Dark Clouds Hover

DARK CLOUDS HOVER

Written by

Daniel Tanure

A HAND

BURSTING OUT of a hillside, reaches out for the night, caked in blood and grime. THUNDER GROWLS overhead. The hand is coming out of a -

EXT. HILLSIDE - NIGHT

And it starts writhing around, clearing space. It makes room enough for the other hand to squeeze through - This one holding a sheathed sword, pommel first - and, following that, their owner: A KID.

He struggles hard to pull himself out, and as soon as he does, he starts to tumble down the hill.

He stops rolling when he reaches the foot of the hill and quickly gets up, gasping for air.

CLOSE ON THE KID’S FACE, Covered in dirt and blood, recent gashes and cuts crisscross all over his skin, seeping blood. He has light-blonde hair and his terrified blue eyes are screaming murder. This is YOUNG DANOTALO(10) and the long sword is more than half his size.

CUT TO:

OVER BLACK

SUPER:ARMORICA - NORTHWESTERN FRANCE - 1st CENTURY BC.

BACK TO:

BACK TO SCENE

Danotalo looks around, desperate, scared.

His muddied clothes are ancient Gaulish: Breccae (breeches), leather shoes, a knee-long shirt, belt, a tartan cape, a Torc(bronze neck ring).

He starts to run away from where he came, hugging the sword.

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DAWN

Young Danotalo runs across a dim grassy plain. He’s heaving and tripping with exhaustion. It’s late autumn, the trees are withering and the sky is white with clouds.

He bites his lip to hold back his tears as he runs.

EXT. CREEK - LATER

Young Dano, wobbly with exhaustion, stops by a shallow creek and collapses on his knees to scoop up some water.

He drinks the water.

He washes his face and hair.

He takes a couple of breaths.

He stares down at his rippling reflection: Scared, half-dead eyes.

CUT TO:

INT. DARK PLACE - RUFENA’S FACE [FLASHBACK]

Young, red-headed, beautiful, RUFENA(29) lies dead with her eyes open on the floor of a dark place, a single beam of light coming from above. She’s being shaken by something O.S.

VOICE (O.S.)MOM! MOM! WAKE UP! MOM!

YOUNG DANO’S FACE

Same age, same clothes. He’s the one shaking her.

YOUNG DANOTALOMOM! COME ON!!! STOP IT! WAKE UP!!!

BACK TO:

EXT. CREEK - DAY

Tears are flowing from Young Dano’s eyes into the water but his daunted expression doesn’t change.

Realization dawns upon him that he’s completely alone and he starts getting more and more desperate, frantically looking around, chewing on his shirtsleeve.

DARK CLOUDS HOVER 2.

He tries to say something, to scream, but all he can muster is a MUFFLED WHIMPER.

He lies down and curls up in fetal position, still clutching the sword. He doesn’t mind that he’s lying on water.

The baleful sky is death gray, saddling the far away mountain ridge like a heavy burden.

FADE OUT:

EXT. ROCKY VALLEY - LATER

Young Dano shuffles forth across the gravel. His wounds are just now starting to scab. He stops to take a breath, leaning on the sword.

He sits down on a large stone by his side and starts chewing on his shirtsleeve, weary. He looks up, stretching the sleeve.

The sky is even grayer now, and flashes of lighting flicker about, followed by ROARING THUNDER.

He keeps looking up for a long time.

Then he slowly UNSHEATHES the sword, wistfully examining it as he does so: The blood-soaked blade is covered in beautiful swirling patterns, and an engraving in Roman script near the hilt spells “RUFENA”.

CUT TO:

EXT. MEADOW - SUNSET [FLASHBACK]

Young dano and Rufena hike through a grassy meadow. They both hold wooden swords. Rufena limps a bit as she walks: Under her skirt we see she has a peg-leg. She has a tattoo on her wrist of a Triskellion (three interlocked spirals) inside a wheel.

He looks at her: Dangling at her side, strapped to a baldric (shoulder belt) is that same sword he’s unsheathing at present, in the same scabbard.

YOUNG DANOMom, when can I have a real sword? This wooden thing is so weak!


RUFENA(smiling)

We don’t need real swords for training.

BACK TO:

EXT. ROCKY VALLEY - DAY

Danotalo is still pulling out the sword and staring at it. His reflection is muddled by all the blood.

RUFENA (V.O.)When you’re old enough to battle, you can have this one.

DANO (V.O.)But what about the inscription?

RUFENA (V.O.)You don’t want my name on your sword?

DANO (V.O.)No! I want one that says my name! “Danotalo”!

RUFENADanotalo Rufeno, remember?

He finishes unsheathing, drops the scabbard, gets up, closes his eyes and levels the sword to his neck.

He grits his teeth and, just as he’s about to slice his own throat, he hears TINY FOOTSTEPS coming close.

He opens his eyes.

It’s a small, shaggy grey PUPPY, approaching, tongue out. She sits a couple yards in front of him and tilts her head, panting.

Dano is mystified by that strange presence. He lowers the sword.

The dog has a broken chain around her neck, and some scars across her body.

THUNDER RUMBLES above and rain starts to pour. The puppy scurries close to Danotalo and leans on his leg.


Danotalo looks down at her and decides to sit down on the ground. He then covers the puppy with his cape.

Protected from the rain, the puppy starts to sleep.

The two stay there. Danotalo has a confused look on his face - He doesn’t understand what happened but apparently that’s the way it’s going to be.

He sheathes back the sword.

CUT TO BLACK.

DANO’S FACE - DAY

Dirty, filling the whole screen. DANOTALO, now nineteen years old, looks intently AT US. His wounds have settled into thick scars, ridged across his face like worms.

Dano blinks his eyes and

CUT TO:

OVER BLACK

SUPER:9 YEARS LATER

BACK TO:

DANO’S FACE

And opens them again. He starts chewing on his shirtsleeve. PULL OUT to reveal he’s in a -

EXT. GROVE - SAME

And he’s crouched on the floor. He’s dirty and tattered, but the sword he carries on a baldric is in pristine condition - His mother’s sword. His arms are also marked with scars, and he carries a wicker basket full of mushrooms on one of them. As we keep PULLING OUT, what he is looking at comes INTO VIEW:

LUGA, the grey puppy from before, who has grown into something like a small wolf, diligently sniffing the ground, scanning for something. Her whole body is pocked with sores and warts which are visible through the fur.


She stops near a tree and starts digging with her front paws.

Dano rushes over.

DANOYou found something, Luga?

He starts digging too, until he reaches a BROWN MUSHROOM. He carves the mushroom out of the ground and examines it.

DANO (CONT’D)That’s it! Good girl, Luga! Good girl!

He drops the mushroom on the basket and gives her a kiss. She wags her tail and licks him.

EXT. ROMAN CAMPSITE #1 - LATER

TRACK Dano and Luga as they walk through the bustling military barracks. Roman soldiers move around, doing their business - Washing their clothes, peeling turnips, etc.

Dano shoves his basket in the faces of passersby, aggressively hustling his mushrooms, like he’s desperate to sell them. He’s not the most skilled salesman.

DANOYou want some mushrooms? Picked them myself!

He repeats that line at anyone he comes across.

He spots a fat SOLDIER sitting by a tent, polishing his helmet, and runs over.

DANO (CONT’D)(shuffling through the basket)

Sir! Sir! You want to buy some mushrooms??? I’ve got the ones you like, and I’ve got these ones too, look, you should try them-

SOLDIERNo, not today, Gaul. Listen, when are you going to put that dog down, huh? It’s starting to look really ugly.

(pleading)It makes everyone depressed... It’s bad for morale.


Dano just stares at him, expressionless, and swallows dry, not knowing what to respond.

DANOThank you, sir. Maybe tomorrow you will want some, huh?

Just as Dano gets up and turns to go, he violently BUMPS against a passing soldier (SOLDIER #2) falling on his ass while the basket flies forward, scattering mushrooms on its path. The soldier just trips back a little.

SOLDIER #2What the hell, Gaul, look at where you’re going!

DANO(sotto)

Sorry, sir.

SOLDIER #2(kicking Dano)

Is there something wrong with your eyes???

Dano doesn’t do anything, Luga starts to BARK at the soldier.

SOLDIER #2 (CONT’D)And you keep that thing away from me or I’m going to kill it!

The soldier finishes his kicking, spits on him and goes away. Dano closes his eyes in resignation.

The soldiers around LAUGH loudly while Dano slowly picks up his mushrooms, gets up and goes away.

EXT. BEHIND A TENT - LATER

Dano is squatting beside Luga in a secluded place from the rest of the camp, near the forest that surrounds it.

He fetches a purse from his belt and drops the contents on the ground: Several billon (silver-copper alloy) coins.

He counts them one by one, while chewing on his shirtsleeve.

EXT. ROMAN CAMPSITE - FARTHER AWAY - LATER

Dano buys a bag of small smoked fish from a vendor.


As soon as he lowers the bag, Luga starts jumping up, bumping her nose against it.

DANONo, Luga! Not now!

Dano turns to go and he sees a candy-faced young GAULISH GIRL strutting in the distance.

Braided red hair, skinny, barefoot, wearing a long, sleeveless dress, and decorated with arm rings, tattoos and anklets, strolling casually among the soldiers. She’s LANINIA(23).

Some soldiers cat-call her.

SOLDIERHey! Laninia! Let’s have fun!

LANINIAYou can’t afford my fun, love.

SOLDIER(to other soldiers)

You see that? She called me “love”! She loves me!

The soldiers laugh.

She spots Dano and is excited to see him. She waves. She’s the kind that smiles with her eyes.

Dano smiles, shy.

She scampers toward him. When she’s close by, Luga runs toward her and sniffs around her in greeting.

Laninia kneels down and ruffles her fur.

LANINIAHey, Luga! How are you, little darling?

She then gets up and approaches Dano with a sweet, bratty smile.

LANINIA (CONT’D)Hey. How are you doing?

DANO(blushing, looking down)

Hi, Laninia.


LANINIAI haven’t seen you in a while!

DANO(stuttering)

I’m- I’ve been going around the nearb- Nearby camps.

LANINIAYou should warn me when you go away like that! I missed you!

Dano blushes like a beet, smiles wide.

Laninia grabs at his frazzled cape.

LANINIA (CONT’D)Look at this! You really have to do something about this cape, it’s falling apart!

Dano looks at it.

LANINIA (CONT’D)You have to take better care of yourself, Dano!

Dano lowers his head, ashamed.

LANINIA (CONT’D)Anyway, you’re having dinner?

DANO(looks at the bag)

Yes.

LANINIAWhere?

DANOAt my... Uhm... Tent?

LANINIACan I join you?

Dano smiles again, nods briskly.

Laninia returns the smile.

LANINIA (CONT’D)Alright, let’s go, then.

She grabs him by the arm and the three of them walk toward the woods outside the camp.


EXT. GROVE - TWILIGHT

Dano, Luga and Laninia eat the fish by a fire under an improvised shelter: A sheet of canvas extended across the branches of a big tree.

Laninia sits on a tall exposed root above Dano and Luga, who sit on a blanket spread on the ground.

LANINIAHm... Doccio really sells some delicious fish.

DANO(chewing)

Hm-hm.

LANINIA(beat)

So... How is Luga doing?

DANOI don’t know... I’m saving some money to take her to Carhaix, to see Tancoreix the Druid. They say he’s the best with animals.

LANINIAYeah, I’ve heard about him. I hope he can cure her. She’s the cutest dog.

Luga finishes eating a fish and quickly stands up on her hind legs, sniffing Laninia’s fish above.

LANINIA (CONT’D)(smiling)

But a little pesky, aren’t you?

Dano reaches into the bag and gives Luga another fish, she horks it down in one go.

DANOShe’s the only friend I have.

Laninia looks sadly at Dano. They eat in silence for a while.

Laninia looks down at Dano’s sword.

LANINIADano... Why do you carry a sword around?


DANOWhy...?

LANINIAYes, you are such a sweet boy, you don’t strike me as someone who would need a sword.

DANO(angry)

What?! I’m not a sweet boy!

LANINIAAlright, sorry!

Dano goes back to his fish, ticked off. Laninia stifles a laugh at his childish reaction.

DANO(beat)

Anyway, I carry it around because it used to belong to my mother.

LANINIAReally?! Your mother was a warrior?!

DANOYes, and she taught me everything she knew, so you should know that I’m a warrior too!

LANINIASeriously? What kinds of things did she teach you?

Dano looks defiantly at Laninia.

DANOThrow that fish in the air.

LANINIAWhat? How?

DANOJust throw it.

Laninia shrugs and throws the fish forward. It hits a tree trunk and falls to the ground. Luga runs after it.

DANO (CONT’D)(scurrying toward the fish)


(MORE)

No! Not that way! You wasted a fish!

LANINIAYou told me to just throw it!

Dano picks the fish up before Luga reaches it and dusts it off on his pants. He goes to Laninia and gives it back to her.

DANOHere, I’ll stay over there and you throw it at me.

LANINIAAlright.

He paces back and stands in front of the tree trunk.

DANOAlright, you can thr-

She throws it before he can finish the sentence.

Dano’s eyes focus.

DANO’S POV of everything in tunnel vision as the fish comes at him IN SLOW MOTION.

In one move, he unsheathes the sword and SLASHES upward, and then sideways. It takes less than half a second.

Dano then bends over to pick the pieces of fish scattered about.

He walks back and gives the pieces to a slack-jawed Laninia. The fish was diced into four almost perfect parts. He sits and starts eating again.

LANINIAAre you kidding me??? That was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen!

DANO(nonchalant)

I told you.

LANINIAYes, but this is amazing! You cut it right down the middle! How did you do that???

Dano shrugs. Laninia prods him with her foot.


DANO (CONT’D)

LANINIA (CONT’D)Stop being so cool about it, you know what you did was amazing.

Dano tries to hold back a smile, but can’t.

LANINIA (CONT’D)Who was your mother anyway?

DANO(beat; serious)

My mother was Rufena Vertecissa.

Laninia mulls this over for a second.

LANINIAYou know, I think I’ve actually heard of her. Wasn’t she the one who fought a Dragon?

DANOI don’t know. She never told me that story.

LANINIAYes, that’s what I’ve heard! She fought a Dragon and lost her leg, so she c-

(covers mouth)Oh... Sorry, I didn’t mean to-

DANOIt’s alright. That’s supposed to be what happened anyway.

LANINIASo, what happened? Does she still teach sword fighting? Because I sure could use some-

DANOShe’s dead.

Laninia is taken aback. She takes a while to respond.

LANINIA... I’m sorry.

(beat)How did it happen?

Dano looks at her, suddenly annoyed.

DANOI don’t talk about it.


They go back to eating in awkward silence.

Laninia looks at Dano, to check how he’s doing. His face is twitching.

DANO (CONT’D)It was my fault... She was trying to... You know... To protect me...

(two beats)Tsc...

...And starts weeping. He covers his face to hide it.

Laninia lets him get it off his chest.

After a while, she gets down off the knee root and sits beside him.

She waits as he weeps.

DANO (CONT’D)I’M NOT CRYING!

LANINIAI didn’t say anything!

He stops crying, uncovers his face and wipes the tears.

DANOGood, because I’m not!

She starts brushing his hair.

She delicately wipes underneath his eyes with her thumb.

LANINIAHey, you want to go to Carhaix, right? To see Tancoreix? You know, I have a friend who’s going to Carhaix tomorrow, for the festival of Samonios. He’s delivering some wine. He could give us a ride.

DANO(sniffs)

That sounds good...

She grabs him by the cheek and turns his face toward her. She stares at him for a while, Dano’s confused. She kisses him on the mouth. Dano pushes her away after a while.

She looks at him, earnest.


DANO (CONT’D)I have to wake up early tomorrow.

She nods.

LANINIA(smiling)

Alright, I understand. I’ll leave you be then.

Dano nods.

She gets up, and starts to go. Then she turns.

LANINIA (CONT’D)Meet me tomorrow next to Titus’ tent!

(beat; fidgets awkwardly)You know... you should know that Luga is not your only friend. Just... Just saying that...

He stares. She nods and goes away.

Dano stays there, watching her go. He starts chewing on his shirtsleeve.

LATER

The night sky is milky with clouds, not many stars to see.

The fire has all but burnt out. Luga sleeps besides Dano, who is sitting on the ground, sharpening his sword with a whetstone.

CLOSE ON Dano’s face, brooding.

LANINIA (V.O.)That was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen!

LANINIA (V.O.)How did you do that?

CUT TO:


EXT. TRAINING YARD - DAY [FLASHBACK]

It’s a large fenced yard behind a hamlet. Several KIDS holding wooden swords are leaning on the fence, watching Dano, also wielding a wooden sword, as he stands, a couple yards in front of his mother. She’s crouched, and there’s a small mound of pebbles at her side.

She throws a pebble at him. He swings his sword, but can’t deflect it and is hit in the chest. Before he has time to reassume a fighting stance, Rufena throws another pebble, this one hitting him in the forehead. The kids LAUGH.

RUFENA(serious)

Come on, son! Focus! The pebble is the only thing in the world. Come on, I’ll let you breathe for a while.

Dano recollects himself, assumes a fighting stance.

RUFENA (CONT’D)You ready?

Dano nods. Rufena throws a pebble.

DANO’S POV of the pebble flying towards him in tunnel vision.

He swings the sword and sends the pebble flying, though he caught it with the broad part of the blade, like a paddle.

RUFENA (CONT’D)(really happy)

Great! You did so great! See? It wasn’t that hard! Now try to do it with the edge of the blade, alright?

Dano nods. Focuses. Rufena throws another pebble.

The pebble flies through the air.

Dano squints his eyes, sweat drops on his brow.

He swings the sword.

It hits the pebble.

The pebble flies back towards Rufena. She’s so surprised that she doesn’t see it and it hits her in the head. She winces. The kids LAUGH.


RUFENA (CONT’D)That was amazing, sweetie! You hit it on the first try!

Dano can’t hide his pride, he’s beaming.

RUFENA (CONT’D)Now let’s do it a couple more and I’ll let you rest, alright?

Dano nods again.

Rufena throws several more pebbles in succession and he’s able to deflect them all. Dano smiles wide, jumps with glee. Rufena throws another one. He assumes the stance, swings the sword, but misses, and the pebble hits him right in the eye. He YELLS. Rufena covers her mouth, GASPS.

Dano gets red in the face and starts crying with frustration. Rufena looks worried, she runs to him and hugs him, swaying back and forth to try to assuage him.

RUFENA (CONT’D)Shhh... Shhh...

(looks at his eye)Let me see it. It’s nothing. It’s nothing, baby, shhh.

Dano keeps crying. Rufena seeks his stare.

RUFENA (CONT’D)Listen, Dano, listen to me. Look at me. You can’t cry like that on the battlefield. The enemy will give you no quarter, they’ll just think you’re soft, and will use your sorrow to kill you faster.

(beat)We’re warriors, right? You are a warrior. Fire courses through your veins, and... Look at me.

(she tilts his head up)When you cry, the tears douse the fire, are you listening to me?

Dano gets a bit calmer, but then he starts crying again, harder. Rufena hugs him closer and tries to soothe him down.

VOICE (O.S.)What’s going on, here?

Dano and Rufena look up. Approaching from outside the fence is BARDO, a hefty but soft-spoken blonde man. Dano stops crying.


YOUNG DANOBardo!

Dano runs toward him and hugs him, Bardo scoops him up with one arm and lifts him up. We see he has the same tattoo as Rufena on his wrist.

BARDOHey, little guy. What happened? Why are you crying?

DANOMom threw a pebble in my eye...

BARDOIs that so?

RUFENA(rising to her feet)

Hi, Bardo.

Dano tucks his head in Bardo’s shoulders.

BARDO(reproachful)

What are you doing throwing rocks at him, Rufena???

Rufena goes wide-mouthed at the nerve of Bardo. She fumes.

RUFENAWhat are you talking about, Bardo? He’s my child! I’ll raise him the way I deem fit!

BARDOCome on, Rufena, give him a break, he’s only what? Ten?

RUFENAI was gutting Romans when I was his age, alright? Now put him down!

BARDO(to Dano)

You heard your mother, little guy, down you go.

He puts Dano down.

DANO(shrieking)

NOOO!


RUFENACome here Dano.

(re: He refuses)Dano, come here, I’m not asking again!

Dano stays close to Bardo.

RUFENA (CONT’D)Alright, you know what? You think I’m bad? I’ll show you what the enemy does with people like Bardo. Pick up that sword, Bardo.

BARDO(reluctant)

You sure this is a good idea, Rufena? We were in the same band of mercenaries, you’re not so much better than-

RUFENA(growling)

PICK UP THE DAMN SWORD!

Bardo hesitantly picks up the sword that Dano had thrown to the ground.

Rufena assumes a fighting stance. Bardo does the same. They study each other.

Bardo CHARGES. As he’s coming, Rufena drops her sword. When Bardo is almost on her, she grits her teeth in rage, takes the sword from his hand, elbows him in the throat, pushes him away and kicks him in the chest with her peg-leg. He falls on his back.

She comes up to him and smacks him in the side of the head with the broad part of the blade. She throws the sword away and spits.

The kids are bug-eyed scared.

RUFENA (CONT’D)That’s for thinking you can tell me how to raise my child.

She just looks at Dano, still angry, and walks away.

Dano stays there, still moaning, he doesn’t know what to do.

BACK TO:


EXT. GROVE - DANO’S FACE - NIGHT

Dano, still sharpening the sword, his mouth quivers.

FADE OUT.

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DAY

The sky is stark-white and a light drizzle is falling. An oxcart makes its way across the vast grasslands.

THE OXCART

Dano, wearing a knapsack, sits on a haystack beside Luga and opposite Laninia in the swaying wagon of the oxcart. They’re surrounded by wine amphoras. An old geezer is driving.

DANOSo, how do you know this fellow?

LANINIAI’ve worked for him!

Dano gets a little embarrassed. Laninia keeps smiling. She turns her head.

LANINIA (CONT’D)(pointing)

Look!

Dano looks ahead.

The Gaulish village of Carhaix starts to appear in the distance.

EXT. STREETS OF CARHAIX - LATER

Dano, Luga and Laninia walk the unpaved streets among the villagers. The ones who aren’t avoiding Dano are ogling Laninia.

Not all the dwellers are Gauls. Some armored Roman soldiers stroll among the crowd, keeping watch, like policemen.

DANOYou know where to find your friend, Laninia?

LANINIAHe should be celebrating at the village green.


EXT. VILLAGE GREEN - CONTINUOUS

The three of them enter the wide circular area. The festival of Samonios is in full swing: Bards play instruments; people sell things from blankets; a whole sheep spit-roasts on a fire...

Some roman soldiers watch the rituals with mild curiosity, others are completely bored.

Dano looks confused, Laninia spots something and nudges Dano.

LANINIA(pointing)

There! He should be there!

It’s a large group of people huddling together at the center of the green.

GROUP OF PEOPLE

Holding chalices, surrounding an immense ceramic amphora, the size of a small man. A man dressed in raw deer hide (the SEER) stands in front of it waving a ceremonial staff. Standing beside him is a stodgy man wearing a ceremonial helmet and holding a sword, he’s the Chieftain AREORIX.

SEERO gods of our earth, Esus, Lugus, Taranis and Teutates, we offer in sacrifice to thee the wine that we drink, so that you may heed our pleas and bless us with plentiful harvest for the year to come!

(to Areorix)Chieftain Areorix, if you please.

The chieftain raises his sword and swings it down, breaking the amphora’s neck with it. Wine spills everywhere. The crowd hoots and hollers. Everybody closes in to get their swig.

Dano, Luga and Laninia approach from the outside. Laninia stands on her toes, scanning the crowd.

LANINIA(calling out)

Caemanius!

Among the cluster of people, a burly redheaded man with a disheveled beard turns around, looking for the caller, smiling wide when he sees Laninia.


CAEMANIUSLani!

He slinks past the crowd and hugs her.

CAEMANIUS (CONT’D)It’s been so long! How are you?

LANINIAI’m great!

(to Dano)Here, Dano, this is Caemanius, he used to be my bodyguard, when I was starting out.

(To Caemanius)Caemanius, this is Danotalo, my friend!

CAEMANIUSDanotalo? I think I know you... Who are your parents?

DANO(shy)

Well... I don’t know who my father was, but my mother was Rufena Vert--

CAEMANIUSVertecissa! Of course! You’re Rufena’s kid! I remember you, you were but a little baby when I last saw you! I was a friend of Rufena! We were mercenaries together!

(re: his silence)Here, look...

Caemanius pulls his shirt sleeve to show a faded tattoo on his forearm: A triskellion inside a wheel. Lani takes a peek.

Dano goes wide-eyed.

CUT TO:

EXT. TRAINING YARD - DAY [FLASHBACK]

CLOSE ON RUFENA’S TATTOO as she and Bardo fight with the wooden swords.

BACK TO:


EXT. VILLAGE GREEN - AFTERNOON

CAEMANIUSYou look exactly like her, you know that? How have you been doing?

Dano shrugs.

LANINIA(clears throat)

Dano wants to take his dog to Tancoreix, the Druid.

CAEMANIUSOh, is that so? Why?

DANOShe’s... Sick...

CAEMANIUS(squinting at the sky)

Hmm... I’m afraid it’s already a little late, Tancoreix is probably not taking visitors anymore. Tell you what: Why don’t all of you spend the night at my house and then you see him in the morning?

(confiding sotto voce)I have two fat rabbits to roast I just bought from Matugenis, the Hunter.

(normal voice)Huh? What do you think? You look hungry.

With that, he gives a friendly but firm slap on Dano in the shoulder. Dano winces a bit, awkward.

LANINIAWe were actually going to ask you just that.

CAEMANIUSGreat! Let’s go, then, so you can settle in!

He leads them out of the green.


INT. CAEMANIUS’ HOUSE - NIGHT

Caemanius is across from Dano, Laninia and Luga around the fire pit at the center of the room, they all sit on the floor. Two rabbits, eaten almost to the bone, are skewered over the fire.

Luga is climbing onto Dano’s side, trying desperately to reach the piece of meat he has in his hand. Dano is laughing, trying to keep her away with his other arm.

DANOTALOStop it! You already ate your share!

He has to turn his back to her and hunch over the meat in order to eat it. Then he turns to her with his mouth full and shows his empty hands.

She licks her lips, disappointed but not yet ready to give up. He lets her lick his hands and, after swallowing the meat, gives her a kiss on the nose. Laninia can’t stop laughing.

CAEMANIUS(amused)

You seem to be really fond of that dog.

Dano stops smiling, gets embarrassed that he got so carried away, blushes.

Laninia strokes Dano’s hair.

LANINIAHe is... Aren’t you?

He shakes his head free. She giggles.

CAEMANIUSYou know, I thought the Romans had caught you when they raided our old village. I was lucky enough to flee before they took over.

(beat)Is Rufena...

DANOMy mother is dead.

CAEMANIUSOh...

(awkward pause)Is that her sword?


Dano nods.

CAEMANIUS (CONT’D)Can I have a look?

Dano thinks it over for some time, then reluctantly unsheathes the sword and hands it to him.

Caemanius takes it and stares at it with reverence and awe.

CAEMANIUS (CONT’D)No one ever thought your mother really could die, you know?

He turns it in his hand, looking at his reflection.

CAEMANIUS (CONT’D)I served with her in Greece, under Brennus. You know what the Greeks called her?

Dano shakes his head.

CAEMANIUS (CONT’D)(still enthralled)

The Gaulish fire...(beat)

Your mother was a real warrior, son. She was not shaped after humans... She was cast in the forges of the same gods that created fire and thunderstorms.

(beat)A truly formidable woman...

Luga seems to have fallen asleep. Laninia pets her.

Dano builds up courage to ask a question.

DANOHm... Is it... True that my mom fought a Dragon?

CAEMANIUS(smiling; gives sword back)

We fought a Dragon. But we lost.

DANOHow?

CAEMANIUSWell... That was before you were born, in Belgica.


(MORE)

We were hired by a chieftain to retrieve something the Dragon from Ten-Winds Peak had stolen from his kingdom. We and ten men. We thought we were prepared for it.

(shakes head)It was far too strong, much more than we could have imagined.The Dragon killed some our mates, maimed others... It bit Rufena’s leg clean off... But you know what’s funny? Rufena still managed to stick her sword in its jaw. In the end, the Dragon kept the treasure and many of our mates...

CUT TO:

EXT. DRAGON’S NEST - SUNSET [FLASHBACK]

The Dragon, standing silhouetted against a fiery red sky. It’s not shaped like a conventional dragon. It looks more like a giant frog. A sword is sticking out of its lower jaw.

CAEMANIUS (V.O.)But it also kept the sword.

CLOSE ON THE SWORD, as Blood runs from the Dragon’s jaw, through the blade and drips out of the pommel.

CAEMANIUS (V.O.)I like to think it’s still there.

BACK TO:

INT. CAEMANIUS’ HOUSE - NIGHT

CAEMANIUSShe forged another one, the one you have, but without a leg, she had to retire soon, and then you were born.

(beat)Hey, I remembered something!

Caemanius gets up, rummages around in one corner of the house, and comes back with something in his hand, which he hands to Dano. It’s a map.

CAEMANIUS (CONT’D)It’s the last thing she made.

(pointing)


CAEMANIUS (CONT'D)

(MORE)

It starts in your old village, to the east of here, see?

Dano is fascinated with it.

CAEMANIUS (CONT’D)You know what we were there to retrieve?

Caemanius looks from one to another, excited. Laninia’s face is blank, Dano is taken in by the map.

CAEMANIUS (CONT’D)The Cauldron of Sucellos...

THE MAP

At one end of the map, there’s a drawing of a cauldron, and the word SUCELLOS written in Roman script.

LANINIAFrom the four treasures?? The one that cures anything??

CAEMANIUSThat very same!

Caemanius starts putting out the fire with a blanket.

LANINIAI thought that was fairy-tale stuff!

CAEMANIUSHeheh... You know, it seemed to us that we were living in a fairy tale too.

DANO(snapping out of it)

What’s this cauldron? I’ve never heard of any four treasures!

CAEMANIUSThat story is for another night. If you want to see Tancoreix by the morning, we better go to sleep. Come on.

Caemanius gets up and heads to the ladder that leads to the attic. Dano folds back the map, tucks it in his boot, stirs Luga awake, gets up, and they all follow.


CAEMANIUS (CONT’D)

INT. CAEMANIUS’ HOUSE - ATTIC - LATER

They lie on the floor of the dark attic. Dano lies on his side with his back to Laninia, Caemanius lies farther away. Luga is nestled behind Dano’s legs. Dano’s wide awake.

CUT TO:

EXT. OLD VILLAGE STREETS - NIGHT [FLASHBACK]

A village much like Carhaix. Young Dano and Rufena emerge from a house. She wears her baldric over a loose smock.

They look toward a glow of torchlight rising from the roofs, tinging the place in deep orange. They look around. ROMAN SOLDIERS are killing the villagers and pillaging their houses, setting them on fire.

YOUNG DANO(scared)

What’s happening, mom?

RUFENAThe village is being invaded by the Romans, we have to get out of here.

YOUNG DANO(points toward glow)

But how?! The village gates are that way!

She ignores the question, unsheathes the sword, and starts to run in the opposite direction, dragging him by the arm.

EXT. OLD VILLAGE STREETS - FARTHER - NIGHT [FLASHBACK]

Rufena pulls Dano through the streets, hacking the Roman soldiers that show up on her way.

A corpse lies on their path, they both leap over it. Dano looks at it: It’s Bardo.

He SCREECHES in terror.

Rufena turns to look, startled. She sees Bardo. She pulls Dano closer to her and hugs him, hiding his face from the body.

RUFENADon’t look, don’t look. Let’s go, we have to go.


As they turn to go, two Roman soldiers with shields show up on the way. They lunge at her. She quickly appraises the situation, lets go of Dano, leaps in the air and thrusts the sword through one of the soldiers’ shields. She then kicks the other soldier’s shield away and stabs him in the heart.

Dano is awe-struck.

She rushes back toward where he is, grabs his arms and turns to keep running. He’s still shocked. He looks at Bardo, dead. He looks at his mom, alive and with a fierce look on her face. He looks at her sword: Drenched in blood.

EXT. OLD VILLAGE BACK WALL - NIGHT [FLASHBACK]

They arrive at the back wall of the village. Rufena starts brutally slashing away at the wooden poles that form the wall, working towards a square shape. When she’s finished, she kicks the square out with her peg-leg and passes through the hole.

BACK TO:

INT. CAEMANIUS’ HOUSE - ATTIC - NIGHT

Dano in the same position, chews on his shirtsleeve, breathes hard.

He gets startled when Laninia wraps her arm around him and moves closer, spooning him with her head against the back of his neck.

LANINIA(soothing)

Shhhh...

Dano relaxes, takes a couple of breaths, closes his eyes.

FADE IN:

INT. TANCOREIX’S HOUSE - DAY

Luga is lying on a wooden table, her back being kneaded by bony old fingers strewn with liver spots.

CUT TO:


EXT. VILLAGE GREEN - SAME

Laninia walks along a row of sellers, probing.

BACK TO:

INT. TANCOREIX’S HOUSE - SAME

The fingers kneading Luga belong to TANCOREIX, The High-Druid - Very old, long white hair, long white beard. He scours Luga’s fur while Dano watches and waits.

CUT TO:

EXT. VILLAGE GREEN - SAME

Laninia stops by an old woman sitting on a blanket on the ground, selling clothes and fabrics.

She looks at several capes lined on the blanket.

LANINIA(pointing)

How much for that cape?

BACK TO:

INT. TANCOREIX’S HOUSE - SAME

The old man scans Luga’s fur. He catches something on her skin and holds it between his thumb and forefinger.

TANCOREIXThere it is... Here, let me show you.

Dano gets close and sees a tiny tick squirming between the Druid’s nails.

TANCOREIX (CONT’D)Ticks. Poison the animal’s body and suck them dry.

(throws tick away)I guess she has about three weeks.

Dano’s heart sinks.

DANOWait, you mean...?


TANCOREIXI’m sorry, I can’t do anything about it, hmmm...

DANODanotalo

TANCOREIXDanotalo, yes.

(beat)If you want, I can sacrifice her to the god Nodens. I guarantee that it will secure you happiness and prosperity for the entirety of your life, and my fees are very amiable.

Dano looks anxious, he’s breathing heavily.

DANO(pleading)

You really can’t do anything?

The Druid shakes his head.

Dano nods.

He takes Luga down, biting his lip, drops his coins on the table and slowly makes his way out, head down like the world is on his shoulders, Luga by his side, confused.

EXT. TANCOREIX’S HOUSE - DAY

Laninia is nervously waiting outside, holding the cape she just bought, folded into a bunch. Dano shuffles out.

LANINIA(keeping up as he passes)

What??? What did he say???

Dano shrugs.

LANINIA (CONT’D)What does that mean?

He stops, shakes his head. Laninia gets it, she looks at him, saddened.

LANINIA (CONT’D)Oh, Dano...

She starts brushing his hair. Luga circles them both, trying to understand the situation.


LANINIA (CONT’D)Let’s go to the village, huh? You haven’t eaten anything all morning.

She pulls his arm gently, he doesn’t say anything, just follows, Luga bumping her nose against his limp hands.

EXT. VILLAGE GREEN - CONTINUOUS

The festival is still going on. Laninia walks Dano across the green, arms locked, like he’s ill. Maybe he is.

Luga smells something and trails off away from them. They doesn’t notice.

After a while, Dano looks down and doesn’t see Luga.

He turns and sees her in a distance, approaching a lone ROMAN SOLDIER idling in a corner. Dano starts going after her, worried sick. Laninia stays behind, confused.

LANINIAWhat? What is it?

The soldier notices her sniffing his foot and KICKS her. She lets out a sharp YELP.

Dano sees this and stops on his tracks, dismayed. His face contorts into pure rage. He starts marching toward the soldier, out of his mind.

LANINIA (CONT’D)Dano, no!

But he doesn’t listen.

DANO’S POV: THROBBING HEARTBEATS, The only thing IN FOCUS is the soldier. He notices Dano approaching, turns, and opens his mouth to say something. But all we hear are the pounding HEARTBEATS.

The soldier’s mouth is still moving when Dano delivers on it a haymaker so devastating that the Roman drops back stiff and straight like a falling tree.

Luga comes to Dano’s side.

Dano’s huffing from the adrenaline. After a beat, he realizes what he’s done.

He looks around.


There are several curious onlookers approaching but the other soldiers don’t appear to have noticed what happened yet. He’s panicked, it’s like he’s coming back to reality. The soldier is writhing on the ground.

Laninia comes to him briskly and whisks him away.

LANINIA (CONT’D)Let’s go, Dano, quick!

They leave the green, just as the other soldiers are getting up to speed.

EXT. STREETS OF CARHAIX

Dano, Laninia and Luga sprint at full blast, bumping against passersby.

Just as they turn a corner, four Roman soldiers appear on another corner, in pursuit.

ROMAN SOLDIER(to other soldier)

Terentius, go get the horses!

The other soldier complies, heading into another street.

CUT TO:

EXT. VILLAGE OUTSKIRTS - LATER

The village is far behind and getting smaller now, as Dano, Laninia and Luga double-time away from it across the surrounding plains.

In the distance, five Romans on horseback, including the punched soldier, ride toward them.

Dark clouds hover ominously ahead over the mountain range. THUNDER RUMBLES far away and flashes of lightning flicker where the clouds are darkest.

Just as they start to slow down, thinking they’re in the clear, they hear HOOVES CLOPPING behind them.

Dano is too tired to run, he just turns. Laninia tugs at his arm.

LANINIAWhat are you doing, Dano! Let’s go!


He shrugs her away and unsheathes his sword, holding his ground. Luga starts BARKING.

The romans see this and stop, still a bit far away.

The leader is THE DECURION, wearing fancier armor than the others. He turns to two of the soldiers.

DECURIONAlright. Fabricius, Terentius, go get them.

The two soldiers nod, point their spears forward and drive their horses toward Dano.

Dano just stands there and when the nearest soldier is close enough, he throws his sword at him with such force as to go through the horse’s neck and into the soldier’s chest. Laninia winces, blood sprays on them. The sword slides in there right up to the hilt.

Both the soldier and the horse fall dead. Dano is heaving and grinding his teeth with adrenaline and fury.

The other soldier approaches fast.

Dano turns his head, noticing him too late, but just when the spear is about to pierce him, Laninia tackles him out of the way.

As the soldier turns his horse, Dano scrambles towards the dead soldier to retrieve his sword. The soldier thrusts the spear toward him, but in one move Dano hoicks the sword from the body and parries the strike, blood leaving an arching trail in the air. Laninia, lying on her back behind the soldier, picks up a rock and throws it right at his horse’s balls. The creature neighs and bucks, throwing the Roman down with a heavy thud, and then it runs away.

Dano walks towards the soldier, who’s had the wind knocked out of him and is squirming. The other Romans are galloping closer. Dano points the sword to the soldier’s neck and turns to the others.

DANOGO BACK OR I’LL KILL HIM!

The soldiers keep approaching at the same pace, then they start slowing down, hesitant.

DANO (CONT’D)BACK! BACK TO THE CITY!


The soldiers stand still for a while. They confer among each other then, reluctantly, the Decurion yells.

DECURIONDON’T THINK YOU WON’T PAY, GAUL!

They then turn and leave for the city. Dano watches them go. When they’re out of sight, he kneels down and starts rummaging through the soldier’s satchel.

DANO(still rummaging; looks up)

Laninia, you have to go! Go to Lutetia, you can’t go back to the camp!

Laninia thinks on what he said. He fishes out two purses, he looks inside them and sees it’s smoked meat and dried fruits. He puts them in his knapsack.

LANINI(worried)

What do you mean I have to go? Where are you going?

DANO(beat; gets up)

I’m going to Ten-Winds Peak.

Laninia frowns, mystified.

DANO (CONT’D)I’ll kill the Dragon and get the cauldron... I’ll save Luga.

LANINIAWhat? Dano, stop being crazy! You can’t, you c- You could barely take care of those Roman soldiers, you have no chance against a Dragon!

Dano looks down, embarrassed.

LANINIA (CONT’D)C’mon, Dano, let’s go! We don’t have much time!

She pulls him but he pries her hand away. Luga circles around them both, anxious.

LANINIA (CONT’D)Dano, you don’t even know if she’s really going to die!


(MORE)

How can you know that? Maybe Tancoreix is wrong!

DANO(shaking head)

... I won’t take the chance... He says she has three weeks... That’s the time it takes to get to Ten-Winds Peek...

LANINIADano, it’s got to be at least a month!

DANOI’ll... I’ll walk faster!

LANINIA(angry)

Dano, stop. STOP. Stop with this silliness. Let’s go.

Dano just looks at her.

LANINIA (CONT’D)(welling up)

Don’t do this to me, Dano... You will die... I want to be with you, Dano... Please, don’t... Don’t do this...

DANO(closes eyes; shakes head; grits teeth)

I’m the reason my mother died... I can’t let anyone I love die again...

He opens his eyes, looks at her, silently mouths “sorry”, turns and goes away. Luga stays with Laninia for a while, WHINING, then she follows Dano, looking back at Laninia.

Laninia wipes her tears away as she watches him go. The soldier MOANS.

She looks down at her arms: She’s still clutching the cape she bought for Dano. She’s frustrated that she forgot to give it to him.

LANINIATsc...

She walks away.


LANINIA (CONT’D)

EXT. HILLS - LATER

Dano walks across a hill with Luga, crying a lot. Luga looks at him and WHINES again. They approach a forest. He looks at it, suddenly frightened.

He kneels down, takes the map out of his boot. He examines it: Its instructions are to go through the forest. He gets anxious.

CUT TO:

EXT. OLD VILLAGE BACK WALL - OTHER SIDE - NIGHT [FLASHBACK]

Rufena gets out of the hole she just made on the wall, she then helps Dano out. They run away from the village, approaching a stretch of woods.

YOUNG DANOMom! We can’t go there! That’s the forest of the Dragon’s Brood! The Dragon Children live there!

RUFENAThose are just stories, son! Come on, don’t stall!

YOUNG DANOMom! No!

He tries to break free of her grip but she keeps pulling him.

RUFENADano! Stop! We don’t have time!

Dano looks at the forest, daunted: It’s menacing. Eerie.

BACK TO:

EXT. HILLS - DAY

Dano gulps, collects himself, and marches toward the forest with Luga.

EXT. FOREST - CONTINUOUS

Dano, wary, and Luga, walk through the sparse forest, Autumn painting the leaves in various shades of amber. Dano is on edge, gets startled at every noise.


He stops, closes his eyes, drags a couple of breaths.

CUT TO:

EXT. WOODS - NIGHT [FLASHBACK]

Rufena and Young Dano run through the sinister woods. STRANGE SOUNDS emanate from among the trees. They don’t faze Rufena, but Young Dano is freaking out. The glow from the village fire is waning, along with the visibility.

Dano starts tripping and heaving with exhaustion, he can’t keep up, he stops. Rufena skids to a halt, kneels before him. Dano starts bawling.

RUFENADano, dear, we can’t stop, this is no time for crying. Come on. Remember what I told you? About the fire? You’re dousing the fire, Dano.

Dano pays no heed.

RUFENA (CONT’D)(gives her back to him)

Alright, here, climb up, I’ll take you.

Dano climbs on her back, she starts running again, carrying him piggyback. The weight and the peg-leg make this a difficult task for Rufena, but she keeps going, sweat dropping from her chin.

Suddenly, she steps in something. A false floor trap. The ground swallows both of them.

BACK TO:

EXT. FOREST - DAY

Dano opens his eyes, recomposes, starts walking again, Lugafollows.

EXT. RIVER - DAY

Dano and Luga come out of the forest. Dano goes wide-eyed:

They are facing a wide, turbulent river. The current is very heavy.


There are exposed rocks over the surface but they are jagged and too far apart from each other to use as stepping stones.

Dano sizes up the river.

He looks left.

He looks right.

There’s no bridges or other viable means to traverse on foot. The river seems to keep roughly the same width and depth for the visible distance.

Danotalo chews his shirtsleeve, anxious.

He thinks for a moment, chewing the sleeve. He turns and starts walking along the riverbank. Luga follows.

FARTHER AWAY - TWILIGHT

Dano is still walking and the river hasn’t gotten any friendlier. Night starts to fall. He looks to the sky, trying to think of what to do. He sighs, lays his knapsack down, takes the sheet of canvas he uses as “roof” out, and starts setting up camp.

CUT TO:

EXT. ROMAN CAMPSITE #2 - NIGHT

This one is bigger, more organized than the other, and the soldiers seem stronger and more disciplined.

The Decurion heads towards the biggest tent.

INT. ROMAN TENT - CONTINUOUS

He enters. His superior, the CENTURION, balding, past his prime but still looking buff, is standing behind a table. He motions the Decurion to sit down on a chair.

CENTURION Explain to me what happened.

DECURIONWe lost a man and two horses.

CENTURION How?

The Decurion averts his gaze.


DECURIONA Gaulish criminal we were pursuing killed them.

CENTURION What did this Gaul do?

DECURIONAssaulted one of our foot soldiers.

CENTURION Was he caught?

DECURIONNo, he escaped.

The Centurion sits down, thinks for a second.

He sighs.

CENTURION You’re a valuable officer of the Roman army, Decurion Junius. I won’t pretend you aren’t. But this doesn’t look good.

The Decurion stays silent.

CENTURION (CONT’D)(pensive)

It doesn’t look good at all.

DECURION(beat)

No. It doesn’t.

CENTURION Shut up, please.

The Decurion shuts it.

CENTURION (CONT’D)You are to find this Gaul and bring him back to me, alive. You will have a detachment of twelve men of your choosing.

The Decurion is relieved, can’t believe the break he’s got.

CENTURION (CONT’D)I wasn’t supposed to do this, but I don’t want to send you to military court, because we’re already dwindling in numbers as it is.


The Decurion looks a little less scared.

CENTURION (CONT’D)If you aren’t able to catch this criminal, you and I will suffer dire consequences

(beat)So keep our deal as secretive as possible.

The Decurion gets up, stands at attention.

DECURIONYes, sir!

CENTURION I’m placing a lot of faith in you. Don’t disappoint me.

DECURIONYes, sir!

CENTURION You have any idea where he’s going?

DECURIONAccording to Tancoreix, the Druid, he said he will be headed toward Ten-Winds Peak.

CENTURION(scoffs)

Why would he go there?

DECURION(beat)

He thinks he can defeat the Dragon.

CENTURION Alone?

DECURIONYes-

(hesitates)Well, he has a dog.

The Centurion laughs out loud.

CENTURION I think I like this boy. In different circumstances, I would invite him to join the army. Bravery is a dying quality these days.


(MORE)

(beat)It’s a shame it won’t happen.

(beat; serious)Because you will catch him, won’t you?

DECURIONYes sir!

CENTURION #2Good. You’re dismissed, Decurion junius... Hail Caesar.

DECURION(salutes)

Hail Caesar!

The Decurion leaves.

The Centurion watches him go, unsure if he’s made the right call.

BACK TO:

EXT. RIVER - NIGHT

Dano is lying down on the ground, close to the bank, using his cape as a blanket and his knapsack as a pillow. He looks at the river. Luga lies down next to him. He closes his eyes.

CUT TO:

DARKNESS [DREAM]

Laninia stands in a dark void. Dano stands a few yards from her, Luga at his side.

LANINIADano, come stay with me. Let’s be happy.

Dano starts walking, but he doesn’t get any nearer to her.

DANO(still walking)

I can’t... I have to save Luga. I have to save Luga. I can’t let her die... I’m responsible... I’m

He stops walking. He looks to his side. Luga isn’t there. He looks back: Luga seems to be a mile behind him. He runs toward her.


CENTURION (CONT'D)

DANO (CONT’D)LUGA!!! NOOOO!!!

(muttering to himself)What did I do? What did I do???

She is swallowed by the darkness.

BACK TO:

EXT. RIVER - NIGHT

Dano opens his eyes, on the same position he was before. He sits up, looks at Luga, strokes her a couple of times. She changes position, lying on her side. He’s reassured by this. He rubs his eyes and lies down again.

EXT. RIVER - MORNING

Dano and Luga walk along the bank, the morning sun hides behind the cloudy sky. Eventually they reach a stretch where the forest eats into the embankment and makes further passage impossible for them. He gets confused, anxious. He looks back. He tries to look beyond the trees. He starts chewing on his shirtsleeve, increasingly fidgety from uneasiness with the situation.

He kneels down and brushes Luga’s fur apart: The warts and sores have gotten bigger and multiplied. He gets up. Thinks for a moment. Makes a decision.

He takes off the knapsack and removes all of the items: Purses, a small blanket, a knife, a flint, a length of rope with a grappling hook.

He examines the purses: They contain the dried food. He puts them back in the knapsack, leaves the other stuff out.

He takes the grappling hook, stands up, twirls it a couple of times and throws it across the river with all his might.

It fails to make it to the other margin, falling into the water instead.

Dano pulls the rope back fast before it catches onto something.

When it’s out, he coils it back and weighs it. It’s heavier now, with the water.

He inches closer to the river, very carefully.


He puts one foot on a stone right beside the river. The tip of his shoe touches the water.

He starts twirling the rope again.

And just as he’s about to throw, he slips, sprawling to the ground, hitting the stone with his inner thigh. He YELLS in pain.

Luga goes around him, scared, sniffing, while he rubs his thigh.

Slowly, he starts to rise again.

He steps on another stone, checks to see if it will hold.

His eyes are determined, focused.

He GRUNTS as he throws the rope.

It arches over the river and drops on the other side.

The hook catches onto a tree root.

Dano tests the rope. It seems secure.

He hauls his end to the nearest tree and ties it around the trunk.

He then stuffs Luga in the knapsack and slings it on his back.

He wades in the water, holding onto the rope.

THE RIVER

The stream is pulling him strong, he has to have a firm grasp on the rope to hold himself.

Inch by inch, he moves across the river, pulling himself toward the other margin.

Luga looks desperate, she tries to hide herself as best as she can inside the knapsack.

When he’s halfway through, his hands start to bleed. He grits his teeth and keeps pulling.

He finally reaches one of the exposed rocks and holds on to it with one arm to catch his breath, but doesn’t seem very comfortable.


UNDERWATER

One of the rock’s jags makes a tiny rip on his baldric.

BACK TO SCENE

He lets go of the rock and keeps pulling.

His arms stretch as he’s pulled by a stronger current, he stops and waits for it to pass before moving on again.

He finally reaches the other side.

He has to make a lot of effort to climb up.

When he’s in dry land, he lies face down on the ground, gasping for breath, trying to rest a little.

Luga comes out of the knapsack and starts licking his face.

He sits up in pain. His inner thigh still hurts. He rubs it a bit.

He puts on the backpack again, stands up and moves on, limping, with Luga by his side.

CUT TO:

EXT. CLEARING - NIGHT

Dano is sitting by a fire, pants pulled down, examining his thigh. It’s pretty bruised. Luga tries to sniff the bruise, he keeps her away.

Dano pulls his pants back on.

He reaches into the knapsack and comes out with one of the purses. He probes the content: Smoked meat, but not that much.

He looks at Luga, who’s sitting down, waiting for her meal. He smiles, gives her a strip of meat. She munches it down in one bite.

He puts the purse away, closes the knapsack, lies down and goes to sleep. Luga cuddles next to him and starts sleeping too.

FADE OUT.


EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DAY

Thirteen Roman soldiers, the Decurion among them, run their horses across the plains.

EXT. FOREST - CONTINUOUS

The romans ride their horses at a gallop along a sparse forest, the same one that led Dano to the river.

EXT. RIVER - CONTINUOUS

The romans reach the river Dano crossed, but they’re at a different stretch. The bank here is wider, The Decurion looks to his right.

He sees something farther down the stream. He squints his eyes. It’s Dano’s rope, still extended over the river.

He turns to his soldiers

DECURIONHe must have used that rope to cross. Let’s hurry, there’s a bridge not far from here.

They turn their horses and drive them along the bank.

EXT. CLEARING - DAY

Dano wakes up.

He looks at Luga. She looks back at him, wagging her tail.

He stands, takes a sip from his canteen, gives some to Lugain her bowl.

His stomach RUMBLES.

He takes one of the purses from the knapsack and looks at it. It’s the dried fruits, but they’re tapering. He sticks his finger in there and takes it out again, deciding to save the food.

Luga is sitting, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

Dano smiles, drops two fruits for her, closes the purse and puts it back in the knapsack.

After Luga is done eating, they walk on into the forest.


EXT. FOREST - DAY

Dano is sitting on the ground, filing down a branch into an improvised spear with his sword. Luga watches.

EXT. FOREST - FARTHER - DAY

A bird perches on a tree branch.

Dano stares at it intently, hidden behind a bush.

The improvised spear is in his hand, ready for the throw.

Luga is lying low beside him.

Dano waits.

Waits...

The bird flies away.

Dano lays the spear down, frustrated.

EXT. CLEARING - DAY

Dano scavenges the surrounding bushes for berries, Lugawatches. He pulls them apart, plucks leaves out and finds nothing.

He thinks.

He dives into a bush.

THE BUSH

He slithers inside the bush, getting all scratched in the process. He looks ahead and sees a single berry, sprouting from a branch.

He painfully drags himself towards the berry and picks it off.

BACK TO SCENE

Dano gets out of the bush, all covered in spikes and twigs. His cape still caught on the branches.


EXT. FOREST - NIGHT

Dano and Luga sit by a fire. Dano scratches himself (the spikes made him itchy) and examines the meat purse: It doesn’t have all that much meat left.

He takes half of the meat out, wraps it in a piece of cloth and stuffs it inside his boot.

He then looks at the rest of the meat.

And the berry he picked earlier in his hand.

Luga approaches and sits beside him, waiting for her meal. He gives her a strip of smoked meat and eats the berry.

Luga swallows the meat, and looks at Dano, wanting more. Dano shakes his head. Luga paws at him.

DANOI can’t give you more now, Luga... I’m so sorry... We have to save, ok?

Luga keeps staring, then gives up and lies down to rest.

Dano stays seated, looking at the fire. After a while, he shuts his eyes.

CUT TO:

EXT. GROVE - NIGHT [DREAM]

Dano stands in the Grove where he talked to Laninia, but, like in the previous dream, it’s isolated in a vacuum.

A woman sits, legs spread, in front of Dano, eating a big, juicy apple. The only thing covering her genitals is a white, silky fabric lightly draped around her. This woman looks very much like Laninia, but her body is a little more curvy, her lips a bit fuller, her eyes more feline. She’s DREAM LANINIA #1.

DREAM LANINIA #1Are you hungry, Dano?

Dano gulps.

DREAM LANINIA #1 (CONT’D)Do you want to eat?

Dano nods.


DREAM LANINIA #1 (CONT’D)Do you want to eat... Me?

She starts uncovering her pubic area.

Dano is paralyzed.

He looks to his side. Luga is sitting a couple feet away from him, blood cascading from her eyes and her mouth. She doesn’t move.

She just WHIMPERS softly.

BACK TO:

EXT. FOREST - NIGHT

Dano opens his eyes. He is in the same position, but sweating a lot. The fire has reduced to just embers.

He looks to his side. Luga sleeps peacefully on the ground. He starts chewing his shirtsleeve.

EXT. GRASSLANDS - DAY

Dano, kneeling down in the high grass, again with his makeshift spear, still scratching himself, watching intently

A BIG, FAT WILD BOAR

Munching on grass some fifteen yards away, totally oblivious to Dano and his dog - The wind is on their favor.

Dano aims his throw carefully.

He grasps the spear firmly.

He feels the wind.

Closes his eyes.

Takes a couple of deep breaths.

Open his eyes again, gets up and THROWS.

The spear makes a slanted arc as it flies toward the creature, who notices it too late.

The boar tries to make a run for it but the spear hits him right in the hip.

Dano is elated.


He grabs Luga and hoists her up in the air to commemorate.

DANOYes!!! We did it!!!

Luga and Dano run toward the catch.

Luga springs ahead, but, suddenly, she comes to a full stop. Dano doesn’t understand.

She turns to him and WHIMPERS.

He’s confused.

DANO (CONT’D)What’s the matter?

She starts to bark in the direction of the boar.

That’s when a VULTURE lands right on top of it, and starts to dig in.

Then another vulture.

And another.

And another.

They’re having a wonderful boar dinner and Dano is raging.

DANOTALOOh no... No no no no no no no...

(flailing his arms)GO AWAY!

He keeps waving his arms, trying to shoo away the birds. Lugabites his pants leg and tries to prevent him from going after them.

Dano turns to her.

DANOTALO (CONT’D)LET ME GO, LUGA! I’M HUNGRY AND I’M GOING TO EAT THAT BOAR NO MATTER WHAT!

She shies away.

Then he unsheathes his sword and runs toward the boar. When he gets close, all the four vultures notice his approach and LEAP onto him.

Luga is a couple of feet back, barking and spinning around like crazy.


Dano slashes one of the vultures in half, but the others are still able to get to him and start to peck and scratch him. Dano hunches over to protect his head, and in the chaos ends up dropping his sword.

The vultures are able to lay Dano face-down on the ground. He’s still trying to protect his head with his arms, but they are too many and they peck him on the head many times.

After a while, Dano’s arms go limp. The vultures realize he’s defeated and go back to the boar.

Dano lies unconscious. He’s a bloody mess of scratches and his clothes are even more torn than before.

Luga keeps BARKING.

PULL BACK as she starts to whimper, sniff him and try to awake him with her paws.

FADE TO BLACK.

INT. COTTAGE - LATE AFTERNOON

Dano opens his eyes to the sound of sheep bleating.

He looks around. He’s lying down shirtless on a wooden cot inside a small, cluttered cottage, his head and arms and chest are wrapped with bands of threadbare cloth that hold some sort of herbal paste to his wounds.

Luga is sleeping nearby, her skin looking worse than it did before.

He sits up on the bed, still feeling pain.

Luga lifts her head up, seeing he’s awake, and goes up to him, wagging her tail.

Suddenly, he realizes something, and looks around, searching for

HIS SWORD

Leaning against the wall, together with his other belongings. He’s relieved.

Just then, someone shows up at the entrance. Dano looks up, shields his eyes from the backlight to see it is a plump, ragged old man. This is COBNERTUS.


COBNERTUSI heard you moaning in your sleep. Are you all right?

Dano jumps from the cot toward his sword, picks it up, unsheathes it and points it toward the man.

Cobnertus doesn’t flinch. He seems cranky.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)Tsc... You’re going to rip the bandages I made!

(beat)I took all night wrapping you up. You should be more grateful.

DANO(shaking)

All night??? Why am I here? What happened?

COBNERTUSPut that thing down and we’ll talk.

Dano doesn’t move.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)You don’t scare me, little man, now PUT THAT THING DOWN!

Dano is startled by the sudden outburst. He obeys and lowers his sword.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)Good.

(beat)Your dog led me to you.

DANOLuga?

COBNERTUSI don’t know. Your dog.

Dano looks at Luga, she doesn’t understand what’s going on.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)Yes. I was on my way home from the village when I saw her running toward me, looking desperate. She kept pestering me, so I followed her. She took me to you and I brought you here and patched you up.


(MORE)

You’re lucky I was riding my cart, otherwise I would have never been able to bring you here.

DANO(beat)

... Thank you.

COBNERTUSNo problem. Now get some rest, your wounds haven’t healed properly yet...

DANOI don’t have time.

COBNERTUSYou look like you haven’t eaten for a week and you’ve just been mauled half to death by some wild beast. Whatever you’re in a hurry for, you won’t make it in the condition you’re in. Get some rest. I’ll cook us some dinner later and you can go in the morning.

DANO(beat)

Alright.

Cobnertus nods.

COBNERTUSAlright

And goes away.

Dano stays with his back against the wall.

EXT. COTTAGE - NIGHT

Cobnertus is sitting on a log just outside his house, watching a broth simmer in a cauldron suspended over a fire. There’s nothing around but hills and trees. His sheep are sleeping.

Dano comes of the house with Luga. He rubs his eyes, yawns, sees Cobnertus and walks toward him.

He sits on a log opposite Cobnertus. Luga sniffs the air as the soup’s aroma wafts toward her.


COBNERTUS (CONT’D)

COBNERTUSYou’re in good time. The soup is almost done.

Cobnertus stirs the soup with a ladle and tastes it.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)Yes... That’s it.

He reaches behind the log and comes out with a bundle wrapped in cloth and hands it to Dano.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)This is for your dog.

Dano lays it on the ground next to Luga, who immediately starts sniffing it and trying to bite it open. Dano unties the knot and it unravels, revealing diced raw food inside. Luga digs in.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)And this is for you.

He gives Dano a bowl with the stew. Dano starts drinking it.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)Wait, here.

Cobnertus gives him a spoon.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)Eat like a damn human.

Dano eats with the spoon.

Cobnertus uses the ladle to fill his bowl and starts eating too.

They eat in silence.

Thunder RUMBLES AND CRACKLES overhead. Dano looks up.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)Taranis is angry.

DANOHm-hm...

COBNERTUSNot angry enough to send us some rain, though. Just keeps taunting like that.


Dano swallows food. Is a little diffident but decides to participate in the conversation.

DANOIt’s been like this for days.

Cobnertus looks at him.

COBNERTUSYes.

They keep eating. Dano’s still wary of Cobnertus. He watches Cobnertus eating.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)So... I don’t know your name.

DANODanotalo Rufeno.

COBNERTUSDanotalo. I’m Cobnertus. What are you doing around here, Danotalo?

DANO(beat)

I’m going to Ten-Winds Peak.

COBNERTUSYeah? What the hell do you want there?

DANOI’m going to kill the Dragon.

Cobnertus starts laughing, coughing his soup. Wipes his mouth.

COBNERTUSI don’t know how you plan to do that! You didn’t do very well against whatever ripped you apart there in the field.

Dano gets embarrassed.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)What do you want to kill a dragon for anyway?

DANOIt’s the only way -

Dano stops.


COBNERTUSThe only way to what?

DANO(reluctant)

The only way to save my dog. She’s dying.

COBNERTUSHow is killing a dragon going to save your dog?

DANOBecause the Dragon has the Cauldron of Sucellos, which can cure anything.

COBNERTUSYou believe that, huh?

Dano hesitates.

DANOI have to.

COBNERTUSWhy?

DANOBecause she’s the only friend I have. And she saved me once.

COBNERTUSSaved you from what?

Dano doesn’t say anything.

Cobnertus examines him.

After a while, he breaks the silence.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)Get yourself a woman, Danotalo. You’ll forget about that stupid dog in a second.

Dano goes wide-eyed.

CUT TO:


LANINIA’S FACE [FLASHBACK]

Smiling at us.

BACK TO:


Dano averts his gaze.

DANO(mumbling)

I already have a woman.

COBNERTUSYeah? Why aren’t you with her, then?

DANO(angry)

None of your damn business!

Cobnertus smiles.

COBNERTUSYou know... I don’t think you have a woman, Danotalo.

Dano springs up suddenly, throwing the bowl away, nostrils flaring. Luga is startled.

Dano stomps toward the cottage, Luga goes after him, Cobnertus watches him go.

INT. COTTAGE - CONTINUOUS

Dano is raging as he packs his bag. He slings on his baldric with the sword over his shirtless torso.

Cobnertus shows up at the door.

He watches Dano realize he missed the order, take off the baldric, put his shirt on, then put on the Baldric again.

COBNERTUSStop doing that.

Dano ignores him.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)STOP DOING THAT, DAMN YOU!


DANO(turning)

SHUT UP! YOU DON’T OWN ME! YOU DON’T BOSS ME AROUND!

Cobnertus gets scared.

Dano stares at him, defiant, huffing.

COBNERTUSJust sit down, please?

Dano hesitates for a second, sits down on the cot.

Cobnertus sits down next to him.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)(sighs)

I’m sorry...(beat)

You know... I don’t have anyone either...

Dano looks at him.

Cobnertus stares at nothing.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)(sighs)

I used to live in a village nearby, but the Romans came and destroyed it entirely. I was so afraid when they showed up I... I...

(grits teeth)I just took off running and left my family behind.

(beat)I don’t like to think... To think what happened to them... I was such a coward.

(beat)Such a damned coward...

Dano is calmer now, listening.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)I want to think I died there, with my family, like I should have. But every morning I wake up, and see that I’m alive....

(shakes head)It’s not easy, Danotalo. It’s not easy at all.


Cobnertus shakes his head for a while, remembering everything.

He then gets up and goes to the door.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)Have some sleep, Danotalo. If you’re going to kill a Dragon, you need to be well-rested.

Dano nods.

Cobnertus leaves.

EXT. COTTAGE - CONTINUOUS

Cobnertus strolls across the yard, looks up at the muddied, starless sky.

He closes his eyes.

CUT TO:

EXT. COTTAGE - DAWN

Dano is putting his backpack on while Cobnertus watches from the door frame. Luga is sniffing the hooves of one of the sheep. There’s still smoke from the fire of yesterday.

After he’s done, Dano turns to look at Cobnertus.

Cobnertus approaches him.

COBNERTUSI’ve got something for you.

He gives Dano a parcel of folded leaves.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)It’s what I used on your wounds. A Druid taught me how to make it a long time ago. If ever you get hurt again, you just smear this on the spot and wrap it with a band of cloth.

Dano nods.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)Good luck, Danotalo Rufeno.


DANOYou too, Cobnertus.

And leaves.

Cobnertus watches him walk away.

EXT. PLAINS - DAY

The thirteen roman soldiers stand around the decurion, who reads a big map spread on the ground. The horses are resting nearby.

CLOSE ON THE MAP, showing the region.

DECURIONHm... There’s two paths he could have taken here...

A soldier spots something in the distance.

SOLDIERDecurion, look!

The Decurion turns to see.

There’s smoke rising from the tree tops of a forest ahead.

The Decurion gets up.

DECURIONWe know where we’re going, then.

EXT. HIGH GRASS MEADOW - SUNSET

Dano walks holding a big twig. He’s teasing Luga with it. Luga is jumping at it.

DANOYou want the twig? Huh? Is that what you want? You want the twig?

Luga keeps jumping, Dano keeps it out of her reach.

He throws the twig.

DANO (CONT’D)Go get it!

Luga sprints after it. She catches it in her mouth and brings it back to Dano.


DANO (CONT’D)Good girl! Good girl!

He throws it again.

She goes after it, catches it, and brings it back again.

DANO (CONT’D)Good girl! Now come and get it! Come and get it!

He takes off running with the twig. Luga runs after him, jumping at his hand.

Then, he trips on something and falls flat on the ground. The twig keeps the momentum and is thrown forward. Luga goes after it and brings it back to Dano.

Dano is writhing on the ground, in pain. He sits up, holding his foot.

Luga drops the twig and goes to sniff Dano’s toe.

We see that Dano’s stubbed his toe. It’s poking out of the shoe, bloody and purple. Luga tries to lick it but Dano keeps her away.

DANO (CONT’D)No Luga, stop!

He hisses and squeezes the toe, trying to make it stop hurting.

He then takes off his knapsack, rummages in there and takes out the leafy parcel. Luga keeps sniffing his toe, trying to lick it.

He opens the parcel. There’s a green paste inside it.

He takes some of it with his fingers, pushes Luga away and slathers it on his toe.

He then turns, grabs his cape and rips a strip of cloth from it.

He wraps the cloth around his toe, wincing as he does. Lugais whimpering.

He gets up, tests his foot, and keeps walking on, limping a little bit.

Luga grabs the twig again and takes it with her.


They head toward an enormous cliff peeking from under the hills in the distance.

EXT. COTTAGE - SUNSET

Cobnertus is washing some clothes in a bin. He hears something. He turns to look and sees

COBNERTUS’ POV

The thirteen soldiers approaching.

BACK TO SCENE

Cobnertus keeps washing his clothes, but looking a little worried.

EXT. COTTAGE - LATER

The soldiers arrive near Cobnertus. The Decurion gets down from his horse and approaches him.

DECURIONFarmer, have you seen a blonde Gaulish kid with a dog in the vicinities?

Cobnertus gets scared, freezes.

He stays silent.

DECURION (CONT’D)Well... Have you?

COBNERTUS’ FACE

Sweating, frightened.

DECURION (O.S.) (CONT’D)Are you going to answer me or not?!

BACK TO SCENE

The Decurion, arms akimbo, looks angry.

DECURION (CONT’D)Am I going to have to arrest you? Huh? Is that it?


Cobnertus gulps.

COBNERTUSNo... I haven’t seen any kid.

The Decurion is suspicious of the answer. He stares hard at Cobnertus.

DECURIONYou know, I think you have...

COBNERTUSI haven’t!

The Decurion has his gaze fixed on Cobnertus. Cobnertusdoesn’t budge.

The Decurion turns to the soldiers.

DECURIONAlright, men, get the ropes.

As four of the soldiers go toward their horses, Cobnertussprings up, tripping on the bin.

COBNERTUSWhat? Ropes? What are you going to use ropes for?

DECURIONYou’ll see soon enough.

The soldiers come back, leading their horses by the harness, each holding a spool of rope.


Cobnertus is sprawled on the ground, arms and hands spread, shirtless, bloody. He’s gritting his teeth and drooling, appearing to be in great pain.

PAN UP to see his hands and feet are tied with ropes, and the ropes are attached to four horses. Standing over him is the Decurion, holding a glowing branding iron in his hand. The other soldiers are scattered around.

The sheep are agitated.

DECURIONI’m going to ask again, farmer. Where has the kid gone.

Cobnertus doesn’t say anything.


DECURION (CONT’D)(to horsemen)

Pull...

All four of the horsemen start their horses forward. The horses trot slowly, pulling the ropes out of the ground.

Soon, Cobnertus is also out of the ground, being stretched. He SCREAMS.

DECURION (CONT’D)Stop.

The horsemen stop, drive their horses back. Cobnertus falls to the ground again.

COBNERTUST-t-t-t-t-the k-k-k-kid....

The Decurion gets closer to hear better.

COBNERTUS (CONT’D)H-h-h-h-h-he...

DECURIONSay it at once, stop wasting my time!

COBNERTUSH-h-h-h-h-he...

(beat)He k-k-kills dragons... Ha ha ha... You pigs don’t have a c-c-c-chan... C-ch-chan...

(furious; spraying saliva)CHANCE!

He opens his eyes wide, furrows his brow and stares boldly at the Decurion.

COBNERTU’S POV of he Decurion, towering over him, making a despising face. He lifts the branding Iron and slowly plunges it toward Cobnertus.

BACK TO SCENE

The Decurion is aiming for Cobnertus’ mouth.

Cobnertus SCREAMS...


EXT. DEEP VALLEY - DANO’S FACE - DAY

Dano has his eyes closed.

He opens them.

PULL OUT to reveal him and Luga standing side by side in a deep valley. Dano is looking up at

AN ENORMOUS CLIFF

Towering over him a couple dozen yards ahead. The cliff doesn’t seem to end: A cloud hovers over it, veiling the top.

Dano looks at it, overwhelmed.

He takes the map out of his belt, unfolds it, and has a look.

The instructions are to go around the cliff.

He looks down, at Luga.

Her skin is worse still. She scratches herself with her hind legs.

He looks again at the cliff.

He limps toward it.

EXT. VALLEY - SAME

The romans arrive at the same spot where Dano stubbed his toe. The Decurion looks ahead.

The cliff, rising from the earth.

He turns to the soldiers.

DECURIONLet’s skirt around the cliff! By this time, he might be at the other side already!

The soldiers nod.

The Decurion turns his horse and drives it at an angle.

The soldiers follow.


EXT. FOOT OF THE CLIFF - LATER

Dano is close to the rocky wall, looking up at the never-ending cliff, rising almost vertically toward the sky.

The wall is composed of rocks, with plenty of crevices in between.

He sits down, tears another strip of cloth from his cape and wraps it around his already wrapped foot. He punches it to see if it holds. He winces a bit, but not much.

He grabs Luga, stuffs her inside the knapsack again, slings it on, gets up and gets a foothold on the wall.

He lifts himself up and starts climbing.

CUT TO:

EXT. PLAINS - SAME

The Romans are skirting the valley, riding their horses at full gallop.

BACK TO:

EXT. CLIFF’S WALL - CLIMBING MONTAGE - SAME

Dano climbs. Luga ducks her head low in the knapsack, scared out of her wits.

Dano struggles to keep balance against the heavy wind.

Dano winces After hitting his hurt toe too hard against the wall.

Dano grabs some loose rocks and watches them skitter along the cliff to the ground.

Dano’s hands bleed. The wrapping around Dano’s toe is soaking with blood.

Hawks fly around Dano.

LATER

Dano is roughly three-quarters of the way up.

He hears a RIPPING sound.


He looks down to see what it was: His Baldric, scrubbing against a sharp rock, is torn.

The old rip is across from the new one.

Dano swallows dry and keeps pushing up.

Then, ANOTHER RIPPING sound.

He closes his eyes. The baldric is giving in to the weight.

He pulls himself up again.

EXT. CLIFF’S SUMMIT - SAME

The Roman soldiers are riding their horses along the edge of the Summit.

One of the soldiers notices something ahead. He stops.

SOLDIERHey! What’s that over there?

They all stop.

DECURIONWhat?

SOLDIER(pointing)

There!

The Decurion looks to where he’s pointing.

DECURION’S POV

In the distance, where the cliff’s edge makes a curve, he can see Dano climbing the wall.

BACK TO SCENE

DECURION(squinting)

That’s too absurd...(to soldiers)

All right, men! Let’s go!

They start their horses forward.


EXT. CLIFF’S WALL - DAY

Dano keeps climbing, but for every move upwards, the baldric tears apart a little more.

He looks up and to the side and sees dust rising from the edge of the cliff.

He furrows his brow.

He looks down: The rip is almost through.

He closes his eyes, resigned.

He makes another move upward.

The baldric goes down, along with the sword.

It bumps against the wall a couple times before disappearing from view.

Dano has to watch it go down. He can’t do anything about it now.

He keeps climbing.

LATER

He looks up and gets really scared:

A ROMAN SOLDIER

Poking his head out of the edge of the cliff.

SOLDIERThere he is! I see him!

The Decurion’s head appears beside the soldier’s.

SOLDIER (CONT’D)I can kill him right now, Decurion junius!

DECURIONLet him get here... He worked so hard for it, after all... Besides, the Centurion wants him alive.

Dano gulps. He has little else to do. He climbs on.


EXT. CLIFF’S SUMMIT - CONTINUOUS

Dano pulls himself up over the edge and sprawls face down on the ground. He’s gasping and coughing like there’s a volcano in his throat.

Luga is barking like crazy from inside the knapsack.

CLOSE ON DANO’S FACE, Resting for a little while before slowly looking up.

DANO’S POV of the Decurion and his 12 soldiers, all on horseback except for the Decurion himself, the soldier who spotted Dano, and the black-eyed soldier from Carhaix.

The soldier gets near and bends over to pick Luga up.

Dano closes his eyes as the soldier pulls the backpack with Luga from his Shoulders.

CUT TO:

EXT. WOODS - NIGHT [FLASHBACK]

Rufena runs through the forest after killing the Romans, pulling Dano by the arm.

Dano starts to lag.

After a while, he trips and falls. Rufena kneels in front of him.

RUFENAWe can’t stop now, son! I don’t know if I can protect you if those soldiers catch up to us!

He starts crying.

RUFENA (CONT’D)Don’t cry. Remember what I said? Huh? You’re dousing the fire, Dano.

He stops.

RUFENA (CONT’D)Good, ok, here, get up.

She gives her back to him. He climbs up and she keeps running, carrying him piggyback.

YOUNG DANOI h-


She steps on some foliage and they are swallowed into the ground.

INT. CAVE - NIGHT [FLASHBACK]

Dano and Rufena are free-falling down an enormous cave along the single beam of moonlight coming from the hole above, the leaves and twigs that made the false-floor falling with them.

They hit the ground. Rufena cushions Young Dano’s fall.

After a while, Dano opens his eyes and looks at his mother’s face: Dead.

He starts to freak out and stir her.

YOUNG DANOMom! Wake up! Wake up, mom! Wake up! Come on! Stop that!

He hears something like a BROKEN TWIG and gets startled.

He looks toward the noise and sees nothing.

YOUNG DANO (CONT’D)Come on, mom, wake up! You can’t leave me alone here! There’s something here!

He hears ANOTHER sound.

Then ANOTHER.

After his eyes adjust to the darkness, he sees something: A couple of big, black eyes, faintly reflecting the moonlight.

He squints and sees the vague shape that carries those eyes, and notices another shape next to it. Like a zombie baby from hell.

Then another.

Then another.

Then another.

After a while, Dano realizes he’s surrounded by the shapes. And they start to close in on him.

When they’re close enough to the light he sees what they are:


Big-headed little goblins, bluish white skin and black eyes, bodies like tiny, skinny, wrinkled old men, drooling at the sight of fresh human meat. These are the DRAGON CHILDREN.

Dano stands up and looks around to see there are DOZENS of the little bastards circling him.

Young Dano UNSHEATHES his mother’s sword and

BACK TO:

EXT. CLIFF’S SUMMIT - DAY

Dano opens his eyes

IN SLOW MOTION

He springs up like a snake and headbutts the soldier in the gut, making him drop the backpack, steals his sword from the sheath and stabs him with it.

The Decurion, surprised, retreats in panic, the other soldiers ride forward.

INT. DEEP HOLE - NIGHT [FLASHBACK]

A Dragon Child jumps at Young Dano, who promptly swings the sword and cuts it in half.

Another Dragon Child attacks, Dano cuts it too.

The Dragon Children then swarm over him like ants.

EXT. CLIFF’S SUMMIT - SLOW MOTION - DAY

Dano yanks the sword out of the dead soldier. The other soldiers come at him roughly two at a time. One of them tries to land a blow with his sword. Dano swings his sword upward in a wide arch and cuts the guy’s sword in half with such force that the top half lands smack in a nearby soldier’s shoulder, throwing him off the horse.


Young Dano is hacking away at the Dragon Children. Killing sometimes two or three at a time. One is able to jump onto his back, but Dano promptly kills it. Another grabs his foot, Dano kills it too.


EXT. CLIFF'S SUMMIT - SLOW MOTION - DAY

Dano hoists himself up onto the horse of the fallen soldier and makes it do a U-Turn, using the movement to cut the broken sword’s soldier’s head. He starts up toward the next two soldiers.


Young Dano kills, spinning back and forth, wasting more than a dozen Dragon Children already.

He looks back and sees a Dragon Child trying to drag his mom’s body. He stabs the Dragon Child right in the eye.

Another Dragon Child takes Dano down from behind, the Dragon Children dogpile on him.


Dano, on horseback, slashes one soldier’s throat while the other swings down and misses, hitting the horse’s shoulder. Dano turns the sword around and stabs him in the back.

As three other soldiers approach, he jumps up to stand on the horse.


Young Dano’s sword pokes out from the dogpile and SLASHES away, killing most of the Dragon Children on top of him. Dano gets up and pushes the corpses away, more Dragon Children jump at him. There are few remaining.


Dano LUNGES from the horse at one of the soldiers, stabbing him with the sword as he takes him down to the ground, doing a barrel roll to end up kneeling.

One of the soldiers turns his horse too quickly and it FALLS over him, trapping the soldier by the leg. The horse quickly gets up and runs away, leaving his rider to squirm on the ground.



Young Dano is on top of the dead Dragon Children pile, hacking away at the remaining Dragon Children, until he’s finally killed almost all of them. The small group of survivors flee by burrowing themselves into the earth in amazing speed.

He’s covered in blood. He LOOKS DOWN.

PUSH IN on his HORRIFIED face.


Dano takes a running start from his kneeling position, climbs up on top of the horse of the soldier he just killed using only his feet, jumps forward and, holding the sword with both hands, CUTS the next soldier in half.

Lengthwise.

INT. DEEP HOLE - DANO’S POV - NIGHT [FLASHBACK]

His mother’s corpse, severed from the waist down, the bottom part missing, her intestines sprawled on the floor.

CLOSE ON his terrified eyes.

EXT. CLIFF'S SUMMIT - DAY

Dano stands up.

The remaining four soldiers seem a little reluctant to try anything.

Dano takes one step forward and they all scram, leaving only the Decurion.

The Decurion runs after the soldiers.

DECURIONWAIT! TAKE ME WITH YOU!!! COWARDS!!!

INT. DEEP HOLE/TUNNELS - NIGHT [FLASHBACK]

Young Dano drags his mother’s corpse, crying, through a maze of tunnels.



The Decurion turns and takes a frightened battle stance, shaking like a leaf as Dano slowly approaches.

DECURIONYou don’t need to kill me! You already killed everyone! Please let me go!

(crying)I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’ll leave you alone! I promise!

The Decurion backs away, TRIPS and falls on his ass.

INT. TUNNELS - NIGHT [FLASHBACK]

Young Dano can’t carry his mom anymore, he’s too tired.

He kneels by his mom, takes her baldric, sheathes the sword in the scabbard, kisses her forehead and leaves her body, pushing forward through the tunnels, weeping.


Dano kneels down facing the Decurion, GRABS him by the throat and LIFTS him above ground.

DANOTALOYOU DON’T...

INT. TUNNELS - NIGHT [FLASHBACK]

Dano crawls through a narrow passage, sees a light creeping in from one end of the tunnel. He gets there and starts digging.

EXT. CLIFF’S SUMMIT - DANO’S FACE - DAY

DANOTALOMESS...

EXT. HILLSIDE MOUND - NIGHT [FLASHBACK]

A HAND

BURSTING OUT of slanted ground, reaches out for the night, caked in blood and grime. THUNDER GROWLS overhead.


EXT. CLIFF’S SUMMIT - DANO’S FACE- DAY

DANOTALO(grits teeth)

WITH MY DOG!!!

Dano crushes the Decurion’s windpipe and lets his limp corpse fall to the ground.

He stays there looking at the body for a while, then

He turns back,

TRACK DANO as he wobbly runs to where he left Luga, who gets out of the knapsack and runs towards him.

He hugs her strong, relieved.

He kisses her, she licks his face. He gets up, heads toward the single soldier left alive - The one who was crushed by his own horse - Writhing in pain.

DANOWhere do you keep your food?

SOLDIERIn... In... In the saddlebags...

Dano looks around. All the horses have run away.

DANOTsc...

Dano takes one of the fallen soldiers’ baldric and sheathes the Roman sword he’s holding.

The crushed soldier watches as Dano walks away into the grayness of the wastelands ahead.

EXT. WASTELAND - LATER

The surroundings are all gray and dead, the soil is dried and cracked, the trees are withered and the shrubbery is spiky.

On top of that, a thin, baleful mist lingers in the air, and the sky above is darker than ever before.

Dano plods on with Luga.

He stops and takes the canteen and the bowl from his backpack. He weighs it - It seems light. He pours some water on the bowl and gives it to Luga, then drinks the rest and puts it back in the knapsack.


They push onward.


A small gecko. Dano tries to slice it with the Roman’s sword but the gecko runs away, leaving its tail behind.

It’s still a pretty hefty tail. Dano snaps it in half, gives one half to Luga and eats the other.

EXT. WASTELAND - TWILIGHT

Dano is trying to cut a branch from a tree with the sword. He saws it furiously.

The blade can’t take it. It SNAPS, leaving only a stub above the hilt.

Dano closes his eyes, frustrated. He throws his baldric away and stuffs the broken sword inside the knapsack.

He then goes after a smaller branch and breaks it off with his hands.

EXT. WASTELAND - NIGHT

Sitting by the fire, Dano slowly unwraps his foot.

It doesn’t look very good.

Luga tries to lick the wound again, but Dano shoos her away.

He tears another stripe of cloth from his cape, wraps that around his foot, and throws the old one in the fire.

He watches it burn.

EXT. WASTELAND - DAY

Dano is limping badly now. He can barely stand on both feet.

He picks up a fallen branch from the ground and tries to use it as a crutch, but it’s too small.

He breaks it up and uses it as a cane instead.

LATER

The improvised cane BREAKS, Dano falls to the ground.


He sits up and slowly unwraps his foot again. Luga sniffs at it.

The wound is still bleeding, Luga starts to lick it.

Dano doesn’t care anymore. He just lies down and closes his eyes.

FADE OUT.


Dano wakes up.

He looks at his toe, it’s a little better now.

He looks around, Luga is nowhere to be seen. He panics.

DANOTALOLUGA! LUGA!!!

Luga comes running from the mist. When she approaches, we see she has something in her mouth: THE GECKO.

She lays the gecko down on the ground by him.

Dano is pleased and relieved, he ruffles her fur and kisses her head.

DANOTALO (CONT’D)Good job, Luga.

He bites out half of the gecko and gives the other half to Luga.

Luga swallows it whole.


Dano is still limping a little bit, but not as much as before. He doesn’t have to drag his foot.

He hears THUNDER up in the sky.

He looks up. The ominous dark clouds still hover above, yet there’s no rain to be seen.

DANOTALOWell... At least we’ll have water to drink pretty soon.



Dano and Luga sit by the fire. Dano’s stomach GROWLS. He rubs it, then seems to remember something.

He sticks his fingers inside his boot.

DANOTALO(to himself)

Stupid, so stupid!

The bundle of smoked meat he was saving for an emergency is still there!

He takes the purse out, looks at it with a big smile.

DANOTALO (CONT’D)Look, Luga, look what I found!

Luga rushes at it and furiously sniffs it. Dano keeps her away.

DANOTALO (CONT’D)Wait! We have to save this!

He takes one strip of the smoked meat, tears it in half, gives one half to Luga and nibbles at his half slowly. LugaSWALLOWS her half without even chewing, then immediately starts sniffing Dano’s half.

Dano pushes her away. She sits and stares at Dano, licking her lips.

Dano eats a little more of his half and then gives the rest to her.

She swallows that, too.

DANOTALO (CONT’D)You could at least enjoy it a little more!

He lies down, holding the purse to his chest.

He closes his eyes.

FADE OUT.

EXT. GROVE - NIGHT [DREAM]

Dano sits alone by that same grove outside the roman camp.

A WOMAN hugs him from behind.


WOMANHi, Dano...

She swivels around him and straddles his lap. She’s naked. Again, she looks very much like Laninia, but she’s even sexier than Dream Laninia #1. She’s DREAM LANINIA #2.

DREAM LANINIA #2Look at me.

DANO’S POV

Of her amazing figure. But she’s a little too glossy. A little artificial.

DREAM AIA #2Don’t you want to be happy?

Over her shoulder, there’s Luga, sitting across the creek from him. Just looking.

BACK TO SCENE

Dream Laninia #2 kisses Dano.

Everything around them goes pitch black.

CLOSE ON Luga’s face.

BACK TO:


Dano wakes up.

The first thing he sees is Luga, lying on the floor, tearing the remains of the bundle wrapping apart.

He looks at his hand: Yes, the bundle is no longer there.

He snatches the wrapping from her, sits up and starts desperately examining it.

Luga backs away and lies with her head on the ground. She knows she did something wrong.

When he sees there’s absolutely no meat left, he furiously throws the shredded remains of the pouch to his side and starts chewing his shirtsleeve.


Luga approaches him, but as soon as she gets near, he snaps up to his feet.

DANOTALOHOW COULD YOU DO THAT???

She runs away, tails between her legs.

DANO(pacing back and forth)

HOW COULD YOU DO THAT??? HOW COULD YOU DO THAT, LUGA???

She’s hidden behind a rock.

Dano goes up to her, she backs away.

DANOTALODO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID??? WE DON’T HAVE FOOD NOW!!!

He raises his hand to slap her, but, seeing her so scared, gives up and turns to keep going, still enraged. Luga waits a little before following.


Dano has a furious look on his face as he moves on, huffing and puffing.

Luga trails him far behind, still keeping her head low.

They walk.

Then, after a while, she starts COUGHING and lies down on the ground.

Dano looks back and turns to her.

DANOTALO(two beats)

Come on! Stop fooling around! We don’t have time!

She gets up, takes a few steps and lies down again and keeps coughing.

Thunder RUMBLES and CRACKLES up in the sky..

Dano starts to get worried.

He walks toward her.


DANOTALO (CONT’D)What’s the matter, Luga?

He then starts running and kneels down by her. He grabs her head and sees she’s drooling blood.

DANOTALO (CONT’D)Luga, what’s this? What’s happening?

He hugs her by the neck.

DANOTALO (CONT’D)no no no, don’t do this, don’t do this!

Then it starts raining. A soft drizzle.

Dano looks up at it.

DANOTALO (CONT’D)Look Luga, look! It’s water!!! We’re not going to be thirsty anymore!

But Luga is still gloomy.

Danotalo starts to cry.

He hugs her ever more strongly.

DANOTALO (CONT’D)Don’t do this, please, don’t do this...

But soon he stops himself, takes a couple of breaths and looks at her gravely and determined.

He takes off his knapsack puts her back inside it, slings it back on his shoulders, gets up, and trundles on, trying to hurry, despite weakness from hunger.


The drizzle has become a downpour. It’s still day but it’s dark like night.

Luga is in the knapsack, covered by Dano’s cape.

Dano carries on.


EXT. STONE CIRCLE - NIGHT

The rain falls steady. Dano approaches an enormous stone circle of menhirs (large boulders), standing tall and mysterious in a mound in the middle of the wasteland.

He gets inside the circle and looks around.

The boulders are tall and oval, like teeth.

At the far edge there’s a big dolmen: A hut made of big stones stacked on top of each other, with one even bigger stone serving as a roof.

Dano hurries inside the dolmen.

INT. DOLMEN - CONTINUOUS

He barely fits in there with Luga, but he’s protected from the rain.

He lies Luga, still in the knapsack, on the floor in front of him, and rubs his shoulders.

He stretches his shirt collar and sees that his shoulder is sore from the weight of the knapsack.

He takes his cape off of Luga and wrings the water out of it, then lays it down on the floor.

He then notices some movement coming from under one of the rocks surrounding him.

He digs with his hands and uncovers a huge bug nest, with all sorts of bugs scurrying around.

He smiles wide.

DANOTALOLook, Luga! Look what I found!

He scoops up a handful of bugs and gives them to Luga, who sniffs at them but, emaciated, refuses to eat them.

DANOCome on, Luga! Aren’t you hungry?

She stays still.

He gets angry and eats a handful of bugs.


DANO (CONT’D)Okay, I’m going to eat all of them, then!

He keeps eating the bugs.

INT/EXT. DOLMEN - DAY

It’s the next day. The rain is much lighter now.

There are very few bugs scattered by the nest.

Dano sleeps peacefully, his belly full.

Dano wakes up, burps, and pokes his head outside. The rain is back to a drizzle, but the sky is still pretty dark.

He gets out of the dolmen, slings the knapsack with Luga back on, and pushes forward.


The drizzle keeps coming.

Dano is wobbly as he carries Luga. He trips a couple of times, then falls on all fours.

He stays like that for a while, heaving.

He starts vomiting the bugs he just ate.

After he’s done, he catches his breath and gets up. He walks, trips again and falls on his face. He lies there.

He turns over on his side.

DANO’S POV

Everything is blurry and wavering.

BACK TO SCENE

He rubs his eyes.

DANOI’m just gonna... Rest here... For a while.

He closes his eyes.


Luga is breathing heavily.


It’s still raining.

Dano opens his eyes, then closes them again.

FADE OUT.


Same place. The knapsack with Luga is lying on the ground. She hasn’t gotten any better.

Dano trolls the surroundings. Holding the broken sword. He sees something.

A RAVEN has perched himself low on a tree far ahead.

Dano recklessly walks toward it making a lot of NOISE. The crow sees him and flies away when Dano is not even halfway there. He still moves forward. When he gets to the tree where the crow was he starts slashing at it with the broken sword, frustrated. He WAILS loud.

He drops to his knees, tired and frustrated.

He stays there for a while, then gets up and goes back to where Luga is.

He looks down at her.

She whimpers, has difficulty breathing.

He kneels down by her, hardening his expression though the tears still flow.

He slowly lifts the sword.

He holds it above her head, his hand trembling, preparing to end her misery.

His eyes widen as he tries to muster courage to do it.

A sweat drop crosses his brow.

He lifts it more.

He SWINGS DOWN...

...And stops himself halfway through.


And drops the sword to his side, slumping.

He looks at the sword.

He takes it to his neck.

He closes his eyes.

He starts pushing the broken blade into his throat. A drop of blood emerges from the pressure point.

Luga looks up at him.

The rain starts to intensify. The drizzle turns into a downright storm.

Luga, with great effort, stands up and gets out of the knapsack.

She slowly limps toward Dano.

Then she leans on his side, under his cape. Protected from the rain, she lies down.

Dano looks down. He sees her there.

RUFENA (V.O.)(sotto)

You’re a warrior, you hear? We’re warriors. Fire courses through your veins.

He closes his eyes.

He fiercely hurls the broken sword away.

He stays kneeled down, breathing heavily. He takes his arm to his mouth but, just as he’s about to chew the shirtsleeve again, he hesitates. He lays his arm back down.

He opens his eyes, looks at Luga again. He gets angry.

He takes his cape off, wraps Luga around it, grabs her, gets up and moves ahead, carrying her in his arms.

He looks like nothing can stop him now.


The rain has settled into a steady shower.

Dano is still carrying Luga. He notices something in the distance to his side.


It seems like another man-made construction - A fortress or a castle, sitting on top of a hill, with smoke coming out of a chimney.

He stops to look at it.

He veers from his path to go toward the place.

EXT. GHOST FORTRESS - CONTINUOUS

Dano arrives: It is an enormous fortress, battered and seemingly abandoned, the front gate destroyed, its remains hanging from the hinges. Some ragged flags wave in the wind above the frazzled crenelation.

Dano enters.

INT. GHOST FORTRESS - YARD - CONTINUOUS

It’s completely torn apart. Bits and scraps of haystacks, carts and walls are scattered about.

There’s a young man clad in black armor training with a sword by the center of the yard. His skin is pale-white and his eyes are totally black. When Danotalo approaches, the man stops, turns to him and gives him the once-over to assess the danger.

MANWho are you? Where do you come from?

DANOI’m Danotalo, from Armorica. I only want shelter and food.

The man regards him.

INT. GHOST FORTRESS - DINING ROOM - LATER

A long wooden dining table in a room just as wrecked as the yard. Tattered banners displaying a weird symbol hang from the walls. The room is illuminated by a fire burning in a hearth.

Dano ferociously eats from a bowl while the rain pours outside. The man sits at the other end of the table.


Luga is lying by the hearth, still looking dismal. There’s a bowl of food in front of her as well, but she’s not eating yet. With much effort, she gets up and starts munching down the food.

The man looks at her.

MANYour dog is sick. It should be resting. Why do you carry it around in this weather?

Dano stops eating, swallows, stares hard into the man’s eyes.

DANOI’m taking her to the Cauldron of Sucellos. I’m going to cure her.

MAN(beat)

I’m sorry to say, Danotalo, but the Cauldron of Sucellos is in the possession of a Dragon. You can go home.

DANOI know... I’m going to kill the Dragon.

The man looks at Dano, befuddled.

MANAre you serious? You don’t even have any weapons with you.

DANOI’m serious.

The man starts patronizing Danotalo, treating him like he’s dumb or crazy.

MANListen, Danotalo, that Dragon is too powerful. No one can defeat it. You should stay safe, maybe your dog will come out of it.

DANONo, she won’t.

MANAnd you’ll just die for her, like that? You won’t be any good for her as a corpse.


DANOI won’t die.

MANYes you will! How will you fight a Dragon without any weapons? Let alone kill it?

Dano doesn’t have an answer. He just stares, angry.

DANOWhat are you doing here anyway?

MAN(beat)

I’ve lived here since I was born. This is my home, and I’m its guardian.

DANODoesn’t look like you’ve been doing a good job.

The man turns the table over, unsheathes his sword and walks toward Danotalo, who stays calm and unabashed.

MANAre you serious? You come to my house, eat my food, and insult me like that? You may be crazy or demented, but my patience is wearing thin. Get up.

The Man has his sword trained on Dano’s neck. Dano rises from his chair.

MAN (CONT’D)(sincere)

Don’t worry, I will take good care of your dog.

The Man thrusts the sword forward, but, in a single motion, Danotalo dodges, takes the sword from him , trips him to the ground and points the sword toward him.

Dano is breathing heavy, his nostrils flaring.

The man is uneasy, but still has some dignity.

MAN (CONT’D)Don’t kill me, please.

Dano drops the sword at The Man’s side, then sits back down on his chair, slumping, pissed that he had to do that.


The man takes the sword, sheathes it and goes back to sit on his chair.

They sit in silence for a long time.

DANOI’m sorry... It’s not been an easy trip so f-

MANThe Dragon was the one who did this to our home.

Dano lifts his head a little.

MAN (CONT’D)Our people had pledged their allegiance to it a long time ago, when he was still petrified. We worshipped him as a god. Religion told us that our mission was to steal the Cauldron of Sucellos, given to the humans by the Tribe of Danu, so that the Dragon could use its waters to come to life again.

(beat)So we waited, for centuries building our army. When we finally were able to amass enough numbers to our side, we went to the kingdom where the Cauldron was kept and defeated their army and took it back with us...

Dano is paying full attention now.

MAN (CONT’D)The big day came. There were festivities. We finally had fulfilled our purpose on this Earth, and it was time to reap the benefits. But when we revived the Dragon, it wasn’t grateful. It didn’t even seem to acknowledge us. It killed us all in a matter of minutes. I was but a child, so I hid myself in a small hatch here in this fortress...

(beat)Everyone else was felled.

The Man fixes his gaze on Dano.


MAN (CONT’D)I’ve been here, training, since then. I know it’ll come for me one day, but I intend to do to him the most damage I can before I go. I don’t know why it’s taken so long. It probably knows I’m here. Maybe it just thinks I’m not worth its time.

DANO(two beats)

And why didn’t you go after it?

MANIts nest is surrounded by its monster brood, and I can’t die before I see it. I have to see it one more time. I have to look into the eyes of the beast who took from me everything I had.

(beat)Or maybe I am just a coward...

Dano stares at him.

Silence

MAN (CONT’D)Have you seen the stone circle?

Dano nods.

CUT TO:

EXT. STONE CIRCLE - ESTABLISHMENT - DAY

Slowly SWOOP OVER the gray, crackled and withering terrain around the stone circle.

MAN (V.O.)I would go there when I was a child. No one knows who put it there, or how... Legend says it was the giants of yore, the ones who built this world from formless clay. It was a sign of life, but the Dragon destroys all life that surrounds it.

BACK TO:


INT. GHOST FORTRESS - DINING ROOM - DAY

MANIt’s death incarnate, Danotalo. Its only purpose is to drain life from others. You may be good with the sword, but you’re just human. The Dragon is something else.

Dano doesn’t say anything, his eyes are weary but defiant.

Slowly CLOSE IN on his face as he talks, staring at nothing, like in a trance.

(Glimpses of Rufena’s death in the hole FLASH during his speech.)

DANO...You know... My mother died because of me. We were running away from the Romans through a forest, and I couldn’t keep up, so she carried me on her back, and we fell through a false-floor trap made by the Dragon’s Brood. She died from the fall. If I wasn’t on top of her, she might have survived. The Dragon’s Brood ate her corpse, while I had to fend for myself... I escaped the hole, and right afterward I met Luga.

(beat)Luga saved my life. I was about to kill myself. She gave me friendship and a reason to live.

(beat)When she came to me she was hurt and hungry, and all she wanted was my protection.

Luga has finished eating, even though the bowl is still half full, and is lying flat on the floor. Her eyes turn to Dano.

DANO (CONT’D)I accepted the task and now I can’t back down. I am her protector and I will do anything to fulfill my duty. Even if I have to kill the Dragon with my bare hands.

(beat)


(MORE)

My mother had attempted to kill the Dragon before. I’m going to finish the job.

The man is somewhat taken aback by the story. He thinks for a bit.

MANDanotalo, don’t you know? The Dragon’s Brood they... They can’t think for themselves. They’re puppets, and the Dragon is their puppeteer. Everything they do is on his command, no matter where they are. Your mother’s death wasn’t your fault. You say she tried to kill the Dragon before? What happened... Was probably the Dragon seeking retribution. That trap... They can dig holes in the blink of an eye... They probably knew she was coming their way.

Dano is shocked with this revelation. He’s speechless.

MAN (CONT’D)Help me turn this back up. I still have food and you should eat as much as you can.

Danotalo doesn’t listen. He gets up, like an enormous weight was lifted from his shoulder, scoops Luga up, and runs out of the house.

DANO(without looking back)

Thanks for the food.

The man just watches him go.

EXT. WASTELANDS - LATER

The rain has stopped.

Dano, carrying Luga and looking healthier, crosses the dry wasteland in a brisk pace.

His eyes are sunken and sickly, but full of resolve.

DANO(looking ahead)

I’m going to save you, Luga... And I’m going to avenge my mother.


DANO (CONT’D)

EXT. HILL - TWILIGHT

Dano arrives at a tall gravelly hill beyond which he can only see the purplish sky, dragging the night behind it.

He walks up the hill and when he arrives at the top, he sees the sea and

TEN-WINDS PEAK

It’s a tidal island, A lone mountain looming in the sea after a long natural causeway that comes from a wide beach toward which the hill is descending. The beach and causeway look even bleaker than the preceding wastelands.

Dano’s eyelids are puffy with exhaustion and his hair is wafting in the wind. He takes one hand from under Luga and rubs his eyes to focus.

He starts to climb down the hill.

EXT. BEACH - NIGHT

The wind here is even stronger, Dano has to struggle not to capsize as he slogs toward the causeway.

He closes his eyes.

CUT TO:

BLACKNESS [DREAM]

Another dream-Laninia - DREAM LANINIA #4 - even more voluptuous than the others before, totally naked, kneels with her legs open and embraces herself around the waist with one hand, and rubs her neck with the other.

DREAM LANINIA #4Why are you doing this, Dano?

BACK TO:

EXT. BEACH - SAME

He opens his eyes again, startled, and shakes his head to focus and stay awake.


DANO’S POV

The causeway and the castle beyond. It’s all blurry and wavering.

BACK TO SCENE

Dano hears a HISSING sound.

He stops and looks to his back.

A single DRAGON CHILD, just like the ones he encountered at the hole, is squatting a few yards behind.

The Dragon Child shows its teeth.

Then, several other Dragon Children start to pour out of small holes on the hillside and gather behind the first Dragon Child.

Dano gets desperate, takes a couple of deep breaths, turns and runs.

The creatures run after him.

EXT. CAUSEWAY - CONTINUOUS

Dano sprints as fast as he can along the causeway, with the Dragon Children on his heels.

They are inching ever closer to him.

Even though Luga is bouncing up and down in Dano’s arms, she seems to be indifferent to the situation.

Dano’s drooling from the exhaustion, he tries to keep pace but his legs are faltering, he’s gradually slowing down and the Dragon Children are getting closer.

He sees something.

A thick tree branch is lying on the ground up ahead.

He speeds up again.

He passes by the tree branch, runs a little further, slows down a little and lays Luga on the ground as delicately as he can, immediately turning back toward the branch.

He dashes even faster than before, in leaps and bounds, trying to reach the branch before the Dragon Children do.


He gets closer.

They get closer.

He jumps and slides toward the branch.

As when they’re almost on it, Dano picks it up. He’s overrun by the Dragon Children.

CUT TO BLACK.

HOLD ON BLACK for two beats.

BACK TO:

EXT. CAUSEWAY - NIGHT

Dano is laying down the law amid the Dragon Children. He cleared a space around him from where the monsters jump onto him. He swings the branch back and forth, knocking down three or four at a time. The ones that don’t get theirs skulls cracked open are thrown at the sea.

He’s frothing at his mouth from fury, savagely beating down the little beasts.

One of the Dragon Children behind the mob hesitates and looks back, seeing

LUGA

Weak, dismal, lying on the ground where Dano left her.

The beast drools

And starts running toward her.

Still battling, Dano glances to his side and sees it.

DANONO!

And starts to strike faster.

He has killed most of the creatures so far, but the remaining ones still give him trouble.

The branch breaks up on a Dragon Child. Dano uses the stump to stab another one. There’s only one left.

Dano grabs a rock from the ground and bashes the monster’s head in, blood spritzing all over.


He looks toward the Dragon Child approaching Luga, getting closer and closer.

He lifts the rock to his shoulder and takes a bead. Without hesitating, he hurls the rock with all his might.

It arches across the causeway.

Just as the Dragon Child is about to reach Luga, he is smashed by the rock.

Dano takes a couple of breaths and runs toward Luga, wobbly.

His feet are splashing on water, but he doesn’t notice it.

Only when he reaches Luga does he see it:

The causeway is being covered by water. The tide is rising.

Panic creeps in.

He hauls Luga up in his arms and runs as fast as he can - which is not that fast. The water rises.

LATER

Dano is up to his waist in water, plodding on. The mountain is still distant.

LATER

The water is up to Dano’s chest, he has to hold Luga above his head to avoid drowning her. The mountain is starting to take up his whole field of view. He slogs on.

LATER

Only Dano’s head is above water now, as he strains forth inch by inch.

UNDERWATER

Dano’s legs are barely touching the ground.

BACK TO SCENE

Dano moves slowly, neck-deep in water, occasional waves splashing on his face.


DANO’S FACE

Grunting and gasping, the water now is getting in his mouth, he has to angle his head back in order to avoid it. He is barely moving now. He closes his eyes and mouth.

Then

The water starts to recede. His head starts to bob up and down. The water level has gone back to his neck.

BACK TO SCENE

Dano’s reached the mountain!

He is now emerging from the water, climbing up the rocky slope.

He climbs to a safe point, lays Luga down and sits beside her. The water level stops at his ankles.

He takes a few deep breaths and pets Luga. He checks her eyes to see if she’s alright. She still has the same forlorn expression.

He takes some more deep breaths, picks Luga up and starts to climb again.

EXT. TEN-WINDS PEAK - NIGHT

The slant to the mountain is soft enough that Dano can climb up walking, but barely.

CLOSE ON Dano’s face, as he closes his eyes.

CUT TO:

EXT. ROMAN CAMP - OUTSKIRTS - SAME

Laninia stands far from the camp, looking up to the east, hands to heart. The strong wind blows her dress sideways. The black, cloudy sky is a sparkling monster over her.

She closes her eyes, as if in prayer.

CUT TO:


BLACKNESS [DREAM]

An ever hotter dream-Laninia - DREAM LANINIA #5 - in the same position.

DREAM LANINIA #5Why do you torture yourself so much?

BACK TO:

EXT. TEN-WINDS PEAK - SAME

Dano opens his eyes, dizzy, almost falling down the mountain. He stops, balances himself, blinks a couple times to wake up, and keeps going.

LATER

Dano climbs on.

Luga is barely breathing, she has her eyes closed.

Dano looks up, tense.

CUT TO:

BLACKNESS [DREAM]

Still another dream-Laninia - DREAM LANINIA #6 - the hottest yet, same position.

CLOSE ON her seductive face.

DREAM LANINIA #6Let go of the past, Dano.

BACK TO:

EXT. TEN-WINDS PEAK - SAME

CLOSE ON Dano’s face, panting, huffing, heaving.

He stops climbing, closes his eyes and takes a couple of deeeep breaths.

He clutches Luga against him.


DANOTALO(sotto)

She’s not... The past...

CUT TO:


Laninia blows a kiss toward the sky, hoping it reaches Dano.

EXT. GROVE - NIGHT [FLASHBACK]

The real Laninia now, at the grove where they dined together. She’s about to leave him.

CLOSE ON her face.

LANINIA...By the way, you should know that Luga’s not the only friend you have.

BACK TO:

EXT. DRAGON MOUNTAIN - NIGHT

CLOSE ON Dano’s face as he opens his eyes.

DANOTALO(sotto)

She’s alive... Now.

He gets up and keeps climbing, with a new determination, a fierce look in his eyes.

CUT TO:


Laninia goes back to the camp, her eyes closed.

BACK TO:

EXT. TEN-WINDS PEAK - DAWN

Dano is reaching what seems to be the top of the mountain. He stops to take a break and gasp for breath.


He looks around and sees a small nook on the mountainside. He goes there and tucks Luga inside. She fits perfectly. She still has her eyes closed, but we can see she’s breathing.

DANOYou wait here... I’ll be right back.

He climbs up toward the bright white sky.

EXT. DRAGON’S NEST - CONTINUOUS

Dano’s hair and cape flail in the strong wind as he emerges into view. He passes underneath what seems to be a natural arc made entirely of rocks, which leads to

THE NEST

It’s not exactly the mountain’s summit. More like a terrace or a deck. A very big stretch of flat land carved out of the mountain, after which it keeps going up for a while before reaching its peak.

THE DRAGON stands at the far side, gazing Dano.

It’s the stuff of nightmares: 10 feet tall, 20 feet long, All white with a chameleon-like head and a frog-like body, six reptilian legs, and a mouth of exposed spiky teeth that goes beyond its head and shoulders, all the way to the middle of its body.

On a corner, behind the Dragon, Dano sees what can only be THE CAULDRON OF SUCELLOS, a black and otherworldly semi-oval rigged to a metallic support.

The Dragon opens its mouth wide and makes a NOISE unlike anything on Earth, and we see it:

RUFENA’S OLD SWORD

Lodged between its teeth, the handle sticking out of the lower jaw.

DANOTALO

Looking at the sword, dumbfounded.

CAEMANIUS (V.O.)The dragon kept the Cauldron and her leg, and many of our mates...


(MORE)

But it also kept the sword.(beat)

I like to think it’s still there.

Dano is awash with newly found hope. He’s going to get that sword, no matter what. Dano furrows his brow, enraged.

DANO(under his breath)

You killed my mother, you bastard...

The Dragon finishes its growl and starts huffing.

It starts trampling toward Danotalo, raising dust in a speed you wouldn’t imagine a creature built like that to be capable of achieving.

Dano stands his ground for a while before running toward the creature.

They approach each other in direct collision course.

The Dragon opens its mouth.

Just as Dano is about to be swallowed, he drops down to slide under the Dragon, who loudly BITES the air where Dano just was.

The dragon skids almost to the entrance arc and stops, while Dano is obscured by the dust it left behind.

As the dust starts to settle, we see Dano is crouched on the ground.

BEHIND DANO’S LEGS

Standing up. The Dragon is visible up ahead from under them. The bloody sword comes INTO VIEW as Dano lowers it to his side.

THE DRAGON

Sees it and is pissed.

It starts running at Dano again.

Dano stands still this time, waiting for the hit.

When the Dragon is almost on him, he jumps...


CAEMANIUS (V.O.) (CONT'D)

... Just a second too late. He’s hit in the gut by the Dragon’s nose and is sent flying backward.

He hits the ground and tumbles and rolls several times before ending up face down on the ground.

CUT TO BLACK.

Hold on black for some time.

We start hearing Luga’s BARK, faintly at first, then rising in volume.

The image starts to FLICKER BACK INTO VIEW and we see

DANO’S FACE

Grimy, dirty and wounded from the fall, eyelids aflutter.

He slowly opens his eyes.

With great effort he turns his head to look forward, and there’s...

EXT. DRAGON’S NEST - DANO’S POV - DAY

...Luga, sitting under the entrance arc, BARKING steadily at the Dragon, who is slowly approaching her.

She WHEEZES after every bark. Doing this is being a tremendous task for her.

BACK TO SCENE

Dano raises one hand and pushes his body up from the ground. He uses his other hand to stick down the sword in the ground and use it as leverage to raise himself.

He manages to get in a kneeling position, hunched, using the sword as support.

He takes a couple of breaths. Sweat cascades from his forehead into his lap.

He looks ahead.

Luga is still BARKING, and the Dragon is getting closer to her.

He looks up.


The sky is starting to clear up, patches of blue peeking through the clouds.

Dano summons all his strength to push himself up, one foot at a time.

He finally stands up on his feet.

He wobbles a bit but takes a hold of himself and shakes his head to snap out of it.

Dano lets out a long GROWL at the top of his lungs.

The Dragon looks back.

Dano starts shuffling toward it, getting steadier with each step.

The dragon turns to him.

Dano raises his sword and starts running.

The Dragon again opens its mouth to make its unearthly NOISE, and starts running.

As they get near each other, Dano jumps. This time, he is able to time his jump perfectly, landing on top of the Dragon’s nose and thrusting the sword into his back.

The Dragon SCREECHES and runs in circles for a while, as Dano holds on to the sword.

The Dragon stops and ROLLS sideways to try and fall on its back and squash Dano.

Dano is able to let go in the last second, avoiding the slam. The Dragon bounces a couple of times then immediately turns and lunges at Dano again, full force. Dano dodges the attack, barely.

The Dragon keeps lunging and biting and Dano keeps skipping and barrel-rolling away, dangerously close to it.

The Dragon then goes for broke and JUMPS, mouth first, at Dano.

Dano looks up.

He sizes up the Dragon’s mouth.

He jumps into it.

When Dano is completely inside, the Dragon clamps down its mouth.


It takes a couple of breaths, thinking the fight is over.

Then it starts squirming and wincing.

THE DRAGON’S EYE

Dano emerges from inside the dragon’s eye, carrying with him a trail of blood and gore to land on the ground.

The Dragon SCREECHES and wriggles around with the pain.

Then shakes its head and faces Dano again, a river of blood streaming from its eye socket.

It hurls himself at Dano, who skips sideways to his blind side and slashes the Dragon’s mouth corner, exposing his gums underneath, then stabs the sword into one of the Dragon’s knees.

The Dragon SCREECHES again. It turns and sees Dano running toward the mountain.

The Dragon pursues, limping a bit.

Dano runs up the mountainside, the Dragon climbs after him.

Dano kicks a rock at it, and just as it rebounds on the Dragon’s nose, he jumps and uses the sword to rip the Dragon’s back all the way to the ground.

The Dragon falls on its back and rolls, tripping sideways as it stands.

It gets really angry.

Dano runs for a final blow...

...But the Dragon is able to reach him and BITE down.

Dano is impaled between the Dragon’s teeth.

His eyes go dead.

Luga YELPS.

The Dragon swings its head.

Dano’s bloody carcass is torn and frazzled, blood sprays all over.

Luga tries to take a couple of steps but has to lie down again, panting from the effort.


The Dragon then THROWS Dano’s body sideways.

Dano’s remains arch almost all the length of the field, blood raining after him.

Rigor mortis has his hand firmly clutched to the sword.

He arches and starts falling

Then coming INTO VIEW is

THE CAULDRON

And Dano plunges right into it, making a huge SPLASH and sending a weird, glowing, bluish liquid sprinkling all over.

Silence.

The Dragon stares at it.

Luga gets up again, apprehensive.

Slowly PUSH IN on the cauldron and

Dano slowly EMERGES from it.

He’s completely recovered - Not only his recent wounds have been healed, but even his clothes are fresh as new.

The old scars on his face are gone.

As are the ones on his arm.

The sword is glimmering anew, like it’s just out of the forge.

Dano’s born again.

His eyes are screaming murder.

He vaults from the cauldron and strides toward the Dragon. This battle is won.

The Dragon runs toward him, a last-ditch effort.

Dano stops and waits.

The Dragon is approaching.

Dano raises the sword and aims carefully.


DANO’S EYES

Squinting into focus.

DANO’S POV

In SLOW MOTION, the dragon gallops at him and opens its mouth.

BACK TO SCENE

Dano THROWS the sword.

It enters the Dragon’s mouth, goes all the way through its body, and out from its backside, pulling a string of blood.

The Dragon skids to a halt.

It stops right in front of Dano.

It gasps and heaves, blood trickling down its mouth.

It GRUNTS and WHEEZES, grasping for his life.

It slumps down and falls over, dead.

Dano looks at Luga.

She’s lying down, looking at him.

Dano runs toward her.

The sky is clearer now, sun rays striking down like pillars of light.

Dano picks Luga up, hugs her firmly, eyes closed.

DANOWe did it, Luga.

He turns and starts carrying her toward the cauldron, the warm sunlight haloing her outline.

FADE TO WHITE

EXT. LUTETIA - DAY

A light snow is falling. Dano and Luga, who is now more beautiful than ever, with luscious steel-grey fur, enter the city. Dano shivers a little, unprotected from the cold.


The city is big. Gaulish houses divide space with newly-built Roman multi-story buildings. Some are still under construction. Due to the weather, there aren’t many people on the street, but both Gaulish and Roman peasants can be seen walking around, Roman soldiers keeping watch over them. Everyone wears thick paenulas - A poncho-like hooded cloak to keep the body warm.

Dano steps to one of the peasants.

DANOHello. Where can I buy some food?

PEASANT(pointing)

Market’s that way.

Dano nods in thanks and starts heading in the direction the peasant showed.

EXT. LUTETIA - MARKET - DAY

It’s in a wide street. It looks like it would be bustling during hotter days, but now it is sparsely frequented, with just a few wooden stands, and a couple of shoppers browsing around.

A svelte woman mans one of the stands. Her Paenula covers most of her face. She’s moving wicker baskets of rye bread and barley from the stand to the ground.

A fat, stodgy Roman woman comes out of a house door right behind the stand.

STODGY WOMANYou sell anything today?

The svelte woman looks at her, shakes her head.

The stodgy woman moves back into the house, shaking her head.

STODGY WOMAN (CONT’D)I’m going to rue the day I hired this incompetent Gaul...

She slams the door. The svelte woman keeps doing her job.

Luga steps INTO VIEW, and starts sniffing the woman’s feet. The woman GASPS, drops the basket she was lifting. Luga gets up on her hind legs to lean on the woman, tongue out.

DANO (O.S.)Luga! Stop! Leave the lady al-


Dano is running after Luga. He stops, surprised, a few yards from them.

The woman pulls her hood down. It’s Laninia. She looks at Dano, with her eyes watering. Dano approaches. Luga’s gaze shifts from one to the other, she wags her tail.

DANO (CONT’D)Is this... Lutetia? I didn’t even...

Laninia nods, smiling, walking toward Dano. She remembers something. She scurries back to behind the stand, kneels down, gets up and goes to Dano again, holding something: The cape she bought for him in Carhaix.

She gets close to him, unfastens the cape he’s wearing.

DANO (CONT’D)Hey! It’s-

She slings the new cape on him.

DANO (CONT’D)Cold...

LANINIAThere, that’s better...

She hugs him, rests her head on his chest. He hugs her. Closes his eyes.

FADE TO BLACK.


Dark Clouds Hover

Documents

dark clouds hover

thunder growls overhead

day dano wakes

long time ago

incredible thing ive

young dano mom

day dano opens

night dano opens