Act 2
Scene 2
(The curtain opens and &Yaren is sitting on his throne. There is yelling coming from offstage left. All of the sudden knights burst onto stage left. Sir William, Albert, and Aurora are in front.)
Aurora: Where is Hyra?
Yaren: Who?
Albert: Your witch who murdered my son and imprisoned me!
Yaren: You wish to destroy my daughter?
Aurora: And you!
Yaren: Oh, really? (Yaren stands up and guards come out onto stage right with spears. They make a barrier between the knights and Yaren.) I dare you to try. (Aurora, Sir William, Albert, the knights, and guards start fighting. Some of the knights are wounded in the end and all of the guards are dead. Everyone but Yaren and Aurora are on stage left. Aurora charges at Yaren with her sword.)
Aurora: WHERE IS HYRA? (Just before Aurora is about to kill Yaren, Hyra jumps down from the ceiling, yelling. She kicks Aurora to center stage. A spear flies into her hands as she jumps and lands kneeling next to Aurora with the spear at her throat. Hyra tisks.)
Hyra: Princess Aurora. You are a leader. Leaders are supposed to be wise. And here, you escape and try to get revenge on me? I thought that you would learn your lesson after what happened to Durum.
Aurora: I am a slow learner.
Hyra: And obviously, you have no common sense either. (Suddenly Hyra's face changes to a look of horror. She drops the spear and backs away to stage right. The Wizard and Little Wiz walk up behind her. An echoing scream is heard by the audience but is inaudible to everyone in the cast except for Hyra. Then there is an echoing voice of a young girl.)
Voice: Mother! Please don't be dead! Mother! Mother! Guards! After that man in the black cape! Hurry! Don't let that wizard get away! He killed my mother with a spell! (Aurora gets up and stands next to Sir William. Hyra turns around to find the Wizard and Little Wiz. The Wizard is wearing a black cloak.)
Hyra: You did it.
Wizard: Did what?
Hyra: You killed my mother so you could get to me.
Wizard: Wha-
Hyra: I searched for the killer for days and eventually took you as my apprentice. The whole time I was staring at the person I hated most! The person who killed my MOTHER!
Wizard: Yes! I did it! I admit it! I killed your mother because she refused to teach me more than I already knew! She sensed my evil, but you did not! I knew the only way that I could use you as my teacher was to get to you by killing your mother!
Hyra: You will pay!
Wizard: You want to fight? That is perfectly fine with me!
(The Wizard pushes Little Wiz out of the way and makes magic movements and reaches up towards the ceiling. A column of green light engulfs her and she morphs into a preying mentis-like creature that is ten feet tall. It has small eyes and huge fangs. It lets out a hiss as it rears up on its hind legs and slams it spike-like feet into the ground. Hyra makes magic movements with her hands, kneels down and hits the floor with her hand. A dome of fire surrounds her as she morphs into a tiger-like creature that is twelve feet tall and stands on hits hind legs with pointed ears, spikes on its back, a long black mane, and claws one foot long. It strikes the ground with its claws and roars. Haunting music: ending of #4- "Lord of the Rings". As the creatures are fighting, everyone moves upstage. Yaren stays on his throne. The Wizard tries to impale Hyra as Hyra tries to slash and bite the Wizard. Eventually, Hyra jumps onto the Wizard's back and starts biting. The Wizard screams as Hyra sinks her teeth into the Wizard's neck. The Wizard collapses onto her back as Hyra jumps off. The Wizard changes back into her human form. Hyra growls fiercely as she stands over the Wizard on all fours on center stage.)
Wizard: You know that you cannot kill me. For if you do, my power will still reach you and you will be destroyed. (Hyra stands on her hind legs and changes back to her original form.)
Hyra: It is a good thing that you never learned this spell.
Wizard: What spell? (Hyra puts her hand over the Wizard's mouth and suddenly the Wizard screams. Hyra slowly lifts here hand up and green smoke in rushing out of the Wizard's mouth and into Hyra's hand. When there is no more smoke, the Wizard stands up with a look of confusion on her face.) What did you do?
Hyra: Use your magic on me and you will find out.
Wizard: Then you will assimilate the flame! (The Wizard thrusts her hands out at Hyra, but nothing happens. She tries several times until she looks at her hands and backs away to stage right. Hyra smiles as she changes back into the beast. She lunges at the Wizard and knocks her offstage. Offstage, you hear screaming, tearing, and growling. Eventually the screaming dies down as the Wizard dies. It is silent. Hyra walks back on stage as a beast with blood dripping from her fangs. She changes back into her human self. She turns to Little Wiz and pulls out her knife. Hyra charges at Little Wiz, but Aurora pushes her back to center stage.)
Aurora: Stop! He is just a child! What did he ever do to you?
Hyra: He was the apprentice of my mother's killer! (Aurora moves to center stage.) You are a very foolish girl. After what I did to my apprentice, you still do not yield?
Aurora: I never will! You cannot scare me no matter what happens!
Hyra: You are the most fearless warrior I have ever known. You are very bold. But still not very bright. You can never see that you will always lose if you are my enemy. You endanger everyone's lives if you are an enemy of mine. So why won't you be an ally?
Aurora: Never!
Hyra: Then you leave me no choice! (Hyra is about to throw the knife at Aurora when Albert fires an arrow at Hyra. Hyra strikes it with her hand and it hits Aurora in the shoulder. Aurora screams as she falls back to upright stage. Hyra stands over Aurora with her knife raised.)
Albert: Please, do not kill her! She is all that I have left! I cannot bear to loose my daughter-in-law when I already lost my innocent son!
Hyra: He was hardly innocent!
Albert: What did he ever do to you?
Yaren: Kill her NOW! (Hyra suddenly stands still and drops the knife. Mystical music starts. Suggestion: use #16 from "The Lord of the Rings" soundtrack. She closes her eyes and has a look of pain. She grabs her face as if she were about to take off the mask. Then there is a pleading voice of a young girl that is inaudible to all of the characrters except Hyra.)
Voice: Please! Nooo! I can bear no more! Take me back to my father! Father? Father! Save me! Help! Make them stop! Help me! (Then there is Yaren's voice.)
Yaren: No, daughter. I will not. This is for my own good. I need the throne. Your new form will be my key.
Voice: WHAT? Please do not let them do this to me! Where are you going? I will kill you! No, please! Anything but that! Get the knife away! Noo! NOOOOOO! (Screams of pain are heard for a few seconds until it dies away. Then Durum's voice is heard.)
Durum: Go back to your father's demon shadow…demon shadow…demon shadow…demon shadow. (It is completely silent when Hyra slowly looks up. A look of shock is written on her face.)
Yaren: Hyra? Hyra, are you all right? What is going on with you? Kill Aurora NOW!
Hyra: He was right.
Yaren: What did you say? (A look of hatred comes over Hyra's face. She turns to Yaren. Aurora stands next to Albert.)
Hyra: You.
Yaren: Huh?
Hyra: You demon! You leader of darkness and EVIL! YOU did this to me! (Hyra points to her face.)
Yaren: Come to your senses! Why would I do that to you? You are my daughter! I did not do it! Durum and Albert did!
Hyra: Don't lie to me! I have had ENOUGH of your EVIL lies! You have lied to me for five years! (Hyra starts to advance up the steps of Yaren's throne.) Lying to me saying that Durum and Albert tortured my once-beautiful face! Lying to me saying that I had to seek vengeance for you and ME! When the entire time you were using me to get revenge on your brother, Albert because he was king and you were not! You used me as a pawn to get to your brother and nephew! My mother, Socranna, was the only one who could keep me from betraying family no matter what they did! She was also the only one who could keep me from coming to harm! That is why you hired the Wizard to KILL her! JUST SO YOU COULD GET TO ME, SO YOU COULD GET TO DURUM AND ALBERT, SO YOU COULD BECOME KING YAREN OF BRIOR OAK! IT WAS ALL YOUR PLAN TO HAVE YOUR WIFE KILLED, MUTILATE YOUR DAUGHTER, KILL DURUM, AND NOW YOU WANT THE DEATHS OF YOUR NEICE-IN-LAW AND YOUR OWN BLOOD BROTHER!!! (Hyra punches Yaren off the throne. He lands beside the rack of weapons. He grabs a sword and rolls to center stage. He gets up and faces Hyra with fear in his eyes. Hyra pulls a sword out of the rack and holds onto it with both hands and positions the sword's flat in front of her face. She slowly advances on Yaren.)
Yaren: For five years, you knowing was my greatest fear. My brother's words brought your memories back.
Hyra: No, your brother's words did not bring my memories back. My mother did! (War music starts. Suggestion: still #16 from "The Lord of the Rings." Yaren and Hyra start dueling. Eventually Hyra uses her magic and another sword flies into her hand.) This is for me! (Hyra stabs Yaren in the stomach with one of her swords. Sad music starts- end of #16 from "Lord of the Rings." Hyra stops for a moment. She is still filled with hatred toward her father for all of the terrible things he had done, but is filled with a little bit of shock and grief because after all, she just stabbed her dad. Yaren sinks to his knees in weakness.)
Yaren: Hyra, please. Help…. me. Save me. I know you can. Please…have mercy. Save…me, Daughter. Save me. (Hyra's mind switches back to hate.)
Hyra: Do not blame me, Father. It is your fault that your death was today. You made me kill you. After all, did you save me? Or your wife? (Hyra holds the swords in dagger form.) This is for Socranna! (She sinks both swords into Yaren's chest. Yaren falls to the ground in death. Hyra picks up the dagger.) And this is for Durum! (She sinks the dagger into Yaren's stomach. She stabs him two more times until she stops and stands up. She is half filled with hate and half filled with shock. Everyone is in total shock of what just happened. Then a look of sadness comes to her face as she closes her eyes. Then voices are heard inaudible to all of the characters except Hyra. It is Durum, Hyra, and Aurora.)
Durum: Go back to your father's demon shadow from whence you came!
Hyra: You first.
Aurora: Nooooooo! Nooo! Nooooooo! Durum! Durum! Come back! Please! Durum! Durum! Nooooooo! (Hyra opens her eyes and looks at Aurora and Albert.)
Hyra: I have to do it. Knights! Make Little Wiz the head servant of Brior Oak! (Hyra snaps her fingers and points at Little Wiz.)
Little Wiz: You are not going to kill me? That is so good! Thank you! (The knights run to offstage right with Little Wiz.) I can talk! I can talk! YES!
Hyra: Sir William. (Hyra puts her hand on Sir William's shoulder.) Go and get Queen Victoria and King Stephan. Tell them everything. Bring them here in the throne room. Hurry! (Sir William looks at Hyra in confusion before he exits through stage left.) Aurora and King Albert, follow me. (Hyra hangs her left hand over Aurora's shoulder. She pulls the arrow out of Aurora's shoulder with her right hand. Hyra, Aurora, and King Albert exit through stage left as the lights dim and go out.)
