Daylight - First Draft

Act III - Scene 57: Through the Gate

SC57 - Through the Gate

INT. THE SWORD OF MAYA HANGAR. AFTERNOON.

Eleanor hurries across the Sword's hangar bay towards the cruiser along with the rest of her squad. Zavier and Kayla bring up the rear with as many weapons as they can carry on their person. In contrast, Eleanor is completely unarmed. She clambers aboard the ship, which has barely enough room for the entire squad and turns to the others as they follow her onboard. Kayla jumps into the pilots seat and buckles herself in, while the rest of the soldiers do the same in the compartment behind her. Zavier gives Eleanor a concerned look.

ZAVIER: You sure you don't need a weapon?

ELEANOR: I'll be fine.

ZAVIER: It's your call. I'm just concerned is all. If you don't make it...

ELEANOR: I know Zave, but so long as I'm with you guys I'll be fine. And besides, who else is better equipped to fight back against the demons magic than me?

ZAVIER: Good point. I feel safer already.

KAYLA: Alright people, all systems are go. We're just waiting on the green light now.

Eleanor takes a seat, strapping herself in tightly while Zavier makes his way to the co-pilots seat. The ship shakes and rolls back and forth as the Sword takes fire. Eleanor closes her eyes and breathes deeply. Then an echoing voice calls out over the ships comm.

GREYE: Portal team, you are clear to launch. I repeat, you are clear to launch. Haven be with you all.

KAYLA: Alright people! Brace yourselves, this is gonna be a bumpy ride!

Kayla revs the ships engine as the hangar door opens before them. When the gap is wide enough, the cruiser lunges forward and out into the mist. Suddenly they are surrounded by cannonfire and explosions as scores of warships filling the sky bombard one another back and forth. One of the demon vessels reacts quickly and fires a volley in their direction and Kayla rolls the ship to avoid it. Another battleship looms out of the mist up ahead, making to block their entrance to the portal.

ZAVIER: Pull up!

KAYLA: We'll miss the portal if we change course now.

ZAVIER: But we'll crash into them if we don't!

KAYLA: Dammit!

Suddenly the Sword of Maya appears above the obstructing ship, heading straight for it. Kayla picks up the comm.

KAYLA: Dad, what are you doing?

GREYE: Clearing you a path. Don't worry about us, just get through that portal!

The Sword collides with the demon ship, pushing it downwards and out of the way. Kayla makes to steer the ship towards the Sword but Zavier grabs her arm to stop her.

ZAVIER: No! We have to keep going.

KAYLA: But...

ZAVIER: They'll be fine. We have a job to do!

Kayla forces herself to look away from the Sword and steers the ship back on course. Out in front of them, the enormous glowing stone circle of the portal is suspended in mid-air.

KAYLA: Here we go!

The ship passes through the circle and for a moment it appears that nothing has happened, then the sky around them dissolves into a dark shade of red. The mist thickens and soon the only things visible are lightning bolts piercing the haze and shaking the ship. Kayla brings the ship down to cruising speed and Eleanor unbuckles herself and makes her way to the front.

ELEANOR: What happened? Did we make it?

KAYLA: I don't know. This storm definitely wasn't here before.

ZAVIER: Look out!

A huge stone pillar is coming right at them out of the mist and Kayla swerves to avoid it.

ZAVIER: We must be pretty close to the ground, we need to pull up.

KAYLA: Maybe you didn't notice but I don't think that hunk of rock was connected to the ground.

There is a moments confused silence between the three of them as they stare out into the thick red mist.

KAYLA: I'm gonna begin our descent, go strap yourselves back in.

Zavier and Eleanor do as instructed as ship begins to descend, before landing with a bump on a rocky outcropping. The occupants collect their weapons and get to their feet. As they exit the ship, the mist begins to clear and it is soon apparant that they are looking over a desolate valley.

ZAVIER: This can't be right. There's nothing here.

But as the mist continues to dissipate, a huge structure comes into view. A broken stone tower, surrounded by rings of an energy that glow bright purple against the dark red sky. Those same rings appear to be suspending several pieces of the broken tower, as though they had caught them mid fall. Before the tower, countless warships are grounded as legions of demons march onboard the vessels. Eleanor and the others gaze down at the valley in stunned silence.

ZAVIER: Nope. There's definitely something here.

KAYLA: I've never seen anything like it.

ELEANOR: That tower. That's where they're keeping the sceptre. I can feel it.

ZAVIER: You sure? That place looks pretty well fortified. Aside from all the falling apart I mean.

ELEANOR: I'm sure.

Zavier looks at Kayla, who is staring at the ground.

ZAVIER: He'll be alright Kay.

KAYLA: You don't know that. Not for sure.

ZAVIER: Maybe not, but if we don't finish what we came to do, there's no chance for anyone back there.

ELEANOR: Hey guys? Is anyone else seeing this?

Eleanor is pointing off into the distance with her head tilted. The others walk over and strain their eyes to see what she is looking at, then they realize what it is.

ZAVIER: What in the...?

Where there should be a horizon, there is massive swirling vortex - far too large for the eye to behold. Before it, a distant city is slowly being torn apart. Huge chunks of earth are ripped away piece by piece to be swallowed by the gaping void.

ZAVIER: It's tearing the world apart...

KAYLA: This isn't good. It's not just an invasion... it's an evacuation. I'm starting to think coming here was a really bad idea.

ELEANOR: We can't just leave. Demencia will destroy the fleet if the rest of those ships get through.

KAYLA: Look at what we're up against! How do we get past all those demons?

ELEANOR: Maybe we can loop around the back of the tower and sneak past them.

KAYLA: That's a long shot. What if there are guards?

ZAVIER: We can deal with a few guards. Look we've made it this far haven't we? And we all knew what we were in for. Let's give it a shot.

KAYLA: Well... alright. But we have to move quickly! That vortex is getting closer by the second.

The others nod and Kayla turns to the rest of the team, pointing into the distance.

KAYLA: Alright we're moving out! We'll assemble on that hillside on the far side of the tower.

They begin to make their way down into the valley. Zavier places a hand on Kayla's shoulder.

ZAVIER: You alright to lead?

Kayla gives him a weak smile.

KAYLA: Course I am. But seriously, whose terrible idea was this anyway?.

ZAVIER: Well it was kind of yours actually.

KAYLA: Oh right. I guess it sounded better in my head.

ZAVIER: Don't worry, we'll make it work.

KAYLA: I hope you're right.