Daylight - First Draft

Act I - Scene 17: The Valley

SC17 - The Valley

EXT. ATLA WILDERNESS. MORNING.

The mountains loom over the trio as they make their way down an old trail, cutting through the forest and eventually emerging into the valley, which is coated with a light layer of snow. They follow a stream through the rocky landscape.

ELEANOR: This valley is so quiet. It's kinda creepy.

ZAVIER: According to legend, these mountains were forged by earth titans in ages past. They say that their bodies became one with the rock and that they still linger here to this very day...

KAYLA: They say? I bet 'they' means Taryn and 'according to legend' means she made it up.

ZAVIER: Hey, I never said I believed it. I mean... Titans, right? (Laughs nervously) Right guys?

KAYLA: You ought to spend more time thinking about real life and less daydreaming about mythical creatures...

ELEANOR: But why not? I mean, no-one believed in Demons before the portal war... and before that nobody even knew about the Dalgrand out west. Who knows what else is out there that we haven't discovered yet...

KAYLA: The Dalgrand are the real deal, I grant you. But everyone knows that Demons are just an old wives tale.

ELEANOR: My father told me that his grandparents fought them during the battle of Zalavast. And besides, why else would we celebrate St. Haven's day? She saved us by shutting down the portal.

KAYLA: Kid, there's no evidence of demons ever existing. Haven was a corrupt politician, just like Balfor. She probably made it all up so people would hail her as a hero.

ELEANOR: Well I still believe she was a hero.

VOICE: (Echoing through the valley) Oh I agree...

Zavier draws his sword and Kayla pulls out her pistol. Eleanor backs away as the three scan the valley for the source of the voice.

KAYLA: Show yourself!

A figure walks out onto a ledge several feet above them.

DELIA: An age ago, General Haven locked the demons away. She sent them back to a dying world and thus saved humanity. Ending one race to save another... would any of you have the courage to do the same?

ZAVIER: (Yells) Who are you?

ELEANOR: I've seen her before. She was with Balfor. Delia. Her name is Delia.

Delia points suddenly at Eleanor.

DELIA: You... Will you not help us make things right? Will you not help us continue Haven's legacy?

ELEANOR: I don't know what you're talking about! Whatever Balfor wants, he has no right to force me into it.

ZAVIER: I'm gonna give you this one chance to back off, you hear? Tell your master he can take a hike.

DELIA: (Smirks) Are you referring to the Grand Admiral? Deluded child... I don't take orders from him. I serve a man who has true vision. My master can save us all. He will deliver us our salvation!

ZAVIER: (Shrugs) Can't say I didn't warn you.

Zavier quickly draws his pistol and fires it at Delia. The shadows build up around her and she vanishes into them, the bullet striking the rock behind where she was standing.

ZAVIER: What the...?

Delia appears behind him and lashing out with her fist and knocking him to the ground. Kayla swings around and raises her gun but Delia has already sunk back into the shadows again.

KAYLA: What are you?!

Delia laughs, suddenly re-appearing and swinging at Kayla from behind, but she is ready and dodges the blow. She fires at her and Delia shields herself with her arm, conjuring a wall of shadow. The bullets disintergrate as they hit it and then Delia leaps forward and grabs Kayla by the arm, forcing her to drop her gun. Delia draws back her fist to deliver to final blow, her whole body emanating shadows. She swings her fist but it suddenly stops, then she is thrown backwards onto the ground. Kayla turns to see Eleanor controlling the shadows around Delia. Delia spots her too and flings a shadowy fireball her way in retaliation. Eleanor shields herself from the blast with water from the stream. Enraged, Delia throws more fireballs at her but each one is knocked away by a stream of water. One of them strikes the mountainside, loosening the snow and building into an avalanche which speeds towards the valley. Delia is so furious that she doesn't notice and she continues bombarding Eleanor. Kayla helps Zavier up amd then grabs Eleanor's hand, pulling her away. Delia notices the avalanche a moment too late and is engulfed by the wave of snow, while the others dive under an overhang just in time. Kayla is the first to pick herself up once the snow settles.

KAYLA: Is everyone ok?

ZAVIER: Yeah, I think so.

ELEANOR: Ugh... what happened?

KAYLA: Avalanche. The fighting must have caused it.

Zavier helps Eleanor up then climbs atop the snow with Kayla.

ZAVIER: No sign of Delia. I doubt anyone could have survived being hit by that.

Kayla surveys the valley. After a moment she spins arounds and grabs Eleanor by the collar, slamming her against a rock.

KAYLA: (Angrily) What the hell's going on?

ELEANOR: Let go of me!

KAYLA: Not until I get some answers. Let's recap, first I find out you have some freaky powers that nobody bothered to mention before and then we're attacked by some magical lunatic. What is this... some kind of science experiment gone wrong?

ELEANOR: I don't know!

ZAVIER: Kayla!

Kayla lets go of Eleanor, who nurses her neck while still leaning against the rock.

KAYLA: Whatever it is they want you to do, it's got nothing to do with either of us. That means to Balfor, we're expendable. So if I find out you're hiding something... I won't hesitate to turn you in.

Kayla marches away to recollect her bag. Zavier approaches Eleanor.

ZAVIER: Sorry. We've all had a hard day and Kay's not the most trusting person I know.

ELEANOR: But she's right. I'm putting you both in danger. But I... I can't do this on my own.

ZAVIER: It's not your fault, besides I'm the one who dragged you into this mess.

ELEANOR: But you've helped me so much.

ZAVIER: Don't worry about it. What I'm concerned about is that Delia woman. Do you think she's... you know, like you?

ELEANOR: No... that was real magic. I can only move the energy about. With magic you're able to create energy from nothing. Look, all I know is no ordinary person could do what she was doing.

ZAVIER: No ordinary person can do what you can either.

Eleanor looks at her feet, lost in thought.

ZAVIER: Come on, we'd better catch up with Kayla before she gets too far ahead.

He clambers over the snow and heads after Kayla. Eleanor continues to think for a few moments before following him.