Convergence

Written: 2007
Created by Julie Ruffell and Trish Ellis
Writing © Julie Ruffell 2007.
"Convergence" © Julie Ruffell and Trish Ellis 2007
Description: The walls separating worlds of humans and the magickal creatures of myth, the Unus'Pri, begin to fail, causing a convergence of the two worlds and war. The six-part promo introduces some of the leading characters of the series and tells the story of the beginning of first human/Unus'Pri war.

"Unus Past" - promo issue 6

Council hall - present. Gevma'El holds Sem'Queul at gunpoint.

SEM'QUEUL
Well then, shen'sha, pull the trigger.

GEVMA'EL
No, Mother, not before I share Sem's words with you. I think it is long past time you heard them.

SEM'QUEUL
The words of a betrayer are meaningless. Sem is the reason you look as you do. The reason you have been scorned your whole life.

GEVMA'EL
You have only ever looked at the result, never the process. I was not made this way to harm you. And while others may be repulsed by my appearance, I have never been. It helps me determine who to put my faith in.

SEM'QUEUL
I had faith in them once. It cost me my mother. It cost me my la'shen. And how dearly a price has already been paid by you, my shen'sha.

GEVMA'EL
Unlike you, I do not condemn a race for the actions of one, nor do I see my differences as deformities. I know things others can never know, human and Unus'Pri alike. As to betrayal, I have already been touched by it, but, unlike you, I listened to her before I passed judgment, and I was able to understand and forgive. What we always fail to see when a loved one hurts us is that they often believe they are doing what is in our best interest, something we are unable to see. Whether they are right or wrong isn't always clear until it's too late. But if their actions were done out of love, should not we forgive them, no matter the outcome?

SEM'QUEUL
Only a fool puts their trust in a traitor's hands.

GEVMA'EL
We all have moments of weakness, moments of failure and sometimes we are caught between two evils and can pick only what we feel is the lesser evil. Atlan betrayed you because he thought he had no choice. He was presented with two horrible options, with no way out. If you had spoken to him, Mother, maybe you would have understood his choices.

Caption: Over 4,000 years ago.

Kalen's camp. Sem and the disguised Sem'Queul stand before Kalen.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
Kalen's plans to draw you out had failed, as far as he knew, but Sem provided him with a believable excuse to suddenly agree to peace after generations of hostilities.

Soldiers hide in the war wagon.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
There's a human myth about two armies that fought a ten year long war. The army fighting to get inside the walls of the other faked a peace offering. Inside this offering they hid several soldiers.

The chest is placed on the wagon. The soldiers are completely hidden.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
The story was inspired by the trap Kalen set when he sent you and Sem back to Atlantis with a chest that he claimed contained a gift to prove his intensions.

Present. Sem'Queul waves her hand.

SEM'QUEUL
If you are going to kill me, shen'sha, then do so. Don't stand there and try to justify your actions to me.

GEVMA'EL
I don't want to kill you, Mother. I am hoping this story can save you.

SEM'QUEUL
I don't need a history lesson, Gevma'El. I was there.

GEVMA'EL
You were there, but you did not see.

The royals opening the chest.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
Kalen set in motion a secondary plan with the delivery. And even if that planned were to fail, he had a third one prepared. The first, the discovery of Zere'El's head, he had hoped would enrage you so that you attacked his camp where he had ballistae ready.

Night. Several of Kalen's men exit their hiding places in the wagon.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
The second, in the event you did not react as he hoped, was to force Atlan to deliver you to him.

The soldiers take out several guards and dress in their armour.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
Disguising themselves as the royal guard, Kalen's men could move, unmolested, through the castle. While the royal family slept, they entered the rooms of Atlan's children and subdued them.

Atlan IX and Etus try to fight back, but are both overpowered. They are dressed in guard armour. Moving in between Kalen's men, they appear to be part of the patrol. Knives are held on them.

When they enter Sem's room, she's struck hard and knocked unconscious to prevent her from using magick. She is both bound and gagged and then a robe is thrown over her. Atlan IX and Etus are forced to carry their unconscious sister between them. She is unseen among the men as they walk the corridors.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
With Atlan's children in their possession, Kalen's men took them out of Latrel. Rather then make the dangerous and foolish attempt to take them through the front gates, after they had disposed of the armour and dressed as citizens, they exited through the back gate and headed for the underground caverns.

The underground caverns. Two row boats are waiting, two men in each.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
From there it was simple to lead their prisoners into the boats and then row along the coastline until they were far enough from Atlantis.

The boats row along. The boats stop and unload where several horses are tied up.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
The soldiers took their prisoners to Treknor. Atlantis would never have been able to breach the walls to rescue them.
Meanwhile, two soldiers returned to Kalen's camp to deliver the news of their success.

Atlan's throne room. A servant enters, bows and hands Atlan a note.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
It was a note from Kalen, informing him he had his children and that Atlan was to come alone to Kalen's camp. He did the only thing he could.

Atlan rides.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
He went.

Kalen's tent. His commander enters with Atlan and then leaves. Kalen is seated at a table, eating a leg of meat. He gestures to the chair at the end of the table.

KALEN
Have a seat, Atlan.

Atlan sits. A servant pours him a glass of wine. He doesn't react. Kalen continues eating, enjoying Atlan's rage and that he can do nothing about it. Atlan loses his composure and brings a fist down on the table, knocking his drink over.

KALEN
So even the composed King Atlan can be rattled.

ATLAN
You call me here, Kalen. State your terms.

KALEN
I want the dragon.

ATLAN
Sem'Queul? Why?

KALEN
I don't need to give you my reasons. You want your children? You will bring me the dragon. You will allow my army within your gates and when the dragon returns, because I know she left, my men will kill her.

ATLAN
You cannot possibly think I will let your army within my walls so you can kill our main defense. What would stop you from conquering Atlantis?

KALEN
My only interest is the dragon. I have other enemies to fight.

ATLAN
Your word is meaningless, Kalen. You are a kidnapper and a murderer.

KALEN
It's not like you have a choice, Atlan.

ATLAN
Much as I love my children, I cannot, as king, risk Atlantis like that.

Kalen drops the leg of meat he was chewing on.

KALEN
You'll do as I order and you'll just have to accept my word. Refuse, and not only will I see to it that your children suffer before they die, but I will return with the full force of my army and that of my allies and attack Atlantis. I might lose my entire army in the attempt, but I will wipe out all of your people and the dragon. So if you want your people to live, if you want your children to live, you will do as you are told.

Atlan lowers his head.

Caption: Orin - capital of Treknor.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
Kalen had left orders with Rymer, his brother, that when the prisoners arrived he was to send another five thousand soldiers to Atlantis.

Orin dungeon. Atlan IX and Etus are tossed in a cell. The now awake and furious Sem is chained to a wall, still gagged and also blindfolded, making her unable to cast spells. Rymer enters and dismisses the guard.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
Unknown to Kalen, his brother did not share his bloodlust or hatred.

SEM'QUEUL (v.o.)
You were so insistent that these were real events, yet you expect me to believe there are humans who harbour no ill will to the Unus'Pri? My shen'sha, I would not believe that for any human, but especially not in regards to a human from Treknor.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
Again you judge the whole by the few.

Atlan IX gets to his feet and grabs the bars.

ATLAN IX
Bastard! The entire lot of your Treknorians are nothing but cowards, thieves and murderers! There is not a knight among you. I challenge you to unlock this cell and face me as a warrior!

RYMER
Do not mistake my brother's actions for my own, Prince Atlan.

He removes the blindfold from Sem's eyes. She stares at him with venom.

RYMER
I have come here to offer you a deal. Kalen must be stopped. I will free you and allow you to return home...if you kill him.

ATLAN IX
You would have us act as assassins for you? Why not do your own dirty work?

RYMER
I am not a warrior and he is my brother, despite his crimes. Blood should not fight blood.

ATLAN IX
A knight does not attack from the shadows.

RYMER
Actually, I was not asking your aid.

He looks directly at Sem, who stops her angry, futile struggling to meet his eyes.

RYMER
Your brothers would not be able to kill Kalen, even if I did manage to sneak them close enough to him. But he would never expect a female assassin, especially not a sorceress. Do this and you will be free and I will sign a treaty of peace between our kingdoms. As well, Treknor will no longer war against the Unus'Pri. But if Kalen is allowed to live, Sem'Queul will be killed and then he will start an open war with the Unus'Pri that will affect every human.

CU of Sem's determined face.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
Out of fear for your life, Sem agreed.

The army marches.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
Unfortunately, Rymer and Sem would have to wait for Kalen to return to Treknor in order to execute Rymer's plan. Meanwhile, Kalen's army marched to Atlantis.

The army marching through the gates of Atlantis.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
Atlan was forced to carry out Kalen's orders. Knowing you could return soon, Kalen did not have time to gather the armies of his allies, so he ordered Atlan to mobilize the Atlantean army and fight with him.
Atlan used this order to his advantage.

The two armies wait for Sem'Queul. Atlan and several of his soldiers are standing next to a ballista. Sem'Queul and the Unus'Pri she gathered arrive. As they fly closer, the Treknorian soldier aims the ballista. The soldier fires, but as he does, Atlan and the Atlanteans push the ballista, just enough to throw off the shot, without alerting the Treknorian soldier.

Atlan watches as the arrow flies and grazes Sem'Queul.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
He could not avoid what he had to do, but he had hoped that if you were wounded, you would flee, giving him time to find a way out of his predicament.

Sem'Queul crashes. The other Unus'Pri attack.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
But the others attacked. Atlan hoped they could defeat Kalen's forces and that would be the end --

The Unus'Pri attack the Atlanteans.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
--but the Unus'Pri attacked the Atlanteans --

SEM'QUEUL (v.o.)
So we should have rolled over and begged the humans to spare us? Even if I believed these lies, how would you expect us to have known? We were being attacked! We were being killed!

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
Lives were needlessly lost on both sides. War doesn't make time for clarity. As to the Atlanteans, they were forced to protect themselves.
When the Treknorian fired his ballista again, with his men distracted, Atlan was alone and unable to deflect the shot.

The arrow fires and Gev'Ma dives to take the arrow for Sem'Queul.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
The death of my father mobilized you to action. There was no way to stop the battle from playing out.

Present. Sem'Queul wipes at tears falling from her eyes. She's not angry anymore. Her pain is too real.

SEM'QUEUL
They killed him, Gevma'El. They killed my la'shen, your father, the only one who had stood by me and my beliefs; my beliefs put him there, put him there to die!

GEVMA'EL
I don't question your pain or your feelings, Mother. But I do question your actions. You were the leader of an entire race. You had to be bigger than your emotions. You still do.

Atlan is trapped beneath the burning ballista.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
When at last you called the retreat, Atlan ordered his soldiers to arrest the Treknor survivours.

Orin.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
His plan a complete failure, Kalen did not even have the forces to carry out his threat on Atlantis. His allies also would not commit their forces to such a battle after Kalen's defeat.
Kalen returned home, planning a measure of satisfaction in killing Atlan's sons and sending their dismembered parts back to him.

Kalen's throne room. Atlan IX and Etus are forced to their knees before Kalen, their hands tied behind their backs.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
His plans for Sem were much less pleasant.

Kalen smiles as his men get ready to torture the princes. A female servant stands at Kalen's side and fills his wine cup. Rymer stands at the far end of the throne room. He nods at the servant.

The servant is Sem. As Kalen drinks she closes her hand into a fist.

SEM
Brevmee'ta.

Kalen beings to choke. He grabs his throat and stumbles out of his throne. The servants and soldiers panic. Rymer and Sem watch. Kalen dies.

RYMER
Release the prisoners.

The soldiers do not move.

RYMER
I am king now, and I have given an order!

The soldiers hustle and release Atlan IX and Etus.

RYMER
Princes of Atlantis, the feud between our kingdoms is over.

Sem, Atlan IX and Etus ride back to Atlantis.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
And with the death of one tyrant, there was peace between kingdoms that had been at odds for generations. That could have been the end of all of it, but your desire for vengeance led to an even greater war.

Atlan's throne room. Mevel hugs Sem and Atlan claps his sons on their shoulders. Mevel is crying. Atlan's face is scarred by fire. His stance belies his other injuries.

MEVEL
I never thought I would see you again.

She holds Sem's face and kisses it. Atlan IX hands his father a scroll.

ATLAN IX
King Rymer has already signed it. It just needs your signature, Father.

ATLAN
If only the cost of this treaty had not been so high...

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
Atlan informed his children of the battle with the Unus'Pri.

SEM
Father...I cannot believe you sided with Kalen. You attacked Sem'Queul!

ATLAN
I did not have a choice, Sem! I could not sacrifice Atlantis for her.

SEM
You should have found a way!

She shoves him. Mevel grabs Sem's shoulders from behind, trying to comfort the now crying Sem.

MEVEL
Your father did what he had to do. Being a king is not about making easy decisions. Sometimes you have to do things you have in order to protect your people. But with Kalen gone, we will find a way to make this right.

SEM
We cannot make it right. You said she called the dragon who died for her, 'la'shen'. She will blame us for his death.

ATLAN
I do not know that word, but we will find a way to explain it to Sem'Queul, to earn her forgiveness.

SEM
No, Father. She will not understand. La'shen. Mother is your la'shen.

The royals look at each other, understanding the significance of Gev'Ma's death.

ATLAN
We will find a way.

He hugs Sem.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
His first two messengers never even reached you. They were killed by Unus'Pri when they attempted to reach you at the council hall.

Throne room. The remains of the messenger the harpy killed.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
And his third messenger faired no better.

Atlan mounts a horse. His family is gathered around him.

MEVEL
Please do not go, Atlan. She will kill you.

ATLAN
If I want to prove to her that I am serious, then I have to go. If I cannot convince her to stop, when she's done with Treknor, Atlantis will be next.

SEM
He owes her an explination, Mother.

ETUS
We all love Sem'Queul, but to go to her alone, Father...

ATLAN
Sem is right. I owe her this.

Atlan turns the horse and rides off.

Atlan's burnt skeleton.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
Again you were given the chance to listen, to stop, but again you allowed your rage to dictate your actions. Your higher ideals were lost the moment things became too difficult.

Throne room. Mevel stares out the window. Etus tries to comfort her.

MEVEL
He is not coming back.

ETUS
Give it time. I am sure he is fine.

ATLAN IX
I am afraid Mother is right. Sem'Queul will go after Treknor next. We should send our army to assist Rymer. If Sem'Queul is not stopped there, Atlantis will stand no chance.

SEM
Even if Sem'Queul killed Father, we cannot hold her responsible. We cannot give up trying to reach her.

Mevel turns angrily.

MEVEL
She will not even listen!

SEM
She does not want to face her loses. But Sem'Queul is a dragon. We cannot remove her hands from her ears and force her to listen. She has the power to silence us and as long as she's a dragon, she will continue to do so.

ATLAN IX
"As long as she's a dragon"? You make it sound as though on a different day she will hold a different form.

SEM
Maybe we can make her. Send me and the sorcerers with the army, Atlan.

ATLAN IX
So there can be a repeat of what started this mess?

ETUS
That was not her fault, Atlan. I think I understand what Sem means. And if there can be a chance to resolve this peacefully, that will be in the best interest of all.

MEVEL
Do not send the whole army. If this fails, we will need some recourse.

She looks at Sem.

MEVEL
And you are not to be in Orin when the fighting starts. No matter what happens, I expect you to return.

Orin. Zere'El's remains.

RYMER
Will his not cause her to take offense? Thinking we are displaying her mother's remains?

SEM
I am hoping she will see it as an offering.

Sem moves to the stump of Zere'El's neck. With a dagger she scrapes off some blood and puts it in a bowl. Rymer stands next to her, covering his mouth and nose.

RYMER
We should be rid of the body. It reeks of decay and disease. It will make the soldiers sick.

SEM
To toss her body out would offend Sem'Queul for sure, your Highness.

Rymer looks at the blood in the bowl.

RYMER
Do you really think you can make her human?

SEM
I can try. Even if only for a few minutes, it will be enough to make her listen.

Outside Orin. Sem and Rymer are waiting with the Atlantean sorcerers. A runner arrives.

RUNNER
The Unus'Pri are destroying the outer villages. They move quickly. They will likely be here within three days.

SEM
Then we should get started.

The sorcerers stand in a circle around a table. Sem moves to the bowl with Zere'El's blood. With a dagger, she cuts open her palm and makes a fist, her blood falling into the bowl. She holds up her hands and as one, she and the sorcerers begin to chant.

SEM AND SORCERERS
Frel maten, jat merel, en'asha. A'shante. Frel maten, jat merel, en'asha. A'shante.

The blood in the bowl begins to glow. As they chant, the sorcerers look strained. The faces of several of them being to sink in. The others are unaware. The weaker sorcerers are consumed by the spell, the magick pulled from them until they are merely flesh hanging from bone. They die.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
They were willing to sacrifice themselves in the hopes of making you see.

The battle. Sem watches. She holds a bow with an arrow in the string. When Sem'Queul hangs back, Sem dips the arrow into the mixture of blood, draws back the string and aims. She closes her eyes.

SEM
Forgive me, Sem'Queul, but I pray this works.

Opening her eyes, she fires the arrow. She flinches when it hits Sem'Queul. She watches, but nothing happens.

SEM
No...that should have worked.

SORCERER
Princess, we must flee. Treknor is lost.

Rymer bows his head, and then puts a hand on Sem's shoulder.

RYMER
You tried. There is nothing more to be done here.

SEM
I have failed Sem'Queul and Atlantis. The spell should have worked! There must be some other way!

SORCERER
We will not give up, highness, but we must return to Atlantis, less we be discovered.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
If you had not been with egg, her spell likely would have worked. She never intended to harm you.

Present. Sem'Queul stares at Gevma'El with teary eyes.

SEM'QUEUL
It does not replace what was taken from me. It does not change...it does not....change...

She can't continue. Gevma'El returns his mother's sad eyes.

Atlantis. Throne room.

ATLAN IX
That is it then. We will need to prepare for her attack.

He turns to the knights.

ATLAN IX
Give the order. Construct as many ballistae as you can.

SEM
Atlan, you cannot even think of attacking her!

Atlan IX holds her and looks at her with sad eyes.

ATLAN IX
I know what she means to you. She means much to me too. But I am king now, and I must think of all of Atlantis. I would never seek her out, but if she comes here to destroy us, Sem, we have to fight back.

Sem breaks out of his hold.

SEM
You may be willing to give up, but I will not. I will go to her. She will listen to me.

MEVEL
I forbid it!

SEM
You cannot stop me, Mother. I will not abandon Sem'Queul.

RYMER
I will accompany her.

ATLAN IX
She will kill you both.

SEM
You have lost faith, but I have not.

Sem leaves and Rymer follows.

Council hall.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
Despite everything, she still had faith in you. But when she arrived at the council hall, you were already gone. I wonder, would you have killed her as you did Atlan?

SEM'QUEUL (v.o.)
Nothing has changed, my shen'sha. Even were these events true, I took the actions that were necessary.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
So you would have killed her too. She who was like a shen'sha in your heart, who did you no wrong.

SEM'QUEUL (v.o.)
She fired the arrow, Gevma'El! Intent is meaningless!

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
Intent is everything.

Sem moves through the council hall.

GEVMA'EL (v.o.)
She used magick to move undetected to your chamber. Invisible to the Unus'Pri, she hoped so desperately that you would listen. She did not find you though. She found only me.

Sem kneels down next to Gevma'El.

SEM
What have I done?

She touches him on the cheek, and he smiles, rubbing her hand. Sem has tears in her eyes.

SEM
I am sorry. I never meant for this.

Sem rejoins Rymer.

RYMER
I was beginning to think she had killed you too. Did you see her?

SEM
No. But I saw enough to know she will never listen now.

She mounts her horse and rides. Rymer follows.

The crumbled pass that once led to Atlantis. Sem and Rymer stare at it, still mounted.

RYMER
What now, Princess?

SEM
We need to warn the other kingdoms. A war is coming...

Council hall - present.

GEVMA'EL
All wars are started by leaders who fail to lead.

SEM'QUEUL
Shen'sha, if not Atlantis, it would have been another kingdom. War between our peoples was inevitable.

GEVMA'EL
You have no way of knowing that.

SEM'QUEUL
You have barely seen four thousand years of life. You cannot expect to come close knowing what I know. I have seen and experienced far more than you, just as my mother knew far more than me. My failure was in thinking I knew better than her, just as that is your failure now.
When the portals opened, the humans' first reaction was to attack, not to seek answers. Our peoples cannot co-exist. We could not four thousand years ago and we cannot now. You look at the world with false hope; you refuse to see what is. Believing in something does not make it true.

GEVMA'EL
Belief can be made true if people act. You had such high ideals once, Mother, but you let one tragedy set not only you, but all of the Unus'Pri back. If everyone gave up on their ideals so easily, people would never advance. There would be no Unus'Pri; we would still be divided and warring. Zere'El had an ideal, but she too gave up when it became too hard. She decided to ignore the problem rather than continue the fight. And you? You decided to eradicate what you couldn't control.
And now you have been restored back to a place of power and with you as one of the inner five, there will never be peace.

Gevma'El has tears in his eyes.

GEVMA'EL
My ideal, Mother, is that the Unus'Pri and humans can learn to co-exist. I am committed to my ideal, and I'm not going to turn my back on it because got too hard. I will do whatever I need to do to make my ideal a reality.

Gevma'El's tear flow freely down his face as he looks into Sem'Queul's eyes.

GEVMA'EL
You never treated me as less, though I know my appearance has always repulsed you.

SEM'QUEUL
You are my shen'sha. I will always love you. No matter how you look and no matter what you do. I hope your actions will bring you peace, Gevma'El, otherwise you may not be able to live with what you do today.

GEVMA'EL
I love you.

Full paged panel. Sem'Queul's hand lying on the floor in a pool of blood is in the foreground. Behind her hand, Gevma'El walks out of the hall, a silhouette against the light from the doorway he walks through.

FIN