8.11 The Beast Within


TEASER

FADE IN

On a bustling port. Xena, Gabrielle and Darion are walking through a crowd.

GABRIELLE (to Darion):
     So, it sounds like you had a pretty good time in Potidaea.

DARION (indifferently):
     It was okay. But I really missed you. (with emotion in his voice) I wasn't sure if you were going to come back or not.

GABRIELLE (obviously concerned but trying to sound cheerful):
     Darion--of course I was going to come back!

DARION (his mood shifts quickly to excitement):
     It's so great that we're traveling again! I loved it the last time we were on a ship! Where are we going again?

XENA:
     A place called Britannia. (her face darkens) Just want to check out some rumors that the Romans may be up to something over there.

DARION:
     Romans... (wistfully) It's too bad you went to Rome without me. I really liked it over there.

GABRIELLE (quickly):
     I don't think you would have liked it much this time around. (changes the subject) But before we get to Britannia, we have a stop on the way, on an island called Elis.

DARION:
     What's in Elis?

XENA (with a pleased smile):
     Some people who should be pretty happy to see us.

DARION:
     People are pretty happy to see you everywhere, aren't they?

GABRIELLE:
     Especially the people in Elis. Two summers ago, Xena freed them from a terrible monster.

XENA:
      We freed them from a terrible monster.

GABRIELLE (smiles self-deprecatingly):
     Yeah, you did the fighting and I gave some rousing speeches about freedom.

[FLASHBACK]

A dragon, with a lizard-like head, two bleeding stumps on both sides where two more heads clearly used to be, and huge webbed wings, emits a furious roar and flaps its wings as blood gushes from its neck.

The camera pans quickly down to a city square where a crowd has gathered. Two dead dragon heads are lying on the ground, with some curious people milling about them. Some people are looking up, others only sneaking occasional peeks. The camera zooms in on Gabrielle, who looks up.

GABRIELLE:
     Look! It's falling!

MAN #1:
     But they told us it's dangerous to look up!

GABRIELLE:
     You don't have to listen to them anymore! The dragon is dead! You're free!

People start to look up and gasp.

GABRIELLE:
     Get out of the way!

There are screams as people run to get out of the way of the falling monster. With an enormous thud, the dragon lands on the ground. A cloud of dust goes up, and then starts to settle as the noise of the fall slowly vibrates down to silence. People come closer again, staring at the fallen dragon. The camera zooms in on Gabrielle again.

GABRIELLE (worriedly):
     Xena?

The camera pans over to show Xena stepping from behind one of the dragon's wings, shaking herself off. Pan back to Gabrielle, who smiles in relief. A loud chorus of cheers goes up. There is a chant of "Xena! Xena! Xena!"

GABRIELLE (raises her fist):
     Freedom!

The chant turns to "Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!"

[END OF FLASHBACK]

Darion

DARION (excited):
     A monster? I want to hear this story!

GABRIELLE:
     Come on--I'll tell you later. Hurry up or we'll miss the ship!

DARION:
     So when do we get to Elis?

Their voices start to fade as they walk off into the distance.

GABRIELLE:
     In five days. And we stay there for two days, just like we did the first time on our way to the Norse Lands...

CUT TO

A montage:

* a ship traveling across the seas;
* Xena standing by the railing, looking out at the sea;
* Xena and Darion racing around the deck, with her playfully chasing him;
* a somewhat greenish-looking Gabrielle lying on her bunk in a cabin;
* Xena and Darion standing up on the deck, Xena pointing something out in the sky to Darion;
* Darion bringing a cup of water to Gabrielle;
* Xena standing on the deck and looking at an island visible in the distance;
* the ship pulling into the harbor.

CUT TO

Xena, Gabrielle and Darion walk down the street of a city. Everything has a gloomy look of poverty and fear. Guards in dark green leather armor are patrolling the streets, hands on clubs hanging at their belts, looking around at shabbily dressed men and women who cower in fear as they pass.

DARION (puzzled):
     This doesn't look like a very happy place...

GABRIELLE:
     Actually, this is pretty much how it looked last time...

DARION (to Xena):
     But you killed the monster!

XENA (thoughtfully):
     Maybe there's something else going on.

A commotion is heard around the corner--the sound of blows, the shouts of two male voices and the screams of a couple of higher-pitched voices.

Xena and Gabrielle exchange worried looks.

CUT TO

Around the corner, in an empty side street, two guards in dark green leather are pummeling a boy and a girl who look about fourteen. A marble column with a bust on it is visible in the background.

Pan to Xena, who peers around the corner, then charges forward silently, grabs the guards by the scruff of their necks and slams their heads against each other, knocking them out. They collapse.

Gabrielle and Darion come around the corner.

DARION (seeing the guards lying on the ground, looks disappointed):
     Wow--I missed everything... (to Gabrielle) She works too fast.

GABRIELLE (amused):
     She does sometimes.

XENA (to the boy and girl, who are trying to regain their bearings):
     I don't care what you kids did, they had no business doing that. (pauses) So, what did you do?

The boy and the girl stare at her in awe and whisper to each other. The girl points at the chakram on Xena's hip.

BOY:
     You...you're the Dragon-slayer.

XENA:
     Well, the last guy I knew who went by that title was a weirdo with an eyepatch who lived in a house covered with scales. But I guess I'll take it as a compliment.

GIRL:
     This is the crime we committed. (she turns and points to the column) Trying to tell the truth about you.

The camera zooms in on the column and on a charcoal drawing on the marble. It's a crude drawing of Xena's chakram.

XENA (shocked):
     What?

The camera pulls up higher to show an inscription on the column.

GABRIELLE (reads):
     Hail, King Orantes, Dragon-slayer...

XENA (repeats in disbelief):
     King Orantes, Dragon-Slayer?

Gabrielle and Xena

Xena and Gabrielle exchange shocked looks as we:

FADE OUT

END OF TEASER