The Bell Wishers (10) KARMEN He is mine until I have the bell. You have served your purpose. Do not try my patience further. Resist no more! JEWEL No! KARMEN Foolish girl! If you were any smarter, you might have avoided my little trap altogether. JEWEL And leave my friend to perish at your hands? I don't think so. The Karmen shifts slightly, sending a massive wave through the very center of its form. The image of Jason dissolves as shadows from the wall torches form a new image at one of the other corners of the room. KARMEN I am the Master of Shadows. And I believe you've fallen for one of them. JEWEL (steeling herself) You don't even know where he's gone. KARMEN At the moment, I don't. But that will change when he finds that I have you in my power. You are the bait. And he will be here shortly. CUT TO: EXT. WIDE SHOT as Jewel strains from inside the substance to reach the sand wall. Straining to reach it, Jewel feels the Karmen's gelatinous surface beginning to shake. KARMEN That won't work. It will destroy you and the flyscouts in the process. JEWEL Don't think so. This is your total composition. Not mine or the flyscouts. We won't be affected at all. KARMEN No! I won't allow it! JEWEL You don't have any control over me! She manages to touch the sandy wall, while muttering the chant again. EFX as the headband glows, turning her own composition entirely to sand. A fissure the length of her torso splits the Karmen in half. Each side strives to regoup and regain its strength in the massive subdivision. The Karmen's howl of despair sweeps through the cavern as its interior begins to liquefy into seawater. With no control over its own division, the monster totally dissipates into two immense puddles on the ocean floor. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE and EFX as Jewel removes the headband and changes immediately back to human form. She is greeted by cheers from the freed flyscouts. Ferguson flies to her side, patting her shoulder in appreciation. His eyes hold reborn hope for their rescue mission. FERGUSON That was a fine piece of work, m'lady. You're definitely one of the champions legend foretold would battle great evil. JEWEL Thanks, but I don't consider myself one. I've got other reasons for getting rid of this creature. She kicks absently at one of the nearer puddles. Separated by at least three feet of sandbed from its counterpart, it had been unable to rejoin the larger water mass. The few drops bridging the gap caused the divided puddles to join back as one. EFX as the Karmen, shape-shifting, rises from the floor into a pale replica of the cavern wall. FERGUSON Our mission can continue as well. We're here to rescue one of our own, Farina. JEWEL I know her. She was with Jason and myself when we got separated. FERGUSON You must be Jewel. I am Ferguson. Farina sent word of you as well. But we must hurry or the delay proves disastrous for our leader. JEWEL Let's go. They sweep into the hallway to find it empty and deserted. Jewel searches intently in both directions. FERGUSON What do you see? JEWEL Nothing. Professor Kindgarden is gone. FERGUSON Hopefully, you'll meet again. JEWEL Yeah, maybe. (pauses) Wait a minute. Don't you think it's rather odd that we've all been drawn to the same spot? FERGUSON What do you mean? JEWEL Someone should have heard Farina's scream for help from different angles. Which would put us in totally different areas, unless � FERGUSON There was no scream at all? JEWEL Exactly. Maybe the Karmen did it through our thoughts. FERGUSON What? JEWEL We never heard the scream with our ears. He entered our minds. (pauses as another thought hits her) And if that's true, then what are the odds that such a creature can be defeated by merely splitting it in two? She raises the shell of truth to her lips. Jewel waits, listening hard for any slight variation around them. All of the flyscouts hover expectantly, ready to surge into battle at Ferguson's command. Finally, she lowers the shell slowly, and instantly the flickering flyscouts vanish one by one. A tiny sucking sound accompanies each disappearance. Before Ferguson can react, Jewel whisks the shell back into place, blowing tones of truth outward through the hall. EFX as a sudden groan announces the Karmen's menacing form as it reappears. It has changed into a black liquid cloud, churning incessantly over into itself. Two piercing fiery-red eyes open at either side of the apparition, staring balefully at the gathered army. Its mouth opens, spewing forth noxious fumes. KARMEN You cannot defeat me. You will join me in my efforts to recreate the island with my kind. FERGUSON Now we understand your motives! And you will know defeat at our hands. Jewel continues blowing into the shell. Its inward power is aimed directly at the monster facing them. She would know every last detail of its plans before releasing the creature from her control. She knows there has to be a way to destroy it, once and for all. KARMEN Foolish land forms. You think this island is all of my mission? I could have destroyed you at any time. The true prize is yet to come. It will be my creator's greatest success. His crowning glory! FERGUSON What do you mean? Devonika will never rule this island. CUT TO: DIFF ANGLE and EFX as the dark cloud begins igniting itself from within. Huge peals of thunder accompany lightning flashes as the Karmen begins growing, elongating, changing to its true self. It becomes an enormous, twisting serpent. Preparing to strike at the hearts of courage encasing the beast's path. KARMEN I was not born of the dark queen, but a far greater power. One that has not been seen since the dawn of this island's first appearance. He holds the bell you seek and will find the cloak to escape this realm. Jewel lets the shell drop back into place around her neck. She has heard everything she needed to have revealed. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE as a tremendous cracking sound shakes the corridor. Ensuing air pressure from hidden rooms beyond tears loose with enough force to knock everyone against the far wall. EFX as Jewel looks up in time to see a giant tentacle spring through a gaping hole, latching onto the Karmen's immense form with thousands of fleshy suckers like some enormous octopus. Dripping with dark, liquid adhesive, they seal the monster's mouth shut forever. Then, the Karmen is dragged back through the broken wall with the speed of an attacking shark. Ferguson and the flyscouts stand their ground, awed by the horrifying spectacle. JEWEL Karmen was only a warm up for this! WIPE TO: INT. CAVERN. Professor Kindgarden blinks in disbelief at the stone wall sliding into place behind him. As his vision adjusts to the light change, a pair of large nocturnal eyes glare back at him from the cavern's farthest corner. KINDGARDEN (cautiously) Hello? Is anyone there? SAGEUS At last a rational mind in this place. Good of you to visit, Professor. She flies to his side as his face breaks into a wide smile. KINDGARDEN Sageus, I was afraid you'd been swept away by the sea. Especially when Stonelight vanished under the waves with you. SAGEUS Not to worry. As the saying goes, there's bigger fish to fry here. CUT TO: DIFF ANGLE as Sageus locates an inset sand block almost hidden behind her. She points and Kindgarden bends to examine it. KINDGARDEN What's this? SAGEUS The flyscout's final resting place. Unless we get her out of there. KINDGARDEN Sealed inside? That's a tremendous barrier for someone to construct. SAGEUS Not someone, Professor. Rather, some thing! It's a hideous creature that sealed Farina inside. KINDGARDEN Calm yourself. I've already met the beast. It trapped the flyscout rescue team. SAGEUS I wasn't drawn under the waves by any surge of air currents. I was flying just ahead of Stonelight. But a monstrous sea limb wrapped around it. There was adhesive spurting from the underside of the creature's tentacles. I tried to turn back for the shore, but the wind and waterspouts stopped me. I had to follow Stonelight straight into the cube. And this sand castle. KINDGARDEN We must find Stonelight. SAGEUS We rescue Farina and we've found Stonelight. They're both in there. Kindgarden begins clawing at the sand block with both hands, searching for some crack in its surface. None is evident. KINDGARDEN This proves nothing. It can't be invulnerable. Impenetrable. If the opening admitted Farina and Stonelight, then it must be changed to an exit. SAGEUS I like your reasoning. It's like trying to force a square peg in a round hole. Can't be done. Expends a lot of energy to no end. KINDGARDEN (disagrees) Yes, it can be done. We're dealing with a solid element, sand, in a liquid environment. The castle's construction depends on knowing how to bind molecules in water. That's how the cube operates. Keeping air inside the castle, balanced against the water surrounding it. SAGEUS The balance must be preserved. But under control, we can use it against the sand barrier. Step back, Professor. I think it's time to act. (chants) Nature's force in liquid form, Fill our need for hope reborn Against the stone that holds our friend, Open wide its hidden bend. CUT TO: DIFF ANGLE and EFX as a thin light stream forms in the middle of a small circle on the wall. Widening slightly, it focuses on the solid block opposite its position. Then, it begins rapidly drilling into the hardened solid block with enough force to send particles in every direction. Kindgarden covers his eyes, and tries to protect Sageus. But she is unaffected. As quickly as the sand particles are blown away from the sand block, they disintegrate into thin air. KINDGARDEN Very smart work. SAGEUS Thanks. Almost through, so be careful. There's no telling what's on the other side of the barrier. KINDGARDEN Hopefully, we're in time. The rapidly diminishing stone wears away to expose a dark chamber beyond. Sageus flies to the opening as the focused water stream dissipates, sealing the sand wall crack behind its departure. SAGEUS Can you see anything? Kindgarden kneels, training his gaze upward. He sees an enormous opening above. It is dark and forbidding. At the same time, a glow begins forming around the perimeter of the towering hole. The first pale blue-violet rays of dawn reflect from the sea's surface, bounding through several hundred feet of water to illuminate the cube's outer shell. This, in turn, brightens the castle from every angle. A wide chasm separating Sageus and Kindgarden from Stonelight and Farina becomes visible, perched on a ledge directly across from the opening. Farina is still encased in the Karmen's crystal prison, which now rests on top of the brightly ticking counter. Sageus takes one look, then flutters through the opening. KINDGARDEN Wait! We don't know if there are explosive devices planted around them. CUT TO: DIFF ANGLE as Sageus pauses halfway across the chasm. Glancing down she sees nothing but emptiness below. Hovering silently, she scans the rock ledge. Stonelight's counter is busily ticking off the final two hours on its display. SAGEUS I'm sorry, Professor. We need Farina's help. Flying forward, she lands beside Farina's prison. Distracted momentarily by the timer, Sageus takes a moment to adjust her balance, but inadvertently dislodges the crystal containing Farina. It falls to the ledge's floor, shattering on impact. Kindgarden gasps. The flyscout is dazed, but starts breathing steadily. SAGEUS Hurry, Professor. I can't do anything for her like this. KINDGARDEN Nor I from here. SAGEUS You need a crossing point. Hang on. (chants) Water stream to meet this scheme, Cover air from here to there, By your thinnest force so strong, Build a bridge, to right this wrong. CUT TO: WIDE SHOT and EFX as a water bridge forms across the chasm. SAGEUS Haven't got a spare with me. Hurry! I can't hold the bridge very long. Kindgarden starts to cross but sees the bridge begin to dissipate. He stops and returns to his original spot. KINDGARDEN I can't make it with the bridge, Sageus. Get out of here and save yourselves. I'll find another way to reach Stonelight. EFX as the walls begin cracking length-wise around them and the water bridge erodes completely. Farina flies to the top of the flashing counter. She tugs open the display with both hands. She dodges a maze of wires as she flies inside. CUT TO: CLOSE UP of Farina. FARINA This is for you, my brother! The island and its people must be saved. At any cost. CUT TO: WIDER ANGLE as a thunderous sound sends her flying into an exposed connector. Sparks ignite, shooting from a major function board. She is flung head over heels against the timer. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE as she looks up and sees a large dripping tentacle thrusting through the wall overhead. Farina hears Kindgarden yelling for Sageus before she blacks out. WIPE TO: INT. MAZE OF HALLWAYS. Pipercall paces by the various corridors facing them. Devonika stares silently ahead transfixed by the myriad of possible paths Gabe might have vanished down. PIPERCALL This is impossible. Gabe should be back by now. We're running out of time. DEVONIKA Agreed. But the Karmen isn't our only enemy here. PIPERCALL (pauses in pacing) Maybe we should go look for him? DEVONIKA He will be here within moments. Prepare to follow him. Jason will need all the strength you can give to gain his freedom. Pipercall places a hand on her shoulder as she turns away. She hesitates, uncertain how to respond to the gesture. PIPERCALL Where are you going? We need to stick together. DEVONIKA I won't be far. But I must learn more about the unseen one before we meet again. EFX as her cloak dissolves into a shadow, then fades from view. A torch on the wall crackles, drawing Pipercall's attention to Gabe's return. GABE I found Jason. Where's Devonika? PIPERCALL She's gone. Thinks there's another enemy greater than the Karmen. GABE Let's hope not. One's bad enough. CUT TO: DIFF ANGLE and CAMERA FOLLOWS as they retrace Gabe's route to a small archway at the base of a stairwell. A cold draft blows chilingly as they descend to an underground chamber. Slick sand stones, thick with ice, threaten to send them sliding with each step. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE as they look around. Frosty icicles hang from every angle of the cavern's ceiling. Refracted light from somewhere overhead casts a bluish pall over the room's refrigerated twilight. PIPERCALL (whispers) Can it get any colder? GABE Hush! You'll bring the icicles down! And he's just ahead, on the left. CUT TO: CAMERA FOLLOWS and POV as they move forward to view a horrendous column of ice, with Jason solidly encased at the center. PIPERCALL Oh no! How do we get him out of there? GABE You mean�alive? PIPERCALL Chipping away at that would bring down the whole ceiling. GABE I know. That's why I was counting on Devonika to help. But we need to figure out something quick. Dawn is bound to break within the hour. Then Stonelight becomes our biggest worry. PIPERCALL We can't just leave him. With Jason, we'd stand a better chance against the unseen one. GABE I have a feeling we'd better concentrate on what the Karmen's done. Rather than something we haven't encountered yet. PIPERCALL There's something else to consider. We're not on the island anymore. The rules may not apply here. GABE (exasperated) What now? PIPERCALL Nothing dies on the island. Just moves from one state of existence to another. GABE Everybody knows that. PIPERCALL (slowly) Right. GABE (understanding) You mean we could perish for good here! PIPERCALL Exactly. I don't know how Jason was trapped inside that thing. The hammer should have protected him, unless it's vulnerable in some way, too. GABE Like powerless against ice? PIPERCALL Or its more basic form � water. GABE So what can we do? I'm fresh out of ideas. PIPERCALL Music never lacks for expression. Maybe sound will convey the help we need. GABE (confused) From where? PIPERCALL Inside himself. Pipercall begins to play, drawing a few faint notes from his modified Windwood. Eerily, the vibrations peal from each low hanging icicle, converting the entire area into a chilly echo chamber. CUT TO: CLOSE UP of Jason's face. He hears the new sound of Windwood and his eyes flutter open. Looking down he feels Teathergund still clutched in his hand. CUT TO: CLOSE UP of Teathergund frozen in ice. A single drop of moisture drips from the hammer's burnished silver head in an air pocket. Another follows. In a matter of seconds, as the music continues, this is enough space for Jason's fingers to slightly lift the gold handle, then lets it fall, igniting the power of fire. CUT TO: WIDER SHOT and EFX as heat radiates in all directions from the head of the weapon, melting the ice column instantly. A gushing fountain of water pours down around Jason as he steps quickly from the refreezing ice at his feet. Gabe and Pipercall leap to safety from the danger. Jason's clothes, singed from the heat, dry quickly from the watery deluge. JASON (wheezing) Thank you both. Thought I'd seen my last battle. PIPERCALL Not yet. GABE (insists) Save the praise. We've got a bigger threat than the Karmen. JASON Let's go. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE and SOUND EFX as they hear a low rumbling sound, growing stronger. Overhead icicles rattle unsteadily, like an enormous crystal chandelier. GABE (shouts) MOVE NOW! All three companions run for the frozen stairwell. Racing upward as fast as they dare, no one notices the top step ends in thin air, until they reach the breakpoint. JASON Wait! We can't go forward. PIPERCALL (looking back) Or back! CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE and EFX as Jason slings Teathergund overhead in its familiar helicopter-like rotation. The walls continue crumbling around them as Jason is lifted from the steps. JASON Grab on! Form a chain. It's the only way. Gabe grabs Jason's legs, locking his own into place within Pipercall's grasp. At the same time, the stairway rips from its remaining foundation, tossing sideways into the cube's outside sandbed. CUT TO: EXT. CASTLE. OVERHEAD SHOT as they fly upward from the cascading remains of the castle turret. EFX as an immense tentacle flails around them. A tremendous sucking sound warns of its dangerous capabilities. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE GROUND LEVEL. The immense sand castle lies in ruins. Torn apart as if smashed to oblivion by some child, tired of playing with a beautifully-built toy. CUT TO: DIFF ANGLE as they look upward, above Teathergund's rising motion. They see a towering dark creature, five stories high with three snake-like necks undulating in separate directions. Each neck is topped by horrifying fish heads with large open eyes, staring forever unblinkingly at its prey. The tentacle joined with seven others at the base of the monster. Its motion consists of sinking sucker-filled tentacles into the sand, then inching forward. Given its size, considerable distance is covered with each sand-filled step. JASON What is it? PIPERCALL The Levidium. Up to now, only a legend. GABE Looks pretty lively for a legend. How do we fight that? JASON We can't from here. We'll have to land. Tightening his grip on Teathergund, Jason aims for a landing near a larger part of the castle ruins. Dodging near hits by two tentacles, Jason successfully navigates the challenge. Back on solid footing, the three hear shouts of surprise. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE as Ferguson and his group of flyscouts fly cautiously to their side. EFX as a sand figure rises from the ground at Jason's feet. He jumps back instantly positioning Teathergund for defense. Jewel removes her headband and reassumes human form. JEWEL Don't be afraid! JASON (hugs her) I'm not. Just glad to see you again. Each fights back tears of gratitude at having been reunited. As she hugs Jason, she gives Gabe a wink over his shoulder. PIPERCALL Hate to interrupt, but we do have a battle going on. JASON (insists) Divide and conquer. If we're in front, the beast can only use two heads against us. FERGUSON How do you figure that? GABE Simple. Turn your head around. See what's behind you. JASON Why watch your back if two heads are already doing it? CUT TO: DIFF ANGLE as two tentacles snap dangerously close. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE as a figure suddenly emerges at the corner of the ruins, forcing back two more of the Levidium's sea limbs. It is Devonika. JEWEL (blinking hard) Devonika � on our side? JASON Yes, and needing our help! Jason raises Teathergund, but before he can move, they see a tentacle whip around Devonika's throat. DEVONIKA (croaks out) Don't look at the third head. It turns everything to sand! CUT TO: OVERHEAD SHOT as all oxygen is cut off from Devonika's windpipe. She chokes, unable to free herself and is drawn swiftly into the air, directly into the path of the third head. WIPE TO: INT. STONELIGHT. Farina's eyes flutter open, unable to get any sense of direction until a shrill scream sounds nearby. FARINA Sageus, is that you? CUT TO: CLOSE UP as the sound ricochets off metal on every side, forcing Farina to hold her ears. CUT TO: TIGHT SHOT AND PULL BACK as Farina regains her footing and looks around. It is pitch black except for a thin sliver of light at the base of a panel in front of her. She manages to lift it enough to slide under and lets it fall behind her. Then she claps both hands over her mouth in surprise as she looks at a giant blue bell with strange inscriptions directly ahead.
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