| TEASER |
FADE IN
Xena and Gabrielle are riding through the countryside--a hilly green valley with some sparse trees. The camera zooms in. They are talking, their conversation still inaudible, both of them looking happy and relaxed.
Suddenly Xena pulls Argo to a halt and stops and listens. Gabrielle stops as well.
XENA (whispering to Gabrielle):
You hear that?
GABRIELLE (frowns):
What?
A distant noise is heard; it sounds like screams.
Xena kicks the stirrups and rides forward.
XENA:
Yah!
Gabrielle rides fast behind her.
CUT TO
Xena and Gabrielle bring their horses to a halt on the top of a hill. Down below a village can be seen. People can be seen running around frantically; some houses are burning or smoldering.
GABRIELLE (sighing):
Another day in the life...
XENA (kicking the stirrups):
Yah!
Xena rides down the hill.
CUT TO
Xena and Gabrielle ride into the village to survey a scene of chaos. Many huts are caved in or seriously damaged; people are putting out fires; household utensils, bread loaves and fruit are scattered on the ground, as well as broken clay pots; many villagers look bruised and scratched.
MIDDLE-AGED MAN (standing near a collapsed hut):
I found her! She's here!
Several people rush toward him. Xena and Gabrielle dismount and join them as well. A faint cry of "Help!" is heard from under the wreck. The villagers start pushing the broken boards away, with Xena and Gabrielle helping them. Finally a young woman is pulled out from the rubble. She looks frightened and bruised.
MIDDLE-AGED MAN:
Thank the gods--you're all right!
XENA:
Is anyone badly hurt?
YOUNG MAN:
I don't think so.
Xena looks around.
XENA:
What happened here?
GABRIELLE (sadly):
Come on, Xena, do you really need to ask?
|
[FLASHBACK]
[END OF FLASHBACK] |
Close-up of the face of a terrified-looking old woman in the crowd of villagers.
OLD WOMAN:
It was a d-d-d-d-d-dog!
GABRIELLE (shocked):
I take that back. (shakes her head) A dog? Well, that's--original.
XENA (skeptical):
A dog. How big was this dog?
Gabrielle can't help but snicker, getting cold stares from the villagers.
GABRIELLE (holding back laughter):
I'm sorry, it's just... (she looks around, surveying the damage) ...it's hard to believe that a dog could do something like this.
FEMALE VILLAGER (shouting):
But it was huge!
All of the villagers start to nod, using their hands and arms to show how massive the dog was.
OLD WOMAN (piping in):
And don't forget the three heads!
All of the villagers nod and begin talking over each other.
XENA (frowns):
Three heads?
|
[FLASHBACK]
[END OF FLASHBACK] |
Xena and Gabrielle are staring at the villagers.
XENA (still skeptical):
So you're saying that a giant three-headed dog attacked your village...
All of the villagers nod and talk over each other again.
GABRIELLE:
Did it breathe fire?
MALE VILLAGER (laughs):
Really, now! That's quite an imagination you've got... (laughs again, shaking his head) Breathing fire...
The camera pulls back to show Xena smirking.
XENA (sarcastically):
Yeah--come on Gabrielle, breathing fire? Where do you come up with this stuff? (serious) All right now back to the three-headed dog.
MALE VILLAGER (oblivious to her sarcasm):
Well, you see, it was just this morning--everyone was going on with their daily business and all of a sudden this giant dog comes barging into the village--
OLD WOMAN (piping in):
I saw it, it was chasing a cat!
MALE VILLAGER:
It just plowed through everything in its path--even the houses! We had nothing to defend ourselves with! It was such a massive beast...
Xena and Gabrielle exchange puzzled looks.
GABRIELLE (quietly):
You really think this story is true?
VOICE (off-screen):
Yes, it is.
Xena whips around abruptly and draws her sword. At the point of her sword, there is a flash of orange light. Then, a black-clad figure materializes. The camera pulls back to show that it's Hades, God of the Underworld.
HADES (smiles thinly):
Hello, Xena.
XENA (narrows her eyes at him suspiciously):
Hades. I take it you have something to do with this?
Hades smiles a bit sheepishly as we:
FADE OUT
END OF TEASER