Noya Act One Script

Transcript

1. Hook: _____ (ILLUSTRATION OF GHOSTLY NOYA )NARRATION: What would you do, if you could bring your loved one's back from the dead? Would you push the boundaries, to save your soul from the pain of loss? Chapter 1: Bittersweet Meeting ______________________________ REILAN is working on a spell in their cabin: concentrating on imbuing a sword with fire resistance magic. She pulls out dragon scales and bonds them to the scabbard. As she is focusing, a ghoulish face appears amongst the magical mist. REILAN AHHHH! The sword incinerates in the flames. NOYA appears out of the shadows, his face looking ghoulish in the stark light. NOYA Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. REILAN (annoyed) God damn it Noya! That was so dangerous… NOYA Sorry. I just wanted to say goodbye before I left. REILAN (exasperated) You're already leaving? You just got back! NOYA I know, but I can't pass up this opportunity. NOYA pulls out a runestone, soft magic glowing from within. NOYA The next piece of this runestone is confirmed to be amongst the God of Man We might finally have access to ruins. Pillar! Argememon's
2. 2. REILAN (grumbling) It's also very dangerous. NOYA I'll be careful REILAN (dramatically, clinging onto Noya) But what if you dieeee?! NOYA I won't. I'll always come back to you REILAN. And this is to prove that.. NOYA pulls out a beautiful ring, that was hidden behind his back all along. REILAN gasps, looking frantically at the ring, and back at him. He carefully slides it on her finger, and kisses her hand. INT. REILAN'S COTTAGE- SAME DAY 12PM NOYA (from past memory) I want to be with you forever….. REILAN wakes up with a start, then groans and falls back down in her bed. CAPTIONS (REILAN's NARRATION): It's been two months since NOYA disappeared. Each day keeps on moving, going about in the same way. Except for him. He's gone. And it already feels like he is just a distant memory, and I am the only one on Earth who remembers him. REILAN pulls on some random clothes from the floor. Her room is in clear disarray, chaotic magical items strewn everywhere. She pads downstairs, and sifts through the strewn letters that have been shoved through her doors letterbox. She shuffles through the notes, which say "get well soon" and "my condolences". (REILAN's NARRATION): Life always seemed like it passed by so quickly, but now, it's like I'm just waiting for it to be over already. I don't even know how long I've just been squatting in this house. Oh well, it's not like there is anything important going on out there. Suddenly, an arrow comes shooting in from her curtained a spirit vulture pinned under the feathered shaft of window, the weapon. She reals back, then runs to the window to peer
3. 3. outside. EXT. MAGICAL VILLAGE, OUTSIDE REILAN'S COTTAGE A mage is levitating arrows with his staff as a flock of spirit vultures surround the village. He notices her. MAGE OH HEY! Board your windows, for god's sake! You gotta be careful these days! ESTABLISHING SHOT showcases the entire village surrounded by a dark miasma/positioned below a torn open portal. As the mage fires upon the vultures, her staff begins to shake, magic runes flaring to the surface, going haywire. Behind him, a ghost begins to manifest. REACTION shot of REILAN's face. Ghosts appear everywhere: in different panels they manifest in the alleyways of the town, screams echo as women flee their homes, ghosts following them. Mechanized magical creations are broken in the streets. In a panic, REILAN runs downstairs, rushing to get outside, only to come face to face with NOYA's ghostly apparition. INT. REILAN'S KITCHEN NOYAS ghostly form appears blazing white light amongst the objects in the cottage. The magical items within the house are going haywire, plates and cups whirling in the air. His back is to her. REILAN (beginning to feel hopeful) Noya? NOYA says nothing, but turns silently to her. At first REILAN is in shock, but after a beat, with tears in her eyes, launches herself at NOYA. Her hands go through him, and as she realizes that she looks into his eyes. REILAN Oh… Noya. I'm, I'm sorry… Why are you here? NOYA opens his mouth, appearing to attempt to communicate with her. But REILAN can't understand. REILAN What? What are you trying to say? Before she can make sense of his ghostly whispers, an injured malformed spirit vulture crashes into the room, beelining for
4. 4. NOYA. REILAN screams. REILAN NOOOO! She attempts to grab her staff, but the magic has gone haywire from NOYA's proximity. The vulture has pinned NOYA in a corner and opens its mouth, attempting to feed from his spiritual energy. She looks around frantically, then launches herself at the REAPER's business card ( maybe insert establishing scene when she acquires the business card when she goes into the town maybe? give it some more world She bites into her thumb, and building, establishing moment) with the blood draws a sigil on the ground, and places the card within the center. She claps her hands together, and a dark magic flows out from the sigils borders, and a portal into spacetime opens. From that swirling black center pocketed with stars emerges a shadowy figure, growing larger and overtaking the vulture, which squawks and scrambles out of REILAN's cottage, saving NOYA. The magical REAPER snarls. REAPER RRRRRRRAHHHHHH. The fearsome beast seems to grow even larger, and REILAN backs up to protect NOYA, shielding him with her body. REAPER Hand over the spirit, mortal. The dark shadows swell, but begins to clear, revealing nothing but a small orb at the center, and within that orb is the fearsome REAPER of Arcane Village, Precinct 12. There is a beat, plus REACTION PANELS of the characters, then almost like a reflex, REILAN speaks. REILAN Small. REAPER WHO YOU CALLING SMALL KID?!?! CHAPTER TWO: THE DEAL REILAN approaches the small demon character, and extends her staff, rolling the poor Reaper around on the floor, examining him. REILAN Where did the Reaper go?
5. 5. REAPER (flailing around) Stop! Can't you hear me? REILAN peers closer at the orb after picking it up. REILAN Oh… This doesn't seem normal REAPER YOU THINK? PANELS DARKEN as the Reaper recounts what happened EXT. GRAVEYARD - NIGHT REAPER slinks through the long grass of the gravesite. Floating amongst the headstones, a ghostly spectre in the vague form of a woman has manifested. REAPER (narrating) I was following the scent of a manifested soul, but something was wrong. As the woman turns around, her face is twisted, a strange void emerging. The REAPER reacts, but in the distance a dark form is visible approaching. REAPER I was so surprised, I didn't notice there was a presence behind me. A flash of light, and then the REAPER is visibly bubbled. He bangs frantically on the bubble walls, and the blurred forms of two figures make their escape into the night. REAPER And when I did, it was too late… FADE BACK TO PRESENT INT. REILAN'S KITCHEN Reilan thinks for a moment. REILAN (to herself) Why would there be a spellcaster at the gravesite. What did they want?
6. 6. The ghastly image of the ghost woman lingers. The REAPER interupts her thoughts REAPER Well, this has been fun and all, but your gonna have to give me that soul- REILAN (Without missing a beat) Nope. REAPER WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO? I'm behind on my soul quota already! You don't want me to phone my boss! REILAN (gets a devilish look) Your boss huh… I wonder how much trouble you will get in when he finds out that you let all of these souls run free. The REAPER visibly reacts. Cartoon-ey comedy panels to push scene. REILAN Ohhhh~ you are already in trouble, huh? REAPER Stop talking!!! REILAN Listen, I'm gonna help you. I will help you break the spell binding you. If, you enter into an Agreement with me. REILAN picks up the Reaper, holding him at eye level. REILAN I will set you free, and in return you let me keep Noya. REAPER I can't do that! REILAN You already are hiding all of these ghosts. Isn't one better than an
7. 7. entire village? I can track the source of the spell. REAPER hesitantly looks at REILAN, then sighs and begins to spellcast. REAPER On my Honor as a Reaper, Descendant of , I promise that I will Old God Amodeus allow Noya to remain manifested. REILAN On my Honor as a Sorceress, I promise I will help free you to the best of my ability. As the agreement is made, an insignia is carved on the of Reilan and the Reaper, which quickly fades necks/hands? away, lingering unseen under the surface of their forms. CHAPTER THREE: TRACKING SPELL INT. REILAN'S WORK SHED The interior of REILAN's work shed, seperate from the main house, is shown. It is chaotic, with many magical items strewn around the room. She rummages through it all, looking for a tome that she finally yanks out a drawer. NOYA comes floating in, and she freezes. REILAN looks around sheepishly. REILAN Sorry, I know you told me to clean up this stuff. And you always did it for me… REILAN turns to face NOYA. She hesitates, then asks: REILAN Do you… remember how you died? NOYA's face is blank, then he opens his mouth. NOYA I… I'm sorry. REILAN's eyes fill with tears, and she touches her face as if shocked that they are there. She turns around briskly REILAN Don't apologize, you don't need to.
8. 8. EXT. REILAN'S YARD REILAN grabs the Reaper, and places him in the center of the yard. REAPER What are you doing? REILAN Making a tracking spell She then begins to sketch a pentagram around him. After the sigil is complete, she raises the book and begins to channel her magical energy into the book. Her eyes glow, and the sigil erupts into white flames, racing into the sky. The fire points into a far off direction. REILAN Looks like the culprit has escaped into… SPREAD PAGE: Big shot of overarching trees past the village, showing a vast forest running up to the base of a mountain. REILAN …The Dark Forest NEXT PAGE. REILAN That's at the base of *name* Mountain… we'll need to get some supplies for the trip. REILAN picks up REAPER, and dusts him off, turning around and heading in the direction of the vilage. REAPER Where are you taking me? REILAN We need to find a way for you to move on your own. NOYA lingers behind, watching REILAN and the REAPER walk off. He attempts to follow, reaching a hand out to them, but his hand warps, and he remains trapped under the awning. INT. TAVERN- 3PM (HAPPY HOUR) REILAN and the REAPER enter the local village tavern, teeming
9. 9. with customers at this hour, which is unusual. A wide variety of magical races are drinking. People are consoling each other, and murmurs of different conversations flit through the air, as Reilan navigates the barstools with the Reaper in her arms. STRANGER His head just popped out of the toilet, like why would he manifest there?! STRANGER 2 There there, it'll be okay STRANGER 3 I wish my husband would come back, but I think he's avoiding me… REILAN is looking around, then finally locates her target due to their loud voice overtaking the crowd. REAPER So where is this mechanic? LUMIEL And thennnnnn! I took him out with a swing of my fist! That'll teach a barbarian to mess with a modded sorcerer Dragon-type, IDIOTTTTT. REILAN Over there. LUMIEL looks over her shoulder, noticing REILAN as she throttles some poor dwarf she got in a drinking match with. A smile light up her face, and she pushes through the crowd to REILAN. LUMIEL REILAN! How have you been, sweetie? She pinches REILAN's cheek, which REILAN endures. REILAN OK… listen I need a favor. LUMIEL looks intruiged. LUMIEL Follow me.
10. 10. INT. LUMIEL'S FORGE- EVENING LUMIEL is sitting in her forge, the fire from it flickering over them ominously listening intently to REILAN's story. LUMIEL So, this little runt is our Reaper? REAPER I'm gonna remember that once I get out of here. LUMIEL Sorry, no offense. You definitely need to be set free, but… She looks hesitantly at REILAN. LUMIEL Are we sure this is the best way? REILAN (serious) There is no other way. LUMIEL sighs and looks away, rubbing her head as she thinks about their situation. LUMIEL I know you are suffering, and I am sorry for your loss, but the soul that has manifested back on Earth is fractured. Noya isn't with you like you think he is… actually, where is he? REILAN (startles) Oh… I think he stayed behind at the house. REAPER Because he can't leave. BEAT REAPER When ghosts manifest back into our world, it is like they are caught in a limbo, tethered between reality and nothingness. A soul caught in this
11. 11. limbo are "snagged" on a place that held value to them in their old life. So unless ghosts are untethered to these places, they cannot dissaperate. LUMIEL So NOYA is tethered to something in your house then. Wouldn't it be possible then, for REAPER here to help you find that thing? REAPER (thoughtfully) I have never looked for the tether specifically before, but it is possible. REILAN We can figure this out later, for now… We need you to help us rig something that will allow the Reaper to travel on his own. LUMIEL Hmmmm, that is an interesting project. Where are you traveling to? REILAN The tracking spell pointed us to the Dark Forest. LUMIEL gets a dark look on her face. She grabs REILAN's hand. LUMIEL REILAN… I think you should just ask for the other REAPERs to help. REILAN Why? LUMIEL It's no coincidence that your culprit is hiding out there. FLASHBACK TALE BEGINS LUMIEL BEGINS TO NARRATE: A long time ago, before there was anything, there was just vast space. The old beings were created in this vacuum, and became lords of time, that powered the rest of the universe.
12. 12. They planted the first seeds of life, and watched as Earth flourished into a thriving planet full of different species. Eventually, time ran out even for these gods, and as a last gift to us, they perished, and the vast magic in their bodies fueled the Earth, and magic became permeated in vast ecosystems. The Dark Forest, and *blank* mountain, is a wooden mausoleum for one of these gods. It wasn't long before a sub group of mages became obsessed with unlocking the true powers hidden in the bodies of these gods buried deep within the soil. What they discovered, was a power that was uncontrollable, and wrecked havoc upon the delicate balance between the living and the recycled magic gifted by the gods. FLASHBACK ENDS: LUMIEL This is a problem greater than us, do you really think you will feel better messing with life and death? REILAN (she looks away) This doesn't have anything to do with me. I just… want to see NOYA again. BEAT LUMIEL (sighs) Well… I know you are gonna go whether I help you or not. They smile at each other EXT. REILAN'S HOUSE- MORNING REAPER stumbles around in his new robotic suit. LUMIEL teases him, throwing wrenches at him as he evades, shouting curses at her. REILAN watches on. REILAN Ok LUMIEL, stop teasing him, we need to leave soon. REAPER No other reason than that?! REAPER stands in front of the house, with REILAN and LUMIEL
13. 13. behind him, and NOYA facing in front. REAPER activates his magic, and his orb turns dark. Shadows leak out from his form, racing towards the house. next panels in reapers pov. REAPER looks around, seeing a sea of dark with white outlines, In front of him, NOYA's manifested spirit glows bright, and a tethered rope connects him somewhere in the house. REAPER walks into the home, looking around, until he exclaims REAPER HAHA, found it! Panel shows REILAN holding NOYA's ring. REILAN looks devastated. REAPER doesn't seem to notice her distress. REAPER No need to thank me, I'll just assume your silence is due to your awe- REILAN This is the only thing left…of NOYA when he died. The only thing that came back from his expedition. She looks at NOYA. He reaches out and touches the ring. There is a faint spark. Tears spring up in REILAN's eyes. She wipes them hurriedly. NOYA Time to go. ACT ONE COMPLETE