~ Utakata ~

 

 

They walk arm and arm, two women, seen from the vulture's eye as it sounds. Kimonos are agelessly worn by the empty desert they walk, appearing as an eternity there would adapt them from forgotten ceremony to timeless function.

Whispering and giggling as one blindfolded points to nothing, the other watching around, protectively, wearing a simple white scrap mask over her mouth, the same fabric.  The blindfolded pulls from her protective arm running, in her eyes to a market vendor.

The vendor sell a large bowl of mixed sweet breads, she scoops it into her arms, their walk continuing in the desert. Her protector guiltily sneaks a sweetbread as the other looks about babbling in her view of the market.

The magistrate passes chatting with a well dressed man before they part amiably, the man to the crowd, the magistrate to the simple palace at the hilltop.

Children running past as dervishes spin, the bird's shadow flies over.  They approach a dock with smoke in the distance on the sea only the one sees, the other smiling up at the sun they share, eyes closed.
________

A crow flies to Lilith's deck port, she takes and reads the message (voiced over a view of a period sea chart).

Morgan - "Lilith.  Status request.  For our part, we've encountered a Spanish fleet en route and spent the powder reserves settling them. We've enough to hold for now, but not through Tortuga's renovations.  Please acquire.  Use the reserves."

~ Lilith opens the loose panel filled with treasures.

"Unknown the status of Xinhua ports, they may be well guarded, borders closed. If so, you'll find the Korean ports still welcoming, they do well taking up that lost business.  Otherwise you won't find the quantity required in the smaller islands."  

"Last hope, Japan.  Please report status in return.   The bird will await it."

~ Lilith looks at the crow, the crow looks back.

"Morgan."

('Give it Up' by Public Enemy)

 (timed to the opening)

The crow flies circling over her ship and away, message at it's ankle, the view showing the Xinhua and Korean armadas lining up for war.  The commanding admirals walk to the bows of their flagships to regard each other, deck crews behind, posturing.

Miranda leaps from the water and snaps a fleeing sea bird, splashing back in.

The deck tensions rise on both sides and then slowly, a middle finger rises from the crowd on the lead turtle boat (it was Mishil, remember that name), sending all into chaos.

(main song)

As both sides begin to fire a Korean turtle ship turning to the dragon's head at it's bow as it fills the screen with its cloaking smoke.

Beneath the water's surface the Eden walks the ocean floor (looking very much like the Orson for) chasing the Nautilus.  Inside Eve sleeps curled up in her leaky cabin, the walls weaving tighter.

Above Lilith's ship passes through smoke and beneath the fire (it floats about five feet above the surface, a broad hull, with pontoon glide), unnoticed as it paddles along.

Through the splash against the thick meshed window at the bow, the smoke hovering just about over view, Lilith and her crew watch and guide tensely. Eleanore and Virginia stand at front to the side, Virginia sleeping in her arms.

~ うたかた ~

 

(Utakata)

Their blades strike.

Keeper - "It is a tale of two daughters.  One in Heaven, and one in Hell, yet bound together always by their love."

Between the spinning clashes.

Morgan - "When did they live ?"

The keeper ducks the swing twirling forward to behind with a swing, blocked over Morgan's shoulder by the gun-blade, then a turn to face and point, broad stance.

Keeper - Twirling off to a low stance, sword low behind her, "No one knows.  It is forever."  

 

She brings the blade back to front, swinging up with one of the double edges circling back down with the other with a lunging spin.

____

A dervish passes the smoke ~

They sit in the sand watching nothing at all, while one watches the sea, waves of smoke blowing across.

Vultures now circle above ...

Suddenly the blind throws up her arms tossing the bowl and it's breads to the air.

Akari (the blindfolded) - "They're here !"

Mariko catches a bread and eats it, while after the passing cloud the Eden splashes from the sea before them with a stomp as the Nautilus and Arena follow, knocking beach.

~ Utakata ~

Their blades skid hard apart as they separate by force ~

Keeper - "No one knows why, and know one knows what for sure.  Only that their tale lies close to the heart of this land."

Morgan - "And the book ?"

Keeper - "I've never looked !   It isn't wise to poke into every fantastical curiosity.  It could only lead to fantastical strife."

Morgan - "So ... you don't just ... get curious and look things up."

Keeper - Staring a moment confused behind a classic guard stance, nearly offended, "No."  Then accusingly, "Did you ?"

She swings hard, then voiced over into the next scene, across the beach where Mariko and Akari sit alone.

Keeper - (over the scene) Cruelly with the sound of their blades grinding, "All that is known is that they cannot be separated."

Akari pokes Mariko in her annoyed face, "Boop !"

Mariko turns to her and smiles under her mask.
________

The market and surrounding village gathers regarding the Eden as it stands, appearing to regard them.  It backs into the water, settling to a float.  Eve steps from the cabin and dives into the water, swimming to and walking ashore.

Eve - Looking around, she bows to the well dressed man. "これらは良い人です。 彼らは遠くの戦いと戦う。 それは良い戦いです。 しかし、彼らは銃のために粉が必要で、多くの金を持っています。"

Bows again.

The well dressed man in front nods suspiciously and turns to the central market path leading to the palace, followed by guards mixed with crowd.  She then nods to the otherwise unseen spirits watching, sitting aside from the crowd.

Akari smiles back and waves while Mariko looks away.

Eleanore - Disembarking with Virginia and joining Lilith at the dock, "That's useful."

Miranda - Lands on the beach from a splash, raining them.  After slurping a fish tail, "That fish was really shiny !"

She sees Virginia staring angrily wet and moves away a bit, then the crowd staring, she draws back and leaps back into the water.
________

Akari - "I think they should be like pirates ..."

She smiles dreaming distantly on the empty beach.

Akari - "With amazing boats we've never seen before and they should be fighting a far away battle ... but it's for good."

Her smile turns mischievous ...

Akari - "But they need powder for their guns ..."  She looks at Mariko very seriously.  "We should help them."

Mariko looks at her like she's crazy, then they laugh as they rise to scurry after the guard.  Soldiers works through the crowd, separating the crew from the people, hilts in hand, setting up powder launchers used to ignite ships.
_________________

Naamah and One sit in the map room of the Nautilus, Naamah reads with her feet on the round, One studies the globe.

One - Without looking up, tuning his glass, "Aren't you going ashore ?"

Naamah - Cuts and turns the pages, "No ... they'll be fine ... or not ..."

One - "Yes ..."  He moves the globe a bit, then focuses his glass.

Naamah - "You ?  I'm sure you must have some sort of ... 'shore leave' saved up ..."

He glances at her, then back.

One - "Why ... ?  Our stores are three quarter plus ... full reserves still from the old hull load ..."

Naamah - Cut's and turns, giggles reading, and then, "Indeed."

Without looking up, she slides the bottle across to him.

Naamah - "I've got twenty-one pages left."
________________

Morgan's crow sits at the window of a high perched shanty at Tortuga, more beneath and all around, platforms being built ...

Lilith - (voiced over) " 'Admiral' Morgan.  Love the hat."

Inside where Morgan reads, she self consciously takes off her (large) new admiral's hat and puts it on the table, picking back up the letter. 

She looks back up at the hat and puts it back on.

Lilith - "We followed the craft to the island where indeed Razil was found.  We're joined by Eleanore Dare, and her infant daughter Virginia, she says hello, as does Miranda."

Morgan looks up a moment, then to the side with arched brow.

Morgan - "Um.  Hi back ... ?"

The crow crackles.

Lilith - "And the one you feared was there, was.  The island is lost, Morgan.  Razil, unknown.  Know is that Yaltabaoth was able to turn Leviathan.  As we were predictably joined by Naamah, she guarded us well.  Or perhaps just the book."

"As for the craft we tracked, it would appear to have become overgrown from Eden's seed, and possibly intelligent.  Eve follows inside, alone and safe."

"We've begun sighting the appropriate birds past India and approach inland now as planned,"

Morgan unravels a map and slams her knife in one end and the bottle on the other to hold it.

Lilith - "As it turns China and Korea are at war right now and their battle surrounds the peninsula."

Morgan stares ... then takes up the bottle, the map raveling.

Lilith - "And so we make our way to Japan."

Morgan exhales into an intentional calming ...

Lilith - "Your ever loyal subordinate who adores receiving orders in short sentences while she thinks about her at night, Lilith."

Morgan looks up shocked at the crow, the crow, the crow looks back. She furrows her brow and looks to the side.

________________

The crew unloads the gold reserves, while guards stand firm in their wall between them and the market ...

~ Utakata ~

The crew unloads the gold reserves, while guards stand firm in their wall between them and the market.  Eve speaks quietly with their captain.  As they lean in, she appears to be telling a story which amuses him.

Into the captain's eyes where two crows fly over Camelot, shown as though it were Japanese.
____

The monk Merlin walks the path to the village after passing beneath Morgan sitting in the tree over him sharpening her katana watching.  Merlin's demon follows twirling around him as they whisper.

He enters the palace before the king, Arthur on his wooden throne, grown with vines.

Merlin - "I've resolved your forebearer's dragons before, and now I come to serve his old throne, seated anew."  He kneels bowing, "And to help you vanquish yours."

Arthur - "I have heard of you, Mistwalker.  Silver be your tongue, yet there be no dragons here."

Merlin - "Think not ?"  The unseen demon unslithers from Merlin's robes unseen and twines into the throne, as Arthur twitches a start.

Arthur - "What comes then, fortune teller ?"

Merlin - "The only god you'll ever need to know."
________________

The well dressed man (the viceroy) kneels before the magistrate in the palace, awaiting command, Akari and Mariko stand on the magistrate's either side.

Magistrate - "And what do you say, spirits."

They lean in and whisper in his ears while he considers.

Magistrate - After a pause then a nod, a smile and small laugh to the side.  Then to the viceroy, "I will meet them."
________________

Morgan shoots Arthur's leg in the field and bringing the gun-blade down hard against Excalibur, shattering it.

Morgan - Putting the blade's tip a moment from his open eye, "Remember me."

She kicks his other kneeling leg out, dropping him on his back, leaving the busy field in passing smoke.

Black screen and a shot.

She walks the path from the Merlin's cave, recovers her merchant gear and pack from the tree, when a woman walks from the woods to the path beneath.

Morgan - Looking down and smiling, "Guinnvera."

Guinnvera - "Morgan.  Did you get it ?"

Morgan - "Tossing the book down, do you have linguists ?"

Guinnvera - Opening the book and smiling, then closing it. "We Dwarven-kind have everything.  We'll keep it deep in the mountainside safe.  Waiting for you."

Distinctly stout men join her from the wood and nod their acknowledgement with a thump to their chest.  They turn back to the trees ...

Guinnvera - Leaving last, "Wander well ..." a giggle, "historian."
________________

The magistrate walks through the marketplace with full guard, the shop keeps and shoppers bow as he returns them, seen well, then following.

Miranda watches as they look to him with true appreciation as he stops between to greet along the way, the guard waiting comfortably as he stalls his way down to them.

She watches as he occasionally stumbles the tiniest bit, recovering unnoticed or ignored, his arm occasionally braced inconspicuously by the well dressed man.

They arrive at the beach, the magistrate at front the viceroy close protectively, the spirits flanking them.

The magistrate looks across them curiously and then across their ships.  He nods and smiles, particularly at the Eden seeming to sway as his gaze passes.

Looking again across the crew he pauses on Miranda and approaches.

Magistrate - In English, "They say you are a ... mermaid.   Yes ?"

Miranda - "... yes."

Magistrate - Smiling and looking more deeply into her eyes.  "And that your ... legs become a tail ... when you dive ?"

Miranda - Draws back a bit, surprised at the weird and obvious question, "Well ... yes !"

Magistrate - A bright laugh, then looking back to his people in excitement.  "... may we see this ?"

Miranda - Looking around a bit shocked ... "Um ..."  Looks at him as though he were insane, "I can swim ..."

She leaps high over the crew and boats as her legs turn to tail, splashing into the water far beyond, trailing her satchel by rope, the crowd watching ... and then splashing back down showering them all while they cheer.

Magistrate - Laughing, "Thank you.  Thank you for this.  Thank you all.  But I'm very sorry.  Your gold is cursed, and we cannot help you.  They will kill us if they find it here."

He bows, takes her hands to kiss them, and turns.

Miranda - "Wait !"

She reaches into the satchel and holds out 'The Book of Names'.

Miranda - "This."

____
________

! The End !

________
____

After credits, their grinding blades separate.

Morgan - "Hold ?"

They drop guard.

Morgan - "May I see the book ?  My word."

The keeper hesitates before drawing it from the folds of her gown, then sets it on the nearby table, empty cups next to steeping tea,

Morgan sheathes and takes it up, opens to a page and draws the back of her hand down it slowly, one finger touching.

She whips her hand off the page, throwing a circle of fire to the ground, rising to take the magistrate's form.

Morgan - "A beautiful tale."

The keeper stares, horrified, sad, a tear down her eye.

Morgan - "I'm sorry kid.  You're not evil.  As much as you may want to be, you're just not. But the worst evils in the world are always committed by someone trying too hard to be."

The keeper approaches the magistrate holding the book out to her.

Keeper - "You were beautiful tale ... "  She takes the book, "... but that's all."  The magistrate smiles in swirling flames before gone.   

~ continues in ~

The Book of Names