Shit! : Part 1

TAYO
I know one.

EXT. STREAM - DAY
Henry, Tayo and Naori have arrived at a stream. Tayo uses his hand as a cup to drink from it and Henry follows suit. Naori walk along the bank of the stream, tracking some fish.

HENRY
What would you be doing if you were still outside?
TAYO
It's Saturday now so, maybe soccer. What about you?
HENRY
I would be golfing or hiking with my wife and daughter. Damn it all. When I get back, I'll never complain about boredom again.

Tayo unfurls the map he received. The other two join him to examine it.

NAORI
How are you sure we are going to find her there?
TAYO
I asked around. Several NPCs suggested we start there and I have reason to trust them. We'll take this route.

Tayo points to a road on his map. The three of them mount their horses.

HENRY
How powerful is she?
TAYO
She's at least a level 90.
HENRY
Whoa.

They take off galloping.

EXT. FOREST, EA'S DOMAIN - DAY
The sun is beginning to set and Tayo, Henry and Naori are still riding. Tayo slows down and brings out his map.

HENRY
What is it?
TAYO
This place seems different. We should have arrived by now.

They all suddenly hear a high-pitched sound. Naori looks suspicious.
Henry scans around and sees a horse riding through the trees.

HENRY
There's a horse over there.
TAYO
Who's riding it?

Henry looks closer, he focuses more, then he sees a shimmer in the form of a person riding the horse.
All of a sudden something casts a shadow above him.

TAYO
Henry!

A gigantic bat-like monster picks up Henry and starts flying away. Tayo remembers seeing a similar picture. Guy falling from the sky with his Pegasus in flames.
Tayo steels himself, arms his bow and fires at the bat's leg and it drops Henry.

TAYO
Not this time.

Unfortunately Henry is dazed due to the fall. Naori goads his horse into kicking the goblins that have suddenly shown up around them. Some of them leap at Tayo from the trees and shoot his horse dead. He jums off and begins to fire at them. Naori chases some of them off, leaving Tayo.

Henry gets up and tries to unsheathe his sword. Tayo is getting closer to him, when he gets scratched by a grotesque bird. The bird tries to wrest his bow from him. He stabs it with an arrow.
A goblin has knocked Henry out and is running off with him. Tayo fires at it and kills it. Tayo is now out of arrows. He hurries to retrieve one from a corpse. Then he spots an armored beast-man riding a horse that looks like it bathed in mud. All the other goblins give way to it as it attack Tayo.
Meanwhile the bat monster picks up Henry again and flies away with him. With one arrow left in hand he fires at the bat. It dips in height but keeps on flying with Henry.
The horse rider is about to get Tayo when an arrow pierces its horse's head and it veers off course throwing the rider off. As the beast-man lands, its throat is slit by a shimmering human figure.
Hiro remove throws off the hoodie of the invisibility cloak revealing her face. Without saying a word to each other, Tayo takes on the birds while Hiro dispatches the goblins with the help of her cloak. One manages to knock her arrow out of her hands and was about to hit her shimmering figure when Tayo comes to the rescue and stabs it.

All the monsters are disintegrating as Tayo and Hiro level up due to their kills.
Tayo's bow is armed but pointed to the ground as he approaches Hiro. He's in anguish.

TAYO
What are you doing here?
HIRO
The general asked me to check on you.
TAYO
Did you know these things were following us?
HIRO
No.

Both of them are breathing heavily. Tayo looks around and spots Hiro's horse. He runs over to it, picking some arrows on his way. He rides back to Hiro.

TAYO
Can I borrow your horse? I'll bring it back soon.
HIRO
You can't leave me here.

Tayo looks like he wants to object but then holds out his hand to her and raises her up to the horse. They begin to ride. Naori catches up with them with his horse.

NAORI
Who's this? Where's Henry?
TAYO
Where were you?
NAORI
Chasing the goblins.
HIRO
Are you going after your friend?
TAYO
There's no use. They are probably taking him to their boss.
HIRO
Then what are we doing?
TAYO
There's only one thing.
HIRO
What's that?
TAYO
Find Ea.

EXT. EAKI, EA'S DOMAIN - NIGHT
They start to approach some buildings and fences. Everything is quiet and abandoned. In the distance stands a temple. They dismount from their horses and find a place to tie them.

NAORI
Let's split up and look around.
TAYO
No!
NAORI
It'll be faster.
HIRO
He's right. We can meet up at that building.

She points to the temple at the town's center.

TAYO
Okay.
NAORI
Okay.

She puts on her hoodie and disappears. Then he and Naori split up.
Tayo looks around the town and still doesn't find a soul. The houses he enters are in order. They seem to be just recently abandoned.
Finally, he decided to head towards the temple.

INT. TEMPLE, EAKI - NIGHT
The building has and Athenian architectural structure. The early moonlight shines through the windows at the top and is reflected by a crystal chandelier.
The light reveals a magnificent statue of Ea in front, offering its hands downward to anyone who wants to touch them. On the wall above is painted an inverted pentagon.
Taiyo walks slowly towards the altar with his bow in his hand. He spots Naori already seated on a pew in front.

TAYO
Did you find anything?
NAORI
No. Nothing at all.

Tayo hangs his bow and sits out of exhaustion.

TAYO
Shit!
NAORI
On our way here you said the land looked different. How would you know that?

Tayo answers tiredly.

TAYO
I... may have been a tester.

Naori feigns comprehension.

NAORI
Oh.
(sadly)
She looks beautiful.

Tayo looks at Naori. He is staring at Ea's statue.

TAYO
Yeah... it reminds me of... descriptions of Einstein in the Bible.

Naori doesn't reply.

TAYO
You know... how she is described.

Naori considers his answer carefully.

NAORI
I don't get that reference.
TAYO
That's the wrong answer, Nathan.

Tayo looks at Naori with concern and apprehension.

TAYO
Who or what are you?

The NPC's face changes from that of innocence to that of annoyance.

NAORI
Shit. I guess there's no use. Show yourselves!

Out of the shadows we see different humanoid characters with weapons emerge and a beast stirs and looks at Tayo from outside the temple with its multiple eyes.
Tayo draws his bow.

NAORI
Let's start again. My name is Naori and I was a subject of the ancient one Ea. And you are?
TAYO
I am Ray. Do you have anything to do with the goblins that took Henry?
NAORI
Yes. I thought interrogation would be faster on him and I thought I would be nice to you. Your turn. How did you know about this place?
TAYO
Someone told me.

Naori sighs. He knows Tayo is hiding something. The beast utters a hybrid of a growl and a hiss.

NAORI
Bring her.

One of the big NPCs brings Hiro out and hands her to Naori. Haori pulls out a knife and places it at Hiro's throat. Tayo aims his bow at him.

NAORI
How did you know about this place?
TAYO
Let her go and I'll tell you everything.

Naori starts dragging the knife tip on Hiro's face.

TAYO
Wait, stop! I remembered. I was once here.

Tayo lowers his bow.

NAORI
No gamer has ever set foot here. You seem eager to play me.
TAYO
I have as a tester. In the ancient world. Ea's lands, they are almost the same.

Naori's eyes widen with excitement.

NAORI
Jackpot. You were there in ancient times. Where is the sword?
TAYO
I don't know what that is.
NAORI
The sword is from ancient times. You should know about it.

Naori's hand tenses up and Hiro closes her eyes. Tayo is visibly scared.

TAYO
I didn't spend much time in here, I don't know what sword you're referring to.
NAORI
Maybe you'll remember after she's dead.
TAYO
Please, don't.

Naori is about to slit Hiro's throat.