Film Script - Song of the Warrior

Film Script – Song of the Warrior

Scene One – Inside the church

[Isolde is kneeling at the bottom of a set of stone steps. Her eyes are closed in prayer and she is murmuring to herself. We cannot hear what she is saying. We see a man walk in behind her]

LUCIAN: Commander, we are ready.

[Isolde’s eyes open, she bows her head in acknowledgement before rising. She strolls back up the aisle, past Lucian. He stands to attention as she passes and follows her out.]

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Scene Two – Outside, walking through a field with Isolde, Lucian, Xander and Toril.

ISOLDE: Lynxwater, where we heading?

[Xander Lynxwater moves to stand next to Isolde; Lucian falls back next to Toril]

XANDER: Commander, there have been reports of a Banshee attacking civilians near the forest of Vita. We sent out a Garrison a few weeks ago. After two days, communications went dead.

ISOLDE: Good Xander [she smiles at him]. Kissinger, what kind of magic we looking at?

[Toril moves to take Xanders place and he falls back with a nod of his head]

TORIL: A Banshee should be fairly easy to take down so long as it’s operating alone. We’re looking at force magic mainly which would act as a shield as well as keeping us on our toes. I recommend letting me disable it with my own magic before the rest of you go in for the kill. Flank it if possible although the terrain may not allow us to do that.

ISOLDE [She stares straight ahead, although her brow is furrowed in concentration]: Okay. Let’s stop for a moment. [She stops and turns to the others]. We need to think about what we’re heading into. I know we’ve dealt with this kind of thing before, but there’s no guarantee that this will be easy. If we have that thought process, we will fail. Toril, I like the suggestion of you disabling the Banshee – use ice or roots to stop it from moving. Lucian, if you can, get in close. Take it down from behind. Xander and I will distract it to take any focus off of you. With any luck, we can finish this quickly and head back to Dux Ducis in a couple of days.

[As each person is given a job, they nod in agreement]

LUCIAN: Commander, surely if it were that easy to take down this Banshee, we wouldn’t be needed.

ISOLDE: If they died taking this Banshee down, they made a mistake. Now, you’ll follow my orders Bloodgate or another Garrison will be investigating us.

LUCIAN [Shocked by Isolde’s remark]: I understand Commander, but shouldn’t we at least entertain the possibility that there’s something up with this case.

ISOLDE: I never said that there wasn’t something up with this case. If the other Garrison died by the Banshee’s hand then they made a mistake. I’m not ruling out the possibility that there are other variables at work here.

[She stares intently at Lucian]

LUCIAN: I understand Commander

ISOLDE: Now, do I have your word that you’ll follow my orders?

LUCIAN: You have my word Isolde

ISOLDE: Good. Lucian, go and scout ahead and see if you can tell how far away we are from the next village.

LUCIAN: Yes Commander

[Lucian bows his head before darting off into the distance, daggers out]

ISOLDE: Toril, Xander, do a weapons check whilst we wait for Lucian

[Toril and Xander nod in assent. Isolde walks a short distance away and we get a first glimpse at the vulnerability underneath. Toril is going through combat stances and Xander looks up from sharpening his sword at Isolde. He walks over to Isolde and puts a hand on her shoulder. She jumps at his touch]

ISOLDE: Xander, you made me jump

XANDER [Clearly embarrassed]: Sorry Commander, I just wanted to make sure you were okay?

ISOLDE: I’m fine Xander, thank you.

[She smiles at him]

XANDER: I just thought…after the way Lucian spoke to you…

[Isolde puts up a hand to silence him]

ISOLDE: I chose Lucian because he’s one of the best. I value his opinion as much as yours and Toril’s. Do you think something’s wrong with this mission/

XANDER: Something’s definitely up. A normal Garrison should be able to handle a single Banshee easily. But we don’t know if it was the Banshee that killed them. If they’re even dead.

 [Isolde frowns at him and crosses her arms]

ISOLDE: What do you mean? You think they could still be alive?

XANDER: Well, all we’ve been told is that they’ve dropped out of contact, we only assume that they are dead.

ISOLDE: I like your optimism, but in my experience a team that’s dropped out of contact only ever results in dead bodies. We have to prepare for the worst in this line of work.

[Xander nods and recognises that it is his queue to leave, he returns to his sword. Isolde watches his retreating back with a thoughtful look on her face]

LUCIAN: Commander?

[Isolde turns, hands behind her back, to the sound of Lucian’s voice]

ISOLDE: Status report?

LUCIAN: The next village is just over the next hill. We can get there by nightfall.

ISOLDE: Good [to the whole Garrison]. Right, let's move out!

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Scene Three – Brooke on top of a boulder

[Brooke is standing on top of a boulder in a heavily wooded area. She is looking down on the scene below her, bow in hand]

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Scene Four – Brooke’s Joining

[Brooke is standing by the window inside her room at the inn. Her hands are behind her back and she is looking outside. Isolde enters the room and shuts the door behind her]

BROOKE: What do you want of me Delattre?

ISOLDE: I want to conscript you into the Lightning Kin

[Brooke laughs]

BROOKE: Seriously Delattre. What do you want?

[Isolde is silent. Brooke slowly turns around to face Isolde]

BROOKE: I’m not joining your silly little club Delattre

ISOLDE: As much as I hate to admit it, your skills with the bow and arrows will come in useful…

[Brooke interrupts Isolde]

BROOKE: And what’s the real reason?

ISOLDE: I have to make a decision. Either you join or you die. I would rather have another fighter than another dead body. Don’t get me wrong, I will kill you if I have to, but I wasn’t lying before, we could use an archer like you.

[Brooke sighs and moves away from the window, towards Isolde]

BROOKE: That’s not much of a choice you’re giving me here.

ISOLDE: There’s always a choice, Brooke.

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Scene Five – Warehouse

[Isolde enters the warehouse, Brooke behind her. Toril is standing behind a set of lit candles. Lucian is standing to her right and Xander to her left. Lucian has a small box in his hands. Isolde moves to stand in between Toril and Lucian. Brooke slowly follows her]

ISOLDE: Brooke Silvetti, please kneel before the candles

[Brooke does so]

BROOKE [Muttering]: Bet your loving this Delattre.

[Isolde gives her a small smile]

ISOLDE: Ever since the first year, when mortals first settled on this planet, there have been demons. They obliterated the land, leaving humanity near annihilation. Fides teaches us that this was when Vampire’s and Banshee’s, Wraith’s and Wight’s first came about. Human children born from the blackened earth were mutated into these monsters. We will never truly know. But from these ashes rose an organisation determined to fight back, determined to reclaim their home planet. This group became known as the Lightning Kin. For years they fought against the evil that resided in this land. It was a bloody time and there were many causalities but humanity came out victorious. The civilians thought that the demons and monsters were defeated, but the Lightning Kin knew better. They retreated into the darkest corners of Novus, continuing the endless battle and they were forgotten. Now, we welcome you, Brooke Silvetti, not as a noblewoman, but as a fellow warrior, into our ranks, to fight the endless battle.

[Once she finishes speaking, Isolde steps back into the shadows. Toril moves so that she is directly in front if Brooke, only the candles separating them]

TORIL: Lucian, the package please

[Lucian nods and silently hands the box over to Toril, who opens it. It is a small silver ring]

TORIL: This ring will serve as a reminder for what you’re fighting for. In the darkest of times, it will act as a beacon, guiding your hand to do your duty. It represents the burden that we must all carry

[Toril holds the ring out in front of her and let’s go. As she lets go it hovers in the air. Toril starts muttering a spell. As she does so the ring starts to burn and shake. Brooke stares up at it mesmerised as it glows red. Once Toril is finished, the ring looks the same as before, only now it has the letter B engraved in it with a pattern of waves surrounding it. Isolde steps forward again]

ISOLDE: You may rise Brooke

[Brooke stands up and Isolde takes the ring from Toril’s hand and holds the ring out to Brooke. She holds her hand out and Isolde puts the ring onto Brooke’s hand, who gasps and collapses in pain. Her eyes squeeze shut in agony. Isolde, Toril, Xander and Lucian watch her. Isolde’s face is impassive, whilst the rest of them show varying degrees of sympathy]

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Scene Six – Inside Brooke’s Mind

[Brooke stands in regal looking bedroom, she sees a young girl cowering on the floor, a man standing over her, a leather belt in his hands. The girl has bruises on her arms and legs]

YOUNG BROOKE: Father, please stop! I didn’t do anything!

[Brooke’s father just laughs and raises his hand to strike her again. Brooke looks away, a pained expression on her face.]

[The air around Brooke shimmers and she is standing in an underground cavern. Brooke looks around at a sees a younger version of herself at about 15 years old. She is dressed in all black, her bow slung across her shoulder. There is a deep cut down the side of her face. The older Brooke follows her down the tunnel and out into a large stone room. The 15 year old Brooke walks over to an older woman in her late 40s]

OLD WOMAN: My dear Brooke, you’ve returned!

[She hugs the fake Brooke, who just stands there]

15 BROOKE: I got what you wanted [she pulls out a black velvet bag and throws it onto the desk behind the woman] Now give me what I want

[The old woman laughs]

OLD WOMAN: Soon my darling. After your next mission for the thieves guild

[The air around Brooke shimmers again and she is in a deserted park. Brooke looks around and realises where she is. She jogs off towards a patch of trees at the edge of the park. She stops when she sees a 17 year old Brooke, bow and arrows drawn and pointed at a young mage. He has a defensive barrier around himself]

MAGE: You do know those arrows can’t get through to me

17 BROOKE: I am aware of that

MAGE: Why don’t you stop then?

17 BROOKE: I’m sorry, but I have to kill you. I need to get out of Domus.

MAGE: And how exactly would killing me help?

17 BROOKE: If I kill you, the thieves guild can make me disappear.

MAGE: How many times have they promised you this? How many ‘last jobs’ have you carried out?

17 BROOKE: It doesn’t matter, I want to disappear.

MAGE: It’s always one more job. How long worked for them? 1, 2 years? 5? They’re not going to help you out.

[Brooke’s hands start to shake and there are tears in her eyes]

17 BROOKE: How do you know?

MAGE: Because I’m the one they hired to help you disappear.

[The air around Brooke shimmers again and she is back in the regal bedroom. This time the 17 year old Brooke is sitting on the bed. A man comes through the open window and Brooke rushes over to him. It is the mage from the park]

17 BROOKE: Nathan! You’re not meant to be here! If father finds out you’re here…

NATHAN: Brooke, I had to see you. We can leave tonight. I know where we can go.

17 BROOKE: Nate, you’re crazy! Where would we go? We’ll be hunted.

NATHAN: Not to Dux Ducis we won’t.

17 BROOKE: Dux Ducis?

NATHAN [proudly]: The home of the Lightning Kin. No one would look for us there.

[17 year old Brooke laughs]

17 BROOKE: No one would find us there because it’s a myth. The Lightning Kin aren’t real Nate. It’s a fantasy.

[Nathan grabs her shoulders and looks intensely into her eyes]

NATHAN: they exist Brooke and we can go there.

[17 year old Brooke smiles at Nathan and they both laugh. They kiss. The real Brooke turns away, her eyes filled with tears. She looks expectantly towards the door. The door crashes open and Brooke’s father stands in the doorway, surrounded by guards. He points towards Nathan and the guards seize him. 17 year old Brooke screams and she tries to run to him, but she is restrained by more guards. The guards holding Nathan force him to his knees in front of Brooke’s father. One of the guards hands him a sword]

BROOKE’S FATHER: Make her watch

[The guards force a struggling Brooke to kneel facing Nathan. Her father moves to stand behind Nathan. Both the young Brooke and the real Brooke are crying, only the real Brooke’s tears are silent. Nathan mouths ‘I love you’ to Brooke before her father stabs him in the back. He dies and the guards drop him and Brooke. She crawls over to him and puts his head in her lap. The real Brooke heads towards the door when the air around her shimmers again.]

[She is standing on a roof opposite a large house with music playing – it is obviously a party. We see an 18 year old Brooke crouched at the edge, bow across her back. She is watching the party intensely. She gets the bow from her back and fits an arrow in place. She aims before letting the arrow fly. It flies through the open window and straight into her father’s neck. Satisfied with her shot, she gets up and walks away. The real Brooke watches her go. She takes one last look at the house before turning around.]

[The air shimmers and she is standing on the boulder above the Banshee attack. She turns to leave before hearing a scream]

BROOKE: Damn it

[She turns, fitting an arrow into her bow as she does so. She fires the first at one of the daughters before reloading]

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Scene Seven – Warehouse

[Brooke gasps and opens her eyes. She looks up at Isolde who is standing over her]

ISOLDE: The ring is a part of you now. You are a Lightning Kin

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Scene Eight – The Fields of Decay

[The Garrison emerge from a tunnel into a beautiful, lush field. Isolde looks warily around, sword drawn]

TORIL: What is this place?

ISOLDE: Don’t be fooled by its beauty Toril, these fields will tear apart any wandering soul. The Wraiths will see to that. We need to stay alert. I know we’re all tired but it’s not safe to stay here. Toril and Brooke, you bring up the rear. Xander, you protect them, if any flank us, whilst Lucian and I will hold the front line.

All [except Brooke]; Yes Commander

ISOLDE: Let’s do this

[They start walking in the direction of the Merchants Road. It is slow going as they keep getting attacked. A Wraith comes up from behind Toril and stabs her in the back and she screams]

ISOLDE: Toril! Xander, keep them away from her!

XANDER: Yes Commander

[The battle ends and Isolde rushes over to Toril who is lying on the floor, unconscious. Isolde checks her pulse]

ISOLDE: She’s alive, but we need to get her out of here. Lucian, pass me my pack.

[Lucian does so silently. Isolde rustles around inside for bandages. She pulls them out and dresses Toril’s wound]

ISOLDE: Xander, how did you let one Wraith get around you! If she dies, it’ll be your fault!

[Isolde is trying to hold back tears]

LUCIAN: If she dies, it’ll be because she made a mistake Isolde. You said that yourself. It’s not Xanders fault.

[Isolde gets up, right in Lucian’s face]

ISOLDE: Don’t use my own words against me Bloodgate. Carry her until we get to a healer. [To everyone] We need to go now!

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Scene Nine – Dux Ducis Fire Wreck

[The Garrison and Brooke stand at the edges of the forest, a look of sheer horror on their faces, except Brooke, whose expression is blank]

TORIL [whispers]: No.

[Toril starts running and we see a burnt out building]

ISOLDE: Toril, wait!

[Isolde follows her as do the rest of the group]

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Scene Ten – Isolde and the Vampire Queen

[The Vampire Queen has a knife to Isolde’s throat]

QUEEN: Stop! If you kill another one of my children, I’ll kill your Commander.

XANDER: Isolde, No!

[Xander goes to run forward but Toril puts a magic shield around him]

XANDER: Toril, get me out of this!

TORIL: I’m sorry Xander.

[The Queen laughs]

QUEEN: Well, well Commander, it seems you have a little admirer.

XANDER: I’ll take out your heart myself

QUEEN: I’d love to see you try little one

[Xander gives a cry of frustration and bangs his hands on the shield]

LUCIAN: Let Isolde go.

ISOLDE: No Lucian! Let her kill me. She’s a bloodsucker. It’s our job to kill her.

QUEEN: It’s been a long time since I found someone willing to die for their cause. You would make a great Vampire.

ISOLDE: I’d rather die

QUEEN: That may still happen, honey

LUCIAN [calmly]: I’m not going to let you sacrifice yourself Isolde. [To the Queen] We will let you live if you release our Commander and tell us where Monshang is.

QUEEN: What kind of deal is that? You couldn’t kill Monshang the first time and you won’t succeed this time. He will hunt me down and kill me. I’d rather take my chances with you, Lightning child.

LUCIAN: You know we’ll kill you if you kill her. Let her go and you will be protected. But we will kill Monshang, you can be sure of that.

[The Queen thinks for a few minutes. Everything is silent, even Xander has stopped banging on his barrier]

QUEEN: Fine, but I want your word, Lightning child, that no harm will come to me or my children.

ISOLDE: No! Lucian, you can’t make this kind of deal with a leech. As your Commander, I forbid you!

LUCIAN: And as your Second, it is my job to protect you. I’m not letting you die for this. And besides, we need to know where Monshang is.

XANDER: Please Lucian, make the deal.

[Isolde looks Lucian in the eye and shakes her head]

LUCIAN: I’m sorry Commander [to the Queen]. I accept

[The Queen nods and throws Isolde onto the floor. Toril releases the barrier around Xander, who rushes over to Isolde. He helps her up, but she brushes him aside and strolls next to Lucian to stand in front of the Queen]

ISOLDE: Where is Monshang?

QUEEN: stand in front of the Queen

ISOLDE: Where is Monshang?

QUEEN: You can find him in a castle to the north. A castle called Broken Refuge.

LUCIAN: Thank you

[The Garrison turn to leave]

QUEEN: You’ll need more than five men to destroy Monshang.

ISOLDE: We got that covered.

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Scene Eleven – The Streets of Desolo

[Xander is walking down one of the back streets of Desolo. It is early morning and the air is cold. A figure starts walking towards him. Xander glances around and sees no one else in the street. One hand goes to the hilt of his sword. The figure passes him and he relaxes. He feels something collide into his side and he stumbles into the wall next to him. Hands grab him and pull him to his feet]

FIGURE: He will be pleased

XANDER: Tell him he will never have me!

[Xander head butts the figure, who falls back and releases him. Xander goes to his sword but he is rugby tackled and the sword flies out of his hand. The figure punches him in the face and Xander retaliates by shoving the figure off of him. He scrambles towards his sword but gets pulled back by his legs. The figure turns him round and throws him against the wall again]

FIGURE: You must have known he would come for you?

[Xander spits blood in the figure’s face. Angry, the figure throws him to the floor. Xander gets up and runs out of the alley. He looks behind him and sees that the figure is gone. He looks to where his sword should be and realises that he left it in the alley]

XANDER: Damn It!

[He looks in his pockets and finds an old receipt. He writes something on it with the blood from his face and cautiously goes back into the alley. He picks up the sword before being hit round the head with a plank of wood and goes unconscious. He drops the receipt on the floor]

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Scene Twelve – Xander tells Isolde about ML

[Isolde and Xander are looking around one of the dormitories in Dux Ducis, looking for survivors from the fire. Xander keeps turning a locket over and over in his hands. Isolde walks over to him and places a hand over his, stopping him from doing it]

XANDER: Sorry

[Isolde looks up at him]

ISOLDE: Could I see it?

XANDER: Of course

[Isolde takes the locket from Xander and turns it over. Xander is watching her as she does so]

ISOLDE: What does this stand for? ML?

[He takes the locket from her]

XANDER: My mother gave it to me. The ML is her name, Merrill Lynxwater. She died when I was young.

ISOLDE: What about your father?

XANDER: I never knew him

ISOLDE: I’m sorry Xander

XANDER: It’s okay Is. I grew up on the streets of Desolo. I know the city like the back of my hand.

ISOLDE: It must have been tough

XANDER: I survived. I joined the city guard when I was 18, mainly for a hot meal and roof over my head mind.

[Isolde laughs lightly and he smiles weakly at her]

ISOLDE: Come on. There’s nothing left here.

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Scene Thirteen – Banshee Battle

[The Garrison have the Banshee surrounded and it is slumped over]

ISOLDE: Toril, keep it down!

TORIL: I’m trying Commander. Something’s wrong. It’s stronger than it should be!

[The Banshee suddenly straightens up and spreads its arms wide. The Garrison are thrown off their feet by a force pulse and ‘daughters’ come up from the ground]

ISOLDE: Well, that’s new!

XANDER: Commander, what do we do now?!

ISOLDE: Protect Toril from the daughters. Toril, can you hold down the Banshee from where you are?

TORIL: Negative Commander. The daughters are protecting the Banshee, my magic can’t reach her. I think melee is the only way.

ISOLDE: Okay, concentrate on the daughters then. Lucian, I’ll distract the Banshee, and you try breach its defences.

LUCIAN: Yes Commander

[The group follow Isolde’s commands, but it is clear that they are losing]

XANDER: Commander, we have to retreat. Toril doesn’t look too good.

ISOLDE: Toril, you okay?

TORIL: I’m drained. I can’t use my magic anymore.

ISOLDE: Okay, retreat, retreat!

[The group begin the back away. The Banshee sees what they are doing and summons a barrier to surround them. They cannot escape]

XANDER: Err…Commander?

ISOLDE: Shoot, I can see Xander. We’re going to have to go on the defence.

LUCIAN: I told you there was something up with this case!

ISOLDE: Not now Lucian!

[An arrow shoots through the barrier and hits a daughter, killing it. More arrows follow and a girl of around 20 appears above the ditch with a bow and arrow, picking off the daughters one by one. The whole Garrison look up in surprise. Isolde is the first to react]

ISOLDE: Just go with it!

[The Garrison help the woman take out the rest of the daughters and eventually take down the Banshee. The woman elegantly slides down into the ditch]

ISOLDE: Who the hell are you?

BROOKE: Brooke Silvetti. And I just saved your arses.

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Scene Fourteen – Vampire Nest

[The Garrison enter the heart of the Vampire nest. The Queen is slouched on a throne made out of the same rock as the cavern they are in]

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Scene Fifteen – Xander tells Isolde to trust him

[Xander crawls over to Isolde who is on the floor. He takes her face in his hands and looks her straight in the eye. She stares blankly back at him]

XANDER: Listen to me.

ISOLDE: Why didn’t you tell me?

XANDER: I was ashamed, but not now’s not the time. I can get us out of here alive, but you have to trust me. Can you trust me Isolde?

[Isolde nods her head slowly. He kisses her forehead and then picks the lock on her manacles]

NOTE: I wrote the script in the order of my storyboard, not in the order of the synopsis, which is why it may be hard to follow.
I also wrote the whole of each scene as opposed the the section that will be in the trailer as I found this easier to get my head around the context of the scene.
Scene Six - I only wrote this scene so that the two warehouse scenes either side of it would flow better in my head. It will not be in the trailer.

Film Synopsis - Song of the Warroir

Film Synopsis - Song of the Warrior

The film opens with a black screen with a brief introduction of the planet Novus (meaning new in Latin) and the country Fatum (meaning destiny in Latin) – where the film is set. It also tells the audience that the film is set in the present day, only on another planet. We find out about a covert organisation called the Lightning Kin, who protect Fatum from demons and mythical creatures, as well as the Mortuus Garrison.

 There is then a cut to a close up of Isolde Delattre the main character of the film, kneeling at the bottom of the steps. She is murmuring a prayer with her eyes closed; although we cannot hear what she is saying (the religion on this planet is called Fides, meaning faith in Latin, to avoid any religious discrimination or offence to the audience. The religion is completely separate from any real religions). We then see over her shoulder a man (Lucian Bloodgate, her second in command) come into the church and address her as commander and tell her that ‘we are ready’. Isolde then opens her eyes and rises. She strides down the aisle and passes Lucian without looking at him; he falls into step behind her.

 Cut to outside and we see two other people – Toril Kissinger and Xander Lynxwater – who are waiting outside for Isolde to give them orders. We find out that they have been sent to investigate a Garrison who have disappeared after looking into a series of disappearances linked to a banshee. Upon arrival, they find no trace of the Garrison. After asking around, they are directed to a nearby forest known as Vita.

 Cut to an old, black castle, with stormy clouds and a lake of fire and we can hear someone laughing maniacally and the sounds of torture.

 Once inside Vita, they find the remains of the Garrison that they were looking for as well as the banshee. They begin to battle but the banshee proves to be fiercer than they first imagined. The banshee summons ‘daughters’ to help her and they almost overpower the Garrison, when arrows start to fall upon the banshee’s daughters, killing them. A young woman then appears over the top of the hill. With this woman, they manage to kill the banshee. It is revealed that the woman who helped her is Brooke Silvetti, a noble woman who rules the land of Domus, who decides to join them as they journey back to the Lightning Kin fortress in Dux Ducis to make a report on what they found. As they are about to leave, they find that one of the members of the dead Garrison is still alive – but barely. Isolde tries to question him about what happened, but he dies after muttering a single name – Monshang, an evil necromancer who was supposed to be killed by the Lightning Kin 20 years before. Isolde does not believe him and is angry, but Xander stands shell shocked, staring at the dead body. He has to be forcibly moved by Toril when they leave.

 They set up camp for the night when we see Lucian speaking with Isolde, who reveals that she does not trust Brooke, who is listening by the entrance to Isolde’s tent. Upon hearing this, she enters and says that they’re not going to get rid of her as she saved all of their lives and there would be no Mortuus Garrison without her. Both Lucian and Isolde are shocked when they hear that Brooke knows about them and the Lightning Kin as they are supposed to be a secret organisation and members are forced to swear an oath upon joining, which is punishable by death if they don’t comply. Isolde then demands to know how Brooke knows about the organisation and the Mortuus Garrison. Brooke is unaffected by the Commanders anger, shrugs her shoulders and answers ‘tis my job to know’. Lucian sees that Isolde is barely containing her anger and dismisses Brooke.

 Outside the camp, Toril is preparing supper and Xander is sitting apart from the rest of camp, watching the Commanders tent. He is playing with an old locket which has the initials ML on it.

 The next morning, the group are just outside of Dux Ducis when they see smoke rising in the distance, coming from the Lightning Kin fortress. All five of the group look horrified. Toril is the first to react and she runs towards the fortress, Isolde hard on her heels. As they near the fortress, they discover that it has been decimated by a fire. The group split up to search for survivors in the still smouldering wreckage. Lucian goes with Toril and Brooke (as Isolde does not trust Brooke to go with only one other person) and Isolde goes with Xander – who seems particularly upset about the destruction. Isolde picks up on this, but does not mention anything. Isolde instructs Lucian to take the ground floor, whilst she and Xander take the first and they’ll do the basement together.

 As they walk away, Lucian tells Toril and Brooke to be on the look out, and they all draw their weapons. As they walk, Toril says that no normal fire could do this kind of damage, and that only a very powerful mage could. Lucian then guesses that Monshang was responsible.

 Cut then to Isolde and Xander, who are now upstairs, looking in the dormitories for clues. Xander keeps playing with the locket, and Isolde asks him to look at it. She asks what the ML stands for, which he tells her is his mother’s name – Merrill Lynxwater. They talk about his mother who died when he was young and how he never knew his father. It is clear that the two are growing closer.

 Once back downstairs, the Garrison regroup and Toril tells Isolde her fears that Monshang is behind this. Isolde agrees, when one of the beams from the ceiling crashes down and blocks the exit from the building. They search in vain for another exit, but find none. They have no choice but to get out through the escape tunnels in the basement.

 They cautiously make their way through the twisting claustrophobic tunnels, weapons drawn at all times. They are all tense and eventually have to stop to rest. They set up one single tent, whilst Isolde and Lucian take first watch. Whilst everyone else sleeps, Lucian tells Isolde to make Brooke one of the Lightning Kin and enlist her into the Mortuus Garrison. Isolde is resistant at first, but when Lucian points out that there may only be four of them left against Monshang, she relents and promises to do the ceremony once they get out of the tunnels. Isolde then sends Lucian to bed and says that she will take the watch alone.

 Xander hears Lucian get into the tent and gets up to talk to Isolde when he hears Lucian’s soft snores. The two sit together and Isolde tells him about how she ended up with the Garrison. We learn that her whole village was destroyed by a group of Wights and that she was the only survivor – the Lightning Kin were too late, which is why the Mortuus Garrison were formed. She was raised with the organisation, trained in combat, herbal medicine and poison – she was raised a warrior and joined as soon as she turned 18, her long sword a gift from her mentor, which she calls Justice. Xander turns the locket over and over in his hands whilst they talk.

 The next evening, the group make it out of the tunnels, which open up in the fields of decay – a beautiful piece of land that is inhabited by odd pockets of Wraiths. The group have to make their way through these fields to the Merchant’s Road and safety. They make a good start until the fourth pocket of Wraiths that they find. The battle begins well, until one of the Wraiths gets behind the group and stabs Toril, who collapses. Once the battle is over, the group rushes over to Toril, who is unconscious but alive. Without Toril’s healing magic and the threat of a Wraith attack at any moment, Isolde can only patch up the wound with bandages. Lucian volunteers to carry Toril and the group set off again. The journey is agonisingly slow, with Toril losing blood and growing paler and paler with each passing minute. Finally, they get to Merchant’s Road where Isolde has a better look at Toril’s wound. It looks bad, but Isolde says that she will live provided they find a healer and quick. Bloody and exhausted, they set off down the road to the next village. They don’t stop all night and by next morning they find the village of Devoveo – the village that Isolde grew up in. Isolde is visibly shaken, but she shrugs it off as exhaustion and fear for Toril, although Xander keeps a close eye on her.

 Upon entering the village, they attract multiple stares because of Toril and they are directed to a nearby healer. Once they get there, Isolde realises that she knows the healer – a mage called Silas, whom she thought died in the attack. It turns out that Silas was away at magic school when the Wights descended and did not know about it until he returned. He explains that he has spent the past 10 years rebuilding the village to what it was before; only with armed patrols around the boundaries in case of another Wight attack. He examines Toril and says that she will live, but will remain unconscious for a few days.

 Lucian and Isolde agree to do Brooke’s ceremony once Toril is awake, as they need a mage and both are unwilling to seek outside assistance – especially since the ceremony is meant to be a secret. Isolde decides that in the mean time they should think about where they should go next. Lucian suggests the capital city – Desolo – to which Isolde agrees. She then says that the group should have some free time whilst they wait for Toril to recover.

 Three days later and Toril is fully recovered. Isolde asks Toril if she feels that she is up to performing the ceremony for Brooke, to which she agrees. She gives Isolde a list of things to get for her for the evening, once she does, she can start preparing the ritual.

 That night, Isolde goes to Brooke to tell her that they would like to recruit her into the Lightning Kin and the Mortuus Garrison. Brook is sceptical about it as demands to know why Isolde wants her. Isolde admits that she has to join as she knows so much about the organisation and that she can’t let her walk away knowing what she knows, but she would rather have another person to fight against Monshang, than another dead body. She reassures her that her skill with the bow and arrows will come in helpful and Brooke grudgingly agrees. Isolde leads her to an abandoned warehouse in one of the farming fields of the village. It is dark inside save for a few candles. Once inside, Isolde moves to join Toril, who is standing behind the candles. Lucian is standing on their right hand side, holding a small package in his hands, whilst Xander is standing on their left. Isolde then tells Broke to come into the room and kneel in front of Toril – she does so. Isolde then gives a speech about the Lightning Kin and how they came about. After she has finished, she takes a step back and Toril steps forwards. Lucian gives her the package, which turns out to be a silver ring. Toril then starts a spell that makes the ring float and burn. When she is done, the ring is engraved with the letter ‘B’ and a wave design around it. Isolde takes the ring from Toril and tells Brooke to stand up. She puts the ring on Brooke’s hand, who gasps in pain and collapses to the floor, her eyes squeezed shut. In Brooke’s mind, she sees everything that she has done in her life. From this we see her abusive father and her mixing with the underground thieves’ guild in Domus. We see her meeting a mage whom she falls in love with. She is found out by her father, who kills her lover and banishes her from Domus. She kneels down next to the mage’s body, tears rolling down her face as she strokes his hair. Her father is shouting at her, words that are muffled and we can’t understand. We see her shooting an arrow through her father’s neck. We see her watching the fight between the Garrison and the Banshee with a cool indifference. We see her move to save them.

 Brooke’s eyes fly open as she gasps for breath. She looks up at Isolde and the others. Isolde tells her that she is now a part of the Lightning Kin. Brooke looks down at her hand to see that the ring has been moulded to her finger and is impossible to remove. Isolde informs her that she is now part of the Mortuus Garrison.

 The next morning, they head out to Desolo and everything is normal. Once they reach the city gates, Isolde tells the group to split up to try and find information on Monshang and meet up that evening in the inn where they will be staying that evening. They all agree and go their separate ways.

 Brooke immediately heads towards the slums, where she knows that information can easily be bought. As soon as she walks into the slums, she is recognised as the noblewoman of ___. It appears that word has spread about Brooke’s habit of mingling with the unwanted and they open her with wide arms. She ends up spending the day talking about her adventures.

 Toril ends up outside the magic school on the west side of Desolo. She has no recollection of having gone there, it’s just like her feet carried her there. She hesitates at the end of the driveway. She can almost feel the careful gaze of the guards on her. She squares her shoulders, takes a deep breath and heads up the driveway. She has to deal with this sometime. Once inside, she is approached by a mage wearing magenta robes – the schools receptionist. Toril realises with a jolt that no matter how hard she tries to stay away and forget, she will always find her way back. The receptionist, Emily, takes her on a tour of the school, when she bumps into one of the apprentice teachers. She apologises and as she bends to help him pick up his books, they lock eyes and she freezes as she realises that she recognises him – he is Thomas, a childhood friend. As they talk, it is revealed that they grew up together at the magic school in Dessin. Toril apologises for leaving him behind when she left, but she felt too isolated within the tower. Thomas forgives her, but tells her that he never forgot her. They share a kiss before realising that she has to go back to the others.

 Xander goes towards the city guard to ask the guards if they have heard anything about Monshang. Isolde wants to go with him as she realises how hard it must be for him to be in Desolo, but he shrugs her off. He finds nothing.

 Isolde and Lucian head towards the market place. Isolde voices her concerns about Xander being in Desolo. Lucian tells her that he seems to have become more and more closed off throughout their journey and suggests that they keep a close eye on him. After finding nothing, they return to the inn to wait for the others.

 Once they have regrouped and find that they have found no information on Monshang, Isolde starts to get annoyed. They are overheard by a group of men, who come up to them and tell them about a vampire nest on the outskirts of Desolo who may know something about Monshang. Lucian asks who they are and it is revealed that they are an Indicium Garrison – they find out information about possible cases before an active Garrison go in an eradicate the issue. Isolde agrees to investigate and asks the Indicium Garrison to join them, but they refuse saying that they are not warriors, only scouts. Isolde decides that they should take out the nest in the morning so that it’s guaranteed that the majority of the vampires will be in the nest.

 The next morning, they get ready to leave. The Indicium Garrison gives them directions to the nest – an underground cavern accessed from the river that runs just outside of the city - before leaving. The group make their way cautiously inside, weapons drawn.  They soon find their way to the heart of the nest, only killing a few vampires in the process. They find the Queen sitting on a make-shift throne made from the rock that makes up the cavern. Vampires come in from behind the group, surrounding them and effectively cutting off the only exit – the group have to fight their way out if they are to survive. Isolde attempts to speak with the Queen, but to no avail. The Queen orders the vampires to attack the Garrison, whilst she sits back and watches, only joining in when the vampires start to fall. The queen grabs Isolde by the neck and threatens to kill her if the Garrison don’t stop fighting. They all stop and Xander tries to run at the Queen, but Toril stops him by putting up a magical barrier around him, stopping him from moving. Lucian tells the Queen to drop Isolde, but Isolde tells them to keep fighting and let the Queen kill her. Xander is frantically banging on the invisible barrier. Lucian refuses to let the Queen kill her and strikes up a deal with the Queen – the Garrison will let them go if the Queen tells them where they can find Monshang. Lucian tells the Queen that they can still kill her and all of the vampires even if she kills Isolde. The Queen reluctantly agrees and she releases Isolde. Toril releases the barrier holding Xander in place, who rushes over to Isolde to check that she is okay. The Queen tells them that they can find Monshang at an old castle called Broken Refuge in the north, but warns them that they will need more than just the five of them to defeat him. Isolde agrees and the Garrison return to the inn.

 Isolde and the group have a meeting and decide that the best way to take down Monshang is to go to one of the surrounding countries to contact the Lightning Kin there as they are the last remaining members of the order in Fatum. They ask the Indicium Garrison to travel the surrounding countries to get help, to which they agree. Isolde recommends that the Mortuus Garrison should prepare themselves for war and help prepare any Lightning Kin as and when they arrive. The group go their separate directions to get preparations ready. Isolde asks Xander to stay behind so that she can speak with him. She says thank you for helping her in the Vampire nest and he asks her if she’s ok. She says yes and he confesses that he likes her but nothing can happen as she is his Commanding Officer. She kisses him and says that she isn’t tonight. They end up spending the night together.

 Xander leaves Isolde’s room the next morning before anyone else wakes up. He goes for a walk around Desolo, but a hooded figure appears to try and kidnap him. A struggle ensues and Xander manages to get away. He scribbles a note to Isolde and starts to head back to the inn. However, the hooded figure appears again and knocks Xander out. As he falls, he drops the note on the floor, unknown to the mysterious figure, and he is kidnapped.

 Isolde wakes up to a knock on her door. She looks around the room to find Xander gone. She opens the door to Lucian who tells her that Xander is missing and his bed hasn’t been slept in. Isolde is uncomfortable and confesses to Lucian, but asks him not to tell Brooke or Toril at least until after the mission. He tells her that he hopes she knows what she’s doing, but Xander is still missing. She gathers Lucian, Brooke and Toril for a meeting in her room and decides that they should split into two groups – one to look around Desolo and another to look in the surrounding area.

 As they look around the city, Brooke and Isolde find signs of a struggle down a back alley. Isolde finds the note on the floor and as she picks it up, she recognises Xander’s hand writing. She visibly pales as she reads the note and falls to her knees. Brooke comes up behind her and gently takes the note from her and reads it. She pulls Isolde up and takes her back to the inn to await the others – Isolde is in shock.

 Toril and Lucian walk the parameter of the city, but find nothing, so they return to the inn. By the time that they arrive it is sunset. They find Brooke sitting at a table with the note in front of her. Isolde is pacing up and down behind Brooke. They sit down with Brooke. Isolde shows them the note which has one word written on it – Monshang. Lucian tells Isolde to calm down and wait for the reinforcements to arrive. Isolde flatly refuses and says that she is going to Broken Refuge with or without the rest of them. Lucian agrees that they should go but they should at least wait for one group of Lightning Kin to arrive first so that the army will know where they need to march to. Isolde refuses and orders Lucian to stay behind to wait for the Lightning Kin to arrive whilst she goes ahead with Brooke and Toril. An argument takes place which results in Lucian staying behind and catching up with a small scout group once reinforcements arrive. Isolde instructs Brooke and Toril to be ready to move in ten minutes.

 The three girls meet at the city gates and take their leave. Lucian feels uneasy as he watches them go. Isolde, Brooke and Toril walk until the next afternoon, when they stop to rest. Isolde takes out a map and the three of them plot their way there and what they should do once they get in. They agree that their best chance of success is stealth. They should go in and get Xander out and wait for the reinforcements before attempting to kill Monshang.

 Three days after the girls have left, the first of the Lightning Kin start to arrive. Lucian has made a camp just outside of the city walls where the organisation can prepare in peace. The first group to arrive is the Lightning Kin from Infelix, who boarder Fatum on the west. He decides to wait for the whole army to assemble before joining Isolde and the others.

 Cut back to Isolde. She is standing at the top of a rise, looking down at Broken Refuge with a look of grim determination on her face. She turns back to Toril and Brooke, who are looking tensely at Isolde for guidance. Isolde relays everything that she saw to them and they decide that they need a distraction to get them inside. They agree and start down the hill.

 Cut back to Lucian and we see him readying the army to march to Broken Refuge. The four leaders of the countries present – Infelix, Antiquus, Equitas and Miles Militis – are at the front of the army, with Lucian who will be acting as a guide for the army. They begin to march.

 Isolde, Brooke and Toril are hiding behind a boulder watching the entrance to the bridge that goes across the lake of fire. There is a patrol of guards making their way around it. Brooke darts out and on top of the boulder and shoots an arrow at the guards. She takes one down and their attention is drawn to her. When Isolde asks what she is doing to replies ‘Making a distraction’ before shooting another of the guards killing him. She then runs off in the opposite direction. When the coast is clear, Isolde and Toril run forward and stop by the dead guards. They strip them of their armour and put it on as a disguise and make their way forwards. They get into the castle without trouble and head towards the dungeons, which they are sure is where Xander is being kept. They find the door locked, but Toril opens it using magic. They quickly go down the steps, and Isolde warns Toril that they would probably have to fight their way out. Once they get down into the dungeons, they begin to look around. They find all kinds of torture equipment, but there is no sign of Xander or anyone else. They finally come to the last room, which they enter cautiously. Once inside, the door suddenly closes behind them, revealing Monshang for the first time. Toril tries to attack him, but he knocks her unconscious. Isolde then draws her sword and demands to know where Xander is. Monshang just laughs at her and opens the door again. Guards swarm the room and grab her and the unconscious Toril and drag them upstairs, into one of the master bedrooms. Inside, the guards chain Isolde and Toril to the legs of the bed. Brooke is already inside; she looks up at Isolde and says that they were expecting them. Monshang then leaves them.

 Isolde asks Brooke if she is okay, to which Brooke is surprised as they have never gotten on well. Brooke also says that she knows that Isolde loves Xander, even if she doesn’t know it herself. Isolde apologises to Brooke. Toril stirs next to them and tries to sit up. Isolde tries to go to her, but can’t because of her manacles, but Toril reassures her that she is fine.

 Monshang enters the room again; behind him is a badly beaten Xander. Isolde tries to go to Xander, but only hurts herself in the process. Xander tells her that she shouldn’t have come, to which she replies that she would never leave him. Monshang watches the exchange with an uninterested expression until he realises that Isolde and Xander love each other. He orders his guards to hold Xander still as he hits Isolde for speaking. He whispers something in her ear, to which she shakes her head, looking terrified. Brooke asks her what it is, and Monshang hits her again. She spits at him. Monshang laughs at her as he hits her again, knocking her out. Toril shouts her name but can’t do anything. Isolde is just sitting with her head down, trying not to cry.

 Lucian and the army can be seen just coming over the top of the hill towards Broken Refuge, where the girls were hours before. They charge down to meet Monshang’s undead guards. The battle begins.

 The group in the master’s bedroom hear the sound of battle and they all look towards the window. Monshang smiles as he goes to the window. He summons up all those who have already died to attack the Lightning Kin, before returning to the spot he was in before. Monshang tells Isolde to ask Xander if it’s true, to which she does. He nods his head once, a look of shame on his face. Isolde gasps and a single tear rolls down her face. She asks him how long, and he replies always. Toril asks Isolde what they are talking about. Neither of them says anything. Monshang grins and tells her that Xander is his son.

 Cut to Lucian and a group of other Lightning Kin. They break away from the main battle and manage to get into the castle undetected. Lucian tells the group that they have to find Isolde – he can tell that they are in trouble. They make their way to the stairs leading to the upper levels.

 Back in the room, Toril stares dumbstruck at Isolde and Xander, who seem to be in a staring match. Isolde asks him about the locket again, and he says that the ‘M’ stands for Monshang. Monshang Lynxwater. Isolde asks why he never told her and he says that he was ashamed. Monshang interrupts them by punching Xander in the stomach, who shouts out in pain. Isolde shouts Xander’s name and tries to get out of her manacles. Monshang keeps beating Xander until he spits blood out of his mouth. Isolde is crying freely now and Toril is trying to wake Brooke up. A crash can be heard outside and the guards and Xander are thrown forwards into the room. Isolde shouts Xander’s name again, but she can barely be heard over the din. Lucian is standing in the doorway, a warrior mage next to him, who just blew in the door. Lucian holds his two daggers in front of him and he points them at Monshang. He tells Monshang to let them all go. Monshang laughs at him and says that they can’t possibly hope to win. He and the rest of the small group of Lightning Kin start to fight, and Xander, crawls over to where Isolde is chained to the bed. He takes her face in his hands and tells her that they will make it out alive - she just has to trust him. She nods her head in agreement. He goes to her manacles and picks the lock on them, letting her hands spring free. He tries to help her get up but she tells him to help Brooke and Toril fist. He nods in agreement. As he goes over to them, Isolde feels her left wrist – it’s broken from her trying to get out. She pulls herself to her feet to help Xander, but Monshang steps in front of her, blocking her path. She looks up into his face, and he is smiling down at her. She tries to run, but he knocks her to the floor. She glances over at Lucian, but he is battling Monshang’s guards. She watches as he takes down two at once. She looks back up at Monshangs face, he has a bladed staff in one hand and is about to stab Isolde in the chest. Lucian looks for Monshang and sees what he’s about to do, realises that he can’t do anything and shouts Xander’s name. Xander looks at Lucian as he helps Toril up and then over to where he is pointing. He sees Monshang standing over Isolde about to kill her, when he runs towards Monshang, picking up a sword as he goes. Monshang realises what he’s about to do and runs out of the room and up towards the roof. Xander bends down to help Isolde up and she winches as she gets up. She looks around and sees that all of Monshang’s guards are dead. She shouts to Toril to fix Brooke, which she does. Brooke wakes up and they all head to the roof, picking up weapons as they go.

 Once they get to the roof, they see that Monshang is standing at the far edge, waiting for them. They all draw their weapons when they hear footsteps behind them. They realise that Monshang has risen the dead bodies downstairs to help him. Isolde orders Lucian and Brooke to fend them off, whilst she, Xander and Toril fight Monshang. The battle on the roof begins.

 Lucian and Brooke head back down the stairs, Brooke sending arrow after arrow into the horde of bodies, whilst Lucian deals with them in close combat. They have to start going back up the stairs as Monshang creates more and more undead warriors to fight for him.

 Back on the roof, Toril is standing from a distance, firing arcane bolt after arcane bolt at Monshang whilst trying to keep the group healed. Isolde is fighting with a long sword, her bad wrist hanging limply at her side, whilst Xander keeps trying to defend her from Monshang’s attacks. Monshang throws a fireball at the group and they all have to dive out of the way to avoid being hit. He rounds on Toril and throws an arcane bolt at her before she manages to stand to her feet. She lies still. Isolde is furious and runs towards Monshang, who throws her back. He goes towards Xander, bladed staff held high. Xander asks him if he’s really going to kill his own son, to which Monshang denies, telling him that he will raise him as a faithful servant, he just has to die first. Isolde sees what he’s doing. She gets clumsily to her feet, picks up her long sword in one hand and runs towards Monshang. She stabs him in the back and whispers in his ear; ‘you’ll never have him’ before pulling the sword out again. Monshang dies. The doors to the roof are thrown open and Lucian and Brooke enter, covered in undead blood. Isolde shouts at them to go and help Toril, which they do. Isolde kneels down next to Xander, who is coughing up blood. He tries to say something, but Isolde tells him not to speak. She has tears in her eyes. He tells her that he loves her. Isolde says that’s he loves him too, and that he’s going to be fine. He brings one hand up to cup her face, before coughing. She puts his head in her lap and strokes his hair. She looks over at the others and sees Brooke helping Toril up, who is limping slightly. Toril sees her and makes her way over, waving the offers of help off from the others. Isolde is whispering Xander’s name over and over again, and Toril kneels down next to Isolde and tries to heal Xander.

 Two weeks later, and we see Isolde overseeing the renovations of Dux Ducis, with the help of the other Lightning Kin Garrisons. A makeshift hospital has been made out of tents just outside of the building, and this is where Isolde heads now. Toril is seen helping the injured patients from the battle. She nods to Isolde as she passes. Isolde makes her way down to the end tent and enters. Xander is sitting up in his bed and smiles up at Isolde when she enters. He has bruising all over his face and body, and moves uncomfortably to let Isolde sit on the bed next to him. He asks how everything is coming along, and we learn that Lucian is to become Commanding Officer of Mortuus Garrison in Equitas, whilst Brooke will teach new recruits archery and stealth at Dux Ducis once renovations have been completed. Isolde strokes his face and kisses him on the forehead before getting up to leave. Once outside, we see her smile, before fade to black.