Transcript:Monsters, Part 1

SOUND: ROPES CREAKING IN THE WIND
 NARRATOR
 House Ironhertz was dead. And not in a vague,
 metaphorical sense. They had been hung by their necks
 from the ramparts of their own castle - men, women, and
 children.
 Over the castle walls, the anvil of House Ironhertz
 lowered, and the miner’s axe of the rebel General Traft
 raised.
 SOUND: RAGING FIRE, AND SCREAMS
 Below, the surrounding village burned.
 Ext. Path to Castle Ironhertz 
 Simultaneous
 This was all unbeknownst to the town smith, as he drove
 his wagon through the foothills of the Black Mountains
 towards what he believed was still his home.
 The smoke he saw over the horizon did not trouble him.
 Quite the opposite, for today was, to his knowledge, a
 feast day. Thus, the smoke made his mouth water. Until
 he came over the last hill, and saw his village razed
 to the ground and swarming with Orcs.
 That’s when things suddenly got very dark. The smith
 hopped down to flee, but a faceless figure in a black
 hooded cloak blocked his way.
 OPENING CREDITS.
 EPISODE ONE
 Int. Subterranean Lake - Morning
 NARRATOR
 We rejoin our party beside the underground lake where
 we left them. They all looked rather distraught over
 the admittedly wicked man who had just died on the end
 of Nelson’s sword.
 BILLY
 Nelson. Dude. I can’t believe you just killed a guy.
 NELSON
 Me?! You killed him!
 BILLY
 Your sword, bro.
 NELSON
 Your tackle!
 BILLY
 You tripped him.
 JEN
 Neither of you meant to kill him.
 BILLY
 Well he’s still fucking dead.
 NIA
 That it upsets you is a sign of your humanity.
 Something to be proud of in this day and age.
 REGAN
 I think this is yours, Nelson.
 NARRATOR
 Regan handed Nelson his waterlogged scabbard.
 REGAN
 Maybe next time don’t throw it down a fucking cave. And
 you’ll wanna give your sword a flick.
 NARRATOR
 Nelson looked down at his still-bloody sword as though
 he had never seen it before.
 REGAN
 Flick your wrist and get some of the blood off your
 sword, then wipe the rest off. Else that shit’ll dry up
 and get stuck next time you need it.
 NELSON
 ...Huh?
 REGAN
 Give it here.
 NARRATOR
 She flicked the drying blood off the sword and wiped it
 on her sleeve.
 REGAN
 And girly, I wanna talk to you before I go.
 JEN
 Talk to me?
 REGAN
 How long you known me?
 JEN
 I dunno, like a week?
 REGAN
 I’m looking you in the eye and I ain’t tried to kill
 you or fuck you, so yeah, safe bet I wanna talk to you.
 Int. Elsewhere In The Cave - A Minute Later
 NARRATOR
 Regan pulled a wary Jen behind some rocks so that the
 two could speak privately.
 REGAN
 That was the second time in as many days that your boy
 toy coulda gotten you killed.
 JEN
 He killed that guy that was gonna kill us. Sort of. And
 he made those other guys fight the other night.
 REGAN
 He was stupid and got lucky. Both of those fights
 coulda gone really bad really fast.
 JEN
 Billy does things his way, and somehow it always seems
 to work out.
 REGAN
 No, it doesn’t. If it did, you’d be back in
 wherever-the-fuck, talking about your vagina, and not
 here getting life advice from a thieving, murdering
 fugitive.
 JEN
 It’s not his fault we’re here.
 REGAN
 You’re smarter than him, but he makes all the
 decisions.
 JEN
 Our relationship is--
 REGAN
 --none of my business? Trust me, I wish it wasn’t but
 it damn well is now.
 JEN
 I mean, I guess I think a man’s supposed to be in
 charge, you know? And it’s kinda nice to get taken care
 of.
 REGAN
 When I was a little girl, there were these two cats
 that would always come around our house. It was just
 me, my Ma, and my sister then. Ma could barely feed us.
 But she always left some scraps for us to give to the
 cats. She wanted us to learn charity or compassion or
 some shit. We named them Maggie and Catie. I liked
 Catie better. She’d always eat out of your hand, let
 you pet her. Maggie’d never do that shit. She’d take
 food once in a while, but she wouldn’t pretend to be
 your friend for it. Rather go hungry I guess. When Ma
 died, Catie followed me to the orphanage. She pawed at
 my window every night for had to be three weeks. The
 window that was bolted shut. Stupid fucking cat. Then
 one night she didn’t come. I was on garbage duty the
 next morning. They told me a stray cat died trying to
 get into the pantry and I had to take it out. I knew it
 was Catie before I even saw her. I brought her out back
 where they kept the trash, and I cried over that stupid
 fucking helpless cat. While I was out there, I seen
 Maggie walk by with a pigeon in her mouth. We locked
 eyes and fuck me if the damned thing didn’t nod at me.
 That was the last time I ever cried.
 Simultaneous
 Int. Yet Elsewhere in the Cave
 NARRATOR
 Elsewhere in the cave, Brennen, Nia, and Yllowyyn had
 their own private conversation regarding the imminent
 split of the party. The talk had recently turned to
 Brennen’s recurring dreams, and Nia’s academic opinion
 thereof.
 NIA
 "My killer has died as well, but has not yet joined
 me," "the King has loved the enemy," and what was the
 third?
 BRENNEN
 "The vessel must crack, but it shall not break."
 NIA
 That last one sounds vaguely familiar. As though I read
 it in a footnote once, and forgot it the next day. I’ll
 see if can do some research in the city.
 YLLOWYYN
 I doubt they’ll have many books wherever the thief is
 sending us.
 BRENNEN
 Wait for a messenger to come for five dawns. If none
 comes by the sixth, take the children to the Elders,
 and trust no one on the way. And Nia, look after the
 boys.
 YLLOWYYN
 No harm will come to them, General. I swear on my
 house.
 BRENNEN
 No harm? You mean apart from what they’ve already
 endured?
 NIA
 I’ll give them the best counsel I can. Go with Galadon,
 General.
 Ext. Craggy Hole - A Little Bit Later
 NARRATOR
 After the relevant farewells were bid, Brennen found
 himself scaling a steep egress from the cave on heels
 of the so-called "thief queen" and actual princess,
 Aerona Regan. As much as he hated those facts.
 SOUND: CLIMBING SOUNDS
 REGAN
 (IN CAVE)
 And why would these guys mutiny?
 BRENNEN
 (IN CAVE)
 Hard to say. Redmoor’s garrison is a vicious, selfish,
 and stupid lot.
 REGAN
 (IN CAVE)
 I’m sure you’ve said the same about me.
 NARRATOR
 Regan emerged from the hole, with her ubiquitous
 bedroll tied to her foot. She saw six horses in Redmoor
 regalia tied to stakes and grazing.
 BRENNEN
 (IN CAVE)
 I never accused you of being stupid.
 NARRATOR
 Brennen also pulled himself out of the cave, and untied
 one of the recently killed men’s horses. Regan did the
 same, but of course, could not let this transpire
 without comment.
 REGAN
 So you’re fine with stealing horses when you need one?
 BRENNEN
 These horses were the property of traitors. They are
 now forfeit to the crown. That’s the law.
 REGAN
 So, armed robbery, then?
 Int. Cave Mouth - Simultaneous 
 NARRATOR
 Meanwhile, the rest of the party had returned to where
 they originally entered the cave. Yllowyyn had heard
 the clamor of battle outside, and so ventured out to
 scout, but had just now returned to report his findings
 to the humans.
 YLLOWYYN
 The Mooncrest and Redmoor armies slaughtered the
 Felghir host.
 JEN
 So that’s...a good thing for us?
 YLLOWYYN
 I can’t tell anymore. The horses are gone though.
 NIA
 I feel the fool for hoping otherwise.
 YLLOWYYN
 It’s about a day’s walk back to the city.
 NARRATOR
 Everyone instinctively looked to Billy, waiting for
 some obscene complaint to be muttered.
 BILLY
 (OUT OF IT)
 Huh? Oh, that...yeah, that sucks.
 Ext. Creek - Around Noon 
 NARRATOR
 Some hours later, Brennen and Regan were forced to stop
 and water their horses by a creek.
 REGAN
 It was overdue. Them boys need to toughen up or they’re
 dead.
 BRENNEN
 Aye, they do. But it’s still more tragedy than they
 deserve.
 REGAN
 What fucking tragedy? If they didn’t kill that guy,
 he’da killed them.
 BRENNEN
 Anyone killed is a tragedy.
 REGAN
 If you’re still sore about Bowen--
 BRENNEN
 --Of course I am, that’s not the gods-damned point.
 REGAN
 Then please, spare me the goody-goody hand-wringing. I
 expect better from a fucking General. There are
 monsters in this world, Brennen. I’ve met plenty and
 I’m sure you have too. Men so twisted and evil that the
 world is better off without them.
 BRENNEN
 Aye. Is that not a tragedy?
 NARRATOR
 Regan responded by spurring her horse into a gallop.
 Ext. Cottage Near Castle Guernatal - Late Afternoon
 NARRATOR
 It took them a few more hours to reach lands officially
 held by Gunther Guernatal, that is you recall,
 Brennen’s liege-lord and Regan’s grandfather.
 As they neared the first Guernatal outpost of their
 journey, everything was, ostensibly, in order. From a
 distance, Brennen could make out two Guernatal
 officer’s uniforms. But, given Brennen’s belief that
 there had been a mutiny, he was cautious.
 SOUND: HOOVES SLOW FROM GALLOP TO WALK
 REGAN
 Do they need to know we’re coming?
 BRENNEN
 No, but I need to know what’s happening with Redmoor’s
 men.
 REGAN
 Are they men you can believe?
 BRENNEN
 Don’t know yet, can’t see their faces.
 REGAN
 Understand something, Brennen. If this little
 homecoming goes to shit, I’m out. I won’t seek
 vengeance against you if it’s not your fault, but you
 won’t see me again. A lifetime of wealth ain’t that
 much if you die tomorrow.
 NARRATOR
 Brennen trotted his horse forward to get a better look
 BRENNEN
 I know them. Forgot their names but I know them by
 sight. Good men.
 REGAN
 Horseshit. No such thing.
 BRENNEN
 I’ve put my life in their hands before.
 REGAN
 And you don’t know their names?
 BRENNEN
 The benefit of an army bound by honor.
 NARRATOR
 By now, Brennen and Regan had reached shouting distance
 of the officers. Although Brennen could not recall
 their names, they clearly knew their General’s.
 OFFICER 1
 HAIL, GENERAL! WELCOME HOME.
 BRENNEN
 Thank you, commander. Good to be home.
 OFFICER 1
 (RE: REGAN) Who’s this?
 BRENNEN
 New squire.
 OFFICER 1
 They gave you a girl squ--
 REGAN
 --Either of you got a silver piece and want your cock
 sucked?
 BRENNEN
 [CLEARS THROAT]
 Has anything happened with Redmoor’s garrison?
 OFFICER 1
 Happened, sir? No, they’re vicious, selfish, and stupid
 as ever. [SPITS]
 OFFICER 1 (cont’d)
 Shall we return to the castle? Everyone is awaiting
 news of your mission.
 NARRATOR
 You might recall, as Brennen did, that his mission was
 meant to be secret.
 BRENNEN
 (VERY TENSE)
 What mission?
 REGAN
 What the fuck’s going on, Brennen?
 OFFICER 1
 I’m sorry, sir. They have my wife.
 NARRATOR
 Redmoor crossbowmen leapt from hiding and shot the
 horses out from under Brennen and Regan. They jumped
 clear, but were surrounded and severely outnumbered.
 But Regan, ever resourceful when it came to trickery
 and murder, had managed to produce a small clay pot
 from some unseen pocket, which she now held over her
 head.
 REGAN
 Shoot me and everyone dies.
 END OF EPISODE ONE.
Category:Episode Transcripts