Ep. 47- The Demon Child
int. fortress roads day- flashback
The interior dirt roads within the outer walls of the Fortress of Swords. Peasants go about their daily tasks, smoke slips from hut chimneys, horses, wagons amble through the mud.
A GROUP OF CHILDREN dash down the muddy, winding road, cutting between workmen and animals, hopping obstacles. They shout and cry out in tinny, indiscriminate voices, some hold sticks and wave them above their heads as they run. The lead child, a GANGLY MALE YOUTH with a twisted, angry face leads the group.
GANGLY MALE YOUTH
THE DEMON’S RUNNING AWAY! STOP HER!
Ahead of the gaggle of youths, in a shoddy tan tunic, a YOUNG GIRL- the target of the tiny mob. Her ears are pointed, her eyes flash a light red, her raven black hair, loose and unkempt, hangs matte at her shoulders, slick with sweat and crusty with caked dust. As she runs she gnashes her teeth- long, sharp, animalistic incisors bared. Though she lacks the porcelain mask and flowing black dress of her adulthood, there is no doubt this is a young QUEEN OF SWORDS. Fleet footed, she runs, hopping fences, stepping out of the way of knights and tradesmen, ducking low-hanging tree branches and skipping over deep puddles. She runs until she reaches the immovable stone of the outer walls- a dead end, insurmountable to her. She stops, looks up. The wall top looms over her- but for a moment, a twinkle in her eye, as though she considers a way to scale it. Her eyes flash red for a brief moment- a hint of Arcane power at work- but before she can go further she is interrupted by the Gangly Male Youth and his gang to her back.
GANGLY MALE YOUTH
Caught you.
The Young Queen turns to see her pursuers have indeed caught up to her. This is no game- there is little comfort to be found in the dead eyes of the impoverished, angry youths before her- each outfitted with sticks, rods and other makeshift weapons.
GANGLY MALE YOUTH
(annoyed)
Why bother running. You know we always catch you.
The Young Queen considers this for a moment and replies-
YOUNG QUEEN
To give you a chance.
GANGLY MALE YOUTH
Give us a chance for what.
YOUNG QUEEN
To think about what will happen when you catch me.
The kids aren’t impressed. There’s a low murmur amongst them- some nervous shifting. The leader squares his shoulders- his own heavy lead rod in his hand.
GANGLY MALE YOUTH
We came armed this time, you won’t surprise us again, demon.
YOUNG QUEEN
(genuine curiosity)
Why do you always chase me and beat me up?
GANGLY MALE YOUTH
’Cuz you’re weird and evil, with your pointy ears and sharp teeth. Anyone can see you don’t belong in the castle. My mom says people like you are gonna undermine our security and let the bad guys through the gate.
YOUNG QUEEN
(quietly)
But there’s no one else like me…
GANGLY MALE YOUTH
So go back where you came from-
The Youth raises his rod and prepares to strike. The Young Queen leaps- Green Air Arcane Energy gathering at her feet as she does- she launches herself vertically six feet upward before rotating horizontally- she presses her feet against the wall behindd her and launches herself toward the youths like a missile. Arcane air energy briefly bursts around her as she strikes headfirst into the lead youth’s torso, launching him backwards into his compatriots.
GANGLY MALE YOUTH
She’s using her demon powers again- get her!
The children immediately set in on the Young Queen- they know the score, and know that if they all set upon her at once- armed, no less- that they will win. They are relentless. The Young Queen struggles- a swung fist here, a caught stick their. Like a rabid animal, she strikes out at any exposed flesh, bats away grasping hands, cracks fingers and batters skulls and kicks knees as she finds them. The lead youth of the pack gets up, recovering his composure, and dives back into the fray with a cry of high pitched rage, leading his dive with an outstretched elbow which connects with the Young Queen’s nose, connecting with a crack.
As blood trickles from the Young Queen’s nose, she stumbles back and out of the group, cupping her face. As is often the case with busted noses- there’s a startling amount of blood, and the sight of this actually surprises the pack of youths- half of which are too dim-witted to realize their target has escaped the tangle of bodies, the other half of which still weighing out how severe an assault they’re willing to visit on this Other. The Gangly Male Youth, however, has already made his choice.
GANGLY MALE YOUTH
So, you gonna cry now, demon?
He picks his lead rod back up- he does not have to menace to make clear what he plans to do to the Young Queen’s skull.
The Young Queen snorts into an open palm- a batch of blood shoots into it, which she flicks off into the mud. She looks up and bares her fangs to the group, her eyes once more flashing an ominous red.
YOUNG QUEEN
(hissing)
I’ll bite you all to death.
The Queen launches herself forward with a burst of Arcane energy- not green air energy, this time, but a flash of crimson red Arcane energy- as she propels forward, the lead youth brings his rod about in a baaseball swing- with the Young Queen stops- with her teeth. Her fangs latch onto the lead rod as a dog’s might, and with a growl and twist she tears the rod away from its wielder. She spits it out and with her hands seizes the arm of the Gangly Male Youth. She drives her long incisors deep into his fleshy forearm and the youth can do naught but scream in pain. The other children rush to the nasty child’s aid, a formal mugging of sticks and fists again raining down upon the Young Queen’s back- but she does not let go, like a pup on the end of a rope, she simply growls all the louder, determined to not let go of her toy.
Whistles blow- heavy armored footsteps upon cobblestone can be heard. One of the children of the mob calls out to the group-
CHILD
GUARDS COMIN!
With this, the group begins to disperse. With intense effort, four children manage to get a grip around the Queen’s jaw and extract her from the Gangly Male Youth’s forearm. The Youth stumbles back, holding his bloodied arm, bewildered. The other kids steady him.
GANGLY MALE YOUTH
OVER HERE! THIS WRETCH IS ASSUALTING ME! HELP!
By now the other children have completely disappeared, dissolving into the street and retreating to shadows. The Guards, big burly types with heavy armor and broadswords, enter the scene. A couple stop to check on the Gangly Male Youth, checking his arm with gasps. Two of the guards regard the Young Queen, who remains poised and crouched low, her fangs exposed, regarding them all as a defensive animal might, her eyes still glowing red.
GUARD
What the hell is she-
GANGLY MALE YOUTH
SHE’S A MONSTER! SHE TRIED TO KILL ME! SHE’LL TRY TO KILL US ALL- SHE AINT ONE OF US.
One of the guards closest to the Young Queen begins to draw his sword- the Young Queen notes this and rises with a shout-
YOUNG QUEEN
STAY AWAY FROM ME!
She stretches out a hand and a wall of green, airy Arcane energy bursts out, striking the swordbearing guard and knocking him on his back. The other guards draw their swords and prepare to move in, blades raised overhead.
The Young Queen raises her hands overhead and red rings of Arcane energy gather at her wrists. The dust around her begins to lift. The guards again balk before their advance-
VOICE
(off camera)
That. Is. Enough.
The Guards freeze, daring not advance further. Several sheathe their swords and bow. The Gangly Male Youth and his remaining compatriots make a point to disappear in the chaos.
In the glassy red-black of the Young Queen’s eyes we see a reflection- black robes, green cape, copper crown- this is the OLD QUEEN OF SWORDS, and she has taken personal notice of this small explosion of Arcane energy and martial violence in the streets of her denizen, and come to deal with it personally…
