Daylight - First Draft

Act III - Scene 53: The Traitor's Tale

SC53 - The Traitor's Tale

INT. EMERALD INDUSTRIES. NIGHT.

Zavier and Kayla are running through the corridoors of Emerald Industries. The floor shakes, nearly toppling them over.

ZAVIER: What was that?

KAYLA: Maybe it's the reactor.

They keep running but find nothing but dead ends.

KAYLA: Dammit! Which way did she go?

ZAVIER: I dunno, she's gotta be around here some...

The sound of footsteps echoes from a stairway leading further down the facility. They both stop and turn to look. Admiral Balfor emerges, supporting General Greye who is struggling to stand upright.

KAYLA: Dad!

Balfor spots them and places Greye against a wall in the corridoor, then sits weakly against the wall opposite. Kayla runs over to the general while Zavier pulls his sword on Balfor.

KAYLA: Dad, are you alright!?

GREYE: I'll be fine... Kayla... I'm glad to see you.

She glances over at Balfor, who is staring at the floor with a grimace.

ZAVIER: What's with you?

Balfor says nothing. General Greye lifts his head to look at him.

GREYE: Brother... why?

BALFOR: Delia she... did something to me. I think there was a spell.

ZAVIER: Oh and we're supposed to believe that?

BALFOR: I'm not making excuses for myself! All the things I did... even the most terrible. That was me. I wanted all this to happen. You were always the better of us brother and I dreamt of being like you, doing something that people would remember me for. I dreamt of war... of heroics... sacrificing half a city would be nothing if it meant the survival of our race... if it meant I would be treated like a hero. But there was a part of me that saw reason. A part that told me to stop, to listen, to think rationally! Delia did something that blocked that out. I couldn't resist anymore. All the temptations, all the dreams, all the desires... they all came swimming to the surface as though they finally had their chance to escape. Things I had wanted but always resisted, were possible....

GREYE: Raije...

Tears begin to trickle down Balfor's face.

BALFOR: Look at what I have wrought brother! This is what I always wanted! I should be satisfied... I should be happy! But instead all I have brought is grief. I'm... I'm so sorry.

Greye heaves himself to his feet and limps across the corridoor to Balfor, then sits beside him.

GREYE: No... I'm the one who should be sorry. I was so focused on fixing the wrongs of our world that I didn't realise you were suffering. I thought you one of them, another politician. I should have treated you like a brother. I didn't trust you in times when you needed my trust. Forgive me...

Greye places a hand on his brothers shoulder who buries his face in his sleeve to stifle the tears. Zavier still looks unconvinced.

ZAVIER: If Delia placed a spell on you then why has it faded now?

BALFOR: She must be... gone.

KAYLA: Killed? She might have been slain in battle.

BALFOR: She went after Eleanor, I don't know where they went.

ZAVIER: You saw her? Where, when?

BALFOR: Only minutes ago downstairs. She would have gone up the ladder to the roof... Take the elevator up...

Zavier looks at Kayla.

ZAVIER: Stay with your father. I'm gonna go look for her.

Kayla nods and he hurries off down the hall to the elevator. A few minutes later he emerges onto the roof. He climbs the stairs and runs over to Eleanor's body, crouching beside her and placing a hand on her face.

ZAVIER: Elle? Come on, talk to me.

Eleanor's eyes flicker and she looks up into Zavier's face, smiling weakly.

ELEANOR: What took you so long?

She closes her eyes again to rest. Zavier breathes a sigh of relief and smiles back at her. Then he picks her up and carries her back down the stairs in his arms. As he reaches the bottom, he is greeted to the sight of the demon fleet in full retreat over the harbour. Smoke rises from the city but even at such a great distance, the sound of cheers can be heard throughout the streets.