THE VALIANT

 by 

 Jack Bullions

 FADE IN:

 FROM THE BLACK

 The darkness gradually gives way to a light. A light from a 
 sourceless flame. MAIN TITLES ROLL over a series of medieval 
 WOODCUTS. SINISTER IMAGERY -- monsters, demons, dragons, 
 epic battles -- DISSOLVING into one another, then we...

 CUT TO:

 A BLIND AND FERAL WHITENESS

 ... glacial desert... howling winds... 

 We HEAR TINKLING CHIMES. With heavy CRUNCHING of SNOW, a 
 LONE FIGURE crests a snow dune. Its body adorned in lavish 
 vestments over a suit of steel armor.

 CLOSE-UP OF THE MAN, an Erudite to be exact, a black man, 
 late 40s, stature regal and proud. A facial scar runs up 
 along the left side of his cheek and just under the eye. 
 Meet INTE AKERA. He stops, and takes in the scenery.

 Behind him, a long train of SUPPLY MULES guided by his 
 COMPANIONS appear. A COMPANY OF SIX, in respective body 
 armor, all armed to the teeth, followed by a vanguard (twenty 
 in all) of sword-wielding Erudite PALADINS.

 TEARIS THEX, a High Elf Lord, leaves the group, and moves to 
 Inte's side. He, too, looks out with him. Keen eyes stare 
 at the encroaching terrain.

 TEARIS' POV: The frozen expanse of the Permafrost ice shelf. 
 A glare of WHITE LIGHT on the horizon edge. Tearis seems 
 lost at the beauty of the frozen world.

 INTE (V.O.)
 Ice Blink, the barbarians call it.

 Tearis snaps back to reality.

 INTE (CONT'D) 
 Light reflects from the ice shelf. It 
 appears no more than four miles away at 
 most, but its nearer forty than four. 
 The air of Permafrost can be very 
 deceptive.

 TEARIS
 In the years I have walked this earth, I 
 have never seen so much... white.

 Inte stares at his pale complexion, with a slight grin.

 ORION - the colorful Elven Bard - blows into a tiny ocarina, 
 and hums quietly as he glances at the two.

 ORION
 Ahh... danger lurks from every corner... 
 frightening, lurid notions can only be 
 thought as the Company marches to their 
 doom...

 GLONG - the veteran Dwarf, mass of muscle and brawn, grumbles 
 beside him.

 GLONG
 Change yer tunes, lad, or ye be findin 
 yer pipes from the bottom of the 
 Timorous!

 ORION
 I'll yank your white beard out by its 
 roots if you even try.

 Ahead of Inte, a large powerful man dressed in crude garments 
 made of animal hide, a BARBARIAN SCOUT, races up to the 
 company. Every inch of his face is covered with ritual 
 scarification patterns and tribal tattoos. He SHOUTS 
 something vigorously in his native tongue.

 BARBARIAN SCOUT
 (Barbaric language)
 "Kelas! Mer colek de Vukar!"

 The Barbarian Scout points away with his finger.

 Tearis narrows his eyes. Turns to one of their traveling 
 companions.

 TEARIS
 What did he say?

 He looks to --

 MARKUS - a robed-civilian, a wizard, lean, clutching an 
 ornate grimoire. 

 MARKUS
 He has found the necromancer's lair.

 The horses WHINNY, worried by something nearby. SHEET-
 LIGHTNING whites out the sky, clouds RUMBLE against the 
 earth. 

 Inte looks back at his troupe, motions them to continue on.

 AN ANGLE ABOVE, LOOKING DOWN. The company trek purposefully 
 up the snowy wasteland. Something dark prowls past IMMEDIATE 
 FOREGROUND. GROWLS inhumanely...

 EXT. CREVICE APPROACH - DAY

 The horses BUCK and REAR as they climb a hill.

 ERUDITE PALADIN #1
 Quellious have mercy!

 THEIR P.O.V. A PAIR OF GROTESQUE STONE EFFIGIES dominate the 
 top of the hill, towering over the company. Human-shaped, 30 
 feet tall. Each face carved with CONTORTED expressions of 
 pain and terror.

 INTE
 (solemnly)
 I have seen this before.

 TEARIS
 Where?

 MARKUS
 In the darkest chasms of our dreams 
 perhaps...

 INTE
 Paineel, city of heretics.

 MARKUS
 They are one and the same.

 As the troupe continue forward, we CRANE UP BEHIND THEM. 
 Half a mile away, the peaks of Everfrost mountains looms 
 ominously. Dark THUNDER CLOUDS roll supernaturally across 
 the sky.

 EXT. MOUTH ENTRANCE - MIRAGUL'S LAIR - DAY

 Near the base of the mountain range --

 The horses stop abruptly, nervous, before a rocky crevice in
 the hard-pack ice. None of the animals dare to move any 
 closer.

 Inte leaves the group, unsheathes a plain-looking sword from 
 his belt. As he does --

 IT TRANSFORMS -- Morphing into the exact duplicate of the 
 golden sword which we recognize from the Everquest world. 
 Awe and astonishment flash across the Erudite Paladins' 
 faces.

 INTE
 When I destroy Miragul with this blade, 
 it will be the last time the sword will 
 ever be drawn by this hand.

 The Companions stare covetously at the weapon.

 GLONG
 The Fiery Avenger...

 TEARIS
 Sacrosanct. It is said the sword was 
 forged during the Age of Blood... 
 tempered by the tears of all races.

 MARKUS
 ... And also from the steel which 
 arrived from the hands of a God?

 Inte shrugs, perhaps a little annoyed.

 INTE
 The origins are unimportant. Only its 
 power counts this day. Orion, tether 
 the animals.

 The mountain rises above, a portent of doom. Lightning 
 FLARES as Inte drops into the crevice. 

 CUT TO:

 INT. ICE CAVERN - MIRAGUL'S LAIR - DAY

 Boots ECHO on stone as the group enters the cavern.

 Dark in here, except where the sunlight penetrates the thick, 
 glassy ice walls. The silhouettes of the Erudites stark 
 against the glistening cavern. 

 They look down into the long corridor that drives upwards 
 into the darkness beyond.

 MARKUS
 A light is in order perhaps?

 Inte raises the Fiery Avenger before them, then a BRILLIANT 
 FLARE erupts along the length of the blade, illuminating 
 their stunned faces.

 The Barbarian Scout strikes a flint, and his TORCH CATCHES 
 FIRE. Inte leads them in.

 INT. ENTRANCE - MIRAGUL'S LAIR - EVENING

 The Fiery Avenger comes through first, then Inte. This deep 
 in, the air is warmer, and water PLINK-PLONKS from the dank 
 archways all around. 

 More STONE EFFIGIES of tortured expressions, spaced in a 
 semi-circle, stand before them, arms-stretched, as if 
 welcoming them. Behind, a wide staircase spirals into 
 darkness above.

 The FAINT STRAINS of a CHANT -- like SOLEMN BENDICTINE -- 
 intrude.

 TEARIS
 You hear...?

 MARKUS
 Yes. Master Akera?

 Inte moves around the room. The saffron glow from the Fiery 
 Avenger highlights diabolic imagery and hieroglyphics on the 
 walls and statues. The Barbarian Scout recoils in shock.

 BARBARIAN SCOUT
 (Barbaric language)
 "De Halas..."

 He turns to Markus, mutters a few words we can't quite hear. 
 Tearis moves to an effigy, stares, scrutinizing the SYMBOLS.

 TEARIS
 The accursed language of the Teir'Dal.

 INTE
 Neriak. Seven years past. I tracked 
 Miragul to the Dark Elven city.
 (beat, listening to the chant)
 Evil is at hand...

 ORION
 Is it true you were there to witness the 
 pact between Miragul and the God of Hate 
 himself?

 INTE
 Yes. We share a gift, to move freely 
 between the planes. In exchange for his 
 services, Innoruuk made his body and 
 soul immortal, as Quellious did for me.

 Tearis notices a hint of scorn in the voice. Inte moves 
 around the statue.

 INTE (CONT'D.)
 It was in Hate we last fought. Innoruuk 
 intervened, and in the confusion, I lost 
 track of him. Time and time again, he 
 runs from me. No more. Tonight, I will 
 finish this.

 TEARIS
 All of us, Inte. We will finish this
 together. The scars of Innoruuk run 
 deep into our world. It was he who 
 divided my people...

 GLONG
 And brought ruins to the Butcherblock 
 Clans! Enough talk! Our journey has 
 gone on for ages and me axe be ever 
 ready to split this dog in two!

 Inte nods, looks over his shoulder, sees Markus and the 
 Barbarian Scout whispering to each other.

 INTE
 Markus.

 Markus nods to the Barbarian Scout, moves to Inte and Reklon.

 MARKUS
 Our scout proclaims this is as far as he 
 will take us.

 INTE
 (nodding)
 Fine. Pay him the rest and we will be 
 off. How much time?

 Markus opens up his grimoire, releasing --

 A BURST OF LIGHT -- and an illusion of an orrery -- a 
 mechanical device that shows the motion of the planets around 
 their suns -- appears. All eyes are intent on a BRILLIANT 
 SMALL BALL OF ICE, the comet, moving gradually across space.

 MARKUS
 A matter of minutes. 

 INTE
 The timing must be precise. When he 
 opens the portal to Hate, we attack, and 
 redirect the gateway. His fate will be 
 sealed.

 A VERTICLE ANGLE ON INTE, HIGH ABOVE. The CHANT stops. 
 Eerie SILENCE. We HEAR a STEADY THUMP... THUMP. The Erudite 
 Paladins draw their swords as one, turn to the staircase, 
 just as --

 Something PUNCHES THROUGH the darkness, BOUNCES down the 
 steps. It comes to a halt at the Barbarian's feet... a dyed-
 red leather ball. He bends --

 INTE
 STOP!

 Too late. The Barbarian picks it up. There is a MEDIEVAL 
 GRINNING SUN embroidered in gold filigree on one side. The 
 Erudite Paladins look at him. He turns it to see the other 
 side --

 SIZZLES and MELTS, maggots and yellow bile pouring forth into 
 his hand. It multiplies exponentially, spilling up along his 
 arm in a second like a cancer. He turns, SCREAMING to the 
 others --

 TEARIS
 Back... stay back!

 The Barbarian lurches for them, his entire body consumed now. 
 He stumbles, falls to the floor, EXPLODING into a mass of 
 scarab beetles that scurry past their feet for the corners of 
 the room. Markus slams shut the book, his mouth agape.

 CACKLING from above. The company look up to see a SMALL RED
 GARGOYLE duck back over a high balcony.

 ORION
 Up there... we must go.

 INT. SPIRAL STAIRWAY - MIRAGUL'S LAIR - EVENING

 Winds MOAN. The company cautiously ascend the stairway, 
 sword and shields in ready. Orion peeks over the stair 
 edge... a straight drop, a couple of hundred feet... Orion 
 shudders as does many of the Paladins.

 Inte looks over to Tearis.

 INTE
 You told me you have a daughter.

 TEARIS
 Yes, Firiona.

 INTE
 Tell me about her.

 A moment of silence as the continue their climb.

 TIGHT ON TEARIS -- trying to remember. We accelerate 
 forward, racing past the cold blue of his iris and plunging 
 deep within the dark well of his pupil...

 CUT FLASH -- A MEMORY. A tiny girl, FIRIONA, looking up at 
 us. 

 TEARIS (V.O.)
 She was... only a baby when I left her. 
 She has blue eyes, and golden hair...

 SMASH CUT TO:

 BACK TO REALITY

 Tearis looks back at Inte.

 TEARIS
 ... Beautiful, just like her mother. 
 She should be...

 Tearis holds out his hand and indicates a very short height. 
 Some confusion. He raises his hand slightly higher, then 
 lower. He clenches his fist, and remains silent.

 INT. CORRIDOR - MIRAGUL'S LAIR - EVENING

 At the corridor's end are massive charred iron doors, 16 feet 
 tall. A pair of drop-dead gorgeous curvy DARK ELF WOMEN in 
 white robes stand before them, staring enigmatically with red 
 eyes. The smoke wreathing them SWIRLS back through the doors 
 like REVERSE TIME-LAPSE.

 Inte raises his sword. The two women EXPLODE into clouds, 
 and vanish with the smoke. The company follows into --

 INT. MIRAGUL'S LAIR - EVENING

 A LOW ANGLE, orbiting a strange inverted "lightning rod" 
 suspended dead center in the circular chamber. SEVEN 
 LORESTONES, large magical crystals suspended in air, surround 
 the chamber, with crackling energy ARCING towards the rod. 
 At the mountain peak above, through the glass skylight, 
 turbulent clouds simmer menacingly. 

 Sculptured ceiling "ribs" curve outwards, forming cabalistic 
 pillars lining the room, MALEFIC CHANTING O.S. 

 A wick is lit by one of several CLOAKED HERETICS milling 
 around the room. An ANCIENT NECRONOMICON with a sculpted 
 cover rests open on a wooden podium. The LEAD HERETIC waves 
 WITHERED, CLAWED HANDS over the pages, which look remarkably 
 like parchment human skin.

 LEAD HERETIC
 "In Poltis, requiem... Omenae..."

 A HIGH ROTATING ANGLE, away from the Lead Heretic to the 
 ancient stone floor -- a mosaic of demonic depictions 
 surrounding a single ARCANE RUNE. As we CIRCLE OVER the 
 floor, we see the images one after another: An image of a 
 goat-man attacking an Elven Women. Another with a dwarf, 
 grasping at gems. His eyes are rolled up in their sockets. 
 His face does not show glee, but one of madness. And more, 
 sacrifice, murder, so on --

 Inte and his group slide through the doors, into the chamber. 
 They approach towards the center. The air shimmers, as if 
 they've passed through an invisible field of some kind.

 The Heretics stop, all stare at the intruders.

 TEARIS
 The necromancer.

 At the opposite end of the chamber -- above a raised dais 
 surrounded by hundreds of candles, about 5 feet off the 
 ground -- floats a MAN. Crunched into a fetal position, he 
 is naked. Tautly muscled. Horrifying enough, he has no 
 skin. Just tightly packed flesh and sinews over his frame.

 INTE
 Miragul... betrayer of Erudin.

 THE DOORS SLAM SHUT behind them, the candle lights 
 extinguishing. The chamber becoming wreathed in the darkest 
 shadows imaginable. The rod apparatus itself throws dancing 
 shadows on the faces of the Company. A woman's laughter, 
 perhaps from one of the women we saw at the doors, ECHOES 
 icily, O.S.

 MARKUS
 Time is short.

 INTE
 Prepare your spell, Markus. Draw the 
 comet. We will protect you.

 Markus nods, opens up his grimoire once more. He starts to 
 recite an INCANTATION. His finger traces arcane runes on the 
 page. 

 Tearis draws his Elvish longsword from his belt, points at 
 the heretics.

 TEARIS
 Yield the necromancer to us!

 ON MIRAGUL as he uncoils himself. His eyes SNAP OPEN 
 instantly, unleashing a BELLOW OF RAGE. The eyes burn with 
 intense GREEN FIRE.

 Inte leads his company for the challenge, holds the Fiery 
 Avenger steady. Then, the attack --

 Behind Inte, DARK GRASPING CLAWS shoot down from above 
 towards the Erudite Paladins. The Erudite Paladins break, 
 but not before ERUDITE PALADIN #3 is hauled SCREAMING upward.

 The Heretics throw back their cowls TO REVEAL: FORSAKEN 
 REVENANTS, creatures with oily skin, long slick hair, large 
 black eyes. Fangs, CLAWS. 

 The hands of Miragul FLARE LIKE XENON, charging up with 
 magical energy. He unleashes twin BRIGHT BEAMS with his 
 fists at the company.

 INTE
 Paladins! Link shields!

 Moving speed personified, the Erudite Paladins reassemble in 
 front of the company into a line, bringing their golden 
 shields around. They form A WALL OF STEEL. 

 The beams COLLIDE dead-on, and explode into a BILLION LIGHT 
 PARTICLES. The Erudite Paladins are untouched. That same 
 instant, the disemboweled corpse falls in front of them. 
 Erudite Paladin #3 drops out of the shadows with a meaty 
 THUMP.

 The Revenants SCREECH, charge like frenzied animals. They 
 SLAM into the Erudite Paladins at full speed.

 Battle unfolds in the darkness. SCREAMS human and inhuman.

 The Companions slash ruthlessly with their weapons -- slicing 
 a path of sheer destruction throough the Revenants towards 
 Miragul -- but the Revenants fight with equal brutality -- 
 they pull and SLASH with their claws.

 Inte's eyes burn with a zealous fire as he fights. He swings 
 his sword with expert efficiency, spinning, cleaving 
 Revenants in two. 

 All this while, Markus is working on his incantation. 

 MARKUS
 "To-ar... meloKos... Numara..."

 The clouds above the chamber spiral VIOLENTLY, RUMBLING 
 LOUDER. Then --

 Something lands nearby Markus, one of the Dark Elven women, 
 on all fours like some predatory animal. Her face morphs 
 into a preternatural snarl. Her canines extend, tapering to 
 razor-sharp points. Her tongue flicks, lizard-like as 
 fingernails sharpen into claws. Her eyes BLEED RED, pupils 
 oscillating hypnotically. A VAMPIRE.

 Markus notices, backpedals, but continues his incantation. 
 What a brave soul. Inte spins to him just as the vampire 
 prepares to leap on her feast and --

 INTE
 Be gone, foul spawn!

 SWINGS his sword in a fiery arc -- A SPEAR OF FLAME erupts 
 from the tip -- PUNCHING straight through the vampire's body 
 like some javelin. The vampire is thrown off her feet, 
 SMASHES into the wall from the force.

 Markus nods a nervous thanks, continues his reading.

 Tearis and TWO ERUDITE PALADINS break from battle, charge 
 Miragul at the dais. Several FLESHY TENTACLES explode from 
 Miragul's body. The fleshy mass IMPALES the two Erudite 
 Paladins through the armor like beef on skewers. Tearis 
 raises his shield in time, but the impact sends him 
 sprawling...

 The tentacles retract. The Erudite Paladins drop dead to the 
 floor. 

 ORION lunges with his sword, but Miragul shoots out his arm, 
 palming his face with his hand. 

 Fingers tighten. Skin SIZZLES from under. Orion SCREAMS as 
 his body shrivel to a desiccated husk under the steel armor. 

 Tearis looks horrified. Miragul tosses the body aside, steps 
 toward him. Another pseudopod hurtles for Reklon, who cries 
 out -- 

 But suddenly Inte is there, parries with his blade. The 
 tentacle hits the holy sword and RIVES into ice, showering 
 the chamber floor.

 INTE
 Markus!

 ON MARKUS

 his face sweats profusely as the incantation rises to a 
 fever-pitch.

 EXT. DEEP SPACE

 The blue planet of Norrath is in view. The ice comet fills 
 the screen.

 INT. MIRAGUL'S LAIR - EVENING

 Inte lunges for Miragul, slashing aside the tentacles, and --

 slams forward with incredible strength, driving the Fiery 
 Avenger into Miragul's chest... but only half way. Miragul 
 ROARS in pain, WHIPS OUT his arms with superhuman force, 
 knocking Inte away.

 The surviving Erudite Paladins finish their grisly battle 
 look up to watch --

 Inte jumps back on Miragul. He grasps the hilt of the Fiery 
 Avenger and drives it clear through the heart and spine of 
 Miragul, twisting it. Miragul SHRIEKS like some feral animal 
 -- 

 Then drops to his knees, falls back lifeless. The blade at 
 the other end keeps him from falling flat on his back. That 
 same instant, the shadows of the room seem to alter... flow. 
 A moving liquid mass from every corner that pours towards the 
 fallen necromancer, entering the corpse's mouth and nostrils. 
 The chamber brightens, until --

 There are no more shadows in the room. A BEAT, then --

 Inte looks away to --

 THE LORESTONES. Disturbingly, the crystals begin MOVING ON 
 THEIR OWN VOLITION... spinning in a frenzy, floating higher 
 and higher. The Paladins register surprise and trepidation 
 as the energy arcs ACCELERATE and ACCELERATE around the rod 
 and --

 EXT. MOUNTAIN PEAK - NIGHT

 The heavens are RENT ASUNDER by a MIGHTY CRACK, a bolt of 
 LIGHTNING SLASHING DOWN to COURSE through the skylight, and -
 -

 INT. MIRAGUL'S LAIR - NIGHT

 TRANSFORMS from the rod-tip into SEARING POINTS OF ENERGY 
 that shoot down into the symbols of the floor, and race 
 around the carved gullies like a circuit board ELECTRON 
 DANCE. Completed, blinding light SHOOT UP from the circle --

 DARK VOICE
 Foolish mortals... do not task me!

 INTE
 The portal to Hate is opening. Hurry, 
 Markus!