I

FADE TO:

EXT. RUINED BATHS OF THE DEPTHS 

A weak waterfall drips, out from the darkness above, deep down into a ruined baths. 

It drips down into a large bath-room, which appears torn in half, with only this half remaining. 

The bath is embedded in rock, partially exposed to a void. 

The drips ripple in shallow waters which bounce against a stone coffin — its cover cracked; it is open. 

Water has seeped in, submerging a young woman who lays peacefully in her coffin. 

She wears a pale white dress and a silver locket around her neck. 

Her eyes open, bubbles rise from her mouth. She slowly sits up, rising out of the water. 

The locket bounces against her chest. She opens it with one hand. 

On the right side is a cracked mirror and below it, an engraving saying: “Llori”. She looks at the word and sees her cracked reflection.

LLORI
(whispering to herself) 
Law-ree? 

She says bringing her other hand to her face. 

She looks at the other side of the locket and sees a small torn painting. 

The remaining scrap shows a stone cliff edge looking out over a vast sea. 

She stares at the painting for a moment before tying the locket back up around her neck. 

Llori steps out of the coffin and wades through the shallow water towards the edge of the bath. She gets out carefully and sees a dimly lit doorway to her right. 

The rocky walls are jagged and covered in moss. 

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! 

Suddenly, she hears a bell ringing. Its metallic sound rings through the doorway towards her. 

She stands still; her eyes are wide and her mouth slightly open. 

She hears more clicking around her; rocks crumbling and falling apart.

She turns around towards the sounds, towards the thick shadows where the sound comes from. 

Llori stares with wide eyes impatiently. 

All of a sudden, a small creature comes waddling out from the darkness. Its skin is made from rocks which scrape against each other as the creature moves towards Llori. 

It is no taller than Llori’s knee and walks straight past her legs. 

Before Llori can comprehend what she’s seeing, more creatures waddle out from the shadows. 

She hears cracking and sees creatures freeing themselves from the walls and ceiling. 

They’ve been woken up by the bell, with many of them rubbing their eyes and not paying much attention to Llori. 

One creature which is rubbing their eyes, and yawning, walks into Llori’s leg. 

It falls to the floor and looks up annoyed at her. 

It squints at her. 

She jumps back a little bit from the creature’s peculiar expression. 

It rubs its eyes and looks at Llori with wide eyes. 

It looks around quickly to the other creatures, getting their attention by tapping them and speaking in a strange language which Llori cannot understand. 

More and more creatures stop to look at Llori in awe. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
(nervously) 
Uh, h-hello.

She gives a weak wave to the creatures. 

The creatures talk themselves, all agreeing on something. 

The same creature which had bumped into Llori, now offers its hand to her. 

Llori holds its hand and the creatures start quickly walking through the doorway, leading her away. 

CUT TO:

INT. RUINED BATHS OF THE DEPTHS

They walk through different rooms quickly, past more and more stone creatures. 

Some creatures are bathing, scrubbing their slate bodies with bars of soap. 

Others are resting in steaming baths with towels over their faces, and their arms resting against the edge of the bath as if they’ve just finished a long day’s worth of work. 

Llori looks at the relaxing creatures as she is whisked away through the maze-like structure of the baths. 

They come to a hole in the wall where the creatures easily walk through, still all talking amongst themselves and cheerily smiling at Llori. 

The creature which is leading her stops in front of the hole and points at it using its free hand. 

It points repeatedly at the hole. 

LLORI
You want me to go through? 

The creature stops, it stairs at her. It turns to another creature and asks a question. 

The other creature nods. 

The creature turns back to Llori and points back at the hole. It smiles at her and waits. 

Llori looks at the creature and then at the hole. 

She crouches down letting go of the creature in order to start crawling through the hole. 

The creature still has its hand outstretched so it simply grabs onto Llori’s nose. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
(startled) 
Hey!? 

CUT TO:

INT. TUNNEL TO TOAD’S DOMAIN 

She crawls down the tunnel on her hands and knees.

The creature walks in front of her, leading her through by her nose. 

Other creatures squeeze past Llori and crawl under her trying to get through the hole as quickly as possible. 

As Llori crawls, she can see a bright warm light at the end of the tunnel. 

CUT TO: 

INT. TOAD’S DOMAIN 

They come out of the tunnel into a bigger room. 

Water falls from stone pipes which stretch out of every wall. 

They lead to a single point at the back of the room. 

The water falls onto a massive toad, sitting happily in a massive bath. 

Steam rises from the head of the toad and the whole room is cloaked in a thick fog. 

There are some stone creatures with wooden scrubbers standing on floating lily pads around the toad.

Other creatures are standing on the toad itself. They all scrub its hard skin whilst trying not to lose balance. 

Some creatures are walking along the stone pipes. 

There are multiple doorways and holes spread around the room. 

A large doorway stands on the right, almost big enough for the toad to squeeze through. It leads out to a larger open area which Llori can hardly make out due to the thick steam in the air. 

Another doorway on the left is more Llori’s height. She sees shadows of figures cutting food in a warm light. 

More stone creatures come through from the same doorway carrying plates of cooked food. 

Llori stands up from the floor to get a better look. Her palms and knees are now dirty. 

The plates are filled with massive cooked slugs, spiders, worms and even mice; all big enough for the toad to eat. 

Llori feels a tapping on her leg. She looks down to see the creature wanting to hold her hand again. 

She holds its hand and it brings her forward to the centre of the room, right in front of the toad. 

The creature lets go of her hand and instead holds onto her leg. 

The toad’s eyes are closed; water pours down over them. 

The toad randomly reaches for food off of the plates and shoves it into its mouth. 

The stone creatures quickly throw the plates into a pile , where the toad expects them to be, and quickly run away to ensure they don’t get eaten themselves. 

The toad chews loudly and violently causing pieces of half eaten slug to fall around Llori. 

It burps and wipes its mouth, preparing itself for more food. 

The stone creature shouts out to the toad, pointing at Llori with its free hand. 

The toad pauses. It leans forward to get out of the pathway of the falling water. 

It opens its eyes slowly and squints at Llori, quickly widening its eyes. 

The toad talks back to the creature in the form of croaks, clicks and trills. 

Llori stands awkwardly as they converse. 

She hears a slight whisper coming from the large doorway on her right. 

She turns her head towards the voice. 

Everything around her becomes vague. It is still there, but Llori is not paying attention. 

Out in the darkness she sees a pale light.

A vague figure stands in the light. 

Llori tries to make them out. 

THE VOICE
(softly) 
Come back. 

Llori backs off slightly. 

TSSSK! 

Llori hears a sparking sound. 

She looks down at her body. Sparks begin flying out of her skin, turning into smalls flames. 

LLORI
What? 

Llori immediately tries to pat out the small flames. She can feel her skin burning. 

The stone creature and toad are still talking but it sounds more like bargaining. 

The stone creature says something. 

The toad thinks. They look over to Llori who is currently patting herself strangely. 

The toad has a confused expression. They turn back to the stone creature and make a different offer. 

The creature is clearly not happy with this one. 

Llori keeps trying to pat out the flames. 

THE VOICE (O.S.) 
(softly) 
Come back. 

Llori looks out to the darkness. She looks down quickly, back to her flames but none are there. 

Her skin is still burning but she can’t see anything. 

The room is now clear again. She tries to stay still, fighting through the pain but it’s difficult. 

She scratches herself, trying to appease the burning. 

The toad and creature finally seem to agree on something. 

The toad opens its mouth and reaches in with its hand. It pulls out a sack with a neat bow tied around the end. 

It carefully unravels the bow with its fingers and pulls out a handful of dried mushrooms. 

The toad looks down at Llori and licks its lips. 

The stone creature looks disappointed at the amount pulled out from the bag and seems to demand for more mushrooms, enough for all of the creatures. 

The toad throws the dried mushrooms out to the crowd of stone creatures. 

It continues to reach into its bag and scatter all of its contents throughout the room. 

Llori feels the stone creature let go of her leg. 

She looks up to see the toad eagerly looking at her. 

Her skin keeps burning violently and she closes her eyes in desperation, trying to combat the pain. 

The burning grows and grows. 

The toad leans towards her. 

She opens her eyes to see the toad slowly getting out of its bath. 

She shakes her head and looks out to the darkness. 

Immediately, she runs. 

The toad who is half out of the bath, looks stunned. 

The cheering creatures all stop. They see Llori run through the large doorway into the darkness. 

The creatures quickly grab their mushrooms and run through their small doorways. 

THE TOAD
RAHHHH! 

The toad roars, grabbing a few stone creatures before the rest run out of the room. It pops the creatures into its mouth and scrambles out of the bath. 

Multiple stone creatures which had still been standing on the toad, or on the baths lily pads, are now sent flying through the air. 

The toad tries to rush through the doorway but struggles. It has become to big to leave. 

It pushes and pushes, breaking the archway in order to chase after Llori. 

CUT TO:

EXT. CAVES OF THE DEPTHS 

SMASH!

Llori looks back at the baths, she sees the toad smashing out of the room. 

She looks down at her body, it burns and yet there are no flames to be seen. 

She runs through the vast cave. It feels almost like an underground field. 

She passes over mossy stone slabs and sees more waterfalls trickling down from the cave’s ceiling. 

Llori looks ahead of her. There is a faint opening in the cave wall, far too small for the toad to fit through. 

CUT TO: 

INT. TRAVELLER PATH TUNNEL 

Llori runs right through. She pants and gasps for air but that doesn’t stop her. 

She sees a crossroads in front of her and an opening straight ahead.

Llori keeps running and 

Bam! 

She smashes into a cat person. They both fall to the ground. 

The cat person gets up first. 

CAT
(kindly) 
Hey are you okay? 

Llori finally hears a language she can understand. 

LLORI
I can understand you. 

She stands up and comes face to face with them. 

LLORI (CONT’D)
(panicking) 
I’m being chased! 

THE TOAD (O.S.) 
RAHHHHHHH! 

The toad screams into the tunnel. 

Llori looks back and sees it’s tongue lunge towards them. 

The cat steps in the way of the toad. She draws her sword. 

CAT
Run straight ahead! 

Llori turns to the exit and runs. 

The tongue comes right in front of the cat and she draws her sword, quickly cutting of the tip of the tongue. 

THE TOAD (O.S.) 
RAHHHHHHHH! 

The toad screams in pain. Its bloody tongue retreats. 

The cat sheathes her sword and runs after Llori, leaving the bloody tongue tip on the ground. 

CUT TO: 

EXT. CAVES OF THE DEPTHS 

Llori comes out of the tunnel onto a bridge. There is a small river running below. The cat quickly catches up. 

CAT
(shouting) 
Keep running! 

Llori of course doesn’t have much of a choice. 

CRASH! 

The toad comes flying down from the roof of the cave onto the bridge behind them. 

Llori and the cat turn around and watch as the toad leaps through the air over them, blocking off their route.

The cat runs in front of Llori and pulls her sword in front of her. She stands guard. 

Llori looks nervously. She can see the small river down below, the drop isn’t too high. 

She hesitates and jumps off the bridge into the water. 

The cat hears a loud splash and turns around. 

CAT (CONT’D) 
What? 

The toad also looks confused. They awkwardly look at each other. 

The cat turns back to the toad and gives an awkward smile before jumping after Llori. 

The toad leaps through the air to follow them. 

Llori is floating down the small river quickly. 

She passes under a small footbridge and sees a waterfall ahead, however, the waterfall appears to be heading upwards. 

The cat swims furiously through the stream. She goes under the footbridge too and gains on Llori.

The toad tries to follow but gets stuck under the footbridge, causing it to be pummelled by the water. 

The cat turns around to see the stuck toad. 

CAT (CONT’D) 
HA! 

She turns back to Llori and starts swimming quickly again. 

Llori looks around, something is moving on the riverbank. There are stone creatures moving along them. 

The creatures start throwing pebbles at Llori. 

A small pebble hits Llori. 

LLORI
Ow! 

The creatures start throwing the pebbles at the cat however they catch one. 

One creature throws a rock. 

It flies through the air and hits Llori in the head. 

Llori is knocked unconscious. 

The stone creature jumps up and cheers. 

The cat throws their pebble at the creature, knocking them to the ground. 

Llori starts getting dragged up by the waterfall. Luckily, her head is hanging in the air. 

Regardless, the cat quickly swims as quickly as she can to the waterfall and starts getting dragged up themselves. 

They swim upwards and see Llori’s body start slipping backwards. 

Llori falls out of the waterfall. 

The cat grabs her, swinging her unconscious body back into the water. 

The cat holds onto Llori tightly and the two rise up the waterfall. 

FADE OUT. 

II

FADE TO:

EXT. CAMPSITE ON EDGE OF CLIFF 

Llori opens her eyes to a crackling campfire.

She is lying down on a thin mat. Her pillow is just bundled up clothes. 

Llori is alone. The cat is not at the fire. She turns over. 

LLORI 
AHH! 

She is lying on the very edge of a cliff. 

Llori quickly sits up and moves in towards the campfire. 

She looks out into a void. She can’t see anything down below. 

She looks up to the sky where there is a faint light far above. 

It’s the moon, however it looks unusual. It looks as if it’s being perceived through waves; they are underwater and yet it does not feel that way. 

This is the same void she saw when she woke up. Llori is no longer in the caves. 

CAT (O.S.) 
Be careful. 

Llori turns around to see the cat. 

CAT (CONT’D)
Being that close to the flame, you could catch on fire. 

Llori touches her forearm. 

LLORI
Yeah. 

The cat pulls out two scaleless fish and places in on a small grill by the campfire. 

CAT
You really have to be careful down here. There’s not really any good places for camping, this is quite literally one of the best, ironically. 

The cat smiles at Llori. 

CAT (CONT’D) 
How are you feeling? 

Llori relaxes a bit. 

LLORI
I’m okay. I’m just a bit confused. 

CAT
Well you did hit your head. 

LLORI
Yeah. 

They sit in an awkward silence. 

CAT
I’m Hara by the way. 

Llori nods. 

LLORI
It’s nice to meet you. 

Llori touches her locket necklace. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
My name is Law-ree. 

HARA
It’s nice to meet you too Law-ree. 

The cliff edge is not very wide. As Llori continues to gain her bearings, she realises how tight the campsite really is. 

Hara takes the fish off the grill and puts them on a plate. She places the plate between them. 

The fish look completely unappealing. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
Have one. 

LLORI
Thank you but I’m not really hungry right now. Uhm, where am I? 

HARA
You’re in the depths. I kind of assumed you wouldn’t be down here on purpose — 

Llori interrupts. 

LLORI
What do you mean? 

HARA
(confused) 
Well you’re human? Your kind stay in the palace. 

Llori stares at Hara with a bewildered expression. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
(still confused) 
You know, the surface? 

Hara points up as she says this. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
(genuine) 
How badly did you hit your head?

LLORI 
What? No, I just, I don’t know. I woke up down here, was brought to that toad in what I can only assume was not going to be a fun experience for me and then I’m here. I don’t know anything else. 

Hara picks up one of the fish.

HARA
Wow. Okay. 

Hara takes a bite of the fish. She thinks. 

Llori watches her chew. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
There has to be some kind of explanation for this. Look either way starting at the palace isn’t a bad idea, you might find some answers there. I mean I’ve only seen humans in the palace, it’s probably where you’re from. 

LLORI
(unsure) 
Okay. So how do I get there? 

HARA
Don’t worry about that, I’m going up to the palace soon. 

Hara takes another bite. 

LLORI
Oh that’s great, so can you help me? 

Hara swallows. 

HARA
Yeah absolutely, but I need to go fishing first. 

Hara takes another bite of fish. 

Llori looks at her with a puzzled face. She points at the fish. Hara chuckles. 

LLORI
Isn’t that fish? 

HARA
No, well yes but I’m fishing for something special. I’ll bring you up to the palace clean as a whistle but it’d be a great help if you aided me in my fishing. 

Llori nods. 

LLORI
Okay, yeah, I can do that. I think. 

HARA 
That’s great thank you. I also gave you some of my spare clothes. They’re you’re pillow. 

Llori looks back to her pillow of bundled clothes. 

LLORI
Thank you. 

HARA
No problem. Now eat up, you need energy. 

LLORI
(innocently) 
Okay. 

Llori reaches for the spare fish and takes a bite out of it. It’s surprisingly good. 

CUT TO:

EXT. CLIFF PATH 

Hara leads Llori along another thin cliff edge.

Llori has changed into Hara’s spare clothes. They’re slightly baggy for her as Hara is taller, but they still work. 

Hara steps up a rock onto a flat alcove. She turns around to help Llori up. 

HARA
Okay cool, we’re here. 

Llori looks around. 

They’re in a dead-end. 

LLORI
We are? 

Hara takes off her bag and starts rummaging through it. 

HARA 
Yep. 

Hara pulls out a mask and a rope. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
But before we do, let’s get you ready. 

Hara hands the mask to Llori. 

It’s painted in vibrant colours, with large eyes and pointy ears. The mask resembles a cat. 

Hara starts tying the rope. 

LLORI
Why do I need this? 

HARA
To make you look like a cat. You’ll wear the mask, and I’m fashioning you this tail. 

LLORI
How would I wear the tail? 

HARA
You have a hole for it. 

LLORI 
(surprised) 
I do? 

HARA 
Yeah in the trousers. 

Llori tries looking at the back of her trousers. There is indeed a hole for a tail which she had not noticed. 

Hara stands up. The tail is finished. She starts tying it around Llori’s waist before tucking the tail through the trouser-hole. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
You don’t have to put the mask on yet, but keep it around you neck just in case. 

LLORI
Are humans not allowed here? 

HARA
Well, they are but, like that toad, some people get a bit crazy. They see something new and decide they need to have it. 

LLORI
(slightly worried) 
Are more people going to try and eat me? 

Hara finishes tying the tail, she comes face to face with Llori. 

HARA 
No, well… No definitely not. 

Hara goes back to her bag and pulls out a lantern, she lights it and starts tying her bag up again. 

Llori looks at the back of the mask. There is a string. 

She puts the mask around her neck, turning it around so it rests on the top of her back. 

Hara puts her bag back on and heads over to a rocky wall. She starts prodding certain points. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
Ahah! 

She grabs onto a rock and slowly pulls it open, revealing a tunnel. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
Tada! I give you a secret passage. This way you don’t have to pay tolls to get into town. 

Hara holds the rock open for Llori to walk through. 

Hara then closes the entrance behind them. 

CUT TO:

INT. TUNNEL TO PLAZA

The walls of the tunnel start off as rock but as they come to a right turn, the left wall becomes wooden panelled. 

Hara leads, holding the lantern in front of her.

Llori runs her left hand against the panels whilst holding the mask in her right hand. 

There are holes in the panelling with light bursting through them. 

Llori stops, she hears sound coming through a hole. She looks through. 

Inside is a kitchen. There are figures carving up strange carcasses. 

HARA (O.S.) 
(whispering) 
Psst! 

Llori pulls back from the hole. She sees Hara gesturing for her to come closer. 

LLORI
(whispering)
Sorry. 

Llori comes toward Hara. 

Hara presses her ear against the panelling. She lightly taps it. 

Llori hears a hollow bang. 

Hara turns to Llori. 

HARA
(whispering)
Okay, put your mask on now. 

Llori pulls down the mask. 

Hara pushes the panel, it clicks and springs open. 

Llori looks through the hole, it’s a regular hallway. 

They can hear voices murmuring from the hallway. 

HARA (CONT’D)
(seriously) 
Don’t look anyone in the eye and don’t let go of my hand. 

Llori nods. 

Hara grabs her hand and pulls her through the hole. 

CUT TO:

INT. HALLWAY OF RESTAURANT 

Hara starts running down the hallway. 

She makes a right pulling Llori behind her. 

They pass workers carrying food of all sorts. 

Hara leads them past a large dining area. 

Workers place down the large plates. 

Tall beings tower over the pair as they run in between them. 

Everything passes by Llori as a blur. 

Hara runs incredibly quick and before Llori knows it, they burst through a door out into a grand plaza. 

CUT TO: 

EXT. PLAZA 

Creatures of all different shapes and sizes walk through the plaza. 

There are countless stalls with people selling food and various wares. 

The plaza is surrounded on three sides with markets and buildings. 

The remaining side is filled with docked ships. 

Hara leads Llori under rows of hanging lanterns. 

Figures in large robes dance, waving their arms like ribbons. 

People are wearing similar masks to Llori’s. 

Dancers dressed as cats swinging around each other.

Llori is looking around as Hara leads her. 

Thump. 

Llori lets go of Hara’s hand and falls to the floor. Her mask is now lopsided. 

Llori looks up. 

A large cloaked figure is standing above her. They bend down, coming close to Llori’s mask.

Llori looks into its completely shadowed hood. She freezes, realising her mistake. 

Suddenly, Hara grabs her hand again and pulls her up to her feet. 

Without a second thought, Hara starts running again, dragging Llori with her. 

Hara is leading them to the docks. 

LLORI
Hara! 

Hara looks back at Llori but keeps running.

LLORI (CONT’D) 
I’m sorry I looked at them. 

Hara turns her attention to the figure. It is staring at them. 

HARA
Just keep moving. 

They reach the docks. 

Hara walks onto a long stretch of floating planks. 

There’s a little desk with a little lamp and a frog smoking a pipe with it’s legs up. 

The frog looks up at Hara. 

FROG DOCKMAN 
Hara! You’ve been gone for a while, how are you? 

HARA
Sorry we’re kind of in a rush. 

Hara loosens a bag from her waist and drops it on the desk. 

FROG DOCKMAN
Wait Hara — 

Hara grabs Llori’s hand again and runs down the dock. 

FROG DOCKMAN (CONT’D)
You paid too much! 

Hara leads Llori to the very end of the dock where there is a boat floating. 

Llori looks down as they run. See can see between the wooden planks. 

There is nothing below them, just a void as far as the eye can see. It surrounds this stone tower. 

Llori looks behind them, she sees the figure gliding slowly toward them. 

Hara lets go of Llori’s hand, they’ve reached the boat. 

Hara quickly jumps into the boat and starts untying things. 

The figure is catching up to them. 

HARA
Llori untie that one! 

Hara points to a big rope attaching the boat to the dock. 

Llori bends down to see the rope. Her mask swings in front of her. 

She takes it off and throws it into the boat. 

Llori starts untying the rope. Her hands fumble. 

She feels her skin start to burn. 

LLORI
(to herself) 
Why? 

She desperately tries to untangle it. 

She gets more nervous. She looks back. 

The figure is getting closer. 

Llori yanks the rope and it unties. Her burning slowly decreases. 

Llori jumps into the boat and it wobbles. She turns around. 

The figure is still approaching. 

Hara pulls a rope, letting the sail loose. It catches. 

The boat starts sailing away. 

Llori quickly grabs the edge, holding onto some rope. 

She watches the end of the dock. 

The figure makes it to the end and stops. It watches the ship sailing away. 

They drift out towards the void. 

FADE OUT. 

III 

FADE TO:

EXT. THE VOID SEA 

The boat gently sails through the void. 

Hara is lying down, asleep in the stern.

Llori rests on the port-side toward the bow. 

Her arms are laid on the edge of the ship with her head resting on them. 

She stares out into the void-sea, on lookout for Hara’s special fish. 

Her eyes drift upwards to the surface of this sea. 

She can no longer see the moon shining through waves. There is only darkness. 

She looks off the edge of the boat downwards. 

She sees a small light. 

Llori squints at the light but can’t make anything out. 

She stands up quickly and leans over the edge of the boat. 

She stares furiously at the light below them; it is coming closer. 

LLORI
(shouting) 
Hara! Come here! 

Hara’s ears perk up immediately. She jumps up and rushes over to Llori. 

Llori points to the light in the distance. 

Hara stares carefully. 

HARA
(muttering) 
That’s some of them. 

LLORI 
What? 

Hara rushes past the mast and grabs the helm. She steers towards the light. 

Llori can see now that the light is a cluster of massive, sparkling fish. 

The fish head towards the surface, swimming at a steep incline. 

Hara rushes back towards Llori and grabs a pile of nets lying in the centre of the deck. 

HARA
Law-ree you grab that side. 

Hara gestures with her head to the opposite side of the net. 

Llori grabs onto it. 

The boat sails closer and closer to the fish. 

A small group of the large fish are coming up past the boat. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
(shouting) 
Now! 

They throw the net andddd drastically miss.

The fish keep swimming up towards the surface. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
(nervously) 
We can’t let them reach the surface. Once they transform they’re useless to me. 

Llori looks confused, unsure of what Hara means by “transform”. 

Hara lets go of the net and runs to the mast where there is a fishing pole strapped up against it. 

LLORI 
Hara what do you mean? 

Hara yanks the pole from the mast. 

HARA
If they get too close to the surface they transform. Come on just focus on getting them for now. 

Hara swings the pole back and casts it high above them. 

The line flies through the void in front of the fish cluster. 

One fish gets hooked. The lead fish. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
(demanding) 
Law-ree pull in the net! 

Llori nervously looks around. She starts pulling the next but struggles. 

She breathes erratically. Her skin begins to burn. She seethes. 

Llori keeps reeling the net in. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
(shouting) 
Get ready to throw it again, but only when I say! 

The hooked fish pulls the fishing line. 

Hara stumbles forward. 

The fish keeps pulling and pulling. 

Hara is pulled to the bow of the ship. She plants her feet into the bow and grabs the dock tying rope. 

She quickly wraps it around the handle of the fishing pole. 

The fish thrashes its head side to side. 

It begins pulling the ship through the void, slowly dragging the ship into a steep incline. 

The following fish start bashing into the lead fish. They start to support it, pushing it upwards to the surface. 

The strength of all the fish cause the boat to become almost vertical. Hara is planted firmly but Llori begins slipping as the boat climbs.

She falls to the mast, the net slips out of her hand. 

Luckily, she is able to reach further and grab it quickly. 

Her skin burns more and more but there are not flames. 

She looks up to the fish and to Hara. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
(shouting) 
Law-ree! Throw the net! 

Llori starts lifting herself up. She struggles through the pain. 

HARA (CONT’D)
(shouting) 
Throw it now!

Llori lifts herself up and stands on the mask, using the deck to keep herself balanced. 

She looks up past Hara at the fish. She looks back down at the mast she’s standing on. 

Llori careful takes a step back, she winces in pain.

She lifts the net over her shoulder and shoots it far above them, far above the fish. 

It lands over them. The fish are caught. 

Hara quickly lets go of the fishing pole and grabs the net’s rope. She starts pulling it. 

The boat begins balancing out, its incline becoming flatter. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
Help me with this Llori. 

LLORI
(airy) 
Okay. 

Llori climbs to Hara and helps her reel in the fish. 

They are surprisingly calm now. 

Hara pulls the fish alongside the boat and ties the net to the portside. 

Llori stands waiting as Hara ties. 

Llori looks at her hands. The burning subdues, eventually stopping. 

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. 

Hara stands up and heads to the helm. 

She corrects the direction of the boat not balancing it completely and stopping it from crashing through the surface which is now not far above them. 

Hara steers the ship back towards the stone tower which they can see in the distance. 

Llori isn’t sure what to do. She sits down in the bow of the ship. 

Light flutters on the ship’s wood. Llori looks up to the surface. She sees dawn-light begin to creep over the surface’s waves. 

Hara goes back over to the fish to ensure they are secure. 

Llori sees her. Llori turns away and looks out to the void. 

She sees a twinkling light in the distance which is coming closer. 

More lights appear from the darkness. 

Llori stands up again. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
Hara look! There’s more of them. 

Hara walks over to Llori. She sees the lights. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
Are we going to catch them? 

Hara shakes her head “no”. 

HARA 
No, we have enough. 

Fish come up from below the ship. 

More and more appear. 

They sparkle so intensely as they get closer to the surface not far above. 

Llori stares at the fish in awe. 

Hara smiles at her curiosity. 

The fish transform into something more humanoid, their sparkling light slowly fading. 

They look like humans. 

Llori’s awe disappears. 

LLORI 
(dolefully) 
Why do they look like me? 

HARA
You were probably one. 

LLORI
(surprised) 
What?! 

HARA
Well yeah. They’ll reach the surface and have the chance to find souls. Some souls will be new, some will be old. Some of the humans will swim towards the palace and the others will swim to a place beyond the sea. 

LLORI
(worried) 
What about the fish we just caught? 

HARA
They’re not human yet. That’s why the palace wants them. Once they’re killed they’ll reappear and have the chance to become human again. The cycle repeats. 

Hara shrugs. She walks back to the helm. 

Llori looks at the humans swimming up and breaching the surface. 

She can vaguely make out streams of light shooting down towards the surface from far above. 

Each stream of light sparkles as it crashes into a human.

Llori keeps looking at the transforming humans. 

FADE OUT. 

IV 

FADE TO:

EXT. CLOSE TO THE HANGING VILLAGE 

The ship sails back towards land/the tower.

As they get closer, the shadowy tower becomes clearer. 

Llori can see the stone tower they exist on. 

Far below she can see the distant lights of the plaza and docks they had previously been on. 

Through the surface, she can vaguely make out what Hara calls the palace. 

They sail towards hanging towers, hung up by gigantic chains, adjacent to a steep cliff-side. 

The towers are hung in a spiralling order, each one hung slightly lower than the next. 

Stone bridges connect certain rooms of one tower to another as well as bridges leading to paths on the cliffside. 

On the cliff is a staircase leading up towards the palace above. 

The ship sails to a small dock at the bottom of the second tallest tower. 

Hara slows down beside the small dock. 

HARA 
Get out here and go inside, I’ll be with you in a second. 

Llori hops out whilst the ship gently glides past the dock. 

Hara sails up to a larger bridge just a story above. 

At the end of this dock is a thick wooden door with an iron handle.

Llori walks across the hanging stone brick dock. She comes to the door and reaches for the handle. It is cold. 

She opens the door. 

CUT TO: 

INT. HARA’S HOME — BOTTOM FLOOR — TOP FLOOR 

Llori slowly opens the door coming into a circular living room. 

There’s a smell of burnt wood mixed with flowers. 

There’s a staircase on the opposite side of the room leading up, and handcrafted furniture arranged around the room. 

On the left is a fireplace and a bed. 

On the right a collection of seats and a desk. 

Above the desk is a large painting. 

Llori is drawn to the painting, it feels familiar. 

She walks into the room and closes the door behind her. 

She takes a few steps in and realises she’s wearing her boots. 

She crouches down and unties her boots before slipping out of them. 

Llori walks across the room, onto a soft carpet, to the painting. 

It depicts a massive garden, full of perfectly placed flowers, bushes and trees. 

There are small ponds interspersed throughout the garden. The whole garden is in blossom. 

There is a plateau in the background with a glass structure above it. 

The grounds are surrounding by water. 

Llori comes closer to the painting. She looks at the cliff edge of the gardens. She squints at it. 

Suddenly her eyes widen. 

She scrambles for her locket and opens it. 

She holds the torn painting side up in front of her. 

Llori looks from the torn painting to Hara’s painting. It seems like this torn scrap could be of the same thing. 

Hara walks down the stairs and leans over the bannister. 

HARA (O.S.) 
Hey come upstairs. 

Llori turns around. She sees Hara leaning over the stair’s bannister. 

LLORI
Okay, I’ll be a second. 

Hara disappears upstairs. 

Llori starts making her way to the stairs, however, she keeps looking back to the painting. It draws her in like nothing else. 

Even as Llori walks up the stairs, she tilts her head to keep looking at the painting. 

She comes upstairs into another circular room. 

Opposite the stairs is a kitchen area. 

A balcony out to the left, a large wooden door with a stone frame on the right, and a quaint dining table in the middle. 

Boxes of fish are stacked on one side of the kitchen counter and there are more empty boxes filled with salt on the other side. 

Hara picks up one massive fish and lays it on the counter; it can barely fit. 

She grabs a large knife from the wall and starts slicing into the fish, cutting its head off. 

Llori can hear the pops of thick fish bones breaking. 

Hara turns her head back at Llori standing at the top of the stairs. 

HARA
Come. 

She says softly gesturing Llori closer with her head. 

Llori anxiously walks to the counter as Hara sets aside the deboned fish in the salt. 

Hara moves to the side and hands Llori a knife, placing another fish in front of her. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
You’re going to want to cut down at an angle towards the front of the fish. 

She says acting out the path of the knife with her hand.

Llori is disgusted she looks at the dead fish in front of her. 

She holds the knife above the fish and she hesitates. 

LLORI
I, I don’t know. 

Llori’s fingers begin to burn. 

She slowly cuts into the fish, feeling some resistance as she breaks through the shiny scales. 

She winces and closes her eyes, grabbing the knife with both hands and forcing it down. 

Pop! 

Llori successfully chops the head off. 

She quickly opens her eyes again as she hears the knife hit the chopping board. 

She sees the poorly cut fish. 

Its guts start spilling out onto the chopping board. 

Llori gags. 

She lets go of the knife. 

Llori quickly runs towards the balcony, grasping the railing and throwing up over the side. 

CUT TO:

EXT. BALCONY OF TOWER BELOW

A cat on a tower below sits on their balcony, reading a newspaper by a circular garden table. 

A string of throw-up falls past their terrace. 

CAT VILLAGER
(curiously) 
Meow? 

CUT TO:

INT. HARA’S HOME — BOTTOM FLOOR — TOP FLOOR

Hara looks at Llori slumped over on the balcony railing. 

She apologetically looks over at her and then down at the fish on the chopping board. 

Hara walks out to Llori. 

HARA
Law-ree there’s a clean bed downstairs, why don’t you take it? I’ll finish up here. 

She places her hand on Llori’s back. 

Llori turns around and nods. 

CUT TO:

I/E. HARA’S HOME — BOTTOM FLOOR — TOP FLOOR

Llori settles in the bed and begins falling asleep. 

Hara keeps working away in the kitchen above. 

Through weak eyes Llori looks at the painting one last time as she drifts into sleep.

CUT TO:

I/E. LLORI’S DREAM

Llori begins to dream of a vague and blurry garden. 

She can hardly make anything out, only seeing glimpses of grass beneath her feet. 

She hears a trickling stream in front of her. 

Llori watches as water flows down the steam. It flows to a vague figure. 

Llori is looking at their back.

LLORI
Hello?

The figure doesn’t acknowledge her. 

Llori walks closer. 

She tries to look more carefully but everything remains blurry and hazy. 

The figure stands in water. They bring their hands to their chest and seem to pull on something. 

A faint glowing light emanates from their torso. 

THE VOICE
(muffled) 
… Return… 

Llori tries to make her way closer, trying to make the figure clearer in her vision but she can’t move anymore. 

She remains stuck. 

CUT TO:

INT. HARA’S HOME — BOTTOM FLOOR — TOP FLOOR — NEXT MORNING 

HARA
Hey, wake up. 

Hara says nudging Llori as she slowly opens her eyes. 

KNOCK, KNOCK. 

Hara makes her way upstairs to the door. 

Llori rubs her eyes and makes her way out of bed and after Hara. 

She comes up the stairs and walks towards the table. 

Hara is standing at the open door. A cat-milkman swiftly hands over a box of glass milk bottles.

Llori sees two plates set out on the table but doesn’t sit down.

She looks at the milkman who looks back at her. 

The milkman turns back to Hara. 

CAT MILKMAN
(inquisitively) 
Meow? 

The milkman gestures at Llori. 

Hara looks back at Llori and turns back to the milkman. 

HARA
(soothingly) 
Meow. 

Hara grabs the box of milk bottles. 

The milkman waves at her and walks off. 

Hara closes the door with her foot. 

She brings the box of milk bottles back to the kitchen counter. 

She opens one bottle and starts making a batter. 

Llori wanders aimlessly around the room, this time noticing more paintings and decorations. 

The boxes full of fish and salt are now gone. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
Law-ree, you can go wait on the balcony if you want. 

Llori stands still with a puzzled expression. 

LLORI
If I want to? 

She says out loud, meaning to say it to herself. 

Hara looks back at her and chuckles. 

HARA
Yeah, that’s what I said. Do you not know about choice? 

She turns back and keeps working on the batter. 

Llori looks at the table between the two set places. 

She randomly sits. She looks at Hara whisking and then out to the balcony. 

She has an insecure expression. 

Her skin starts to burn. 

LLORI
(to herself, desperately) 
Why? 

She still can’t see any flames on her. 

She looks back out to the balcony.

CUT TO:

I/E. BALCONY OF HARA’S KITCHEN 

Llori is sitting on the balcony.

Sat on the floor with her knees to her chest and her arms wrapped around them, she looks around the balcony. 

It has flowerpots with vibrant arrangements and as she looks out to the other towers, she notices that they are quite similar. 

She looks down to the lower tower and sees a cat tending to their flowers. 

The cat sees Llori, they smile and wave at her. Llori smiles back and gives a small wave, not moving her arm from her knees. 

HARA (O.S.) 
Law-ree! Come in! 

Hara walks to the table and places a platter of pancakes down. 

Llori looks back to Hara and gets up. 

She walks over quickly. 

CUT TO:

INT. HARA’S HOME — TOP FLOOR 

Llori sits next to Hara.

Hara uses a fork and places a few pancakes on Llori’s plate before putting some on her own. 

HARA
Once we finish we’ll be going up to the palace, but we need to send up the boxes of fish first. 

Hara puts her hands together. 

Llori awkwardly looks at her and slowly places her hands together too. 

Hara mumbles a prayer under her breath and claps. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
Let’s eat! 

Hara quickly scoffs her pancakes instantly and dabs her mouth with an embroidered napkin. 

Llori smiles, holding in her laughter. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
If you’ll excuse me, I’ll start working on the boxes so just come out once you’re finished. 

Llori nods with a big smile, desperately trying to hold her laughter. 

Hara brings her plate over to the sink and walks out of the front door. 

Llori looks down to her un-started pancakes and begins eating. 

Once she finishes, she walks over to the counter with her plate. 

She sees Hara’s plate there at the bottom of the sink. 

Llori carefully places her plate on top of Hara’s. 

She walks out the kitchen door.

CUT TO:

EXT. HARA’S HOME — TOP FLOOR

Llori comes outside to see Hara placing the boxes into baskets which rise up on a vertical conveyor belt. 

The belt goes high up into rock and presumably up to the palace from what Llori can tell. 

Llori starts helping and the pair send all the boxes up. 

FADE OUT. 

V 

FADE TO:

EXT. STAIRCASE UP TO THE PALACE

Hara leads Llori up a massive staircase, carved into the cliffside. 

The steps are smooth and warped. 

Roots grow out of cracks, and down from the rock-walls. 

Llori looks down to the hanging towers and down to the bridges connecting them to the cliffside. 

As they walk up, coffins start appearing in the walls. 

Hundreds of coffins stuck in the walls, embedded and buried, clearly not placed there intentionally. 

Eventually they come to a coffin which juts out of the wall onto the staircase. 

While they pass it, Llori notices engraved writing on it. 

She gently places her hand on the coffin, trying to read the writing whilst wiping away dust and dirt. 

One word is clear. 

LLORI
(to herself) 
Firekeeper? 

Hara, who has continued walking up, notices that Llori is no longer by her side. 

HARA (O.S.) 
(shouting) 
Law-ree! What are you doing? Come on. 

Llori seizes up slightly from the shouting, not having realised that Hara had walked so far. 

She removes her hand and quickly hurries after Hara. 

CUT TO: 

I/E. ENTRANCE TO PALACE 

They make it to a central road. 

Both sides of the road are still stone with holes carved into them. 

Llori sees some holes have bars carved into them. 

As they get further up the rugged walls become neat massive stone bricks. 

The road leads up to a massive entrance with multiple guards, human guards. 

The guards wear paper sheets over their faces, with blue eye symbols on the front. They are masks. 

Hara and Llori walk up to two massive doors. 

A single guard stands in front of the doors. 

GUARD OF THE ENTRANCE 
Welcome Hara. 

HARA
Hello. 

The guard doesn’t seem to pay attention to Llori. 

The guard pulls out a horn and blows it. 

The door creaks open slightly but is more than enough for Hara and Llori to slip through. 

CUT TO:

INT. PALACE CORRIDORS 

They walk down hallways towards the kitchen.

The hallways are massive, large enough for a giant to walk through. 

There are masked servants cleaning the halls. 

These servants have tan coloured eye symbols on their paper masks. 

Llori looks at a pair cleaning sconces. 

One is holding a ladder and the other is balancing on top with a duster. 

The ladder shakes slightly and the servant on top loses balance before catching themselves. 

Their mask shifts a bit and they catch a glimpse of Llori. 

The servant down below keeps holding the ladder as if nothing had happened. 

The one on top stares at Llori, their mask falls back into place. 

Instantly, they begin working again as if nothing had happened, snapping back into routine. 

They seem robotic. Strangely perfect. 

Llori is scared to look at these servants. 

LLORI
(whispering) 
What are they? 

HARA 
(whispering) 
These are humans. These are the ones that swim to the palace after getting their souls. 

LLORI 
(whispering) 
But why are they acting so strange? 

HARA
(jokingly) 
I don’t know you tell me. 

Llori feels sad for the servants but can’t help but be scared. 

The pair keep walking down the corridor. 

CUT TO:

INT. PALACE KITCHENS 

The pair walk into a grand kitchen where servants stack the fish onto big platters.

Unlike the hallways, the kitchen seems more suited to Hara and Llori’s height.

HARA
Follow me. 

She says to Llori.

All the chefs are wearing the same sheets with green eye symbols. 

HEAD CHEF
(monotone) 
Good morning Hara, thank you for the delivery. We’ve already started preparing for the festival. You can go to the servant office to pick up your payment. 

HARA 
Thank you. 

Hara leads Llori towards an exit. 

The chefs don’t acknowledge Llori. 

Hara and Llori walk out.

CUT TO:

INT. PALACE CORRIDORS

As they’re walking down a larger corridor, a high servant comes out as if from no where. 

This servant has a hat in the shape of a crescent moon. 

They also wear a mask but with a more intricate eye design. The colour is purple. 

This royal servant sees Llori. 

HIGH SERVANT
(monotone manner) 
Hello Hara, and to you to. 

HARA
Hello Sorgin. 

SORGIN
(monotone manner) 
Please follow me, King Sugaar would like to see you.

HARA
Of course.

Sorgin turns towards a wall and presses a brick. 

The wall opens inwards revealing a tunnel. 

Sorgin goes in. 

Llori looks confused at Hara. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
(reassuringly) 
Come on, it’s alright. 

Hara and Llori follow Sorgin into the secret passage. 

CUT TO:

INT. SECRET PASSAGE

The passage is cramped. Sorgin swiftly walks through but Hara and Llori seem clumsy here. 

The walls, floors and ceilings are covered in stacks of books, lit candles, paintings. 

Despite the absurd amount of objects, they are all stacked neatly and in some kind of order. 

The passage is windings, going up and up, spiralling around in strange ways. 

CUT TO: 

INT. GRAND ENTRANCE TO THRONE ROOM 

They come out into another massive hallway. 

On their right, further down the hallway, are grand doors. 

At the bottom of the grand doors is a tiny door at the bottom for servants to use. 

Sorgin leads the pair to the tiny door. 

SORGIN
(monotone)
Please go in. 

She bows slightly waiting by the door. 

Hara opens the door and walks in with Llori following behind. 

Sorgin comes in after them, closing the door and waiting beside it. 

CUT TO:

INT. THRONE ROOM 

Hara walks towards the centre of the throne room.

 It is a massive circular hall with ten massive thrones on the far half. 

Llori walks closely behind Hara. 

She looks around the hall, seeing large opening to blue skies with white clouds. 

She looks up to a painted dome of the night’s sky with stars which seem to twinkle; the occasional shooting star flies across the dome. 

She looks down at the floor which is constructed from intricate marble mosaic patterns. 

Opposite the entrance are two giant thrones, larger than the rest, with four smaller thrones on either side. 

King Sugaar sits in the large left throne. 

He is draconic; ancient with a wispy beard and a beautifully intricate gold crown. 

All four thrones on his left are filled with serpentine princes. 

The large right throne is empty — the queen is missing. 

The first throne next to it is also empty. 

However, the three remaining smaller thrones on the right are filled by more serpentine princes. 

Llori looks nervously at the king and all the princes. 

The princes all wear translucent paper masks, with the intricate symbol. The colour is red. 

The king however, despite having a translucent mask, does not have a symbol painted on it. 

King Sugaar doesn’t seem to take notice of Hara and Llori, however the princes all slowly move, looking at the pair. 

Llori looks at one prince who appears to be staring right at her. 

She’s unable to see its eyes through the red eye symbol and is only able to make out its scaly cheeks. 

She nervously looks away. 

Hara and Llori walk closer to the middle of the floor and face the old king. 

The seven princes look curiously towards Llori. 

They whisper in a strange language amongst themselves. 

Llori can see clearly now that the king is sleeping. 

He begins stirring and shifts in his throne. 

The princes quickly stop whispering. 

King Sugaar sits up and leans forward slightly as he opens his eyes, squinting towards the centre of the hall. 

The king opens his mouth. 

KING SUGAAR
Hara? 

HARA 
Yes your Majesty. 

King Sugaar stops squinting and leans back, as if relieved by Hara’s presence. 

KING SUGAAR
Ah Hara, it’s nice to see you. I’ve been told the fish are perfect, thank you for getting them. 

King Sugaar squints his eyes and leans forward again. He looks carefully at Llori. 

KING SUGAAR (CONT’D) 
Who are you? 

He slowly lifts his finger pointing at Llori.

Llori looks nervous. She looks to Hara who gives her a reassuring look. 

LLORI
I’m Law-ree your Majesty. 

The king reaches into his pockets searching for something. 

KING SUGAAR 
Sorgin? 

Llori looks around to see Sorgin rushing closer to them. 

SORGIN
(monotone)
Yes your Majesty. 

KING SUGAAR
I can’t find my glasses could you find some for me please. 

SORGIN
(monotone)
Yes your Majesty. 

Sorgin bows and leaves the hall, leaving the servant door open. 

Llori watches her as she leaves through the open door. 

The king leans back, placing his hands on the throne’s armrests. 

KING SUGAAR
I’m sorry about that. Where are you from Law-ree? 

Llori looks nervously at Hara. Hara nods slightly at her. 

LLORI
Uhm, I don’t know. 

Llori pauses for a moment, realising she forgot to address the king.

LLORI (CONT’D) 
Sorry, your Majesty. 

KING SUGAAR
That’s okay. How did you two meet? 

Llori seems stumped.

LLORI
Uhm.

Hara looks at her but Llori doesn’t seem like she’s going to answer. 

HARA
I met her in the Depths your Majesty. She doesn’t have any recollection of who she is, I assumed she was from the palace. 

KING SUGAAR
You’re human? 

Llori looks at Hara nervously. Hara nods again slightly to her. 

LLORI
Yes your Majesty. 

The king sits in thought for a moment, bringing his hand to his forehead. 

The seven princes seem to get excited. They whisper again in their archaic language. 

Llori comes closer to Hara and holds her arm. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
(whispering) 
What are they saying? 

Hara is standing firm, she looks around at the princes and turns her head slightly to Llori. 

HARA
(whispering) 
I don’t know, I can’t understand them. I’ve never even seen them talk before, it’s unsettling. 

The king doesn’t seem to react to the princes. He brings his hand down from his forehead. 

KING SUGAAR
I haven’t heard of any missing humans but the Queen may know where you’re from. 

Llori nods. 

LLORI
Thank you, your Majesty. 

The king turns to Hara and begins talking to her. 

Llori waits. She looks at the princes. 

They still seem to be whispering but no one is paying attention to it. 

They whispers start getting louder to Llori. 

KING SUGAAR
Hara, your payment is being prepared, I do hope that you stay for the banquet — 

The whispers get louder and louder, she cannot focus on what the king is saying. 

Words begin to form. 

FIRST PRINCE 
(whispering) 
Eat her. 

FOURTH PRINCE
(whispering) 
She doesn’t belong. 

FIFTH PRINCE
(whispering)
Lonely human. 

SECOND PRINCE
(whispering) 
Yes. 

FIRST PRINCE
(whispering) 
We can eat her. 

SEVENTH PRINCE 
(whispering) 
Let us eat her.

Llori gets anxious, dread covers her face. She tries to squeeze Hara’s arm but she can’t. 

SIXTH PRINCE
(whispering) 
No one will miss her. 

She tries to open her mouth but she can’t. 

She keeps trying to move, trying to shake free. Her body begins to burn. 

THIRD PRINCE
(whispering) 
We can eat her now. 

The more she struggles, the more painful the burning is. 

SECOND PRINCE
(whispering) 
She isn’t moving. 

Llori hears something, a muffled voice. It isn’t the same as the princes’ whispering. 

She tries to concentrate.

THE VOICE (O.S.) 
(muffled) 
Return… 

Llori’s body is on fire. She wants to scream in pain. 

Suddenly, she feels a break in her paralysis.

She lets go of Hara and runs towards the servant door. 

The king stops talking abruptly. He looks confused. 

Hara looks around surprised. 

HARA 
(worried) 
Law-ree? 

Llori runs through the door. 

The princes stop whispering. 

They look concerned, worried that Llori understood them. 

CUT TO:

INT. GRAND ENTRANCE TO THRONE ROOM 

Llori runs out into the entrance hall. 

There are some servants cleaning in the distance. 

She sees a staircase on the right of the hallway. 

She looks down the hallway to the servants. 

They don’t pay any attention to her. 

THE VOICE (O.S.) 
(muffled) 
Turn right… 

The voice is lingering.

Llori snaps her focus back to the staircase and starts running down it. 

The walls of the staircase flash by her. 

She sees light at the end and comes out to a balcony overlooking the palace gardens far below. 

She looks up the sloped walls, to the openings of the throne room. 

She runs forward along the balcony. 

CUT TO:

INT. THRONE ROOM

The princes scramble out of their chairs and run to the massive doors knocking them wide open. 

Hara and the king watch as the princes start scrambling down the staircase on the right. 

However, they are too big to fit through and start brute forcing their way through the staircase. 

Hara turns to the king. 

HARA
(worried) 
What are they doing? 

King Sugaar slowly sits back. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
(worried) 
Your Majesty?? 

The king breathes in. 

KING SUGAAR
They probably want to eat her. 

HARA
Why? 

KING SUGAAR
She doesn’t belong anywhere. 

Hara is shocked. She turns to the doorway and starts running. 

KING SUGAAR (CONT’D) 
Hara! 

Hara stops and looks back to the king. 

KING SUGAAR (CONT’D) 
Find Law-ree and take her to the Queen in the gardens.

HARA
(nervously) 
Okay. 

The king points to the openings of the hall. 

KING SUGAAR 
You should be able to catch her through them. 

The king stumbles out of his throne. 

Hara runs towards him. 

King Sugaar extends his hand onto the floor. 

Hara climbs onto it. 

The king lifts her up to the openings. 

She jumps out of his hand and runs to the edge. 

CUT TO:

I/E. OPENING OF THRONE ROOM

Hara looks out to the landscape; a peaceful sea under blue skies. 

The horizon disappears in a fog. 

Hara looks below to the balcony at the bottom of the sloped wall. She sees Llori running. 

Hara jumps down and begins sliding towards Llori. 

CUT TO:

EXT. THRONE ROOM BALCONY 

Llori keeps running across the balcony.

Her body burns intensely with each step. She sees a dead end far ahead. 

BANG! 

BANG! 

BANG! 

She hears a loud banging and turns to see the princes’ arms sticking out from the staircase. 

Llori looks around and sees thick vines latching onto the edge of the balcony. 

They lead down towards the massive garden area below. 

HARA (O.S.) 
(shouting) Law-ree! 

Llori gets startled and sees Hara sliding to her. 

Hara jumps and lands next to Llori. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
We need to get down to the gardens.

LLORI
We could take the vines? 

Hara is hesitant. 

HARA
There’s no other way? 

BANG! 

The princes smash through the staircase, falling over each other onto the balcony. 

Hara grabs Llori’s hand and leads her to the edge. 

Llori looks towards the princes who are now getting up. They begin running to them. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
Law-ree. 

Llori looks to Hara. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
Are you ready? 

Llori nods. 

Hara tightens her grip around Llori’s hand. 

They jump. 

CUT TO: 

EXT. BALCONY VINES 

Llori and Hara fall for a few seconds. 

HARA
(shouting) 
Law-ree grab the vine! 

They both extend their free hands grabbing onto a smaller vine. It gives way and swings them downwards. 

CRASH! 

They slam into the side of the giant vine. 

CUT TO:

EXT. THRONE ROOM BALCONY 

The princes scramble across the balcony.

They reach the giant vines and peer over the edge looking down towards the massive drop. 

One prince jumps. 

Some also jump and the others climb down from the top. 

CUT TO:

EXT. BALCONY VINES

Hara is quickly climbing down the massive vine, jumping from thick leaves and using smaller vines for support. 

Llori is following but isn’t as fluid as Hara. 

Hara stops every few moments turning back to Llori and extending her hand to help. 

SCREECH! 

One prince falls down past them. 

They both look down at the prince falling far below towards the base of the vine which is surrounded by green. 

SPLASH! 

A huge plume of water splashes up from the green which separates quickly revealing a lake below its algae cover. 

SCREECH! 

The princes are rapidly climbing down above them. 

Hara and Llori get back to climbing. 

CUT TO:

EXT. THRONE ROOM BALCONY

The weight of all the princes is too much for the vines to handle. 

The great vines begin ripping the stone from the palace’s walls. 

CRASH! 

It ultimately gives way, the top of the vine completely pulling out of the balcony causing the vines to lose its support. 

CUT TO:

EXT. BALCONY VINES 

The whole vine system hurls down towards the lake. 

Hara and Llori are quickly climbing but the vines begin leaning towards the gardens. 

They are only half way down. There’s no way they’ll make it down in time. 

HARA
(shouting) 
Wrap the vines around your arms! 

They wrap vines around their arms tightly, desperately trying to hold on. 

The vine crumples in on itself with the top meeting the bottom on the lake, and the middle heading past the boundary walls of the garden, towards a smaller pond. 

The princes scream in terror as they fall towards the water. 

The vine completely comes down and the pair fall into the pond. 

SPLASH! 

FADE OUT. 

VI 

FADE TO:

EXT. PALACE GARDENS 

Llori feels cold water around her. Her body no longer burns. 

She opens her eyes to see what looks like a flooded street with building facades and bridges connecting across a chasm with more building facades below. 

Tiers of buildings of an underwater city. 

Llori looks around, she sees Hara, unmoving, drifting slowly down into the underwater city. 

Llori swims towards Hara and grabs her by the chest, trying her hardest to pull Hara up to the surface. 

They breach the surface and Llori pulls Hara out of the pond. 

Kneeling beside Hara, Llori performs cpr, compressing her chest and rescue breaths until Hara coughs up water. 

LLORI
Hara? Are you okay? 

Hara sits up, catching her breath. 

HARA
I’m okay. Thank you. 

Hara looks towards the garden boundaries. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
Look. 

Llori turns to see the princes furiously pacing at the boundaries, seemingly unable to enter. 

Llori helps Hara up and they walk into the garden. 

CUT TO:

EXT. PALACE GARDENS 

The garden is grand, stretching around the palace.

There are stone ruins scattered across the area which loom over flowers in perfect arrangements. 

Servant gardeners, with masks covering their faces, can be seen tending to the plants, ignoring the massive vine collapse. 

These gardeners have brown eye symbols. The design is the same as chefs, guards and servants. 

Hara and Llori stroll down a garden path. 

There are multiple fountains throughout the garden. Water spews out of them and into streams. 

The streams flow along patches of bushes and flowers. They flow into ponds, swirl around, and leave into new streams and so on. 

Llori and Hara follow the direction of the streams. 

They pass a pond along the path.

There is a gardener crouching down next to the pond with a basket full of large orange fish eggs. 

The gardener carefully picks up an egg and gently slips it into the pond. 

Llori walks over and stands near the gardener. 

As she looks down into the pond, she sees more of this underwater city. It clearly looks abandoned. 

The egg slowly sinks down into the depths. 

Light sparkles off the egg as it becomes engulfed by the darkness. 

As they walk, Llori’s eyes wander. 

She is drawn to a specific area, the plateau from Hara’s painting. 

On top of the plateau is the glass structure. 

Her eyes focus on this plateau in the distance; even if she looks away, her eyes will be drawn back to this place. 

Llori starts walking towards this place. She leaves the garden path and starts walking on the grass. 

HARA
(confused) 
Law-ree? Where are you going? 

Llori stays looking at the plateau. 

LLORI
I don’t know but I have a feeling I’m meant to be going this way. 

HARA
A feeling? 

LLORI
Yeah, I don’t know how else to explain it.

The plateau seems far away and unclear on how to get to it. 

Llori comes to the edge of a small drop. 

She looks across this valley-like dip. On the other side is a path leading to some stairs. They lead up the plateau.

Llori looks around. 

There are some steps jutting out of the small cliff they’re on. 

Llori walks down carefully. 

She sees more fountains in this lower-area. 

All the streams seem to connect to a larger one. This large stream flows over stone bricks to a bath area at the edge of the gardens. 

The water falls off the edge, forming a waterfall. 

Suddenly, Llori’s attraction to the cliff area dissipates as she realises that this bath is familiar. 

It is one of two halves. 

A bath seemingly split by gravity, time or space, the other half of which Llori found herself waking up in. 

Llori walks down the stream. 

Hara follows here. 

Llori steps into the stream. 

Water rushes around her boots. 

Hara stands on the side of the bath, curiously watching Llori.

LLORI (CONT’D) 
The place I woke up in was exactly like this. 

Hara thinks.

HARA
How?

Llori remembers the vague dream she had whilst she slept; the figure standing in the bath. 

SQUEAK! 

They both turn to the sound. 

A fox is sitting on the side of the bath behind them. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
Hello, what are you doing here? 

The fox jumps up and down and twirls around. It stops in one direction and lifts its paw up, pointing the same way. 

Hara turns to Llori. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
It wants us to follow it. 

LLORI
Okay… 

Llori steps out of the bath. 

The fox leads the pair back up to stream. 

They walk around the bottom of the plateau. 

Llori looks up to it as they walk. It looks as if there had once been a bridge connecting the plateau to a section of the palace. 

The fox leads them to a stone archway with a separated garden behind it. 

There is a small path, at the end of which is a cottage. 

Unlike the rest of the palace gardens, the cottage is irregular. 

Its walls are crooked. The white paint on its walls are chipped. 

The thatched roof is old and weathered and yet it still looks maintained, lived in. 

The fox stops at the archway and jumps up and down again. 

SQUEAK! 

The fox runs off out of view. 

Llori looks up at the chimney. 

Smoke is coming out. Someone is home. 

Llori and Hara walk down the path and come to a wooden door. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
Who’s house is this? 

HARA
It’s the queen’s I think. King Sugaar told me she would be in the gardens. Queen Mari.

LLORI
The queen? 

HARA
Yeah Queen Mari. 

LLORI
That’s good we can ask her where I’m from. 

Hara knocks and the door opens by itself. 

They walk inside.

CUT TO:

INT. QUEEN MARI’S COTTAGE 

They are greeted by a cosy yet humble home.

There’s a warm fire going, paintings are hung up and windows lead out to another garden.

There is a door on the opposite side of the room leading out to the other garden. 

Suddenly the door opens. 

A woman walks into the room carrying a box of vegetables. 

The woman hasn’t looked at them yet but begins speaking. 

It is Queen Mari 

QUEEN MARI
I’ve been expecting you. 

LLORI
Really? 

Queen Mari stops walking. She looks up and sees them. 

The queen places the box onto a table in the middle of the room. 

She walks up to Llori without saying a word. 

Llori nervously looks at Hara who is also looking nervously at her. 

Queen Mari looks at Llori’s face. 

Llori can see she has a translucent mask on but there is no symbol. 

QUEEN MARI
You’re beautiful. 

Llori tries to say something but she doesn’t know how to respond. Her lips stammer. 

The queen’s eyes start tearing up. She grabs Llori and embraces her. 

Llori is pulled in. 

LLORI 
(surprised)
Woah. 

Suddenly, everything around the pair dissolves; it is just the two of them. 

They are surrounded by a white light. 

Llori feels a pleasant warmth over her whole body, she hugs the queen back. 

Llori feels a great comfort and familiarity with the queen. 

It’s as if everything else has faded away. 

Queen Mari retreats. 

Reality returns and Llori is facing the queen again. 

Llori again looks over to Hara who again has no clue what is going on.

QUEEN MARI
(to Llori) 
Would you like anything to drink? 

Llori hesitates.

LLORI 
I don’t know. 

She starts feeling a mild burning on her skin. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
Tea maybe? I don’t know. 

QUEEN MARI 
Tea’s good. 

Llori’s burning fades. 

LLORI
Okay. 

Queen Mari goes over to the kitchen counter. She fills a kettle with water and sets it on the fire. 

QUEEN MARI
(to Llori) 
Where do you want to have it? 

Hara stands there awkwardly. 

Llori again hesitates. 

She feels her skin slowly burning.

Llori looks around. She looks out the window to the garden. 

A hummingbird erratically flies by the window. 

LLORI
Outside? 

CUT TO: 

EXT. QUEEN MARI’S COTTAGE — GARDEN 

The three of them are now sitting at a table outside in the garden. 

It isn’t perfect. 

Unlike the rest of the palace gardens, flowers here are all over the place but are still beautiful in their erratic arrangement. 

Llori looks over this imperfect garden and appreciates it. 

LLORI
This is beautiful. 

Queen Mari seems surprised. 

QUEEN MARI
Really? I wouldn’t have expected you to like it. 

She takes a sip of tea. 

QUEEN MARI (CONT’D) 
It is indeed beautiful. 

She places her teacup down onto a plate. She finally turns to Hara. 

QUEEN MARI (CONT’D) 
Thank for taking care of her Hara. 

Queen Mari gestures at Llori who is currently in her own world. 

Birds fly chaotically from flower to tree to bush, yet there is a beauty Llori finds in it. 

HARA
(to Queen Mari) 
I’m sorry about the great vines breaking. 

Queen Mari shakes her head. 

QUEEN MARI
Don’t worry about it, I will talk to my sons. I should also thank you for the fish, I’ve heard they’re great this year. 

HARA
Law-ree actually helped out a lot. 

Queen Mari looks at Hara. She seems confused. 

QUEEN MARI
Law-ree? You mean Yo-ri. 

Hara and Llori both look confused. 

HARA
Yo-ri? I thought it was Law-ree. 

Queen Mari chuckles. 

QUEEN MARI
It’s pronounce Yo-ri. 

HARA 
Oh. 
(to Llori) 
Did you know that? 

Llori shakes her head. 

LLORI
No, not at all. I read it as Law ree in my locket. 

Queen Mari takes another sip of tea. She looks into her teacup. 

Llori thinks, she looks at the queen. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
Do you, do you know me? 

Queen Mari looks up from her teacup. 

Her friendly expression now seems more serious. 

QUEEN MARI
What do you remember Llori (Yo-ri)? 

LLORI
Uhm, I remember in a coffin. I felt this necklace on me. 

Llori holds the necklace up while it is still around her neck. 

Queen Mari listens intensely. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
It had a name in it, I assumed it was mine, and well, then I ended up meeting Hara and now I’m here. 

Queen Mari takes a sip of her tea. 

QUEEN MARI 
Can I see that? 

Llori feels a slight burning.

LLORI
Sure. 

She takes the locket off and hands it over to the queen. 

Queen Mari inspects it. She opens it and looks at the broken mirror and ripped painting. 

She runs her finger over the scratched over name engraving. 

Llori looks at her. She feels the burning slightly increase. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
The king told me you might not where I’m from. You seem to know me, do you? 

There’s a moment of silence. 

Queen Mari does not say anything. 

Llori’s burning continues. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
Do you know why I burn? 

Hara turns to Llori with a concerned expression. 

HARA
(concerned) 
What? 

The queen does not look at Llori in the eyes. She looks down at the table. 

QUEEN MARI
(reluctantly) 
I don’t know why you burn. The princess knows. 

LLORI
Can you bring me to her? 

Llori is staring at the unresponsive queen. 

The mask starts changing, an intricate red eye symbol starts appearing. 

QUEEN MARI
(monotone) 
No. 

The queen places the locket onto the table in front of Llori. 

Llori looks at the locket. Her skin still burns. She grabs the locket and puts it back on. 

She is getting used to the pain. It is getting easier to deal with over time. 

QUEEN MARI (CONT’D) 
(monotone) 
Would you look at the time? I need to get ready for the banquet. Your questions will be answered soon. I ask that the two of you please join our festival. You’ll sit at the royal table. 

Hara gives Llori a concerned look. 

QUEEN MARI (CONT’D) 
(monotone) 
It’s a great honour. 

HARA
What about the princes? They just tried to eat Law-ree? 

QUEEN MARI
(monotone) 
The princes will be reprimanded. I will have soldiers guard Llori as we wait for the festival to begin. 

She turns to Llori. 

QUEEN MARI (CONT’D) 
(monotone) 
You’ll be give a room to stay in, far away from the princes. They will not harm you. 

Queen Mari stands up. 

QUEEN MARI (CONT’D) 
(monotone) 
Please follow me back to the palace. 

CUT TO: 

EXT. PALACE GARDENS 

Queen Mari leads Llori and Hara down a path to the palace. 

Llori and Hara walk side by side behind the queen. 

Llori comes closer to Hara. 

LLORI
(whispering) 
Do you know what’s going on? 

Hara comes closer to Llori. 

HARA
(whispering) 
No. It feels wrong. I’ll stick with you, the queen feels off. 

They arrive at a side entrance to the palace. 

Sorgin is standing there with four guards. 

SORGIN
(monotone) 
Hello your Majesty. The escorts are ready. 

QUEEN MARI
(monotone) 
Thank you Sorgin. 

Queen Mari turns to Hara. 

QUEEN MARI (CONT’D) 
(monotone) 
Hara would you please oversee the preparation of the fish. I want to ensure that they will be perfect for the festival. 

Hara looks at Llori.

QUEEN MARI (CONT’D) 
(monotone) 
She will be safe, do not worry. 

HARA
I really should stay with her. 

Queen Mari looks over to Sorgin. 

Sorgin nods at Mari. 

Llori is watching them. She looks at the guards. 

Llori touches Hara’s arm. 

LLORI
It’s okay, I’ll see you soon, okay? 

Hara looks at Llori. She sighs. 

HARA
Okay. I’ll see you soon. 

QUEEN MARI
(monotone) 
Please come with me Llori, I’ll show you to your room. 

Queen Mari leads Llori up stairs into the palace. 

Hara stays with the guards. 

Llori turns to look at Hara as she is led away. 

Hara smiles at her and gives her a nod of reassurance. 

Llori nods weakly. 

CUT TO:

INT. PALACE CORRIDORS 

Sorgin leads Hara down some palace corridors. 

The four guards walk behind Hara, and Hara behind Sorgin. 

They come to an intersection. 

Hara sees the kitchen doors straight ahead. 

Suddenly, Sorgin makes a right. 

HARA
Hey this isn’t the right way Sorgin? The kitchens were straight ahead. 

Sorgin keeps walking. 

SORGIN 
(monotone) 
We’ll be taking a more direct route Hara, don’t worry. 

HARA
No I’m pretty sure we just missed the most direct route. 

SORGIN 
(monotone) 
Guards. 

The guards spring into action. 

They quickly grab Hara’s arms and restrain her in handcuffs. 

They take her sword and belt. 

Sorgin stops walking and turns around. 

SORGIN (CONT’D) 
(monotone) 
Take her to the prisons and guard her. Only leave for an emergency. 

HARA
What are you doing? 

SORGIN
(monotone) 
We’ll keep you until the festival ends. Once Llori is gone you may leave. 

Sorgin steps aside, allowing the guards to take Hara away. 

They guards start walking Hara down the corridor. 

Hara looks back at Sorgin. 

HARA
Until she goes away? What are you going to do to her? 

Sorgin doesn’t respond. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
Hey! What are you going to do?! 

CUT TO:

INT. PRISON LEVEL ONE 

CLANG! 

The cell door shuts behind Hara. 

She gets up from the ground after having been pushed down. 

She tries to peer out of the bars. 

The guards have walked off down to a rest area. 

Hara looks at the other cells. They are all empty. 

Hara starts hearing noises. 

She looks around and sees a barred window in the rocky wall. 

Hara steps on her bed and peers out of the window. 

She looks down onto the palace depths entrance. She had been there mere hours ago. 

There are hordes of guests from the depths coming up for the festival. They wear strange robes and masks. 

FADE OUT. 

VII 

FADE TO:

INT. PALACE TOWER OFFSHOOT — A ROYAL CHAMBER 

Llori is in a tower offshoot of the palace. 

She is alone in the cylindrical room.

The room is clearly one for a member of the royal family. Everything is tidy and perfect. 

Everything is regal. 

Llori sits on a windowsill. 

She can see all the palace gardens down below. She holds the locket firmly in her hands. 

Llori looks at the plateau. She can see the glass structure. There’s greenery inside. It looks like a greenhouse. 

She opens the locket and looks at herself through the cracked mirror. 

LLORI
(softly, to herself) 
Yo-ri. 

KNOCK! 

KNOCK!

The door to the room swings open. 

Sorgin walks in carrying a fancy white dress, fit for a princess. 

Llori sees a guard standing outside the doorway as the door closes on its own. 

Sorgin comes to a stool in front of a tall mirror. 

SORGIN
(monotone) 
Come please Llori. 

Llori puts the locket back on. She stands up and walks over to the stool. 

Sorgin is holding the dress for her to see. 

It looks similar to the dress Llori woke up in. 

Sorgin grabs a folded divider screen by the mirror puts it up between her and Llori. 

SORGIN (CONT’D) 
(monotone) 
Please put the dress on as best you can. I’ll help you with the tying. 

Sorgin passes the dress over the divider to Llori. 

SORGIN (CONT’D) 
(monotone) 
Please pass your old clothes to me once they’re off. 

Llori looks at the dress in her hands. 

LLORI
Okay. 

Sorgin waits behind the divider. Llori’s clothes are thrown over. 

Llori walks out from behind the divider. She is dressed. 

SORGIN 
(monotone) 
Let me tie you up. 

Llori turns around, allowing Sorgin to tie the dress up. 

Sorgin bends down and picks up a pair of heels. 

Sorgin gestures for Llori to sit on the stool. 

SORGIN (CONT’D) 
(monotone) 
Please sit. 

Llori sits down. 

Sorgin slips the heels onto Llori’s feet. 

SORGIN (CONT’D) 
(monotone) 
Okay stand up for me. 

Llori stands up, she tries to step forward but loses balance. 

Llori falls straight into Sorgin, knocking her over. 

Llori quickly lifts herself up. 

LLORI
(quickly) 
I’m sorry. 

Llori sees that Sorgin’s mask has been knocked up. 

Sorgin is staring at Llori. 

SORGIN
(surprised) 
Llori? 

Llori seems uneasy by the change in Sorgin’s demeanour. 

LLORI 
Yes? I’m sorry I didn’t meant to fall into you. 

Sorgin shakes her head. 

SORGIN
Llori they’ve taken Hara to the prisons, level one. 

LLORI
What? I don’t understand. 

SORGIN
Don’t repeat anything I say back to you once I put the mask back on. 

LLORI
But why? — 

SORGIN 
I won’t have much time before the princess realises something is wrong. Find Hara and find the princess. 

LLORI
Wait no I’m so confused why are you telling me this? 

Sorgin’s opaque paper mask falls onto her face. 

SORGIN
(monotone) 
Let me help you up. 

Sorgin gets up and helps Llori stand. 

SORGIN (CONT’D) 
(monotone) 
Please practice in them. I will be back soon.

Llori stares at Sorgin. 

SORGIN (CONT’D) 
(monotone) 
Is something wrong? 

LLORI
No sorry. 

Sorgin turns around and knocks on the door. 

The guard opens it and lets Sorgin out. 

The door slams shut and Llori hears it lock. 

Llori looks around, she takes a deep breath. She looks at the window. 

Llori starts running to the window, she instantly trips and breaks one of her heels. 

She stands up, and limps with one shoe on. She opens the window and carefully looks out. 

There is a ledge. 

Llori carefully goes out of the window one leg at a time.

CUT TO:

EXT. EXTERIOR OF PALACE TOWER WALLS

Llori comes out of the window with her bare foot first. She holds onto the walls of the tower and bring her other leg out. 

She tries to stand on the shoe but it buckles under her. She quickly shakes the shoe off, leaving her barefoot. 

Llori spins around. Her back is facing the wall. 

She slowly creeps around the curved wall. 

She comes around the curve to see a walkway leading to her room. 

Llori quickly hides behind cover again. She carefully creeps her head out and looks at the walkway. 

One guard is standing outside her door and another is pacing up and down the walkway. 

Llori waits for the pacing guard to turn away. 

She quickly shuffles along the edge, desperately shimmying to get under the walkway. 

She makes it and sighs. 

LLORI
(to herself quietly) 
Phew. 

Llori looks in front of her. 

There are hanging stone struts underneath the walkway. 

The only way across is to jump from one to the other. 

She looks around questioning her sanity. 

On the other side of the walkway and a short shimmy away is a window. There is a pipe above it with smoke coming out. 

Llori looks down at the fall. There is nothing for ages. She can make out a tiny spec walking on a path below. 

She looks up to the strut in front of her. 

There is a little lip at the bottom to put her feet. 

Llori jumps. 

She lands. 

Crkk. 

A chunk of stone from the bottom of the strut plummets down to the walking space below. 

CUT TO:

EXT. PATHWAY TO ROYAL CHAMBER 

SMASH! 

The stone shatters next to the guard.

They look up quickly and instantly get hit in the head with another of Llori’s rocks.

CUT TO: 

EXT. EXTERIOR OF MAIN PALACE WALLS 

Llori jumps to the palace walls. Her face is pressed against the wall. 

She looks to the smoke just a little bit away. 

DING! DING! 

A bell rings. 

Llori looks around she can’t see much.

She hears a crackling from above the walkway. 

A stone gargoyle begins coming to life. 

Llori’s eyes widen. 

She watches it yawn and get ready to fly. 

It’s exactly like one of the stone creatures, only winged. 

Llori quickly shimmies to the window. 

She tries pushing it and pulling it. 

It’s locked. 

The gargoyle yawns and starts flying. It’s heading in Llori’s direction. 

Llori presses her face against the window. 

She notices there’s a guard inside rummaging through some shelfs. 

She pulls her head back but it’s too late. 

The gargoyle is coming closer. 

The guard turns around. They’re shocked. 

They rush to the window. 

The gargoyle spots Llori. 

SQUAWK! 

Llori turns her head to see the gargoyle flying at her. 

She looks back to the window. 

The guard opens it. 

Llori ducks. 

BAM! 

The gargoyle smashes right into the guard, leaving them both unconscious. 

CUT TO:

INT. BATH STOREROOM

Llori carefully comes down from the windowsill and tip toes over the pair of bodies. 

There’s a door leading out.

Llori tip toes over to the door and quietly opens it. 

CUT TO:

INT. BATHROOM 

Llori comes into an extremely steamy room. 

She hears a whirring. 

She looks above her to see a fan extracting the steam through the storage room.

She looks through the steam. Directly opposite her is a door. 

She starts walking to it but stops. She looks to her right. 

There is a massive bathtub and the king is sleeping in it, facing the other way.

Llori tries to creep even quieter across the room. 

KING SUGAAR
I wouldn’t go out there. 

Llori stops. 

The king turns over and faces her. 

KING SUGAAR (CONT’D) 
You can go through the laundry chute. 

LLORI
Huh? 

KING SUGAAR
Go down the laundry chute and get off when you see a stone platform. It should be lit by a lantern. If you stay on until the lift stops then you will be caught in the laundry rooms. 

Llori is stunned. 

The king reaches up to a shelf and grabs a bag. He opens it and pulls out a gold coin. 

He holds the coin next to her. It is massive. 

Llori holds her hands out. 

The king drops it and it shrinks as it falls becoming a regular size as it lands in Llori’s hands. 

KING SUGAAR (CONT’D) 
Use that to pay the guide. Ask to be taken to the first floor of the prisons. 

LLORI
(confused) 
Yeah. 

Llori opens her locket and places the coin inside. She looks back up to the king. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
I’m sorry why are you helping me? 

KING SUGAAR 
There are no eyes in here. The king outstretches his finger in front of Llori. 

Llori reaches her hand out and holds the finger. 

LLORI
Thank you. 

Knock. Knock. 

The guards knock on the exterior door. 

KING SUGAAR
Go now. 

The king blocks the door with his tail, stopping anyone from coming in. 

The guard tries to open the door. 

He reaches over to the laundry chute and opens it. 

Llori quickly climbs in. 

The king shuts it quickly. 

GUARD (O.S.) 
Your majesty are you okay? 

The king lifts his tail. 

The guard bursts through the door followed by other guards. 

The guards are all wearing masks with blue eyes. 

KING SUGAAR
(innocently) 
What’s wrong?

CUT TO:

INT. LAUNDRY CHUTE CHASM

Llori looks around her as she goes down the rocky chasm, the lift starts slowing down slightly. 

She sees the stone platform, lit by a lantern, but the lift isn’t stopping. 

She jumps and lands, turning to see the lift go down into the darkness. 

Ahead of her is a little desk with the lantern, her only source of light. 

There’s a bell on the desk and a small door next to it. 

She crouches down and taps the bell. 

An even smaller door behind the desk opens and a little mole comes outs. 

He wears glasses and a little bowtie. He walks up to the desk and pulls out a pair of glasses. 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE
Eh hem. 

The mole clears his throat. 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE (CONT’D) 
I am Henri the Mole Guide, here for your guided needs. 

He squints looking for someone but seems to just be look at Llori’s shins. 

LLORI
I’m up here. 

The mole seems surprised and looks up. 

Llori smiles. She finds the mole cute. He is cute. 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE 
Ahh, a tall one. How can I help you? 

LLORI
Uhm, I’m trying to get to the first floor prisons? 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE 
Sure that’s okay. I can do that for you. 

Llori opens her locket and pulls out the coin. 

LLORI 
Here. 

She eagerly holds the coin in front of him. 

The mole doesn’t react. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
(unsure) 
My payment. 

Henri sniffs. He reaches his hands out and grabs the coin, it shrinks to a proportional size for him. 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE
Thank you very much, this is very generous. 

Henri shuffles back to his door and shoves the coin inside. 

LLORI
Is it too much? The king told me to give that to you. 

Henri starts preparing he grabs a handheld lantern from behind his little door. 

He comes back out. 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE 
I like the king, he’s nice. Some moles ask for more but not me I like guidin’. 

LLORI
Do you all guide people? 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE 
(proudly) 
We’re in a guild down here. If you’re ever lost, come to a guide desk and we’ll show you around! Be careful of obtuse though. 

LLORI
Who? 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE 
Obtuse the Mole Guide, he overcharges. 

Henri bows his head down solemnly. 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE (CONT’D) 
(solemnly) 
Unfortunate name, pretty good guide, but unfortunate name. 

Henri walks past Llori to the tunnel door. 

It’s big for Henri but small for Llori. 

He goes on his tip toes and reaches for the handle. He opens the door and turns his handheld lantern on. 

CUT TO:

INT. SECRET CRITTER TUNNELS 

Henri leads Llori through dark tunnels. 

It’s wet and muddy. The air is damp.

The bottom of Llori’s white dress and are feet and shins get dirty as she crawls through them. 

Llori follows Henri. 

They pass other small critters; mice, ducks, frogs. 

Some wear hats ands carry lamps. Others have headlight lamps. 

Some wear backpacks with supplies and others use little walking sticks.

There are some building facades carved into the sides of some walls. 

LLORI 
Wow Henri it’s like you have a little city down here.

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE 
Oh yes, we had to build down here after the firekeeper made us. Here is good but the surface was nice. 

Llori remembers the engraving from the coffin. 

LLORI
Firekeeper? Who’s the firekeeper? 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE 
The princess. She tends to the fire. 

LLORI
But, but what does the fire do? 

They come out of the small tunnel into a large tunnel. 

Llori is able to walk standing up. 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE 
Everything, it’s life. Before everyone use to help the appointed firekeeper. 

Henri leads Llori past an abandoned train, still on tracks. 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE (CONT’D) 
It’s a big job, very demanding ya know. So everyone would help. 

It has moss and plants growing around it. 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE (CONT’D) 
But with so many people it can get a bit hectic, of course. Mistakes would happen and the princess didn’t like that. But hey mistakes are a part of life, they are a part of the fire. And the fire is beautiful so there is a beauty in the imperfectness of life. 

As they walk alongside it, Llori sees little critters sat around lights inside the carriages. 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE (CONT’D) 
But the princess didn’t like it. She decided we critters weren’t allowed in the palace grounds. We didn’t want to go down to the depths so we came here. Didn’t bother me though, I like the ground. 

Henri nods.

LLORI 
Yeah it’s nice here. 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE 
Nice and damp. 

Henri nods again. 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE (CONT’D) 
All the humans started acting weird though. They don’t seem to like us anymore. They wear masks and act weird. But you’re nice. I like you. 

LLORI
Thank you. 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE
You know if you’re ever in the garden, you should look at the north of the palace. There’s a section where the fire shrine used to be but not anymore. It’s like it’s been ripped off. It’s pretty cool, uhm well as I’ve been told, I can’t see so well anymore. 

Henri stops at an offshoot tunnel. He goes into it. 

Llori is also about to stand up here. 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE (CONT’D) 
Be careful here, all the entrances near humans are hidden, if you come back down you should see a mole guide desk.

LLORI
Okay, thank you. 

Henri stops and illuminates a ladder with his lantern. 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE 
Here we are, the prison is just above. Good luck in the palace. 

LLORI
Thank you. 

Henri waddles off into the darkness. 

FADE OUT. 

VIII

FADE TO:

INT. SECRET CRITTER TUNNELS 

Llori climbs up the ladder.

She reaches the top of the ladder and slowly lifts the tile above her. 

She hears guards above. 

GUARD (O.S.) 
(monotone) 
We will have to bring the food to the prisoner soon. The chefs are almost finished. 

She peers through a slight gap. She can see table legs. 

She is under a table. 

DING! DING! DING! 

The alarm goes off. 

The guards scrape their chairs against the floor as they get up and spring into action. They leave. 

CUT TO:

INT. PRISON LEVEL ONE 

Llori slides the tile away and climbs out. 

She crawls out from under the table and stands up.

She sees keys dangling on a hook and Hara’s things on top of the table. 

Ahead of her is a hall with single cells on either side. 

She grabs the keys and walks down the corridor checking each empty cell for Hara. 

At the final cell, on the right, Hara sits on a bed. 

She stares at the floor. 

LLORI
(excited) 
Hara! 

Hara springs up. 

HARA 
Law-ree? What are you doing here? How? 

Llori pulls the keys out and lets Hara out of her cell. 

Hara hugs her tightly, lifting her up into the air. 

LLORI 
We’ve got to go now! 

Llori and Hara run back to the tables. 

Hara grabs her things and starts putting them on. She tightens her belt. 

Llori crawls under the table. 

GUARD (O.S.) 
(monotone) Hey! 

Hara looks up. There is a guard in front of her. 

She throws the table at them and jumps down into the hole after Llori. 

Hara places the tile above them and they get down quickly. 

CUT TO:

INT. SECRET CRITTER TUNNELS

Llori waits for Hara at the bottom of the ladder. It’s quite dark but she sees a flickering around a corner.

LLORI
This way. 

Hara follows Llori. 

Llori turns the corner. It is a dead end. 

However, there is a tiny desk with a flickering lamp. 

Llori bends down and rings the little bell. 

Nothing is happening. 

The tiny door behind the tiny desk stays shut. 

Llori rings the bell again. 

Hara now bends down and spams the bell. 

The door opens. 

A smaller mole walks out. 

OBTUSE THE MOLE GUIDE
(annoyed) 
Hmmph! I can hear you. 

Obtuse grumpily extends his hand for money. 

Llori looks over to Hara. 

LLORI
I don’t have any money. 

GUARD (O.S.) 
(monotone) 
They came down this way. 

They hear the guards voices making their way down the ladder. 

Hara reaches into her pouch and hands the mole a coin. 

Obtuse demands more. They shake their hand. 

Hara pulls more coins out of her pouch and puts them into the moles hand. 

Obtuse shakes the coins next to his ear. 

OBTUSE THE MOLE GUIDE
(pleased) 
Hmmm. 

He accepts. 

Obtuse presses a button under his desk and the dead end opens up to reveal a tunnel. 

He ushers them through. 

GUARD 2 (O.S.) 
(monotone) 
I hear something. 

The guards are getting closer. 

Once Llori and Hara make it through, Obtuse closes the wall. 

The guards walk into the dead end. They look around confused. 

CUT TO:

EXT. PALACE GARDENS — BANQUET PLAZA

Queen Mari is overlooking preparations for the banquet. 

Servants are setting tables and banners up in a plaza in the palace gardens. 

Platters of cooked fish are being brought out. 

The queen still has the red eye on her translucent mask. 

GUARD (O.S.) 
(monotone) 
Your majesty. 

Queen Mari turns around. 

GUARD (CONT’D) 
(monotone) 
Llori was found escaping with Hara from the prisons. 

The queen doesn’t seem to react. 

QUEEN MARI
(monotone) 
Search everywhere. Every one needs to keep an eye open for them. Once spotted blow a horn. 

GUARD
(monotone) 
Yes your majesty. 

The guard quickly walks off. 

Queen Mari turns back to the banquet preparations. 

CUT TO: 

INT. SECRET CRITTER TUNNELS 

Obtuse leads them through tunnels which Llori doesn’t find familiar. 

Hara walks behind Llori. 

HARA
So why are we going back out to the gardens? 

LLORI
When I was taken away, the high servant —

HARA
Sorgin?

They cross the train track once again but there is no train at this point. 

LLORI 
Yeah her. She broke. 

HARA
What? 

They are led up, the tunnel going from dirty and stone to stone bricks. 

LLORI
I don’t understand it but her mask fell off and she started acting, well, normal. She told me where you were and that I needed to find the princess. 

HARA
Okay, but why the gardens? 

LLORI
Because of the painting. 

Hara looks concerned. 

HARA 
Are you okay or is this normal girl waking up in a coffin kind of thing? 

LLORI
I don’t know why but I’m drawn to that greenhouse on top of the plateau. It was in the painting in your house, and I think this scrap in my locket is off the same cliff. 

The steep climb flattens and they reach an aqueduct. 

HARA
Okay, I’ll follow you. 

LLORI
Thank you. 

Obtuse points at the water. 

HARA 
(to Obtuse) 
You want us to go through that? 

OBTUSE THE MOLE GUIDE 
Hmm. 

The mole nods.

LLORI
Okay then.

Llori gets in. She sits in the water waiting for Hara. 

Hara passes the mole and steps into the water. 

OBTUSE THE MOLE GUIDE 
Ehem! 

The mole coughs and extends his hand for more money. 

Llori looks confused. 

Hara sits in the water and hands something over to the mole. 

Hara pushes Llori and the pair slide off down the aqueduct. 

Obtuse opens his hand to see some smooth pebbles in place of gold. 

CUT TO:

EXT. PALACE GARDENS 

They come out of a waterspout, into a little fountain. They are in the gardens. 

Llori can see the greenhouse atop the plateau. 

HARA 
Where are we going Law-ree? 

LLORI
I think we need to go up there. 

Llori points to the greenhouse. 

They get out of the fountain. Their clothes are soaking but it doesn’t stop them. 

They cut through the grass, avoiding the paths, going through bushes full of flowers. 

Llori runs in front of Hara. 

Llori bursts through one bush. There is a kneeling gardener placing weeds into a basket. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
Ahhh! 

Llori stops in her tracks. Hara comes to a grinding halt behind her. 

The gardener looks up at them, their mask covering their face. 

Llori hesitates, not sure what to do. She nervously turns her head to look back at Hara. 

The stoic gardener suddenly pulls a horn from their belt. 

PHHHHHHHHHHHMMMMMM! 

Hara nudges Llori.

HARA 
Go!

Llori stumbles forward, stepping into a basket that sat next to the kneeling gardener. 

She runs anyway, kicking the basket forward. 

Hara follows her. 

The two run quickly toward a staircase which leads up the plateau. 

Hara looks behind them. There are stands talking to the gardener far behind them. 

The gardener points at them. Hara looks forward. 

Llori looks back. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
Keep going! Keep going! 

CUT TO: 

EXT. PALACE GARDENS — FOOT OF THE PLATEAU — THE PLATEAU — THE GREENHOUSE

Llori runs up the cracked and mossy stairs. Her feet are wet and muddy but she doesn’t care. 

She breathes heavily, swinging her legs and arms as hard as she can. 

Hara is right behind her. 

They reach the top of the staircase. 

PHHHHHHMMMMM! 

A horn blows in the distance. 

The greenhouse is right next to them. 

The stairs led to a double-door entrance; a side entrance. 

Llori stands at the top of the stairs but Hara runs past straight to the doors. 

Hara tries opening them but they are blocked. 

Old wooden beams and overgrown plants have blocked the doors. 

She pulls out her sword swiftly and tries striking at the door without any success. 

Hara pulls on the door, her face clenching with her eyes closed. 

She opens her eyes and looks to the side. Llori is not next to her. 

She looks back to the top of the stairs. 

Llori is standing there looking over the gardens and out to the sea. 

The horizon seems to vanish in a fog, you cannot see a coast. 

Llori looks back to the palace. At the back of the palace is indeed an area where it looks like a portion has been ripped off. 

HARA
Law-ree? What are you doing? They’re coming! 

Llori snaps back to reality. She looks down the stairs. A handful of guards are starting to run up. 

LLORI 
Sorry! 

HARA
Come help me with this! 

Llori runs to Hara. 

Hara starts pulling at the door again. Llori comes to help. She looks to their right. 

Llori spots a tree breaking out of the greenhouse glass walls. There is a ladder on the exterior glass, leading up to the roof. 

Llori takes a few steps back trying to look up to the roof. 

The rounded roof is hard to see from this angle, but Llori can still make out what looks like plants, trees and leaves breaking out from the very top. 

LLORI
Hara, I think we can go up this way. 

Llori runs to the ladder. 

Hara doesn’t have time to reply before Llori starts climbing the ladder. 

Hara is stunned.

HARA 
Okay?

Hara runs after Llori. 

Llori quickly climbs up the rusty ladder. Dust falls down from her hands onto Hara below her. 

They make their way up. The ladder starts curving down as the roof curves. 

It curves so much that they can almost walk across the ladder. 

At the middle “seam” of the roof is a slightly raised smaller roof. It is a set of windows which have all been pushed open by the growth inside the greenhouse. 

The plants push out of the windows. 

Llori stands up fully on the roof. She makes it to the open windows. It is a tight squeeze but there is enough space to make it down. 

Hara is right next to her. They both turn and see the guards running up the top of the stairs. The guards have made it to the greenhouse. 

Llori climbs into the greenhouse with Hara helping her down. 

CUT TO:

INT. PALACE GARDENS — THE GREENHOUSE

They climb down a tree to the top floor of the greenhouse. 

The inside is overgrown with countless plants and trees. 

The structure is made from beautifully ornate steel. There are spiral staircases leading down from the top floor. 

BANG! 

Doors to the greenhouse open. 

Llori and Hara crouch down. 

GUARD (O.S.) 
They’re in here! 

Llori and Hara peer from the balconies down to the bottom floor. There is a open atrium with plants growing up through it. 

Guards have burst through the main entrance on the east side (closest to the palace) which hadn’t been blocked like the side entrance (on the south side, pointing to the gardens) had. 

They split up and start searching for the pair. 

Hara and Llori slowly and quietly creep along the balcony to a spiral staircase. 

They make their way down very carefully, reaching the first floor. 

HARA
(whispering) 
Where are we going now? 

Llori looks around. She looks out west towards the sea. 

There is an opening in the greenhouse. The opening leads out to the remnants of a bridge. 

The bridge is now only a stub, slightly sticking out of the plateau, with the rest gone. 

Llori feels herself drawn to this “stub”. 

Suddenly, as she is looking towards the bridge, a guard walks out to it. They look around and stay there, trying to look up the balconies. 

Llori and Hara quickly hide behind the stairs of the staircase, hoping that they are out of view. 

LLORI
(whispering) 
I think we need to go down there Hara, where the guard is standing. 

Hara peers out from behind the staircase. She looks at the guard. She looks back towards the main entrance where there is another staircase. 

HARA 
(whispering) 
Okay. 

Hara nods. 

HARA (CONT’D) 
(whispering) 
I’m going to distract them, okay? When I do, make a run for that place. 

Hara is about to start heading down the balcony. Llori grabs her arm. 

LLORI
(whispering) 
But I still don’t know what I’m meant to do. 

Hara hesitates. 

HARA
(whispering) 
I don’t know, but I can try lead them out to give you enough time. 

LLORI 
(whispering) 
Okay. 

Llori nods and lets go of Hara’s arm. 

Hara creeps down the balcony quickly. 

She creeps down the staircase to the ground floor. 

Llori tries to keep view of her but it’s difficult through the growth. 

Llori sees Hara come out into view again. She is standing in front of the entrance. 

HARA 
(loudly) 
Come on Law-ree let’s go!! 

Llori looks back at the guard standing at the bridge remnant. 

They quickly look to the main entrance. 

GUARD
Hey! 

GUARD 2 (O.S.) 
After them!! 

The guard runs from the bridge remnant to the main entrance. 

Llori carefully runs down the spiral staircase to the ground floor. 

There’s a dip in the ground at the very centre, stretching from the main entrance to the bridge remnant. There are plants and trees growing in this dip. 

Llori drops down into the slight dip and feels something strange beneath her feet. 

She looks down and sees a train rail. She looks up to the bridge remnant. The path is clear here. 

She runs to it. 

As she gets closer to the edge, the air looks strange, it looks fractured but only in a small area, only in this bubble. 

Llori reaches out to it. 

QUEEN MARI (O.S.) 
LLORI! 

Llori snaps back to the entrance. Through the growth she can barely see Hara being held by guards and Queen Mari standing in front of them. 

Llori tries to look away, she tries to turn back to the fracture but her body starts burning. 

LLORI
(to herself) 
Why now? 

The clouds outside start turning dark. A storm starts brewing and quickly at that. 

Queen Mari flies to Llori, piercing through the growth.

Llori burns. 

The queen reaches Llori and grabs her. 

Llori sees the translucent mask covering Queen Mari’s face. The red eye covers the queen’s actual eyes. 

Llori quickly yanks the mask, ripping it off the queen completely. 

Llori stares into Queen Mari’s eyes. 

They stare at each other for a moment. 

The queen shakes her head slightly, breaking her demeanour. She no longer looks frightening, now only concerned. 

She slowly lets go of Llori. 

Llori is stunned. She doesn’t know what to do. 

QUEEN MARI
Please don’t hurt her. 

She pushes Llori to the fracture. 

Llori falls backwards into it. 

FADE OUT. 

IX 

FADE TO:

EXT. A MEADOW BY THE COAST

Llori lays asleep in a field of grass and flowers. 

She weakly opens her eyes. 

The sky is blue, scattered with fluffy white clouds which slowly fly by. 

She slowly sits up and looks around. 

Her hands hold her up. She can feel the damp grass under her skin. 

Llori looks to her left. She sees the sea. On her right are mountains. 

She looks in front of her, down the meadow. It reaches a beach. There seems to be a vague building there. 

She stands up. The bottom of her dress is still muddy but her skin is now clean with no trace of dirt. 

She walks across the cold grass, heading towards the vague building. 

As she comes closer to the building, she can see something in the sea: the ruins of a massive bridge stretching from the coast out to the horizon. 

Chunks of rubble stick out of the surface. Llori can make out waves crashing against them. 

The closer she gets, she realises, the building is a cottage. It’s just like Mari’s, however, it is perfectly built, straight and in proportion. 

CUT TO:

EXT. THE PERFECT COTTAGE

Llori walks across the sand. The beach reaches up to the front of the cottage. 

She walks up to a porch. There are flowers in neat arrangements of corresponding colours, planted in hanging baskets. 

Llori hears a humming, she looks around and sees something zip by her. It zips to one of the hanging baskets. 

It is a hummingbird, hovering as it drinks nectar from the flowers. 

Llori looks at it for a moment. As quickly as it came, it leaves. 

Llori turns her focus to the door standing in front of her. The paint isn’t chipped at any point. The handles are polished. 

She walks up to it and hovers her hand over the handle. She hesitates. 

Llori grabs the handle and twists it. The door slowly creaks open. 

CUT TO:

INT. THE PERFECT COTTAGE 

TSHHH!

Llori is in the cottage. Her foot has stepped on something, but she cannot feel it. 

Llori slowly lifts her foot. Blood is seeping out of cuts. 

On the tiled floor is a white-glass rose. The blood seeps across the tiles, turning the glass rose red. 

Llori carefully balances and lifts her foot further up in order to pull a glass shard out of it. 

The room is dark. There are no lights on. All the windows have closed shutters. The only light coming in is from the open doorway. 

Llori looks across the room and sees a door on the opposite side of the room, just like in Mari’s cottage. 

Llori moves past the glass. 

CUT TO:

INT. THE PERFECT COTTAGE — THE UNKNOWN 

Llori comes through the door.

Her foot has been wrapped in part of her skirt which she has torn off. 

She finds herself in cave-like tunnel. It stretches down. There is a stream running down the middle of it. The water glides across the rock, making it slippery. 

There are cracked wooden support beams throughout the cave.

It’s hard to see, however, Llori spots candles which have been place up in simplistic metal sconces. 

Wax has dripped down from the candles into stalactites and stalagmites. 

Llori looks up the cave. It’s completely dark. She looks down again towards the candles. 

Llori starts making her way down. She crouches across the rock, holding onto the walls and mossy rocks. 

She comes to a waterfall. She cannot she down. All she hears is the stream splashing into water further below. 

On the other side of the stream is a tunnel. It’s been neatly carved and there are candles lighting it up fully. 

Llori carefully tires crossing the stream. She moves her bandaged foot across and tries to grab the rock with her hand. 

She grabs hold and lets go off the safe dry rock. 

Immediately, Llori’s hand slips. She no longer has a grip on anything and falls over the edge. 

She falls for a second and then… 

SPLASH! 

She reaches the water quickly. It wasn’t as deep of a fall as she had expected. 

She treads the water. Ahead of her is a hole with a faint light coming through. 

Llori swims towards it, carefully making sure her head doesn’t hit any of the cave’s jagged rocks. 

The little cave ends in a platform raised above the water level. 

Llori gets up onto it and can see the light coming through another hole. 

The pathway is blocked by fallen broken wooden beams. Llori starts lifting them up, grunting as she crawls through the hole. 

She slips out through the other side into a hall-like cave. To her left is a archway blocked by fallen rocks. 

At the end of the cave is the light she’s been seeing, across a chasm. 

Llori walks to the edge. She looks down into darkness. There are old wooden beams stretched across the chasm, parallel to the edge Llori stands on. 

She uneasily looks at the beams. They seem old. Whatever floor they had once supported has since deteriorated. 

Llori backs up a few steps. 

LLORI 
(to herself) 
Okay, you can do this. 

Llori takes a breath and runs full force across the beams. 

As she steps on the first beam it cracks, as she lifts her feet from it, it breaks falling into the abyss. 

With each beam she runs across, it collapses after she passes it. 

Llori doesn’t stop running, she reaches the end of the hall running through and coming out into…

CUT TO:

INT. FIRE SHRINE

Llori runs into the room. It’s a tall room, cylindrical room. There are pillars across the walls and supports stretching from the pillars in the ceiling. 

The holes for windows have all been blocked by cave rock. 

At the centre of the room is a fire burning on a circular altar. 

Llori slowly walks up to it. Embers spark from it, falling to the stone brick floor. 

To her left Llori sees the same neatly carved tunnel she had seen before. 

She looks back to the flame. 

Llori reaches it and stops. More embers spark off. 

She slowly raises her hand to the flame, it begins cracking, it grows and sparks. 

Llori looks afraid, she pulls her hand back. She looks at the bottom of the flame. There is only ash, no wood or fuel. 

Llori looks up. Through the flame she can see a staircase leading up to something. 

She walks around the altar, being careful not to walk into any sparking embers. 

Llori reaches the staircase and looks up the passage. 

There is sunlight coming from the top. 

Llori walks up, running her hand along the staircase wall. She reaches the top and comes to an enclosed balcony. 

It has a ceiling and arches along the balcony railing. 

Paper sheets are hung from strings. They all hang from the ceiling. 

Each mask is painted with different colours for the different humans in the palace. 

There are no red painted eyes for the Royal family. 

Llori walks to the stone railing and looks out on the vista. 

It’s the palace grounds. 

She can see the gardens and the sea. But there’s a bridge leading to the place, through the greenhouse which is no longer overgrown with plants.

It looks beautiful from this height. 

Her eyes wander and she spots the baths she had stood in. They are no longer split in half. 

Llori stands for a second looking around. She turns her head down the balcony to her left. 

The balcony isn’t that long, maybe only 4 or 5 meters in length. Llori is still able to see the flame from up here. 

At the end, on her left, is a bed. There’s something lying in it. 

Llori walks up to them. 

There are belongings and items, brushes and paint, scattered around the floor and across a small desk against the wall. 

There is a painting covered in a thick cloth, standing beside the desk. 

Llori’s curiosity gets the better of her. She pulls the cloth off. 

It’s a family portrait. 

Llori recognises Queen Mari, King Sugaar, the seven princes and then next to the queen is the princess with its face scratched off. 

Llori looks at the dress in the painting. It is white. 

Llori looks at her own dress. It is the same as the one in the painting. 

LLORI 
What?

She turns her attention back to the bed. 

Llori walks to the bed. A young girl is laying there, a child peacefully sleeping. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
Hello? Princess? 

The child doesn’t respond. 

Llori raises her hand and touches the child’s shoulder gently nudging them. 

They twitch. Llori pulls her hand back quickly. 

The child turns over yawning. Her eyes open slightly. Then they open wider. She sees Llori and jolts up. She has a panicked expression. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
Are you the princess? I was told you would know what’s wrong with me? 

THE GIRL 
(terrified) 
What are you doing here? 

Llori backs up slightly, not knowing what to say. She looks at the girl. The girl looks familiar. 

LLORI 
Have we met before? 

THE GIRL
(terrified) 
You’re not meant to be here. 

Llori seems more upset. She doesn’t know what to do. 

The walls start cracking. The fire on the altar starts growing and sparking. 

THE GIRL (CONT’D) 
(terrified) 
You need to leave. 

Llori backs up more. 

LLORI
I don’t want to hurt you. I’m not going to hurt you. 

She looks down the staircase. She can see the fire growing more and more out of control. 

The vista on Llori’s right begins to fade, revealing jagged rock cave walls, not a landscape of gardens and sea. 

THE GIRL
(terrified) 
Leave!! Leave!! 

Stone bricks fall from the ceiling, smashing down next to Llori. 

Llori’s skin starts burning but this time flames start sparking from her skin. Llori tries to pat them out but it won’t stop. 

Her skin burns. She keeps trying to put them out. 

Llori looks up to the girl. She is burning in massive flames but doesn’t seem to be trying to put them out. 

LLORI 
You’re me. 

The walls keep cracking and crumbling. Even the cave walls enclosing the balcony begin cracking apart. 

Everything increasing crumbles, revealing a void. 

Llori looks down as the floor beneath her feet falls, however she stays still, standing in the void. 

Llori looks up, the girl is being pulled away from her and she from the girl. 

Everything becomes ingulfed in the void. 

FADE TO:

I/E. VOID 

Llori’s skin burns greatly. 

She looks around the void. There are lights, stars burning in the distance. Specs of fire. 

THE GIRL 
(faint & muffled) 
Mum! Help me! 

Llori can hear the faint cries of the princess. She looks ahead to see a red light. She tries walking towards the faint sounds but feels resistance. 

She struggles to lift her feet, it’s as if she is walking through thick mud. 

Stars come closer to Llori. As she passes them they burn with immense power. 

Llori still tries to pat down her flames, trying to soothe her pain. She keeps pushing. 

She can see the red light further ahead. The flames make her want to stop, to curl up and do nothing. She resists. 

She passes more stars. They surround her, close and far. Some burn more brightly than others, different shades of reds, yellows and oranges. 

TSSKKKK! 

Sparks burst out of Llori’s face. 

LLORI
AHHH!

She holds her hands up to her face, pushing into the flames, desperately trying to block the heat. 

Her skin is scorched. Embers flutter off her singed dress, creating a stream behind her. 

Llori can barely step forward without staggering. She calls out to the princess. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
Let me help! 

Llori is getting closer to her. 

The stars around her begin moving. They pass by her, they shoot across the sky. They shoot across the void below her. 

She can now make out the princess who is covered in blood red flames. They burst out of her and with each one she screams in pain. 

THE GIRL 
AHHH!! Mum! Please help me! It hurts! I don’t want to feel it anymore! Please make it stop! 

Llori is being brought to tears as she comes closer. The heat is too intense for her. 

The princess’ flames rage with more furiosity than any of the passing suns. She is completely engulfed in flames. 

Llori tries to keep looking ahead, looking through the flames, and when she does, she can see tears which surge from the princess’ eyes. They evaporate as they fall from her eyelids. 

The suns dance around the pair. 

Llori bends down to the princess and as their flames combines they start turning blue. 

She bends down in front of the princess who screams in pain. 

THE GIRL (CONT’D)
AHHH! 

LLORI 
(softly) 
Can i hug you? 

The princess hesitates. 

Llori slowly goes to hug her, unsure if she should. 

She holds the girl, embracing her strongly. 

At first the princess does nothing, but as the flames roar, she slowly brings her arms up, reciprocating the hug. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
You’ll be okay. I’m here. 

Llori opens her arms and lets the princess in. The pair embrace, their blue flames slowly turning red, and decreasing in size. 

The stars rapidly fly overhead and pass them but start to slow as the flames decrease. 

The flames decrease completely and a white light takes their place, illuminating the space they’re in. 

The white light is similar to Llori and Mari’s embrace. 

Llori smiles as the princess hugs her back. The white light slowly engulfs them. The void disappears. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
See, it gets easier. It’s painful but it gets easier. 

THE GIRL 
I’m sorry.

LLORI
Why?

THE GIRL 
For everything. I didn’t want it to keep hurting. 

LLORI 
But why does it hurt? 

THE GIRL 
Everything has to be the right way. I thought I made the right decision but everything still hurts. 

Llori thinks. 

LLORI
Someone told me that mistakes are a part of life and there is a beauty in the imperfectness of life. We can be better if you let me help, if you let us change. 

The princess doesn’t say anything for a moment. 

THE GIRL 
But it will hurt. 

LLORI
And then it will get easier. It will hurt and be chaotic but it wont be the end of the world. We’ll be alive, please let us live . 

The princess stays silent. She begins to well up. She sobs. Her head falls further into Llori’s shoulder. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
I know. 

Llori holds the girl’s head. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
It’s up to you, I can’t make this decision for us. You can take all the time you need. Only you can change yourself. 

They both close their eyes and stay together in the white light. 

FADE OUT. 

X 

FADE TO: 

I/E. PALACE GROUNDS — PALACE GARDENS — THE GREENHOUSE 

Queen Mari is waiting by the fracture. She stands on the bridge remnant looking out to the sea. 

Guards are near here. 

Hara is still being restrained. 

HARA 
(to herself)
Please be okay Law-ree. 

Everyone stands still. 

POP! 

One of the guard’s mask vanishes. 

Queen Mari snaps around to the sound. 

The guard looks around stunned. 

GUARD
What’s happening? Where am I? 

POP! 

Another guard. 

POP! 

And another.

The guards stop holding Hara, she isn’t sure what to do. 

Suddenly, throughout all of the palace grounds, servants begin losing their masks, all of them popping away… 

We see gardeners tending to plants suddenly stop as their masks disappear. 

Chefs cooking in the kitchen look around at each other, their mask popping one after the other. 

Sorgin, who is standing in the king’s throne hall, has her mask disappear. She looks around and up to the king. 

The king looks at her. 

KING SUGAAR
(sweetly) 
Hello Sorgin. 

She smiles at him. 

Servants throughout the palace start cheering, hugging each other and moving with excitement, moving with their freedom. 

Little critters from the under palace start poking their heads out, trying to see what all the fuss is about. 

We see Henri the Mole Guide come out into the garden, poking his head above the grass. 

HENRI THE MOLE GUIDE
What’s happening? 

The baths reconnect. Water runs through as if it had never been broken. 

The bridge begins to reconstruct. Large chunks rise from the water and start reconnecting to the greenhouse, and then from the greenhouse to the palace. 

Queen Mari turns to look out across the bridge. 

The overgrowth in the greenhouse starts retreating, and the building becomes a train station once more. 

Hara watches as vines and dirt retreats beneath her feet. She is standing on the train tracks. She looks up to the ceiling which she can clearly look out of. 

Queen Mari and Hara both watch as the palace begins regaining its lost tower, the fire shrine. 

Llori opens her eyes. She is faced with a blue sky and clouds floating along. 

She sits up to find herself out on the raised bridge. She can hear the loud cheering. 

She gets up. Her dress is still torn and singed, but her foot is healed. 

Hara who is standing in the greenhouse train station spots her. 

HARA 
(cheerfully) 
Law-ree! Hara runs to Llori. Queen Mari snaps around, she sees Hara run towards Llori. 

Hara runs and jumps at Llori, quickly hugging her and lifting her up. Llori hugs her back. 

Queen Mari comes closer and watches the two hugging. 

Hara notices and pulls back. 

Llori nervously looks at Queen Mari. She hesitates. 

LLORI 
Hi mum. 

Tears well in the queen’s eyes, she grabs Llori and bring her into a warm light embrace. 

Llori smiles as her head lays into Queen Mari’s shoulder. 

LLORI (CONT’D) 
I’m so sorry. 

Llori’s eyes begin to form tears. 

Mari holds her tightly. 

QUEEN MARI 
It’s okay, I’m just glad you’re alright. 

Llori starts crying. 

TIME CUT: 

I/E. PALACE GARDENS — THE GREENHOUSE/TRAIN STATION 

Crowds of humans are walking through the palace gardens. 

Critters and creatures are gathered along the paths cheering them on towards the train station. 

They wave banners and throw ribbons and confetti. Some critters are playing music in bands. 

The humans make their way onto one of the hidden trains, now refurbished and sitting in the train station. 

The royal family are stood on the platform. The king and the serpents have all shrunk down for convenience. 

HUMANS 
Goodbye! 

CRITTERS & CREATURES & ROYAL FAMILY 
Good luck!!!! 

Hara is stood next to Llori. 

The humans all get on. 

The train whistle blows. It begins moving. It pulls out of the platform. 

Everyone waves at it leaves the station. 

Llori runs along the platform. Her skin burns mildly as she does.

The train picks up speed, she jumps onto the tracks behind it. 

She waves. Hara has caught up with them.

Llori smiles at the train. 

HARA 
What happens now? 

LLORI 
We’ll rebuild, and make mistakes. We’ll live imperfect but real lives.

She turns to Hara and smiles at her. Hara smiles back. 

They turn to the train as it goes further down the track, further to the horizon. 

Llori looks out to the sea, sparkling water as far as the eye can see. 

The train moves forward to an unknown world. 

FADE TO BLACK. 

THE END

(RAFAEL SIMPSON © 2024-2025)