TITLE: BEYOND AVALON, the RETURN of the SWORD
GENRE: FANTASY, ACTION
CIRCA: ANCIENT PAST and THE FUTURE
LOG LINE:
In the future, as the world plummets towards annihilation, Excalibur's rightful heir summons the sword of power and the Lady of the Lake to rise against ubiquitous evil.
SYNOPSIS:
Once upon an ancient time in a land not far from Avalon, KING ARTHUR bedded his chambermaid. What Arthur did not know was the lass’ true identity - the beautiful Faerie Queen, LADY ÁINE. When their son, ARTAIR, is secretly born and rejected by Arthur as Fae abomination, Lady Áine retreats with Artair never to return to the world of man again. Gifted with Faerie magic by his mother’s DNA, Artair’s human side retreats - though the bloodline of the King pulses through his veins.
Meanwhile, the MERLIN of legends battles and ensnares the evil LORD BÁS, villain of our story. Through a battle of psyches and magic, Merlin imprisons Lord Bás into a vortex beyond his escape. Or so Merlin believes...
Magically, Artair transcends the lines of time. Disguised as human, he blends undetected in the world of man until he needs to rejuvenate in his birth realm.
In 2154, Merlin’s spell dissolves into a time when Lord Bás reigns with chaos. Mysteriously, he weaves throughout ten spatial dimensions, sets the stage for man's ultimate destruction in a world devoid of integrity. Lord Bás steals UTPALA BLÁTHAIGH - the heart of magic and unleashes magic into the 3rd dimension. Misused magic in human hands triggers catastrophic ripple effects. The world begins to implode in on itself. As his own magic dwindles, the King’s bloodline awakens Artair to the power of the sword, EXCALIBUR. He must intervene before his magic and the world fades completely out of existence.
Artair summons Excalibur out of the crystal grid below and the Lady of the Lake – NINIANE, guardian of the sacred sword – along with it. Dimensional portals collide when Merlin materializes outside his own timeline into the future and for just long enough to initiate Artair to Excalibur – after all, he did not pull the sword out of a rock like his father did.
Artair's trusted shape-shifter companion SHIWATSO, an albino puma, joins him to face this new battle. Stripped of their magic, all of the Fae slip into a deep coma. Artair, Niniane and Shiwatso plunge into their sojourn propelled through Lord Bás’s mercurial realm and the surreal futuristic London. Artair and Shiwatso confront a horde of demons while they try to free Niniane from a trap. Niniane begins to trust Artair, softens to his charm. Unknown to her, Artair has loved her since the moment he secretly witnessed her accept Excalibur from Arthur as he drew his last breath. LORD YAMA, god of the Far-Eastern underworld, provides another diversion. They must discern what is real, what is illusion.
Saving each other’s lives more than once, Artair and Niniane agree to split up. Artair must get the wildly bizarre London under control while Niniane finds the Utpala Blàthaigh and returns it to the Fae. Artair and Shiwatso engage in a bizarre battle - Excalibur extracts the stolen magic. Niniane encounters the powerful Lord Bás, his cruelties... His seductions...
Lured by temptations, they lunge into the final stand against Lord Bás to restore the balance of Earth's reality.
FADE IN:
EXT. BORDERS OF AVALON - SUNSET INTO NIGHT - ANCIENT PAST
SUPER: ANCIENT PAST
Lightning STRIKES. Bright orange fires light up the darkened sky.
Huge WHITE OWL soars in. Circles sky above a rocky precipice.
Mid-flight dive. Outstretched wings become arms spread wide...
White robes billow out of feathered wings - MERLIN transforms into his arcane wizard self. Flies into the iniquitous Dark Lord below.
LORD BÁS holds his ground on the cliff’s edge above abyss.
His image disassociates...
Merlin dives through Lord Bás.
LORD BáS
(raucous laughter)
FOOL!
Lord Bás shape-shifts into a REPTOID-DEMON, FLICKS his hand to send Merlin backwards.
Airborne, robes recklessly FLAP with the force.
Bás SNAPS his scaly fingers.
Cliff morphs into vast empty --
EXT. DESERT - FULL MOON RISING
Moonlight casts eerie light around Lord Bás. He scans desert.
LORD BáS
(commands)
Come my darlings...
Movement STIRS beneath the sand...
Sand shifts into a platform shape beneath Lord Bás. Levitates him.
A funnel vortex SPINS upwards out of the sand behind Bás.
Bás LAUGHS.
LORD BáS (CONT’D)
You think you are so...
Waggles his head.
LORD BáS (CONT’D)
(sarcastic, taunting)
Merlin, the magnificent... Merlin, the wise...
Merlin PLUNGES out of the vortex. Lands in front of Bás, suspended mid-air.
Sand below crawls with squirmy snake-like movements.
MERLIN
You think you can keep this up forever?
Bás LAUGHS. Reaches into the air. Withdrawals a Makhaira.
In the desert’s silence, the Makhaira CUTS the air with a loud ZING across Merlin’s chest. Horizontally incises.
Merlin glows with his magic. Thrusts his arms skyward.
Wand in hand, Merlin pulls lightning through a portal above.
Lightning CHARGES into his wand, CLASHES against the Makhaira.
Merlin’s wand becomes the hilt to a lightning sword -- lightning connected to its sky-born source.
Balanced, Merlin STRIKES. Mid-air, he moves impossibly fast.
Bás attacks, a preemptive strike.
Wand close, Merlin counters. With each hit, Merlin grows stronger. Calm and confident, Merlin’s equanimity decides the fight.
Cool warrior Merlin surprises, unsettles Lord Bás. Sweat beads on his face. His foot falters.
Merlin advances with relentless aggression and magic.
Lightning encircles Bás. Shatters the illusory stage.
Earth TREMBLES, RIPS open.
A wild tornado ERUPTS up from deep within the ground. Circumscribes Lord Bás.
MERLIN (CONT’D)
(commands)
COINSÍNIGH DÚ IFREAN!
Tornado ensnares Bás faster than he can undo Merlin’s spell.
LORD BáS
(shouts)
You’ll regret this Merlin! Even you cannot imprison me forever. A time will come... Your power will fail and mine will reign! This world needs me as much as --
His voice gets clipped in the wake of the tornado’s ROAR.
INT. CAMELOT CASTLE HALL/ MERLIN’S HIGH TOWER - LATE EVENING - CONTINUOUS - OCTOBER, 514 CE (COMMON ERA)
SUPER: THE YEAR 514 CE, ARTHUR’S REIGN
Merlin glides through hallway, up long labyrinthine stairs to the tower high above castle.
Light flashes from his hands. Gives a quick thrust of energy toward heavy wooden door.
The door flies open.
Bolts itself behind Merlin.
Door glows with the seal of Merlin’s magic.
Floor boards CREAK under the weight of his rapid STEPS.
With focused intent, Merlin strides to the arched window. Stares out at the new moon.
The five-pointed star outlined high above on the domed ceiling pulses.
Merlin waves his hand through the air.
MERLIN
(commands)
More light!
Every candle stick lights itself. Balls of light materialize in the air around Merlin.
The circular room lights up with the incandescent light of magic.
Merlin’s private study: ancient texts - scrolls and books on tables, floor and shelves stacked high - some lay open, others locked tight with his magical seal.
An unfinished meal carelessly pushed off to the side of a large table. Worn velvet cushions tossed against the wall.
Merlin picks up implements from table near the window. Checks the alignments of stars.
A scroll spontaneously opens.
Merlin consults obscure symbols.
Quill poised by an unseen hand, notations appear on another parchment.
Merlin multi-tasks, practical and magical. Continues to search the sky.
MERLIN (CONT’D)
Yes... The stars are all aligned.
(grinning)
Tonight is the night.
Merlin turns to the large crystal that centers his room and overlays the mirror image of the five-pointed star above.
He places his hands on the crystal. Meditates.
MERLIN (CONT’D)
(softly)
Lady Áine. Time has come...
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