| Episode Guide | Teaser | Act 1 | Act 2 | Act 3 | Act 4 |
|
|||||
|
ACT FOUR
FADE IN:
EXT. CAMPSITE - MORNING - PRESENT
Though the sun has already risen, Xena and Gabrielle lie comfortably spooned together beneath their furs. Gabrielle's nose twitches, and as she lifts a hand to rub it, her eyelids flutter open, then widen as she takes in the quality of light surrounding the camp. Very slowly, she turns her head to find Xena looking down at her, smirking.
XENA Morning.
GABRIELLE Mor... Xena, it's... well for you it's practically afternoon!
XENA (amusedly) It's not that late. Besides, you'll be able to walk a lot further with more than just two hours of sleep.
Xena’s smirk broadens as Gabrielle's skin slowly flushes a rosy hue. Then she gathers Gabrielle in and kisses her soundly.
GABRIELLE (dazedly) Wow. We should sleep in more often!
Xena laughs, releases Gabrielle and jumps to her feet, grabbing her leather and armor and deftly slipping it on. She snatches Gabrielle's top, which has landed some distance away in a crumpled heap and tosses it to the bard, who catches it, grinning.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) Glad this didn't land in the fire, or I'd have had to go back to that putrid green thing.
Xena pretends to shudder.
XENA Perish the thought.
She looks up at the cloudless sky.
XENA (cont’d) Good weather. C'mon, we'll eat on the trail. If we make good time, we should be there before sunset.
GABRIELLE Right behind you!
CUT TO:
EXT. TRAIL - MORNING - PRESENT
As they travel along, Xena can feel Gabrielle's eyes on her. Finally, Xena turns her head and looks down at Gabrielle.
XENA What?
GABRIELLE (innocently) Me? Oh, nothing.
She gives Xena's chakram a long, deliberate look, then smiles sweetly at her soulmate.
XENA Nothin, huh?
GABRIELLE Nope! Not a thing.
XENA (resignedly) Riiight. I suppose I did promise you an end to this thing....
She pauses as she looks off into the distance, her thoughts even farther away.
XENA (cont’d) To answer your question of last night, yes, I stayed. It was about three weeks or so before my wounds were healed and I'd gotten back to full strength. There wasn't really any way I'd have a chance of facing Khan's men before that, and Aeneas seemed a harmless enough sort....
CUT TO:
EXT. TEMPLE - DAY - PAST
The number of soldiers seeking shelter at the temple has grown to nearly forty. Xena stands off to one side, watching with grudging approval as they spar in groups of two, three, and four. They have improved vastly under Aeneas' training and now resemble an army instead of a group of mismatched mercenaries. Corralled in the woods nearby, a group of horses whinny.
CUT TO:
INT. TEMPLE - DAY - PAST
Sheathing her sword, Xena turns and enters the temple. Aeneas sits on a stool inside the main vestibule. In his hand is a flat, circular object that she's never seen before. As she watches, he negligently tosses it away from him. It hits a column, throwing sparks, then rebounds, hitting next the statue of Ares sitting on the altar, then another column before reversing direction and coming back to his hand.
Xena smirks.
XENA Nice toy.
Aeneas looks up at her and returns the smirk.
AENEAS It is, isn't it? But I wonder... can a toy do this?
He tosses the object again. It hits the column, rebounds, and heads for the statue. With a small buzzing noise, it cuts completely through the neck of the Ares statue. The statue's head hits the altar as the object continues on its way, hitting another column, then landing deep in the chest of an unfortunate mercenary who'd just walked in. The look on the man's face is one of stunned surprise as his knees slowly buckle and he crumples to the floor, dead.
An evil grin spreads over Xena's face as she looks from the headless statue to the dead man, then over to a smirking Aeneas.
XENA Teach me how to do that.
Rising from his stool, Aeneas prods the dead man with his foot and removes the weapon, wiping the blood off on the man's uniform. He turns to Xena, smirk still fully in place.
AENEAS I... don't think so. You see, the chakram, this chakram in particular, is a very special weapon, given only to the most special....
Xena draws her sword in a lightning move and holds the tip to the old priest's neck.
XENA I said... teach me how to do that.
AENEAS And I said....
Lifting his arm, he swipes Xena's sword away using the edge of the chakram. Then, before she can fully react, he thrusts the center down over her sword, twists, and her weapon is wrenched from her grip, flying across the temple to land on the altar.
AENEAS (cont’d) No.
Xena snarls. Her fists clench and her eyes flash rage. Aeneas' grin broadens, completely unperturbed.
AENEAS (cont’d, conversationally) Such fire.... You know, weapons similar to this are quite common in a land called India. You could simply leave here and attempt to obtain one. Or... if you desire this one....
He flings the weapon away toward the column again.
AENEAS (cont’d) Catch it.
Xena's eyes narrow as she intently watches the weapon rebound from one column to another, showering sparks all the way. It hits off the altar, reverses itself in mid-air, and heads directly for Xena's head. Instinctively, she ducks and can feel the breeze as it passes over her less than an inch away, to hit off the far wall and zigzag between the two stout columns standing there.
She straightens and continues to watch intently as it makes another circuit of the temple, hitting off the statue and again coming directly for her. This time, she stays where she is and holds up a hand. The chakram flies into it, cutting her deeply. She stares down at the weapon in her hand and the blood that drips slowly to the floor, missing entirely Aeneas' secret, delighted smile.
The priest steps over to her and plucks the weapon from her hand. Her head slowly raises, eyes piercing and so pale that they nearly match the silvered part of the chakram.
XENA (low, forcefully) Teach me.
Aeneas pretends to think about it.
AENEAS Perhaps. But for a price.
Xena shows her teeth.
XENA What price?
AENEAS (airily) Oh, a small one, really. Certainly less than what my teaching would be worth.
Xena growls.
Aeneas laughs.
AENEAS (cont’d) I could ask you to bow down and pledge to serve Ares as your Lord and Master.
XENA You could try.
AENEAS Yes, I could. But I won't.... Not yet, anyway.
Another growl.
AENEAS (cont’d) What I will ask is this....
He walks over to the altar, sweeps the bits of marble from the beheaded statue away and grabs a parchment map lying off to one side. Unrolling it, he uses the chakram to anchor one corner as he peers down at it.
AENEAS (cont’d) There is a town to the north of here. Not far, perhaps a quarter-day's ride. It's very small, not large enough to hold a garrison of Khan's men, though there are a number of his guards there. Inside that town there is a headsman's house, and in that house is a golden statue of Khan himself. It's rather the law. I want that statue. Bring it to me, and you shall have your lessons. Of course, you'll still have to find your own chakram, but at least when you do, you'll know how to use it. Fair enough?
The expression on Xena's face tells him exactly what she thinks of this plan, but then she nods grudgingly.
AENEAS (cont’d, pleased) Good! Good! You will, of course, want to take the men with you. If nothing else, it will be a chance to determine if our training has had its intended benefits, no?
XENA Fine. When?
AENEAS No time like the present.
CUT TO:
EXT. TOWN OUTSKIRTS - EVENING - PAST
Xena and the rest of the men are hiding in the long grasses that line the hills that surround the small town. The only people out on the streets are Khan's men, well armed and very vigilant. Torches light the way every few feet. The Headsman's house is in the very center, surrounded by seven armed guards. The only path into town is guarded by only two.
XENA (whispering) After I take out the two guards, we go in. Kill any man who raises a weapon against you. I don't care what you do with the other men, but leave the women and children alone. If I see any one of you even attempt to touch so much as a hair on a woman or child, you'll only wish you were dead. Is that understood?
MEN (whispering) Yes, Xena!
XENA Good. Ketalus, give me your bow.
Taking the offered bow, Xena strings and fires two arrows, one right after the other. The two guards fall to the ground soundlessly. She hands back the bow and unsheathes her sword.
XENA (cont’d) Take the village!!
MEN YAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!
CUT TO:
EXT. VILLAGE - NIGHT - PAST
The village is in pandemonium as Xena and her men fight their way through the narrow streets. Xena fights like a woman possessed, killing Khan's men with ease as she counters their sword-blows and catches their arrows. Behind her, several of her soldiers have split off. Three have taken torches and are lighting the houses on fire. Five herd the fleeing women and children in a sheltered area away from the battle. Several more ransack the houses that are not yet burning, coming out with various treasures.
Xena heads for the Headsman's house, skewering an unarmed man in front of her and kicking his body into two of Khan's soldiers running toward her. As they stumble backward, she yells out her battle cry and leaps over the pile, flipping once before landing and continuing her run toward the large house in the center of the town.
One of the guards fires at her from close range. She catches the arrow, reverses it and thrusts it through his throat. As he falls, two others come up to her. She grabs them, slams their heads together and drops them in a pile. Lifting a leg, she kicks the door to the house open and ducks inside.
CUT TO:
INT. HEADSMAN'S HOUSE - EVENING - PAST
An elderly man dressed in fur-trimmed robes stares white-faced at her.
HEADSMAN P-please....
XENA Your statue, old man, I want it.
HEADSMAN B-but I can't....
XENA Sure ya can. Get it. Now.
HEADSMAN P-please, no! I'm forbidden...!
XENA Forbid this!
Stabbing the man through the gut, she twirls her sword and reverse thrusts under her arm, killing another guard who is rushing her.
XENA (cont’d) HA!
Darting off, she quickly moves through the rooms until she spies the statue atop a small altar.
She grabs it and gives it a quick look-over. Exquisitely detailed, it appears to be made of pure gold and trimmed with precious gems.
XENA (cont’d) Niiiiice.
Tucking the statue under her arm, she ducks back through the rooms, engages three of Khan's men, kills them and runs outside.
CUT TO:
EXT. VILLAGE - NIGHT - PAST
Grabbing a torch, Xena waves it over her head.
XENA Let's go!!!
She then tosses the torch inside the Headsman's house, setting it instantly ablaze. She looks down at a wounded guard moaning at her feet.
XENA (cont’d) Tell Khan Xena says hello.
With a triumphant roar, thirty of the forty men who accompanied Xena rally behind her and they leave the blazing village and its grieving and dead in their wake.
CUT TO:
INT. TEMPLE - NIGHT - PAST
Aeneas stands expectantly as he watches Xena saunter into the temple vestibule, statue bouncing in her hand. She smirks when she sees him and tosses him the statue.
XENA Here ya go, old man.
Aeneas puts the statue on the altar with barely a glance at it.
AENEAS I trust all went well.
XENA Like takin' candy from a baby.
AENEAS Perfect.
Xena eyes the chakram at Aeneas' hip.
XENA I fulfilled my part of the bargain, priest.
AENEAS So you did, so you did. When would you like to start?
XENA (mocking) No time like the present.
CUT TO:
INT. TEMPLE - NIGHT - PAST
Scenes of Aneas teaching Xena how to throw and catch the chakram. He gives her a thick leather wrap for her hand so that she doesn't cut it and patiently begins to teach her. She's a quick study, and it isn't long before he's standing proudly by as she tries more and more intricate throws. Soon, the leather wrap is discarded and Xena is catching the weapon without cutting her hand. Aeneas nods as she tries an especially complex move and smiles to himself in satisfaction.
CUT TO:
INT. TEMPLE - DAY - THREE DAYS LATER
Aeneas rises from his place at the altar as Xena enters, bedroll in hand.
AENEAS I take it the time has come for you to leave this fine establishment?
XENA I need to move on.
AENEAS (wisely) The call to battle sings in your blood, no?
XENA Somethin' like that. (beat, grudgingly) Thanks...for tending my wounds and helping me get my strength back. And for not trying to convert me.
Aeneas laughs.
AENEAS Oh, I think you're already converted, Xena. You just don't know it yet.
XENA Whatever. Listen, I've gotta go....
AENEAS Just a moment, if you will. I have something for you. Come.
CUT TO:
EXT. TEMPLE - DAY - PAST
He leads her back through the temple and into the courtyard; a courtyard that is now filled with the mounted soldiers she has worked with and helped train during her stay.
AENEAS (cont’d) These men are yours, Xena. Consider it a parting gift from an... admirer.
Xena looks at him distrustfully.
AENEAS (cont’d) I did tell you that if you helped me train them, they could be very valuable to you, did I not? Besides, I have no need for so many men crowding this temple. It rather guards itself, you see. Please, take them. They're yours now.
MEN Xena! Xena! Xena!
XENA I.... Thanks.
AENEAS My pleasure.... Oh, and before you leave, one more thing.
Reaching into the folds of his robe, he pulls out the chakram and holds it out to her.
AENEAS This is yours as well.
Xena's lips part, slightly, in shock.
XENA But....
AENEAS I told you it was a very special weapon, made for a very special warrior. You, Xena, are that warrior. Take it, with my compliments. Use it to do Ares proud.
Xena's eyes narrow. Aeneas laughs, delighted.
AENEAS (cont’d)
Ever the distrustful soul.
Slowly, she reaches out and grasps the chakram. He releases it, and she spends a moment just looking at. Then she peers at him over the rim. His eyes are laughing. Without a word, she turns away and hops aboard the horse that one of her new men is holding for her.
XENA Let's go.
Aeneas watches as the men form neat lines and follow their new commander out of the clearing. Behind him, the temple shimmers and glows, then disappears. As it does, his body also shivers and glows, and reverts to his true form.
ARES Until next time, Xena. Until next time.
FADE OUT. |
|||||
|
DISCLAIMER The canon of Xena saying "I used to wonder what you looked like" in The Reckoning was not harmed during the making of this motion picture. |
|||||
