ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

INT. CYRENE'S INN - FRONT ROOM - NIGHT - SHORT TIME LATER

Xena and Gabrielle sit at one of the newly built tables. A woman sits across from them, angry and distraught.

GABRIELLE

Look, if you don't tell

us what happened....

WOMAN

You happened! You came here,

and you destroyed this place, again!

Xena is visibly losing patience.

XENA

Look.

Gabrielle puts a hand on Xena's arm.

WOMAN

Why didn't you leave? Haven't

you done enough to this place?

Xena stands up angrily.

XENA

You know what? You can just

get out of here. Door's that way.

GABRIELLE

Would both of you please SHUT UP!

Surprisingly, they do. Gabrielle reaches over and grabs the woman by the shirt, pulling her closer.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

Now look. You tell us what happened,

and then either we'll help you, or we'll go

to bed because I'm tired of being yelled at.

Xena puts her hands on her hips and give Gabrielle a look of consternation.

WOMAN

(chastened)

All right. We got three leagues down the

road, and those raiders caught us. I got

away, but I heard them saying they were

going to hold the rest of them hostage.

XENA

For what?

WOMAN

For YOU.

(exasperated)

They think YOU would

give yourself up for US.

Gabrielle and Xena fall silent. Gabrielle looks away, Xena looks at the table. Xena starts to reply, then stops and shakes her head.

WOMAN

(cont’d)

So now they'll all die, when they were

just trying to get away from you.

XENA

They're not gonna die.

GABRIELLE

We'll figure something out.

The woman looks from Xena to Gabrielle.

WOMAN

Why couldn't you just have...?

XENA

Because we didn't.

GABRIELLE

There's a few sacks in the corner there

and a bench. You're welcome to them,

and what's left in the kitchen.

WOMAN

(uncertainly)

Aren't you going to go find them?

XENA

No. They'll come to me.

Xena gets up and walks out. After a brief pause, Gabrielle does the same.

CUT TO:

INT. CYRENE'S INN - BACK ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Xena is standing at the window, looking out. Gabrielle enters and walks over to stand next to her.

GABRIELLE

Too dark to track them.

XENA

Yeah.

Gabrielle goes over to the bed and sits down on it. After a moment, she lies down on her back and stares at the ceiling. Xena turns and leans against the wall.

XENA

(cont’d)

Looks like these guys won't scare off.

Got any ideas on how we can get out of this?

Gabrielle looks at Xena curiously.

GABRIELLE

Outside of taking them on, you mean?

XENA

(nodding)

Who knows how many of them there

are? We could be fighting for months.

GABRIELLE

(conceding)

Mmph. Yeah.

Xena walks over and sits down on the bed and leans against the headboard. She waits, watching Gabrielle out of the corner of her eye.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

Are you asking me just to pacify my need

to be involved in our decision making?

XENA

(seriously)

No.

Gabrielle goes back to thinking. After a few minutes, she looks at Xena again.

GABRIELLE

Maybe they can be scared off.

Xena appears doubtful, and a little disappointed.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

Just not by us.

She rolls over, and hitches up on her elbows.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

Everyone knows this place is haunted,

Xena.  Why can't we use that to

protect Amphipolis instead of ruin it?

Xena raises an eyebrow, and looks intrigued.

XENA

We'll need a damn frightening yarn to

do that. Think you can come up with one?

GABRIELLE

(softly)

You know, I think maybe I can.

Xena gives Gabrielle a pat on the shoulder. Gabrielle squirms up and settles in Xena's arms with a pleased expression.

XENA

Hey, I could be a....

GABRIELLE

If you say ghost, you die a slow

ticklish death covered in honey,

and the feathers in this mattress, Xena.

Xena prudently doesn't answer. She kisses Gabrielle instead.

FADE TO:

EXT. CYRENE'S INN - FRONT - MORNING

Gabrielle sits on a stump outside the inn, whittling. It is very quiet.  There is a sound of a horse approaching, and several moments later, the horse arrives with a brigand on his back. He rides between the trees, spots Gabrielle, and pulls the horse to a halt.

RAIDER

Hey! HEY!

Gabrielle finishes a bit of her work, then finally looks up.

GABRIELLE

Hi.

RAIDER

I have a message for Xena.

GABRIELLE

She's busy.

The raider looks around. A set of newly hung shutters in front of the inn suddenly creak open of their own volition, then swing shut again with a bang.

RAIDER

Well, tell her to get out here.

GABRIELLE

I can't.

RAIDER

Listen, girlie, you better change

that answer! Where is she?

Gabrielle does not seem overly intimidated.

GABRIELLE

Feeding the demons.

Far off, a low, eerie howl is heard.

RAIDER

What? There ain't no such

thing as demons!

Abruptly, a flock of chickens bursts from under the inn and dashes past Gabrielle, shedding feathers all over the place as they bolt in fear.

They run under the raiders horse, who rears, almost throwing the man off.

Xena scrambles out from under the inn and dashes after the chickens, a bloody dagger in one hand.

XENA

Get back here you little....

Xena runs under the horses belly also, and she and the chickens disappear around the corner of the inn.

RAIDER

Hey!

A loud roar is heard, shaking the foundations of the building. From under the inn, a cloud of white feathers spattered in blood appear, and slowly drift to the earth, followed by a brassy burp.

A low, evil laugh echoes from behind the inn. The raider starts to back off, his face stark white. 

Gabrielle resumes whittling.

GABRIELLE

Did you say something

about a message?

The raider turns his horse and slaps it on the butt, frantically trying to get away from the inn. He rides between the trees, breaking branches and taking a clump of leaves with him.

Xena strolls from around the edge of the inn, twirling a chicken feather between her fingers. She and Gabrielle exchange grins. 

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

You have such a sexy growl.

Too bad he didn't think so.

Gabrielle gets up and heads towards the inn, giving Xena a pat on the arm as she goes past and through the door.

Xena sits down on the stump and picks up Gabrielle's piece of wood. She starts whittling, whistling softly under her breath.

XENA

(chuckling)

Rowr.

All of a sudden, the breeze blowing around the inn stops, leaving it eerily silent.  Xena looks up, and her brow creases.

XENA

(cont’d)

Gabrielle? How'd you do that?

A soft creak sounds behind Xena. Xena turns, expecting to see Gabrielle, but finding their mysterious spectre instead. This time the figure doesn't disappear. It stays in the doorway to the inn, watching Xena.

Xena stands and faces it.

XENA

(cont’d)

Lyceus?

Xena steps forward. The figure disappears.

CUT TO:

INT. CYRENE'S INN - KITCHEN - MORNING

Gabrielle is mixing something up in an urn. She hears footsteps behind her. She stiffens, waits, then whirls as they come closer.

WOMAN

(jumping)

AHH!

GABRIELLE

(chagrined)

Sorry. Thought you were

someth... someone else.

The woman approaches Gabrielle warily.

WOMAN

I don't know what you're trying to

do. There's no demon here.

(beat)

Except Xena.

Gabrielle turns her back on the woman and resumes mixing.

GABRIELLE

The raiders don't know that.

WOMAN

They will.  My friends they're holding

won't back up your stupid story.

Gabrielle keeps her back turned, a faint smile appears on her face.

GABRIELLE

Not unless someone tips them off, no.

But wouldn't it be great if they did believe it?

Then people would leave Amphipolis alone.

The woman appears angry, then pauses in thought.

WOMAN

No. That would scare

the merchants off too.

GABRIELLE

Not really. We'd say the demon

protects anyone who lives here.

Get you better prices, maybe.

WOMAN

(calculating)

Maybe.

(pausing)

But there's no way to tip them

off, so it doesn't matter.

Gabrielle turns, the urn of black, gooey something in her hands.

GABRIELLE

Sure there is.

(smiling)

You ever hear of the Trojans?

CUT TO:

INT. CYRENE'S INN - BACK CORRIDOR - DAY - LATER

Xena is prowling the dark recesses of the inn, where they have not yet begun to clean up. She moves past the small room they have taken over, apparently searching for something.

XENA

Ly? C'mon, where are you?

Xena pulls back some wreckage. One part of a wall has collapsed, and it is very dark.  She removes another piece of half-rotted wood, and tosses it behind her.

A support beam is in her way. Xena puts her arms around it and tugs backwards. The walls around her creak ominously.

XENA

(cont’d)

Uh oh.

Xena pauses, but the wood is already in motion. She releases the support and dives back out of the way, but the entire wall in front of her collapses with a crash, and clatter of falling debris.

CUT TO:

EXT. AMPHIPOLIS ROAD - DAY - SAME TIME

Gabrielle hides behind a good sized boulder, watching the deserted road. There are a few scattered belongings of the villagers dropped here and there.

In the center of the path are gooey piles of black, tarry appearing droppings, artfully arranged with the odd chicken feather sticking out of them, small animal bones poking up here and there, and the occasional belt buckle and button showing.

From around the bend in the road comes a fairly large party of people.

Raiders are on horseback, struggling to pull along the villagers who are tied to them by stout ropes. The villagers are protesting wildly, fighting being brought back near the village.

Gabrielle grins.

GABRIELLE

Hope you're ready, Xena.

CUT TO:

INT. CYRENE'S INN - BACK CORRIDOR - DAY

It is silent. Then a pile of debris stirs, and a hand pokes out. It grabs a piece of wreckage and slings it aside, then reaches for another.

Slowly, Xena emerges, covered completely in dust, dirt, rotten wood, and mud. She stands up and looks behind her. The corridor has been closed off by the collapse, but tiny gaps are apparent. Xena shoves against the blockage, and it sways.

Xena turns back around and looks in front of her. There is another wall, and a spot where something had been boarded up over time.

Xena searches in the wreckage for her ax, then she sets to work chopping the boards away.  Behind her, a faint, silvery presence appears.

CUT TO:

EXT. AMPHIPOLIS ROAD - SAME TIME

The raiders stop at the first pile of goo. The raider chief jumps off his horse, and goes to look at it. He covers his nose and mouth and backs off at the smell.

The villagers spot the droppings and scream in concert, turning as a group and trying to run the other way. At the front of the villagers is the woman, now a part of the captives.

RAIDER CHIEF

Come on you idiots!

It's just animal dung!

The raider gets on his horse, and forces it forward. A bit uneasily, the raiders follow, dragging the villagers behind them.

Gabrielle slips out from behind her rock and runs to a tree overhanging the road. She climbs up into it.

CUT TO:

INT. CYRENE'S INN - BACK CORRIDOR - DAY

Xena has uncovered a door in what was an older section of the inn, set at the bottom of some crudely cut steps not unlike the ones that descend into the room she and Gabrielle are using.

Xena straightens, her expression wary. Behind her shoulder, we see the pale figure drifting.  Xena can barely be seen in the thin shafts of light coming in through the destruction.

XENA

Ly?

Xena eases down the steps, and puts her hand on the old door. As she does, a hand appears next to hers, white and translucent.

XENA

(cont’d)

Was this what you

were looking for?

Xena pushes, but the door does not give way. She throws her shoulder against it, then spots a lead seal that is holding the door shut.

Her fingers trace the seal, and she frowns. Raising her ax, she breaks the seal, and as she does so, a bright light flares from it, then quickly fades.

Xena pushes the door with her fingertips, and now it opens inward.

CUT TO:

EXT. AMPHIPOLIS ROAD - DAY

Gabrielle juggles a handful of nettles. Carefully, she steps on a branch to bend it down, clearing a little space for her to throw.

The raiders ride into view, going slowly since they are practically dragging the villagers along after them.

Gabrielle aims, and side arms a nettle, smacking the raider chief on the side of the face with it.  She lets the branch up as he jumps, and looks around.

RAIDER CHIEF

Hey!

Gabrielle moves another branch, and throws a second nettle, bouncing it off a tree on the other side of the raider, and hitting him in the shoulder.  The raider chief whirls, and looks in the other direction.

RAIDER CHIEF

(cont’d)

HEY!!!

Gabrielle grins impishly.  She is obviously enjoying herself.  She chucks another nettle and it hits the ground, bouncing up and hitting the chief's horse in the belly. The horse bucks violently.

RAIDER CHIEF

(cont’d)

Son of a bacchae!!!!

WOMAN

That's what 'e does! Bites you,

and you never see ‘im!!!

Gabrielle hits the chief in the head with another nettle. The chief spurs his horse on towards the Inn, stubborn to the core.  She peppers the other raiders with thorns, and they duck, starting to appear a little rattled.

CUT TO:

INT. CYRENE'S INN - HIDDEN ROOM - DAY

Xena enters the hidden room, taking a step forward as she senses something entering behind her.

She looks around. Unlike the other room she and Gabrielle have taken over, this room was not used for storage. It was left in the condition it had been in since the door was sealed over.

This room, though barely seen in the very scant light, was the bedroom of a young man.  A bed, a small table, some boots, other small items, all lay were they had been left, and they are completely covered in layers of dust.

The white figure forms in front of Xena, facing her. It is now recognizably Lyceus. He lifts a hand towards Xena.

LYCEUS

Been a long time.

Xena walks towards him, stopping just short of touching.

XENA

Way too long.

She searches Lyceus' face.

XENA
(cont’d)

But why are you here? Now?

Lyceus' ghost turns and looks around, then sits down on the bed. The dust doesn't stir.

LYCEUS

I've always been here.

Xena is visibly stunned.

LYCEUS

(cont’d)

Where else would I go?

This is home, isn't it?

Xena slowly sits down on a dust covered stool near the bed.

XENA

The Fields are home for

you. Not this place.

LYCEUS

(smiling sadly)

This place....

He looks around.

LYCEUS