FADE IN The same scene as before. MAN IN BLACK (proudly): XENA: KORAX (spits out the name as if it were an insult): GABRIELLE (concerned): The tall middle-aged woman next to Korax, probably his wife, speaks up. WOMAN: XENA (frowns): WOMAN: XENA: KORAX (contemptuously): XENA: WOMAN: KORAX: GABRIELLE (shakes her head in disgust): KORAX: XENA: KORAX (nods toward the city in the distance): GABRIELLE (smiling): KORAX (scowls at Xena): XENA: KORAX (softens a little): Xena nods thoughtfully. She and Gabrielle look on as the refugees continue on their way. GABRIELLE: XENA: GABRIELLE: Xena gives her a pensive look, then turns Argo off the road with Gabrielle following her, and stops under the trees. XENA: With a flash of blue light the God of War appears. ARES (trying to act casual): Xena and Gabrielle both stare at him for a second. XENA: ARES: XENA (tersely): ARES (sighs): Xena gives him the look. ARES: GABRIELLE: Ares turns to Gabrielle. ARES (shrugs): GABRIELLE: ARES: XENA (raising an eyebrow): ARES: XENA: ARES (sighs): XENA: ARES: He disappears. Gabrielle gives Xena a puzzled look. GABRIELLE: XENA (puzzled): CUT TO Xena and Gabrielle are walking through the streets in Pelius; it's late afternoon. The city looks prosperous, with well-tended gardens in front of stone houses. The smaller wooden houses look neat and well-tended. Sounds of a scuffle--blows, grunts, shouts--are heard off-camera. FEMALE VOICE (off-camera): Xena and Gabrielle exchange a quick look and race around the corner where the noise is coming from. They see a man, who seems to be in his forties, being beaten by five other men outside a modest wooden house. His face is already bruised and bloodied. A woman tries to stop the attackers; one of them shoves her away and she falls to the ground. Xena heads toward them, Gabrielle following close behind. One of the thugs punches the man in the stomach; the man cries out. THUG #1 (laughing): XENA (off-camera): GABRIELLE (twirling her sais): The thugs let go of the man and turn toward Xena and Gabrielle, drawing clubs. XENA (yells): She launches herself forward, legs forward, and kicks the two thugs in front of her to the ground. She lands directly on top of them, one under each foot, as they groan. The camera pulls back as Gabrielle twirls her sais to deflect the club wielded by one of the thugs as he throws himself forward. Giving him a swift knee to the gut, she throws him aside. Another thug swings his club at her and she swiftly ducks and then spins her foot around to trip him. The camera pulls in as he starts to rise and Gabrielle raises one of her sais. GABRIELLE (angrily): Gabrielle releases her arm knocking him out with the butt of the sai. The camera pans back to Xena as she advances on the one thug still standing. XENA: He raises his club, then looks hesitantly at his comrades--one unconscious, three rising to their feet groaning--and lowers it again. XENA (grins): The man turns and runs; the other three who are conscious scramble away as well. Xena walks over to the man and woman who were being attacked. WOMAN: XENA: MAN: CUT TO Inside the modestly decorated house. The man, Straton, sits at the table; his wife, Melaina, is tending to his cuts. Xena and Gabrielle are sitting at the table as well, goblets in front of them; a boy about ten brings up a basin of water while a girl of about seven looks on. XENA: MELAINA (cleaning a cut on Straton's face): STRATON (winces): Melaina starts to wrap a bandage around his arm. XENA: BOY (excitedly): Straton hesitates. GABRIELLE: STRATON (winces a little as Melaina bandages his arm): Xena shakes her head. XENA: Gabrielle elbows Xena; Xena turns, giving her a "what was that for?" look. Melaina finishes bandaging Straton's arm and turns to Xena and Gabrielle. MELAINA: GABRIELLE: MELAINA (interrupts): Xena turns to the two children, who are upset but trying to look brave. XENA (reassuring): GIRL (defiantly): GABRIELLE: XENA: CUT TO Aprhodite's temple. It is now empty and stripped of all its riches; there is only debris left. The double doors are wide open, one door hanging off a hinge. Xena and Gabrielle come in and stop, looking around them in horror and disgust. GABRIELLE (picks up pieces of a broken vase): XENA: GABRIELLE: XENA: GABRIELLE (dropping the jar pieces): XENA: CUT TO The city square. A crowd is gathered in front of a platform guarded by soldiers, on which Paeonis sits on a throne. On the same platform are statues of gods: Zeus, Ares, Hera, and Aphrodite. The royal palace is behind the platform. A middle-aged man who looks like a former soldier is led up on the platform by soldiers and prodded toward the statue of Ares. He looks like he doesn't wants to be up there. As the man stands still, shuffling his feet, Paeonis frowns impatiently. PAEONIS: MIDDLE-AGED MAN (not too convincingly): PAEONIS: MIDDLE-AGED MAN (putting on an act): He hesitates, takes a deep breath, and finally spits on the statue of Ares, then glances fearfully at Paeonis. Paeonis gives a slight wave of the hand, his expression saying "that'll do." The man comes down from the platform; a woman in her thirties comes up the steps. WOMAN (yells at the statues): Some of the people in the crowd cheer. The woman reaches into her pocket, pulls out an egg and throws it at the statue of Hera, hitting it in the face. There is scattered laughter in the crowd as the woman looks ingratiatingly at Paeonis. PAEONIS (nods his head in approval): As the woman steps down, one of the priestesses of Aphrodite whom we saw in the teaser, a beautiful blonde haired woman in a pink gown, is led up the podium by two soldiers. They push her toward the statue of Aphrodite. Her eyes are filled with tears. SOLDIER #1: PRIESTESS (sobbing): The guard shoves her and she falls to the ground. Paeonis gets up from his throne, walks up to her and squats down next to her. PAEONIS (in a gentle, almost comforting tone): The young woman looks up at him through tears, her blonde hair hanging down. PRIESTESS (tearfully): PAEONIS (thinks a moment): The young woman gives him an uncomprehending look. PAEONIS (smiles contemptuously): He gets up, pulling the priestess to her feet. She gingerly approaches the statue of Aphrodite while Paeonis stares intensely at the statue. As the priestess bends down toward the statue's hand, the hand suddenly moves. There are gasps in the crowd as the statue grabs the priestess by the throat. A close-up on the priestess's terrified face as she struggles for breath, trying in vain to loosen the marble hand's grip on her throat. PAEONIS (smiles cruelly): The young woman struggles for breath. Paeonis continues to stare at the statue and its grip on the priestess's throat unclenches, letting the woman fall to the floor. She coughs, clutching at her throat. Paeonis squats at her side again and strokes her hair almost seductively. PAEONIS (smiles): PRIESTESS (mutters through tears): PAEONIS (shakes his head as his fingers in her hair tighten): The priestess cries harder, then looks up at the statue. PRIESTESS (crying): PAEONIS (harshly): PRIESTESS (screams): Paeonis smiles approvingly and gets up, letting go of her hair as she sobs. OLD MAN (off-camera): There are gasps in the crowd. The camera pans to a man in his sixties who looks nervous and angry at the same time. PAEONIS (eyes him scornfully): The man looks at him, shaking in terror. PAEONIS (chuckles): The man is dragged away and the priestess of Aphrodite, still sobbing, stumbles off the platform. Paeonis looks at the crowd, obviously satisfied. PAEONIS (smiles): XENA (off-screen): The camera pans around to show an angry Warrior Princess approaching the platform, looking up at Paeonis as we: FADE OUT END OF ACT ONE |