, knocking him out of the way.
The creature rears up on its hind flippers and
dives at her.
Xena chakram, having missed the creature due
to its five for the boy, is hurtling through the air, returning to the
Warrior Princess.
She spots Gabrielle and the boy from the
corner of her eye.
Quickly she places the chakram on its clasp,
and bends down to pick up a broken spear from a wounded warrior.
Without hesitation, Xena races toward her
companion, leaps into the air, and somersaults onto the creature’s back.
Gabrielle, quickly rolls out of the Lake
Demon’s line of vision, grabs the stunned boy and races toward Owl Eyes.
Once the boy is grabbed by the shaman,
Gabrielle turns and heads back toward the demon and her friend.
Xena, clenching her teeth; grabs onto one of
the beast’s scales with one hand, and holds on for dear life. She
quickly scans the creature for any sign of vulnerability.
Amazingly, she spots an area on the creature’s
back that is missing a scale. With the broken end of the spear, the
warrior repeatedly jabs the spear into the Lake Demon’s back.
It whips her violently from side to side like
a rag doll and sends her flying.
A warrior attempts to spear it from behind,
but he is hurled through the air with one swipe of its tail.
The Lake Demon turns its attention back to
Xena. It is about to lunge for its next meal, when suddenly, it pulls
back.
Gabrielle is standing between her downed
friend and the beast.
She and the monster stare at each other.
Its reaction is one of confusion. It seems to
want to attack, yet is being held back. Without warning, it retreats.
Ahote, who had been with the warriors trying
to beat the creature back, rushes forward, a broken spear in his hand.
XENA
(rising to her feet)
Quick, after it!
AHOTE
Warriors, let’s go!
GABRIELLE
Count me in too.
XENA
No, Gabrielle. Stay here and help the wounded.
GABRIELLE
Xena...
XENA
These people need you. If we fail, you’re
their only hope.
GABRIELLE
Xena, I wont lose you again.
Xena places a firm hand on each of Gabrielle’s
shoulders, and looks her in the eye.
XENA
Gabrielle, if we can follow this beast...
study its habits... I may be able to find a way to help them defeat it.
(beat)
I promise. I WILL be back!
Xena runs into the forest with the other
warriors. Gabrielle turns to tend to the wounded, shaking her head in
frustration.
CUT TO:
END ACT I
ACT II
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