Post by The Brothers Holland on Jul 17, 2008 6:20:00 GMT -6
*The sound of screaming. Not the screams of people being attacked nor the screams for mercy. The screams start as a woman screaming in pain but the nature of the screams make it obvious that they're birth pains rather than anything else. Moments later the sound of a child screaming can be heard as a new life comes into the world. The camera starts to show the scene. A very rustic setting. Round buildings built of wood wth straw rooves. The camera enters within one building, the outer walls lined with weapons. Swords, axes, helmets and shields. At the door stand two huge men wearing a helmet and lots of animal furs. They each hold an axe, leaning it on the ground but it still comes up to their midriff.
Inside lies a woman in bed, passed out with exhaustion. Her sweat soaked blonde hair lies across the bed behind her, a few strands clinging to her face. On the other side of the room is a fire burning within a designated fireplace area. Sttod there is a man. like the men outside he is huge and wearing a helmet and lots of animal fur. His helmet is more impressive and his furs grander suggesting he is the chieftain of this village. Is his arms he holds a screaming child wrapped in a blanket.*
Chief: I name you Skarr. That you shall be strong in battle. Unrelenting and merciless. That you shall carry your proudest wounds with you through your long days.
*The camera looks round at the small child. A moment land blurry screen effect later and the child is older, about 10. The village has progressed further but it is now obvious that we're in a viking village. The child's holding a wooden sword in his hand and swinging it around wildly. He's trying to strike a blow against his father who is continually parrying the child's attacks away with impunity before striking him hard. One time he even sweeeps the childs legs away and drives him into the ground.*
Chief: What did I tell you? A man on the ground is a corpse! Never let them strike the legs! Now get up... we'll do this once more.
Skarr: But I'm tired...
*This is met with a stiff backhand to the face.*
Chief: Plenty of time to trest when you're dead. Do you understand what your future holds? You will be the chief of this village when I join our fathers in valhalla. If you're weak you'll be killed and replaced and then you will not be welcome at my table. Now raise your sword.
*The child does his best but he is obviously tired, who knows how long his father has been beating him. His father goes on the offensive but Skarr slips to the side, spinning as he does so and strikes the back of his father's knee. His father swings his sword at him as he drops to the knee but his son ducks before pouncing, thrusting him onto his back with his sword held to his throat.
There's a moment as neither man reacts. But then the chieftain smiles and starts laughing.*
Chief: Excellent. Your speed and agility are impressive. One day you'll be strong as well.
*The chief throws his son from atop him after acknowledging his son's victory. Skarr rolls on the ground before getting to his feet. He doesn't stay there long as his father lifts him into the air and onto his shoulder.*
Chief: Come... we feast at your first triumph.
*The child sits happily upon the shoulder of his father. Again there's a camera blur effect and the face gets older. Now it is complete with a short beard as the child enters young adulthood. He wears a helmet and wields a mighty sword. The sounds of battle can be heard. Other vikings are charging about him into another village, also filled with Vikings. Skarr rampages as he charges forward, swinging his huge sword with apparent ease. As his father said he has grown strong over the years and is now one of the largest men in the village.
Every warrior who approaches him is quickly cut down, hewn in half by Skarr or dropped to the ground with a low sweep at the knee and ankles before a downward drives ends their life.
Women and children are charging away from the village, running for their lives from this horde of pillagers. A few of the warband, the true warriors now defeated chase them down to capture them for their own. Nothing goes with pillaging quite like some good ol' fashioned rape.
A woman charges at Skarr. Skarr takes no notice of her and carries on steadily towards the village. The woman comes up to Skarr and starts pleading for her life. Skarr brushes her aside and continues in search of real battle. Suddenly he stops, his teeth showing in a vicious snarl of pain. He drops to his knees, the woman behind him. A camera angle change later and we see that Skarr has a knife buried in his shoulder. Another moment later and the woman is cut down viciously by another vikin, the chief sees what she did to hsi son and slaughters her without pause or mercy. He then lifts his son to his feet and takes the knife from his back.*
Chief: This is why you show no mercy. If they're not an ally... they're an enemy and as such must be slaughtered. This scar serves no purpose out of sight.
*The chief drives the knife into the front of his son's shoulder. His son doesn't react but his mouth quivers slightly as he buries the pain. The chief removes the blade.*
Chief: That will serve as your reminder. No mercy.... no remorse.
Skarr: Unrelenting... undefeatable.
*Another camera effect. Skarr is lying in bed. A woman lies beside him but she is of no consequence. There is a loud and sudden battle cry from outside. Skarr's eyes flick open and he leaps from his bed. He instantly reaches for his sword which lies nearby. Charging out the door we can see that it's his village's turn to be beset with raiders. He doesn't hesitate but charges to battle. He hacks and slashes his way through everyone he comes across, a veritable whirlwind of blood, death and destruction.
In the distance he spots his father battling amidst the greatest number of raiders, his axe cleaving a mighty swathe in their horde. But the numbers overwhelm him and he is pierced with many blades. He falsl to his knees and his axe falls from his grasp.
Skarr screams to his father. He charges forth at the heart of the horde. He fights quicker than all men present, being taken so quickly that he hadn't time to don armour. He outmanouevers all in his path and inevitably he all but single handedly drives off the entire rading party. He comes upon the one that stands over his father, the one leading this charge. The raider tries a hard downstrike, only to have it deflected and the helmet cast from his head revealing a youthful face. Skarr disarms the boy and raises his sword high...*
Raider: Please... have...
Skarr: Mercy?
*Without hesitation he drives his sword into the boy's head. The sound of a body hitting the floor can be heard as blood is spattered into Skarr's face.*
Skarr: You brought this on yourself boy.
*Skarr goes to his father... he's still alive but very much on his way out. Too badly injured to speak, he simply takes his helmet and hands it to Skarr, a symbol of passing on the chieftainship. He then dies. Skarr doesn't cry... he doesn't scream.. he just closes his father's eyes and places his axe into his hands. Seeing the battle won he calls over four other axemen to bear his father up on the shafts of their axes.
A camera effect later again and we see a viking boat floating out to see. The chieftain's axe lies above the cloth that covers his body, his helmet at his head and the weapons of those that fell by his hand in that final battle cast about the sides. The boat sits very low in the water before an archer fires an arrow into it that passes it's fire to the boat. The fire blazes upon the water, watched and hailed by the remnant of the village. Skarr turns and faces his people.*
Skarr: He has gone to the tables of our fathers. He stands in Valhalla hardly the least. And the ones that sought this will pay greatly for his death. Not for a while though. Our numbers are small. Our people weakened by their betrayal. We must leave this land for a time. Leave that we may overwhelm the weak lands and incorporate their great number into our own. We cross the great sea.
Hag: That way lies death boy!
Skarr: Who speaks?!
*An old woman comes forward. All stay away from her as she is a soothsayer of the tribe. It is forbidden for any to stay her.*
Hag: Over the ocean you will find naught but death.
Skarr: If we stay we'll find naught but death. I don't need a soothsayer to see that.
Hag: True enough boy... your eyes see much but not all. Come.. speak with me.
*The hag leads Skarr to her home. Inside are runes and charms of every type. Viking knotwork, straw figures and various pouches of herbs and jars of liquid. She sits and begins to speak.*
Hag: This tribe is doomed boy. If you take us away.. we will scatter and disappear... if you keep us here the next raid will kill us all... even you mightiest chieftain.
Skarr: Then what do we do? At least if we leave we scatter but live...
Hag: That fate lies for some but not for all. You, mighty chief.. have the shadow of death about you already.
Skarr: Then I must make such a death that I may join my fathers in Valhalla. We cross the sea.
*Skarr turns to leave but the Hag stops him with a screech*
Hag: Wait! There is a way you can be saved. Your life must end but you can return within the life of another.
Skarr: Talk sense woman!
Hag: Years from now... decades.. centuries from now.. one will come who you will see a kinship with. He will open himself and you will enter. Then you will take his life and bring our people back from the dead. The tribe of Skarr will be renowned for strength even over death!
Skarr: You speak of blasphemy! When I die... when we all die.. we go to our father's tables in mighty Valhalla! That's where I shall go... you can keep your black magicks.
*Skarr storms from the building.*
Hag: The choice isn't yours to make... Son of Bowden.
*Another camera effect later and we see Skarr charging through the scottish mountains. He's surrounded with his people and they're slaughtering only the men. The women and the children they're rounding up to bolster their numbers. The houses all burn about Skarr who stands at the centre of the village, spattered with blood, surveying yet another victory. Over the last year he has led more than a dozen raids on similar villages and now their numbers are great. It will take time for the children to grow to men... it will take longer for the offspring of viking and captive to grow and become strong... but time was something Skarr was willing to spend.*
Viking: Where to now my chief?
Skarr: We head south. Our tracks will be followed by the other villages in this region. No doubt they would fancy themselves to have some vengeance. We will deny them the satisfaction even of battle. We move south. To the lands of our enemy's enemy.
Viking: Are we sure they won't become our enemy also?
Skarr: There's a chance they won't... and that's mroe than we have here.
Viking: South it is then.
*Another camera blur effect and we see Skarr running for his life down a narrow rocky valley. He has men behind him, 3 vikings, running with him. From the top of the valley are many men firing arrows into the gorge. The three who are with Skarr falls quickly to the arrow fire but Skarr keeps running, even with arrows embedded within him. His luck runs out when the valley comes to a dead end.
From behind him a band of celts has come upon him. He fights with all his might against them, reducing the celtic band to a single man but there's nothing he can do against the archers above him. In the end his energy leaves him and he cannot raise his sword any longer, pierced with a dozen arrows.*
Celt: Your reign of blood ends here Viking.
*Skarr looks to the Celt, a strong look of hate and wrath in his eyes. Even facing his death he is unrelenting as his father had told him to be. He slips a dagger from his side and drives it into the celt stood before him.*
Skarr: No mercy... No remorse!
*Skarr is punctured with a dozen more arrows and falls to the ground. The camera follows his spirit as it falls into darkness. The voice of the Hag returns to him.*
Hag: Sleep, boy. Your days will come again.
Skarr: What?... where's my father?
Hag: He'll be waiting for you when you come again. Your time will return... but now.. sleep.
*Skarr is unable to argue as he falls to sleep. The screen fades to complete black before zooming out. The black we saw was the pupil of an eye. Further zooming out shows that the eye belongs to Milo Holland, a smile on his face. He is being shouted at by Conrad Jones but he doesn't care. All he cares about is his insane lust for blood and battle. Dave had struck a blow against him but now he would return the favour. The voice of Skarr can be heard though Milo says nothing, the distant screams of Conrad Jones faint in the background as if heard through a wall.*
No mercy.... No remorse.
Inside lies a woman in bed, passed out with exhaustion. Her sweat soaked blonde hair lies across the bed behind her, a few strands clinging to her face. On the other side of the room is a fire burning within a designated fireplace area. Sttod there is a man. like the men outside he is huge and wearing a helmet and lots of animal fur. His helmet is more impressive and his furs grander suggesting he is the chieftain of this village. Is his arms he holds a screaming child wrapped in a blanket.*
Chief: I name you Skarr. That you shall be strong in battle. Unrelenting and merciless. That you shall carry your proudest wounds with you through your long days.
*The camera looks round at the small child. A moment land blurry screen effect later and the child is older, about 10. The village has progressed further but it is now obvious that we're in a viking village. The child's holding a wooden sword in his hand and swinging it around wildly. He's trying to strike a blow against his father who is continually parrying the child's attacks away with impunity before striking him hard. One time he even sweeeps the childs legs away and drives him into the ground.*
Chief: What did I tell you? A man on the ground is a corpse! Never let them strike the legs! Now get up... we'll do this once more.
Skarr: But I'm tired...
*This is met with a stiff backhand to the face.*
Chief: Plenty of time to trest when you're dead. Do you understand what your future holds? You will be the chief of this village when I join our fathers in valhalla. If you're weak you'll be killed and replaced and then you will not be welcome at my table. Now raise your sword.
*The child does his best but he is obviously tired, who knows how long his father has been beating him. His father goes on the offensive but Skarr slips to the side, spinning as he does so and strikes the back of his father's knee. His father swings his sword at him as he drops to the knee but his son ducks before pouncing, thrusting him onto his back with his sword held to his throat.
There's a moment as neither man reacts. But then the chieftain smiles and starts laughing.*
Chief: Excellent. Your speed and agility are impressive. One day you'll be strong as well.
*The chief throws his son from atop him after acknowledging his son's victory. Skarr rolls on the ground before getting to his feet. He doesn't stay there long as his father lifts him into the air and onto his shoulder.*
Chief: Come... we feast at your first triumph.
*The child sits happily upon the shoulder of his father. Again there's a camera blur effect and the face gets older. Now it is complete with a short beard as the child enters young adulthood. He wears a helmet and wields a mighty sword. The sounds of battle can be heard. Other vikings are charging about him into another village, also filled with Vikings. Skarr rampages as he charges forward, swinging his huge sword with apparent ease. As his father said he has grown strong over the years and is now one of the largest men in the village.
Every warrior who approaches him is quickly cut down, hewn in half by Skarr or dropped to the ground with a low sweep at the knee and ankles before a downward drives ends their life.
Women and children are charging away from the village, running for their lives from this horde of pillagers. A few of the warband, the true warriors now defeated chase them down to capture them for their own. Nothing goes with pillaging quite like some good ol' fashioned rape.
A woman charges at Skarr. Skarr takes no notice of her and carries on steadily towards the village. The woman comes up to Skarr and starts pleading for her life. Skarr brushes her aside and continues in search of real battle. Suddenly he stops, his teeth showing in a vicious snarl of pain. He drops to his knees, the woman behind him. A camera angle change later and we see that Skarr has a knife buried in his shoulder. Another moment later and the woman is cut down viciously by another vikin, the chief sees what she did to hsi son and slaughters her without pause or mercy. He then lifts his son to his feet and takes the knife from his back.*
Chief: This is why you show no mercy. If they're not an ally... they're an enemy and as such must be slaughtered. This scar serves no purpose out of sight.
*The chief drives the knife into the front of his son's shoulder. His son doesn't react but his mouth quivers slightly as he buries the pain. The chief removes the blade.*
Chief: That will serve as your reminder. No mercy.... no remorse.
Skarr: Unrelenting... undefeatable.
*Another camera effect. Skarr is lying in bed. A woman lies beside him but she is of no consequence. There is a loud and sudden battle cry from outside. Skarr's eyes flick open and he leaps from his bed. He instantly reaches for his sword which lies nearby. Charging out the door we can see that it's his village's turn to be beset with raiders. He doesn't hesitate but charges to battle. He hacks and slashes his way through everyone he comes across, a veritable whirlwind of blood, death and destruction.
In the distance he spots his father battling amidst the greatest number of raiders, his axe cleaving a mighty swathe in their horde. But the numbers overwhelm him and he is pierced with many blades. He falsl to his knees and his axe falls from his grasp.
Skarr screams to his father. He charges forth at the heart of the horde. He fights quicker than all men present, being taken so quickly that he hadn't time to don armour. He outmanouevers all in his path and inevitably he all but single handedly drives off the entire rading party. He comes upon the one that stands over his father, the one leading this charge. The raider tries a hard downstrike, only to have it deflected and the helmet cast from his head revealing a youthful face. Skarr disarms the boy and raises his sword high...*
Raider: Please... have...
Skarr: Mercy?
*Without hesitation he drives his sword into the boy's head. The sound of a body hitting the floor can be heard as blood is spattered into Skarr's face.*
Skarr: You brought this on yourself boy.
*Skarr goes to his father... he's still alive but very much on his way out. Too badly injured to speak, he simply takes his helmet and hands it to Skarr, a symbol of passing on the chieftainship. He then dies. Skarr doesn't cry... he doesn't scream.. he just closes his father's eyes and places his axe into his hands. Seeing the battle won he calls over four other axemen to bear his father up on the shafts of their axes.
A camera effect later again and we see a viking boat floating out to see. The chieftain's axe lies above the cloth that covers his body, his helmet at his head and the weapons of those that fell by his hand in that final battle cast about the sides. The boat sits very low in the water before an archer fires an arrow into it that passes it's fire to the boat. The fire blazes upon the water, watched and hailed by the remnant of the village. Skarr turns and faces his people.*
Skarr: He has gone to the tables of our fathers. He stands in Valhalla hardly the least. And the ones that sought this will pay greatly for his death. Not for a while though. Our numbers are small. Our people weakened by their betrayal. We must leave this land for a time. Leave that we may overwhelm the weak lands and incorporate their great number into our own. We cross the great sea.
Hag: That way lies death boy!
Skarr: Who speaks?!
*An old woman comes forward. All stay away from her as she is a soothsayer of the tribe. It is forbidden for any to stay her.*
Hag: Over the ocean you will find naught but death.
Skarr: If we stay we'll find naught but death. I don't need a soothsayer to see that.
Hag: True enough boy... your eyes see much but not all. Come.. speak with me.
*The hag leads Skarr to her home. Inside are runes and charms of every type. Viking knotwork, straw figures and various pouches of herbs and jars of liquid. She sits and begins to speak.*
Hag: This tribe is doomed boy. If you take us away.. we will scatter and disappear... if you keep us here the next raid will kill us all... even you mightiest chieftain.
Skarr: Then what do we do? At least if we leave we scatter but live...
Hag: That fate lies for some but not for all. You, mighty chief.. have the shadow of death about you already.
Skarr: Then I must make such a death that I may join my fathers in Valhalla. We cross the sea.
*Skarr turns to leave but the Hag stops him with a screech*
Hag: Wait! There is a way you can be saved. Your life must end but you can return within the life of another.
Skarr: Talk sense woman!
Hag: Years from now... decades.. centuries from now.. one will come who you will see a kinship with. He will open himself and you will enter. Then you will take his life and bring our people back from the dead. The tribe of Skarr will be renowned for strength even over death!
Skarr: You speak of blasphemy! When I die... when we all die.. we go to our father's tables in mighty Valhalla! That's where I shall go... you can keep your black magicks.
*Skarr storms from the building.*
Hag: The choice isn't yours to make... Son of Bowden.
*Another camera effect later and we see Skarr charging through the scottish mountains. He's surrounded with his people and they're slaughtering only the men. The women and the children they're rounding up to bolster their numbers. The houses all burn about Skarr who stands at the centre of the village, spattered with blood, surveying yet another victory. Over the last year he has led more than a dozen raids on similar villages and now their numbers are great. It will take time for the children to grow to men... it will take longer for the offspring of viking and captive to grow and become strong... but time was something Skarr was willing to spend.*
Viking: Where to now my chief?
Skarr: We head south. Our tracks will be followed by the other villages in this region. No doubt they would fancy themselves to have some vengeance. We will deny them the satisfaction even of battle. We move south. To the lands of our enemy's enemy.
Viking: Are we sure they won't become our enemy also?
Skarr: There's a chance they won't... and that's mroe than we have here.
Viking: South it is then.
*Another camera blur effect and we see Skarr running for his life down a narrow rocky valley. He has men behind him, 3 vikings, running with him. From the top of the valley are many men firing arrows into the gorge. The three who are with Skarr falls quickly to the arrow fire but Skarr keeps running, even with arrows embedded within him. His luck runs out when the valley comes to a dead end.
From behind him a band of celts has come upon him. He fights with all his might against them, reducing the celtic band to a single man but there's nothing he can do against the archers above him. In the end his energy leaves him and he cannot raise his sword any longer, pierced with a dozen arrows.*
Celt: Your reign of blood ends here Viking.
*Skarr looks to the Celt, a strong look of hate and wrath in his eyes. Even facing his death he is unrelenting as his father had told him to be. He slips a dagger from his side and drives it into the celt stood before him.*
Skarr: No mercy... No remorse!
*Skarr is punctured with a dozen more arrows and falls to the ground. The camera follows his spirit as it falls into darkness. The voice of the Hag returns to him.*
Hag: Sleep, boy. Your days will come again.
Skarr: What?... where's my father?
Hag: He'll be waiting for you when you come again. Your time will return... but now.. sleep.
*Skarr is unable to argue as he falls to sleep. The screen fades to complete black before zooming out. The black we saw was the pupil of an eye. Further zooming out shows that the eye belongs to Milo Holland, a smile on his face. He is being shouted at by Conrad Jones but he doesn't care. All he cares about is his insane lust for blood and battle. Dave had struck a blow against him but now he would return the favour. The voice of Skarr can be heard though Milo says nothing, the distant screams of Conrad Jones faint in the background as if heard through a wall.*
No mercy.... No remorse.