Production #V702 - Episode 2

STORY BY
Melissa Good

TELEPLAY BY
Susanne Beck & TNovan

SCREENGRABS
Judi Mair

ARTWORK
Lucia

EPISODE TITLE GRAPHIC
Linda (Calli)

TEASER

FADE IN:

She turns her head away, looking off into the far distance for a long moment.

Xena stands immobile, shock written plainly on her face. It's clear she wants to say something, anything, but the pain of what she's hearing has stilled her tongue.

Xena stands and watches as Gabrielle urges Argo into a fast gallop. A single tear traces its way down her cheek.

CUT TO:

Zenobia stares into space for a long space of seconds, apparently lost in thought. Then she turns and eyes Gabrielle frankly again, a slight smile gracing her features.

CUT TO:

Hearing the voice, Lucifer spins, enraged. Xena is standing between two demon, looking listless and gaunt. Her eyes are soulless, dead, devoid of any emotion. Snarling her name, he flies across the room and grabs her around the neck, squeezing her throat with all of his strength.

CUT TO:

He grabs a sword from his friend’s scabbard, and tosses it to Xena. He then draws his own sword, twirling it in vicious, rapid arcs, grinning broadly as he does so.

Xena launches into her attack, swinging her sword with stunning speed. The demon blocks her first strike, and their weapons clash, sparks trailing down both blades to land on the hot stone floor. Xena disengages and resumes her attack, reining down blow after blow down on him. The large demon stumbles backward, but manages to keep up his defenses, though it's clear from the start that he's hopelessly outclassed.

Still, he fights gamely, even managing to swing a few blows until he is disarmed by a vicious strike. 

The entire group watches as his sword tumbles through the air, only to disappear as it hits the portal.

Roaring, the demon comes at Xena, claws extended, and stops when Xena's sword enters into his chest. His eyes bulge as he looks down at his chest, then into Xena's shining eyes.

As the demon slumps, Xena removes her sword. There is a pause, and then the rent in his chest opens, and a dark, putrescent light emanates from the gaping wound. It flows out quickly, covering Xena's sword, her arm, and finally her entire body.

Her body goes rigid, her head falls back, and her mouth opens wide in a soundless scream.

The light disappears, and in its place stands DEMON XENA. Her skin has turned the color of an elephant's hide; her eyes a glittering, glowing, eerie silver. Demon wings sprout from her back, and her hands and feet have become clawed talons.

She laughs at the looks of stunned disbelief on the faces of the demons surrounding her, and before any one of them can make a move, she turns and vaults toward the portal, disappearing as soon as she hits it.

CUT TO:

YAVIN
My Queen. Gabrielle. There has
been an attack on the south wall!

Gabrielle whirls on Yavin, jumps to her feet, and grabs him by the front of his armor. 

Gabrielle feels a tendril of something she can't define skitter down her spine. The hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and she feels her heart-rate accelerate as a chill sweat breaks out over her skin. She grabs Yavin's armor tighter, almost shaking him.

GABRIELLE
No. You tell me.
It was as if what?

YAVIN
Nothing. Nothing, I assure you. Just the
overworked imaginations of tired
soldiers, that's all.

GABRIELLE
(gritting her teeth)
Tell me.

YAVIN
Some of... some of my men say that
they saw some sort of... demon
leading the forces against us.
(ruefully laughing)
I told you it was....

GABRIELLE
(over Yavin)
By the gods.

Releasing Yavin, Gabrielle darts out of the hospice at a dead run, leaving the others behind to stare after her.

CUT TO:

Gabrielle turns back to face the darkness in the direction she knows Brakus' camp lies. Her mind is a whirling torrent of indecision, but her tongue gives voice to the only truth she knows.

FADE OUT.

ANNOUNCER
And now, on Xena....

ACT 1