Guardian Angel - Act III - Scene 1

ACT III

EXT. THE LAGOON – CONTINUOUS

We return exactly where we left off.  The fiend is in motion, flying with claws out, reaching for its target.  Its piercing scream even picks up in the middle, an explosion of noise assaulting us.

The creature is halfway across the lagoon.  We PAN from it to its target.

Spero stands at the ready on the other side, the healthy side, of the small body of water.  He stands perfectly still in a soldier’s pose, though as we close in on his sword arm, gripping tightly the broken artifact, we see a slight tremble.

We swing behind Spero to see the beast coming.  It’s getting closer.  Closer.  Then, it HITS!  PUSHING the former angel back like a tidal wave.

Spero frenetically strikes out with the broken artifact, landing a few slashes, but doing no real damage.

The fiend is relentless…SCREECHING like a goddamn banshee.  It’s claws keep SLASHING with demonic fervor.

Spero is overwhelmed.  He blindly SLASHES as he PULLS his head this way and that, only just avoiding the whirlwind of claws that he can barely hold back.

EXT. THE WOODED PATH

Spero turns his head, noticing the leafy green that has swallowed them up.  He turns his head further back to see…

The clearing at the base of the Tree of Life – the heavenly, golden light surrounding the camp in its glow. 

Realization washes over his face.  He turns back to the whirlwind of withered branches and obsidian claws desperately striking at him.

                          SPERO

Eternal life.  That’s what you’re after.

The piercing screech returns, as if confirming Spero’s worst fear.

                          SPERO

                     You can not.

The fiend screeches again.  Louder and more high-pitched than before.

                          SPERO

                     You WILL not!

Spero takes the broken artifact and gives a powerful slash. 

The former angel is freed and falls back, finally crashing hard into a beautiful young sapling, shining with a halo of gold amidst non-glowing foliage.

Spero notices, and he looks around for how such a thing could be possible.  Finally, his eyes settle on that how.

A PERFECT FRUIT sits just a few steps away, radiating life. 

And beyond that fruit, Spero catches the fiend’s head move.  It’s eye has caught the golden glow.

The fiend wastes no time.  It’s up and flying in the blink of an eye.

Spero looks down at his hands.  He’s not gripping the broken sword.  He searches.  He finds it. 

It’s beyond the fruit, closer to the oncoming fiend.

Spero pushes off the ground, launching himself toward the fruit.

He collides with the fiend.  The pair roll around, finally settling with Spero on top of the demon.

In the fiend’s hand, the golden fruit.  It brings the fruit up to its mouth.

Spero raises his arms, both his hands gripped around the hilt of the broken artifact. 

And in one fell swoop, the sword comes down through the fiend’s face, an instant before it could bite the fruit.

There is an explosion of shadow.  Spero’s head is jerked up straight.  His eyes show pure white.

EXT. A DESERT ROAD – NIGHT

We’re in another time.  A more ancient time.  A group of twelve men, dressed in the shepherd’s robes of the ancient middle-eastern desert, stand against one of their own, backed by a squadron of Roman guards.

One man lashes out, striking at a Roman guard with a sword that looks like the artifact Spero had – but it’s whole.

The guard falls to his knees, holding the side of his head in pain.

Another man, the one we saw on the cross, bends down to the suffering guard.  He looks terrified.

He picks up the guard’s ear, his hand twitching as he brings it up. 

With his other hand, the prophet he removes the guard’s hand, replacing it with his own hand, and the man’s fallen ear.

The prophet bows his head.

And overtop of his shivering hand, we see another hand fall.  It’s aglow in the golden, heavenly light of the fruit.

Both hands fall away together, and the guard’s ear is restored.

The Roman looks up to the prophet in shock.

And the prophet returns a look to him, just as dumbfounded.

EXT. THE WOODED PATH – CONTINUOUS

Spero comes to suddenly – violently.  He pushes himself to his feet and steps back. 

He looks down.

On the ground before him lie the remains of the fiend, smoldering in ashes.

Spero steps in closer, looking harder.  He kicks away some ash with his foot.

And he sees the charred remains of the grip of the artifact he used to kill the fiend.  Only the hilt, and nothing else.