The Chronicles of Sir William
Ch 18
Part of Me
OPEN ON:
INT. CLAWTHORNE FAMILY HOME - NIGHT
Lilith is busy in her study, deciphering the images of the
counter-curse she has gathered. Hooty pops out of his bird-
house backpack to check on her progress.
HOOTY
Anything yet?
She paces over to a chalk-board and draws a complex
arrangement of glyphs.
LILITH
This is my tentative guess at the
glyph formula for the counter-curse.
(frustrated)
But the reference images we've
gathered are still too poor in
quality to know for sure if this is
it.
HOOTY
Well, that's progress at least!
LILITH
(pacing)
Yes, but where to go from here? It's
not as though the Observer is going
to show up on my doorstep to verify
my results.
Lilith stops pacing, looking out from her window into the
stormy night outside.
LILITH (cont'd)
...There's nothing left to do now
except test it.
HOOTY
What?! Buh-but, if you're off even
slightly, who knows what could
happen?! We could just make Eda's
curse even worse!
LILITH
That's why we won't be testing it on
Eda. I'll be the guinea pig.
HOOTY
No!
Hooty coils around Lilith, crushing her in a worried hug.
HOOTY (cont'd)
I won't let my best friend be turned
into a rodent!
LILITH
Please, Hooty. It's the only way. We
might finally be able to cure her!
Lilith wrestles out of Hooty's coils and looks longingly at
a photo of her and Eda together as children.
LILITH (cont'd)
(contrite)
And besides, if I suffer for it...
that's still nothing next to what I
made her endure.
Hooty gives Lilith a puppy-dog whine and shies away as she
approaches the chalkboard. She hesitantly reaches out and
presses the center of the glyph, activating it's power.
It glows blindingly bright, filling the room with an
ominous hum. Lilith shields her eyes, but hopefully pries
them open. She reaches out, letting the golden glow absorb
her hand. Gradually, the pin-feathers on her arm start
disappearing.
LILITH (cont'd)
It's...It's working!
After a moment of steady buildup, the spell starts to waver
and flicker. Arcs of magical energy erupt from it and seize
her in convulsions.
LILITH (cont'd)
AGGHH!
HOOTY
LULU!
Hooty tries to grab her and drag her away, but is shocked as well. As the spell fizzles, they both collapse to the
floor, paralyzed.
A few moments later, Gwendolyn Clawthorne knocks at the
door.
GWENDOLYN
Sweet Flea?! I heard a noise. Are
you alright in there...?
Gwendolyn eases the door open, gasping when she sees their
prone bodies.
GWENDOLYN (cont'd)
NO! LILITH!
She kneels down beside her daughter, checking her pulse.
She then summons her palisman, Hawksley.
GWENDOLYN (cont'd)
Get the Healing Coven. Hurry!
Hawksley flies out the window as Gwendolyn worriedly clasps
Lilith's still-twitching hand.
INT. OWL HOUSE, EDA'S ROOM
Eda is busy at a candle-lit workbench, carving a new
palisman in the shape of a cardinal songbird. As she's
carving, she is seized by convulsions and sees flickering
images of Lilith.
Raine enters her room, carrying up a tray with glasses of
apple-blood. Seeing Eda in convulsions, he discards the
tray and rushes to her side.
RAINE
Eda!
She recovers her senses and looks at him with urgency.
EDA
It's my sister!
INTRO
SEQUENCE:
OPEN ON:
INT. HEALING COVEN HOSPITAL - NIGHT
Lilith is laid out in a hospital bed, being examined by
Head Witch Cutburn. Hooty is spooled out in a bed next to
hers. Gwen and Eda are huddled by Lilith's bedside.
EDA
Oh, Lily. Of all the stunts you've
pulled!
GWENDOLYN
What's the prognosis?
HETTIE CUTBURN
Her case looks familiar...
The Head Witch hangs up a series of x-ray lithographs.
HETTIE CUTBURN (cont'd)
Her bile sack has been almost
completely drained of its natural
reserves of magic. Same for the
house demon.
Whatever spell she was using was
less a counter-curse and more a
powerful dispelling charm.
GWENDOLYN
So how do we treat them...?
INT. WAITING ROOM
Raine, Luz, King and Lord William are all gathered in the
waiting room. Eda and Gwen join them from the medical ward.
LUZ
So? What's going to happen to them?
Gwen chokes back tears.
GWENDOLYN
The doctors...*sniff*...may have to
excise their bile-sacks.
Eda nervously looks for a way to lift the tension.
EDA
Well, it wouldn't be the end of the
world, right?
She gestures to Luz and William.
EDA (cont'd)
You two know what I mean.
LUZ
Well, yeah, but I've been human most
of my life. I'm used to not having
magic.
KING
But for a demon, not having magic is
like not having a soul!
WILLIAM
And I had a suit of Titan-blood
armor to console me.
GWENDOLYN
(wiping her tears)
Ah, Titan's-blood. That's the rub.
The doctor said it was the only
substance that could replenish their
bile-sacks without causing further
damage.
EDA
And we scoured every inch of the
Boiling Isles for the stuff when we
were looking for a way back to the
Human World.
(shaking her head)
Nada.
Eda seems oddly complacent. King gets up from his chair and
paces the room.
KING
Maybe every inch of the Boiling
Isles, but not of the Demon Realms.
There are still places on Leviathan
Island we haven't explored yet. And
there could be other islands in the
Boiling Sea that no one's ever
discovered!
LUZ
And that's not even counting Earth!
We had to have shed some of the
Titan's blood when we fought it in
Gravesfield.
GWENDOLYN
(determined)
Then it's settled. Eda and I will
follow King to Leviathan Island and
search for more blood.
LUZ
And I'll take the portal door home.
Will, I may need your help there.
William nods and joins the others as they form a circle and
join hands.
KING
Hooty. Lilith. Don't worry. We're
here for you.
EDA
(uneasy)
Yeah...Go team.
Again, Eda seems nervous about something, but won't reveal
what. The others are too busy mobilizing to notice.
EXT. OWL HOUSE - EARLY MORNING
They gather outside the palistrom tree growing from the Owl
House's turret. Luz and William stand before the door
carved in its trunk.
LUZ
Gravesfield, the Human World.
The door glows bright and opens into a vortex of energy.
They pass through and the door shuts behind them. Gwendolyn
and King approach it next.
Meanwhile, Eda and Raine deliberate.
EDA
Stay behind and keep tabs on 'em.
Okay?
RAINE
Alright. Be careful. Don't take
unnecessary risks.
EDA
(tired)
Oh, we're long past that part...
King knocks on the door and states his destination.
KING
Leviathan Island.
The portal flares to life. Eda joins King and Gwen as they
step through it.
BEGIN MONTAGE:
EXT. BARGHEST VILLAGE - DAWN
King takes his glaive in hand and leads the pair of witches
out into the wilderness, cutting a swathe through the
undergrowth.
EXT. MONASTERY - DAY
They ask the Sister Superior of the Chantry of Light for
assistance, but she merely shakes her head, knowing nothing
that could help them.
EXT. MOUNTAINTOP - DAY
They pause at a mountain stream and take samples of the
water in test tubes. All the tests come up negative for
Titan's-blood.
INT. DARK CAVE
Eda and King run screaming from the rampaging stone-
sleeper. Gwendolyn holds her ground, using her beast-taming
magic to subdue the beast.
She then offers the creature a leg of mutton. It eagerly
accepts, becoming tame as a puppy.
EXT. TAR PIT - DAY
Eda and Gwen lower King by a rope down over a gooey tar
pit. He takes out a vial and skims off a shimmering magical
liquid from the surface. It sloshes around, proving not to
be Titan's blood but a slime creature.
Other slime creatures emerge from the tar and attack King.
Eda and Gwen frantically reel him back up while he slashes
at the creatures with his weapon.
END MONTAGE:
EXT. CAMPSITE - DUSK
They huddle around a campfire, King cleaning the tar out of
his fur. Meanwhile, Eda consults a crystal ball with a
direct line to Luz and William on Earth.
EDA
(exhausted)
We've searched all day and haven't
turned up squat!
WILLIAM
Not much luck on our end either.
LUZ
Are you sure you've looked
everywhere?
KING
We've covered the whole island by
now.
WILLIAM
Well, we may not be out of options
yet. When I studied under "Philip",
he told me he discovered the
pictoglyph of water on Leviathan
Island...but the ones for wind and
lightning in a desert land to the
south. He called it "Roc's Beak
Canyon".
KING
Then that's our next heading. Good
luck.
LUZ
Be safe. Love you!
King nods as the feed cuts out. Eda then stashes away the
crystal ball and slouches beside the fire.
EDA
(blasé)
Pfft. Great. Who knows what horrors
we'll find there...
GWENDOLYN
Oh, I can't believe you, Edalyne!
You've been nothing but a pessimist
this whole trip! It's like you want
your sister to lose her bile-sack!
EDA
Of course I don't! It's just...This
whole thing started with her nearly
getting herself killed. And for
what...?!
She rises up to her feet and paces to the edge of camp.
EDA (cont'd)
To lift a curse I've already come to
grips with?
GWENDOLYN
So, you're just giving up on finding
a cure?
EDA
I've made peace with it. Heck I'm
thriving with it! Harpy Eda...?
She transforms into her harpy form with a flourish.
EDA (cont'd)
It's my thing now! I am one with the
Owl Beast!
She transforms back just as easily.
EDA (cont'd)
And see? I've even got it listed in
my Bio.
She unfurls her penstagram scroll, showing them the trail
of banners under her screen-name. She/her|Bad Girl
Coven|ADHD|PTSD|Social Anxiety| Owl-Beast Curse
:owl:werewolf:rawr:sparkles:
GWENDOLYN
*scoffs* Really, dear?!
KING
Your Harpy thing is cool and all,
Eda. But before you were cursed, you
were one of the most powerful
witches in the Boiling Isles. We're
going to need that power again to
fight the Observer.
GWENDOLYN
And while I admire how...stoically
you've carried your burden, the
curse isn't some merit badge or
personality quirk! It is a sickness.
We must try to cure it!
EDA
So after this you'll let Lily charge
into the meat-grinder again, and
take someone else with her?
GWENDOLYN
Of course not, but we won't stop-
EDA
No, you won't stop, will you? People
will just keep getting hurt on my
conscience!
Eda transforms into a harpy again and flies off into the
woods.
EDA (cont'd)
Well, I don't need saving!
GWENDOLYN
Witchlet!
Heedless, Eda disappears into the night.
CUT TO:
EXT. GRAVESFIELD, MEADOWS - NIGHT
Luz and William patrol the Gravesfield countryside on their
staffs, landing on a meadow lit by moonlight and fireflies.
WILLIAM
I barely recognize this place. Last
I saw it, it was a war-torn no-man's-
land. Yet look at it now.
A gentle night breeze wafts over the idyllic, Arcadian
vista.
WILLIAM (cont'd)
Do all things in the Human World
change so fast?
LUZ
We have a way of bouncing back.
WILLIAM
(demure)
Now I see where you got it...
Luz gives him a wry look.
WILLIAM (cont'd)
I know. Mission now. Flirting later.
Luz turns and consults a magical device whose indication meter lags
down low for signs of Titan's-blood.
WILLIAM
One would think there'd be some
blood left after the lashing we gave
that beast.
LUZ
Oh, I think there was plenty. It's
just someone else found it first.
She narrows her eyes in suspicion.
INT. THE BIG DONUT - NIGHT
Luz and William walk into a seemingly innocuous Donut store
on Misquat Street. She walks behind the counter and scans
her I.D card on a console, summoning a freight elevator
that takes them below street level.
As they descend into the underground headquarters of the
Department of Inter-Dimensional Affairs, it looks even more
labyrinthine than before. The lab partitions are now
devoted to testing strange machinery and energy weapons
powered by magic.
They walk over the catwalks to where Mr. Wayde is
overseeing one of the tests. Seeing Luz, he excuses himself
and walks over to her.
MR. WAYDE
Ms. Noceda. We weren't expecting
you.
LUZ
This is an emergency, Mr. Wayde. One
of our friends in the Demon Realm is
hurt badly. She needs Titan's blood
to be well again.
MR. WAYDE
I see...how unfortunate...
Mr. Wayde trails off, seemingly uninterested in carrying
the conversation.
LUZ
(insistent)
You wouldn't happen to know where we
could find some?
Mr. Wayde pauses a moment more before beckoning them to
follow him.
MR. WAYDE
This way.
INT. OFFICE
Mr. Wayde offers them a seat in his personal office. He
then sits behind his desk, flanked by a pair of guards
armed with the same weapons being tested in the labs.
MR. WAYDE (cont'd)
You are correct, Ms. Noceda. After
the dimensional incursion, we
gathered as much of the Titan's
Blood as we could for study.
Unfortunately, very little of it was
pure enough for testing and most of
our reserves are now tied up in
various experiments.
LUZ
All to make a better mouse-trap no
doubt...
She glares at the guns the soldiers are carrying.
LUZ (cont'd)
But now someone's life is on the
line.
MR. WAYDE
(cold)
Like I said, the timing is
unfortunate.
LUZ
(indignant)
As your ambassador, I think we can
do without a few shiny laser guns
for the time being! The threat has
been dealt with. Belos is gone!
MR. WAYDE
And he is the only threat we can
expect from a place where the skies
are red and the seas boil?
Mr Wayde swivels in his office chair, looking out the
observation window of his office to take in the sprawling
research complex below.
MR. WAYDE (cont'd)
Ms. Noceda, while you lived out an
adventure, we endured a nightmare.
Humanity will not be caught unawares
again. I assure you...
LUZ
*sigh* I didn't want to do this,
but...Will, this is where you come
in.
WILLIAM
*erherm*...Mr. Wayde. As Lord Regent
of the Boiling Isles I formally
request you acquiesce a sample of
Titan's-blood to our custody.
MR. WAYDE
(scripted)
We appreciate your petition and will
do our best to process your request
within the next ten to eighteen
business days.
Enraged, William slams his fist on the desk.
WILLIAM
You pompous bureaucrat! She needs it
now!
The soldiers level their guns at William.
MR. WAYDE
That is the best I can offer you...
Now if you would kindly take your
leave.
They both glare at Mr. Wayde as they are escorted out of
the office by the soldiers.
CUT TO:
EXT. DESERT COAST - MORNING
A swirling portal door opens up on an arid coast. Gwendolyn
and King emerge from it before it closes.
KING
Are you sure we shouldn't look for
Eda a little while longer?
GWENDOLYN
Hmph! If she wants to keep being the
rebel-without-a-clue, let her! My
other little witchlet needs me now!
Eda can find her own way home.
KING
Alright, if you say so...
He looks down the coast, seeing it continue for miles past
the horizon.
KING (cont'd)
I thought this place would be an
island, but it looks like a whole
continent! Where do we even start
looking?
GWENDOLYN
There, I'd wager.
After scanning the horizon, Gwen points to a massive
skeleton further inland. The gargantuan corpse of a giant
bird-like monstrosity is sprawled out over a great canyon.
They immediately set off.
LATER
After hours of traipsing the desert, they pant and wipe
rivers of sweat from their brows.
KING
Maybe let's...*pant*...take the
portal back home and...*pant*...re-
fill our canteens.
GWENDOLYN
No...after going back the portal
would just return us to the coast
where we started.
(dauntless)
We must press forward!
KING
But the vultures are starting to
circle!
King points to a spiraling formation of black shapes in the
sky. Shading her eyes from the sun, Gwen looks up at them.
GWENDOLYN
(frightened)
Those aren't vultures...!
The dark shapes draw closer, revealing themselves to be
massive, winged bird-people. Their feathers are a deep red
or purple. They carry spears and have sharp, jagged beaks.
Their leader blows a conch-shell horn and calls out.
GARUDA SCOUT
CAW! INTRUDERS! SEIZE THEM!
The travelers are soon surrounded by the bird-men and
hemmed in by a ring of spears. King drops his glaive and
Gwen raises her hands.
GWENDOLYN
Ehrm...we come in peace!
KING
Yeah! Uh...take us to your leader?
The scout captain eyes them inquisitively.
GARUDA SCOUT
Hmm...
The travelers wait with baited breath before flinching at
the captain's sudden, ear-splitting screech.
GARUDA SCOUT (cont'd)
THIS WAY! NO DAWDLING! CAWWW!
The bird-men march them away.
EXT. CANYON CITY - DAY
They are taken through the streets of a city carved into
the walls of the canyon beneath the massive bird skeleton.
The inhabitants gather to curiously gawk at them like
vultures eyeing a meal.
They then arrive at the doors of a massive palace built
into a corner junction of the canyon.
INT. PALACE, THRONE ROOM
They are marched in front of a massive throne shaped like
an eagle's nest. Sitting in it is a massive bird-man with
black feathers, barred with blood-red streaks.
GARUDA HERALD
ALL HAIL HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY...!
Gwen and King flinch again at the ear-splitting screech.
KING
Do these people not know what an
inside voice is?
GARUDA HERALD
...EMPOK T'ZOAH!
The hall rings with the clamoring shrieks of the bird-men
until they are silenced by their leader's gesture. He seems
more elegant and composed than his kinsmen.
T'ZOAH
From your vacant stares, I gather
you are newcomers to our land.
Welcome. We are the Garuda, greatest
of the demon empires.
(curious)
From whence do you hail? The
Behemoth Mountains? The Tarasque
Swamps?
GWENDOLYN
(curtsying)
We come from a land across the sea,
your majesty. The Boiling Isles, to
be exact.
T'ZOAH
"Boiling Isles"? But all other
lands, save these, were swallowed by
the ocean with the coming of the
Great Titan...
Or, so our scribes say...
His viziers cower when he rakes them with a fiery gaze.
GWENDOLYN
Well, we seemed to get along fine.
The only thing we're wanting for is
Titan's-blood.
T'ZOAH
The Roc's essence? It is sacred to
us. We would not part with it to
strangers.
KING
Well, I'm King and this is Mrs.
Clawthorne. There. Now we aren't
strangers anymore!
The Garuda courtiers all erupt into vicious laughter.
T'ZOAH
(chuckling)
Well then, tell me, friends. How far
away are these Isles of yours? In
what direction? How strong are
your...
(leering)
...defenses...?
GWENDOLYN
(innocent)
Oh, it's no place special. A
backwater, really!
T'ZOAH
Really? Well, perhaps you will
recall some interesting details
about them after a few nights in our
dungeons.
The leader gestures for his guards to escort them away. The
halls echo with the laughter and taunts of the Garuda as
they leave.
CUT TO:
INT. GRAVESFIELD, UNDERGROUND LAB
A soldier finishes patrolling a section of the underground
labs, exiting through a sliding door. After a moment of
calm, Luz and William materialize from invisibility,
gasping for breath.
WILLIAM
Are you sure you want to do this? I
don't want our mission to come
between you and your people.
LUZ
Trust me. These particular humans
are not my people...
Luz browses the specimen cabinets, coming to a rest on a
cryogenic storage locker with a dozen biohazard warnings on
it. She shorts out the lock with a small magical spark and
opens the cabinet.
Behind the security glass, a vial of faintly glowing blue
liquid is held in a bracket among the steaming liquid
nitrogen. It holds only a few drops.
LUZ (cont'd)
Wow, he wasn't kidding. There's a
premium on this stuff around here.
Just then, an alarm sounds overhead.
LUZ (cont'd)
Smash and grab!
William punches through the security glass and extracts the
vial. Luz then pulls out a skeleton key which summons the
portal door.
They vanish into it before the guards can arrive.
INT. MR. WAYDE'S OFFICE
Mr. Wayde watches them escape through a security-cam feed
to his personal computer. Otherwise calm, he furrows his
brow.
CUT TO:
INT. GARUDA HOLDING CAGES - DUSK
The Garuda hold their prisoners in metal cages hanging from
a cliff face.
KING
Help! Let us out! Don't you see the
irony of birds keeping people in
cages?!
Several Garuda stand guard on a ledge below them, but
ignore his pleas.
GWENDOLYN
It's no use, King. We've got to
think of a way out of this...!
As she ponders, they hear a commotion below.
EDA
Hello, boys!
Eda, in her harpy form, comes seductively sashaying up the
path. The guards all ogle her.
GARUDA GUARDS
Ack! Ack!
Hubba, hubba!
EDA
(flirty)
That's right. Just a bird of a
feather, looking for a love nest.
GWENDOLYN
(exasperated)
Oh, good Titan!
She approaches the one guarding Gwen and King's cage,
putting on her charms.
EDA
Hiya handsome. The boss-bird sent me
to interrogate the prisoners.
GARUDA GUARD
(stammering)
Er, uhh...I wasn't notified...
She strokes his chin, batting her eyes.
EDA
Well don't you worry your tail-
feathers off. I'll take good care of
these jailbirds for you.
GARUDA GUARD
(flustered)
Eh, heh heh heh. Eh...
With the guard turned to putty in her hands, she flies up
to the cage unimpeded.
EDA
See? The curse has it's advantages!
GWENDOLYN
Oh, sure! The one time we get
captured by bird-people!
T'ZOAH
Going somewhere...?
Empok T'Zoah appears on a ledge on the opposing cliff-face
with a smirk.
T'ZOAH (cont'd)
I'm not unreasonable. I'd be willing
to part with some essence in
exchange for...information...
He holds up a small vial of Titan's-blood in his talon,
dangling it tantalizingly.
KING
(whispering)
Don't do it, Eda! These buzzards are
bad news.
EDA
Hmm...let's say we make things
interesting?
T'Zoah cocks his brow with interest as Eda reclines on top
of the cage.
EDA (cont'd)
If I can beat one of your fly-boys
in a race, you send us all home with
that Titan's-blood. If I lose, we'll
stay and tell you whatever you want
to know about our neck-of-the-woods.
Deal?
T'Zoah ponders for a moment and chuckles.
T'ZOAH
I admit, it sounds more amusing than
simply torturing the answers out of
you...Very well. We fly at dawn!
EXT. CANYON PASS - MORNING
A crowd of Garuda gathers at the lip of a crevasse. Eda
stands on the edge stretching her wings. Her challenger, a
blue-feathered Garuda, does the same beside her.
GARUDA HERALD
OUR CHALLENGERS: OUTLANDER EDALYNE
CLAWTHORNE!
The spectators hiss and squawk. Eda blows a raspberry at
them.
GARUDA HERALD (cont'd)
FLYING AGAINST THE EMPIRE'S SWIFTEST
MESSENGER, VELOK'ZEK!
The crowd clamors for Velok'zek as he poses and flexes his
wings.
GARUDA HERALD (cont'd)
THE COMPETITORS SHALL COMPLETE TWO
CIRCUITS THROUGH THE PROVING
GROUNDS. WINNER TAKES ALL!
Again the crowds cheer.
GARUDA HERALD (cont'd)
CONTESTANTS, TO YOUR STARTING
POSITIONS!
Eda and Velok'zek perch on two posts embedded in the
canyon's lip. They tense for action.
GARUDA HERALD (cont'd)
ON THE EMPOK'S MARK!
T'zoah lounges in his throne, raising a single talon and
thrusting it down.
GARUDA HERALD (cont'd)
FLY, YOU FOOLS! CAAAAWWW!
The racers launch into the canyon, flying at break-neck
speed through the twists and turns of the rock formations.
For most of the race they are neck and neck, Velok'zek
nipping at Eda's wings with his beak.
After a few more aerial maneuvers, they complete the first
lap of the race, rushing past the stands where they
started. The herald waves a flag.
GARUDA HERALD (cont'd)
FIRST CIRCUIT COMPLETE! ANYONE'S
RACE!
Not satisfied, Velok'zek turns and draws a spell-circle,
creating a gust of wind that propels him forward.
GARUDA HERALD (cont'd)
VELOK'ZEK TAKES THE LEAD!
The crowd cheers.
KING
Boo! Fowl play! Ref, are you blind?!
GARUDA HERALD
(smug)
The Empok did not specify any
restrictions for this challenge.
T'zoah smirks as Eda falls behind. Not one to be outdone,
she trudges forward, flapping with all her might. Beads of
sweat roll down her brow. The strain almost seems too much
for her.
Before she can gain on Velok'zek she slowly blacks out,
falling and skidding to a halt on the canyon floor.
GWENDOLYN
Eda!
The crowd laughs and jeers. Gwen and King mount their staff
and fly down to her. Noticing her fall behind, Velok'zek
turns and taunts her over his shoulder.
VELOK'ZEK
HaHaHahaHahahaha-OOOF!
Not watching where he's going, he collides with a jutting
rock formation and falls to the ground as well. The crowd
cringes and censures him.
GARUDA HERALD
GAAAGH! YOU FOOL!
KING
Come on, Eda! You've got a break.
You gotta get up!
GWENDOLYN
Edalyne? Speak to me! Are you
alright?!
Eda lies on her back panting. She steadily dissociates into
a dream-like state.
DREAMSCAPE
Eda stands in a darkened plain under a night sky. A short
distance away, she sees the little owl beast lying on it's
side and panting. She rushes over to it.
EDA
(coaxing)
Hey. Come on, little guy. Let's pull
it together. We've got this!
The owl beast whimpers and turns away, appearing sick.
EDA (cont'd)
You want another vole? Is that it?
I'll get you a nice tasty marmot
later, I promise. But right now we
have to go!
The creature rolls over and sniffs, ignoring her.
EDA (cont'd)
Come on! We're a team now! Let's
show 'em. Eda and the Owl Beast
versus the world!
It is then that Eda notices they are not alone. A short
distance past the owl beast, she can see Lilith lying in
her hospital bed. Overcome with emotion, Eda sinks to her
knees.
EDA (cont'd)
She needs our help. We may not be
together much longer, so let's make
this last run count.
The owl beast slowly rises off the ground and ventures a
step forward.
EXT. CANYON
Eda slowly rises to her feet. Gwen and King help her up.
GWENDOLYN
Are you alright, darling? Do you
need some potion?
EDA
(groggy)
No. No potion. I can do this.
Still sweating, but determined, Eda takes to the air and
gains the lead. Shaking off his stupor, Velok'zek follows.
He quickly gains on her, the tension growing. The finish
line nears, but she still feels sick. She clutches her
furiously growling stomach.
Before Velok'zek can regain his lead, Eda doubles over and
regurgitates what looks like an owl pellet. The mass of
hair and rat bones collides with Velok'zek's face and
explodes in a shower of black sludge.
VELOK'ZEK
GAAAGH! I'M BLIND!
The garuda racer crashes into the canyon wall yet again.
The crowd is furious.
GARUDA HERALD
WHAT?! SHE CAN'T DO THAT! THAT'S
CHEATING!
Gwen and King arrive back in the stands, wagging their
fingers.
GWENDOLYN
(shrugging)
"The Empok did not specify any
restrictions for this challenge."
GARUDA HERALD
*grumbles*
Having dropped her "payload" Eda sweeps past the finish
line with ease.
GARUDA HERALD (cont'd)
NO! THE OUTLANDER WINS! CAAAWWW!
The crowd hisses and grumbles as Eda alights on the canyon
lip with a grin. At first perturbed, T'zoah graciously
smiles and marches forth to present Eda with the Titan's-
blood.
T'ZOAH
Take it with our compliments.
As she reaches for it, he grasps her arm forcefully.
T'ZOAH (cont'd)
(menacing)
We look forward to learning more
about your people...
EDA
(defiant)
I think we've learned everything we
need to know about you...
She wrenches free from his grip and follows Gwen and King
through the portal home.
CUT TO:
INT. BONESBOROUGH HOSPITAL - NIGHT
The Owl House family reconvenes around Lilith and Hooty's
beds, each team presenting their meager spoils.
LUZ
This is all we could get.
EDA
Let's hope it's enough.
Luz decants her vial onto Hooty's forehead while Eda
empties hers onto Lilith's chest. The liquid seeps into
their skin and for a while nothing seems to happen.
A few moments pass before Head Witch Cutburn consults her
instruments and sees an improvement in their vitals.
HETTIE CUTBURN
They're stabilizing!
To everyone's relief, Lilith and Hooty slowly rouse awake.
GWENDOLYN
(tearing up)
Oh, my baby girl! You're alright!
HOOTY
(weakly)
Lulu...is Lulu okay...?
LUZ
She's fine. Bring it in, you little
stinker!
Lilith rubs her eyes and leans forward in her bed.
LILITH
(groggy)
I...I think I know what I did
wrong...
EDA
(stern)
Well, I should certainly hope so!
You nearly gave Mom a conniption!
LILITH
No, I mean the spell! I think I know
what went wrong with the counter-
curse!
EDA
Oh, you've gotta be kidding me!
LILITH
Since you and I both share the
curse, we both have to be dispelled
at the same time...
(sheepish)
...or else it will backfire like it
did.
EDA
And how do we know it won't do that
anyway?! There's no way we're
risking your life again.
LILITH
Eda, please! We're so close!
GWENDOLYN
(diplomatic)
Darling, I understand your
frustration. But do you know what we
had to go through to make you whole
again?
LILITH
It will all have been in vain if we
stop now.
Lilith claps Eda's hand and looks at her pleadingly.
LILITH (cont'd)
Please. Don't make me live knowing I
could do nothing to take back what I
did to you...
Eda pauses, her face contorted with anguish. After a few
moments of hesitation, she finally relents.
EDA
*sigh*...Alright. I trust you...
GWENDOLYN
But there's no more Titan's-blood to
come to your rescue this time. Curse
or not, you might never be witches
again...
EDA
I'm ready to take that chance...with
my sister.
Lilith's eyes well up with tears and she collides into a
hug with Eda.
INT. OBSERVATION ROOM - LATER
The Owl House family watches Eda and Lilith through a
protective plexiglass barrier. They draw the symbols on the
floor of the surgical room with chalk and then stand at the
center of the circle, back-to-back.
LILITH
Ready?
Eda nods. They clasp each others' hands and slam their
heels down on the chalk lines, activating the circle. The
room is bathed in a golden glow. It engulfs the sisters
until there's nothing but white light.
DREAMSCAPE
Eda reappears in her dream world next to the owl beast. It
rubs at her legs and nibbles her skirt.
EDA
Well, I guess this is good-bye,
little buddy.
The creature chirps sorrowfully.
EDA (cont'd)
Hey, we had some good times. But now
we've got to go our separate ways.
It's better for the both of us.
She strokes the owl beast's feathers one last time before
it dissolves into golden light.
EDA (cont'd)
(tearing up)
I'll never forget how, together...
you and I were the Owl Lady...
INT. OBSERVATION ROOM
The spell's glow steadily wanes, leaving Eda and Lilith
standing in silence. They peel open their eyes, their
irises both restored to their natural colors.
For a moment, they examine their arms for signs of
feathers. Looking into each others' eyes, they embrace and
weep with joy. The Owl House family rejoices and pours into
the surgical room to congratulate them.
But over their exclamations of joy, they hear a sharp
screeching noise. They look down to see the owl beast lying
on the ground between Eda and Lilith's feet, chirping
confusedly.
LUZ
*deep gasp* Oh. My. TITAN. That's
the cutest thing I've ever seen!
Ohhhhh!
Misty-eyed, Luz falls to her knees and smothers the
creature in hugs and kisses.
LUZ (cont'd)
(tearing up)
Guys. I think I might be the one who
needs medical attention now...!
They all chuckle and welcome their feathery new addition to
the family.
HOOTY
Yay! New team pet! I vote we call
him "Owlphonse"!-
*deep gasp*
Hooty suddenly freezes in place, gripped in a thousand-yard
stare.
HOOTY (cont'd)
(panicking)
Guys, I...I remember...I remember!
IrememberIrememberIremeberIrememberIr
emember!
He ties himself in knots speeding around the room in a
blind panic.
KING
Whoa, Hooty! Slow down. You're
scaring Owlphonse.
LUZ
What do you remember, Hooty?
HOOTY
Remember back when we all found out
I used to work for The Observer,
even though I couldn't remember
doing it? Well I can now!
EVERYONE
WHAT?!
HOOTY
(excited)
That botched counter-curse removed
the spell she put on me to keep me
from blabbing all her secrets. I
remember everything!
WILLIAM
Well, don't keep us in suspense!
HOOTY
(calming)
Alright, alright...Let me see. I'll
start from the beginning...
BEGIN
FLASHBACK:
EXT. WILDERNESS - DUSK
The Observer stands in a clearing, waving her arms and
summoning streams of magical energy. They coalesce into
stone blocks, wooden beams and plaster walls until it forms
the Owl House.
HOOTY (V.O.)
...The day I was born...
The magic finishes by coalescing into a brass-knocker in
the shape of a barn-owl. Hooty opens his eyes for the first
time and screams at the top of his lungs:
HOOTY
Happy Birthday!
The Observer then starts dictating orders to him.
HOOTY (V.O.)
My first orders were to protect the
house and everything in it. I was to
destroy anyone who got too close.
Comprehending, Hooty snakes out of the doorframe and
mimicks a salute with his coils. Satisfied, the Observer
enters the newly finished home and slams the door shut.
HOOTY (V.O.) (cont'd)
(embarrassed)
Although, uh, looking back now I
think I misheard her. I thought she
said "annoy" anyone who got too
close...heh heh...
What follows is a montage of Hooty engaging solicitors in
overeager conversation.
HOOTY
Hi there! Wanna be my friend?!
Ooh! A vacuum cleaner! I've always
wanted one of those! How does it
work?!
I'd love to talk about our lord and
savior, the Titan! Go on! I've got
nothing but time!
*mimicking a dog barking* Shoo! We
don't want your stinkin' mail! Ooh,
look! Sweepstakes!
Hey, does this look infected to
you?!
Finally! About time you get here! I
called thirty minutes ago! It's like
you guys wanna give out pizzas for
free!
EDA (V.O.)
That...explains a lot...
HOOTY (V.O.)
In my defense, I had nothing better
to do...
Hooty spends a starry night dolefully looking up at the
Observer's astronomy tower as she scans the heavens with
her telescope.
HOOTY (V.O.) (cont'd)
The Observer spent most nights
gazing at the stars through her
telescope. It was a pretty lonely
life...
One day the Observer exits the house and commands Hooty to
follow.
HOOTY (V.O.) (cont'd)
But some days we would move to other
places, which was always fun.
We see Hooty uproot the house on a pair of massive bird-
legs and follow the Observer to various locations. A
massive field, a mystical forest, the top of the knee, and
finally a seaside cliff where the Owl House rests now.
HOOTY (V.O.) (cont'd)
But then, one day, she just...left.
The Observer exits the front door and turns to Hooty.
THE OBSERVER
I am leaving. For good this time. I
find this "nomadic" lifestyle quite
tiring.
HOOTY
Oh, great! I'll get packed. Where
are we going?
THE OBSERVER
"We" aren't going anywhere. I shall
go alone.
HOOTY
(disappointed)
W-well...what should I do then?
THE OBSERVER
I don't know...
She turns and casts a spell on Hooty, befuddling his
senses.
THE OBSERVER (cont'd)
And I don't care.
The Observer then turns into a shooting star and rockets up
toward a shining light in the sky.
HOOTY (V.O.)
The last I saw her, she shot up into
the night sky towards a twinkling
star...I was all alone after that...
We see a time-lapse of the Owl House through the years,
steadily falling into disrepair and ruin.
HOOTY (V.O.) (cont'd)
(emotional)
...Until you found me, Eda...
A teenaged Eda traipses through the woods until she happens
on the ruined old house. She digs the folded portal door up
from the ground and examines it before turning her
attention to Hooty's crooning.
HOOTY
Hello? Who's there? Could you help
me? It's cold down here!
Curious, she approaches the fallen door and props it up,
seeing Hooty blinking gratefully at her.
HOOTY (cont'd)
Oh, thank goodness! I thought I was
going to rust to death down there!
TEEN EDA
Weird...What are you?
HOOTY
Uh, I dunno. Out of warranty? Hoot-
hoot!
TEEN EDA
*laughs*
Eda smiles before looking with sorrow at the dilapidated
house. She then grins with an idea.
TEEN EDA (cont'd)
Say there, "Hooty". If you give me a
place to hide from my folks out
here, I'll drop by on weekends and
fix you up. How does that sound?
HOOTY
Oh, that sounds wonderful! I finally
have a friend! Hoot!
The following scene shows a time-lapse of Eda steadily
repairing the house until it resembles what we know today
as the Owl House.
END FLASHBACK:
INT. THE OWL HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Hooty finishes his story in the Owl House living room.
HOOTY
(sobbing)
THAAANK YOOUHOOHOOHOOT!
Hooty continues sobbing over Eda's shoulder.
EDA
Aww. You're welcome, you little
wormy bird.
WILLIAM
Erhm, this is all very touching. But
let's go back to when the Observer
left. What star was it that you saw
her flying toward?
Hooty slithers out the front door and points his nose at
the sky.
HOOTY
That one...No wait, that one!
The Owl House family gathers on the lawn and looks up at a
vaguely bluish star hovering just near the moon.
WILLIAM
Finally...We know where she's
hiding.
EDA
And now we've got two of the baddest
witches in the Boiling Isles back in
business!
LUZ
Better look out, Observer! We're
coming for you.
The camera distends from the Owl House up into the sky. It
closes in on the shining light, revealing it to be the
Observer's asteroid observatory. It's a sprawling complex
of spires and castles.
We arrive at a window vestibule where the Observer and her
apprentice, Hunter, look down on the Demon World below with
contempt.
TO BE
CONTINUED...
