Red Lantern – Sacrifice

Interior – Amurescan King’s Court, Midday
	The Amurescan King, a large Mastiff with dark brown/tan fur, sits alongside several of his Advisors and fellow Lords.  The Lords are a scattering of different dog breeds, all well-dressed.  Guards in the chamber consist of other canines, and one red fox hovering near the King throughout the proceedings, an Aid or possible Intelligence Officer, it is unclear.  The fox is well-dressed, but understated.  One of the Lords in the Court, not focused on or of any clear importance at first, is an older GSD with an eyepatch, who appears to be asleep or not paying particular attention.  He is framed somewhere in the lower seating area.  Another group of Lords sits in the upper deck, mostly spectators to the goings-on, and will serve as exposition for narrative facts not already known.

Pages 1-2 (2 Page Spread)
	Delilah Denholme (English Springer Spaniel, female) and Laurel Cuthbert (Irish Wolfhound mix, female) stand before the Patriarchal ruling body of their country.  They are dressed well, but modestly, and Laurel carries with her a wax-sealed paper with the stamp of the Monarchy on it.  The women stand alone in the middle of a vast, empty floor, surrounded on all sides by the Lords, facing the King.  They are starkly lit by large, bright windows.

Page 3

Fox – “Lady Delilah Denholme, daughter of the late Crown Admiral Lucius Denholme.” (next panel focuses on her) “Wife of Luther Denholme, Crown Admiral of the Cerberus Fleet.”
Canine #1 in Balcony – “One should more appropriately say ‘widow’.”
Canine #2 – “Is that confirmed?”
Canine #1 – “I am supposing that’s why she’s here.  They lost the Colony, you know.  Word is the fleet’s held up or sunk somewhere in Mataa.”
Canine #2 – (yawns) “Tragic.”
Delilah – (expression serious, determined) “I am honored to speak before His Majesty’s Court.”
Fox – “Lady Laurel Cuthbert, daughter of Honored Templar and Steward of the Cerberus Fleet, Johannes Cuthbert.”
Laurel – “I am honored to speak before His Majesty’s Court.”

Page 4

Fox – “Senior Naval Lord to the Board of Admiralty, Sir Thaddeus Rockland, have you the request before you?”
Senior Naval Lord to the Board of Admiralty (Portuguese Water Dog) – (said while looking over a stack of papers) “I have it on hand, yes.  This is concerning, of course, the fate of the aforementioned Cerberus Fleet, and all Lords and crew.”
Delilah – “Their ‘fate’, as of twenty days ago, is known.  I’m certain Sir Rockland is as aware of their current situation as most of the men in this chamber now are.”
Rockland – “Yes, of course.  The communications passed along through merchant vessels confirm – as of twenty days ago at least, the Cerberus Fleet is moored in the Mataa’Atel A Shanivaar, the ‘String of Tears’ islands along the southern coast.  Following the loss of the Serwich Colony to savage native attacks. . .” (continues speaking in background)
Canine #1 – “That’s the third colony lost this year.  Usually you don’t even hear they’ve been overrun, they just. . . stop receiving word.  Vessels go to trade and find naught but ruins and corpses.”
Canine #2 – (said distastefully) “Beasts.  That whole continent is a cavernous hell, reeling from the light of modernity.  Why fight so hard to remain uncivilized?  It boggles the mind.”
Canine #1 – “The mongrel lad who married into the Denholmes was low-born, but I’d heard he was a sharp, brutal fellow.  I think they expected he’d whip that Colony into shape.  If he failed, that Continent must truly be lost to us.”

Page 4 
Delilah – “My purpose here should be obvious to all, then.  I’ve come to ask – to plea, if necessary, to discover why it is no reinforcement has been sent south, to aid the Cerberus Fleet in breaking the enemy blockade so that they may return home.”
Rockland – (knitting his hands in front of him on top of the papers, and removing his glasses)  
“My Lady, as I’m certain someone as educated as yourself knows, the peace between Amuresca and Mataa, and the Huudari people as a whole, is fragile.  Our two great nations balance on a knife’s edge, specifically when it comes to bringing naval might to bear in International waters.”
Laurel – “But this is not a conflict between Amurescan and Huudari peoples.  Neither the hyena clans nor the lion tribes have any stake in this stalemate.  The Cerberus Fleet was forced to anchor there or risk being sunk, they very clearly did so to shelter in neutral waters until such time as an escort could be arranged.”
Delilah – “My husband’s communications expressed as much.  They only have need of a few additional vessels to overpower and dissuade their pursuers.  The Cathazran fleet that so feverishly followed them is far from home and ill-prepared for the journey, by the sounds of it.”
Rockland – “Yes, and the Cathazra are not experienced seafaring peoples. Which is why we’ve determined it is more prudent to wait, and I’ve every expectation Admiral Denholme is doing just that.  The Cathazra will tire of blockading his ships before long, and slink back to their lands.”
Delilah – (emphatically, and a big angry) “Begging your pardon Sir, but did you read the same letter I did?”

Page 5

Chancellor of the Exchequer (Weimeraner) – “Watch your tongue, woman.  You’re out of line.  We are not risking an International incident and the lives of more men to recover those that have already served our Empire so poorly.”
Delilah – “In so sacred a place as His Majesty’s Court, and anywhere else in the world, I will thank you to address me properly, Sir.  I am a Lady, or Delilah Denholme if you please, not ‘woman’.”
Rockland – “The Chancellor of the Exchequer misspoke, Lady,” (he glares at the man), “but if I might – he has a point.  We have weighed the odds here, believe me, I have done so myself, and the trouble lies in getting ships past the enemy blockade in order to so much as reach the Cerberus Fleet.  Split, they could isolate both forces, and we’ve no easy means of communication to organize a pincer maneuver.  Their small ship size and aerial troops make them a guerilla threat, and a logistical nightmare most of my Admirals are poorly-experienced in handling.”
(One of the men in the crowd, the GSD who looked asleep until now, perks up at those words.  Closeup on his one good eye.)
Delilah – (emphatically) “Then you admit the danger they still pose.  And moreover, the fervor with which they will see this done.  I’ve read my husband’s letter, sir.  He expresses repeatedly that these Cathazran people are zealots, intent upon vengeance.  This is not something they will just abandon given time.  This is a Crusade.  They will see my husband – and every man in that fleet – dead.  At sea, or otherwise.”
Laurel – “Every day that passes, we are giving them another chance to slay our brothers, our sons. . . our fathers.”
German Shepherd with Eyepatch – “Why not send a fleet?”

Page 6
Many heads turn in the GSD’s direction.  He finally straightens up some, revealing an older canine with a greying face and many visible scars.  He is dressed in an Admiral’s coat, but wears a fur-lined cloak and has a cross broach pinning it.  He does not look impressed by anyone or anything in the gathering.
The fox leans over to whisper something to the King, but we do not see what they’ve said.
Chancellor – “Admiral Cross.  We’ve been discussing just that, in case you’re only now waking up-“
Cross – (waving a hand)  “No, I heard the whole of the Ladies’ pleas.  And you lot besmirching and dismissing the lives of our boys dying out there, for the sake of your crumbling Colonial Empire.”
Chancellor – (self-consciously, defensively) “That was in no way my intention-“
Cross – “The Dark Continent is a Hell we were never meant to conquer.  Any man who’s set foot there knows our efforts to hold those blasted Colonies is in vain.  Serwich was barely tenable a generation back when Lucius Denholme was slaughtering the natives for you lot, and that was when you deigned to send reinforcements when they needed it.  I remember.”  (he narrows his one good eye) “My fleet were those reinforcements.” 
Cut away to Delilah, who looks affected by the mention of her father.
Cross - “Lucius Denholme, God rest his soul, knew when to quit that Colony.  And you took advantage of his death to force his Son-In-Law’s hand, to go back into that Hell for you, and kill more bloody natives.  For the sake of your investments!”  (He stands, addressing the whole gathering, but stabs a finger in the Chancellor’s direction specifically) “You sent those boys to die!  And they knew it, and they went, all the same.  For God and Country.  And now you sit here, safe in the bosom of the Amur cradle, and you dare say those men aren’t worth saving?!”

Page 7
Delilah – “My husband requested aid. . . for years.  Again and again, and just as now, this Council denied him.  It is a miracle he held that Colony for as long as he did, with such a small fleet.”  (She looks to the Chancellor) “The Cerberus Fleet did not serve the Throne ‘poorly’.  They were abandoned.  If you abandon them again – now – God will judge you accordingly.”
Laurel – “The only reason the Cerberus Fleet has been pursued so doggedly is because they held Serwich long enough to evacuate the Colonists on civilian vessels.  Long enough for the Cathazra to rally, and muster such a sizable force.”
Delilah – “They sacrificed any lead they may have had, and deliberately split off to draw the Cathazran fleet away from our evacuating civilians.  They could have been sunk then and there-“
Rockland – “I know, Lady.  I. . . have read the report.”
The King – “Enough.  All of you.”  
The fox leans in to speak with him once more, and all heads turn towards him.  The King nods.
The King – “If efforts were to be made to retrieve these. . . heroic. . . men, in so dire need of our help-“
Delilah’s ears perk up
The King – “-where might we requisition the necessary vessels from?  Who would stand at the helm of said reinforcements?  The Crown can offer its backing by financing the effort.  We are not, in fact, some ‘crumbling Empire’,” (he glares in Cross’s direction at that), “as some might say.  Amuresca is a strong and Godly nation, and we will of course prioritize the lives of our navy men over fiscal concerns.”  (He strokes his chin)  “But our considerable Naval might is spread far and wide, protecting our Colonies both near and abroad.  No concession of coin by this Ruling Body will matter, if there are no gunships up to the task available.”
Delilah looks worried, glancing around the room.  A voice calls from offscreen.

Page 8
Cross – “The Four Corners Fleet will answer the call.” 
The next panel focuses on him.  Those sitting around him look shocked.
The King – (Arching an eyebrow), “And I suppose you’ll lead them once more, Admiral Cross?”
Cross – “They’re my bloody ships.”
Rockland – “Decommissioned. . . ships, sir.  Last I heard, what remained of your fleet was in dry dock, barely seaworthy.”
Cross – “They took a beating in the Kadrush, but the Northreach and the Eastwind are salvageable.  I’ve been petitioning for repairs for nigh on three years now-“
Chancellor – (Dryly), “Well isn’t this fortuitous for you, then.”
Cross – “-I will gladly serve His Majesty’s interests in this venture, and escort the Lady Denholme’s good husband, and many other waiting wives, mothers and children’s loved ones home.  If in doing so, my fleet is also restored, the throne has two more gunships at its disposal.  I fail to see how that is a bad thing.  My record should speak for itself.  I will be relentless, Your Majesty.”
Chancellor – “You have no crew!”
Cross – “I will press gang from the prison yard and the stocks, as I always have.”
Chancellor – “The Four Corners fleet is ancient, and battle-worn.  At two gunships, it is out half its firepower.  This is not a task for those. . .” he pauses intentionally, “. . . past their prime.”
Cross – “Begging your pardon sir, but you seem to feel it is not a task worth anyone’s time.  Why not scrape the bottom of the barrel, then?”  He gives a toothy grin.  
Delilah, finally, looks hopeful.

After Amon’s Suicide Attempt – NIGHT interior, Crimson Divine back room

Page 9

Amon sits with his back against a wall, looking thoroughly sick and miserable, but alive.  Doctor Tajit is packing up his bag nearby.  Esha appears to be speaking with him, alongside Manjusha.

Tajit – “The good news is, most of it was ingested, so I was able to purge the worst of it from his body.  My guess would be a poor interaction between alcohol, and whatever fungus caps induced the hallucinations.  He reeks of the Divine, as well.  I don’t know if it matters to you, miss, but in my opinion, this couldn’t have been accidental.”

Esha – “Amon. . . .”

Isolde suddenly strides over to Amon, drops to her knees, and strikes him in the face.

Page 10

Isolde – “What in the hell were you thinking?!”

Tajit – “You really shouldn’t-“

Manjusha – “Just go.  My house will pay you for your services.”
(Tajit nods, and ducks out the door)
“All of you need to leave this room.  NOW.  Amon needs to be left in peace to recuperate.”

Isolde – “NO!”  
She screams it so loud, even Manjusha flinches.  There are unshed tears in her eyes, as she turns back to Amon
“I want answers!  NOW!  Why would you do this to us?!  To ME?!  We’ve been together for eight YEARS Amon, and I have seen you do some stupid things, but NEVER anything this selfish!”

Dhaval – “Amon. . . I-I. . . I don’t understand.  Why would you want to poison yourself?”

Amon – finally looks up, unable to ignore Dhaval’s quiet plea
“Why did you bring me back?  Why couldn’t you just let me go?  I’m so tired.”

Dhaval – “Amon, you can’t just give up.  You talk to me all the time about staying strong, and not making mistakes, so we can be free-“

Amon – “So YOU can be free, Dhaval!  You have a chance!  I am DONE.  Do you understand?!  I was finished by the time I was ten years old!  I have never had any real chance at freedom!”

Dhaval – “N-no.  Amon, we’re going to be free together.  I’m. . . I’m giving you half my earnings.  Remember?”

Page 11

Amon – “My debt is twice yours, and I’m making it worse every day I draw breath.  And I will not take your coin, and lessen your chances!  I’m tired of bringing down the people around me.”

Dhaval – “But what about the Amurescan man-“

Amon – “You’re young, so you haven’t learned it the hard way yet.  He’s a client.  He isn’t going to do a damned thing for me.  They never do.”

Dhaval – “He saved you in the alley way-“

Amon – “No he didn’t, Dhaval.  Those men raped me.”  (He says this matter-of-factly, calmly. Panel of the room, dead silent, after that.  Amon drops his head.  Dhaval looks horrified)

Dhaval – “I-I thought we got there in time-“

Amon – “You were gone too long.  They had weapons, Dhaval.  I did what I had to to survive.”
(He leans his head back, huffing)
“And the thing is, that wasn’t even amongst the worst days of my life.  It was just another day.  Just another ‘client’.  Every day is the same.  Sometimes they’re better than others, but so many days, I wish I didn’t wake up.”
(At this point, there is a panel of Manjusha, looking guilty)  
“I wish they’d gutted me in that alleyway.  I’m so tired of finding ways to deal with it.  And it’s only going to get worse.”

Page 12

Dhaval – “No. . . I’m going to help you-“

Amon – “Focus on yourself, Dhaval. By tomorrow, I’ll be gone.”

Isolde – “Is he talking sense?  I thought that was the drugs. . .”
(She turns to regard Manjusha, who is – tellingly, unable to meet her eyes)
“You BITCH!  How could you possibly-“

Manjusha – “It’s not my call!  My mother-“

Isolde – “I don’t give a shit, you cunt!  Put a STOP to it!  You own him!  Release his contract!  Who the hell would even purchase him?!”

Manjusha – (She suddenly looks very nervous, as Dhaval approaches her, alongside Isolde.  Dhaval has a VERY different expression on his face.  He looks downright dangerous, and he towers over Manjusha)
“Pakshan!” (she calls down the hallway)

Amon – “They’ll know by tomorrow.  Just tell them.”

Manjusha – “I can’t-“

Dhaval – (Dead serious)
“I think you should.”

Page 13

Manjusha – “Pakshan!  Here!  NOW!”

Amon – “I’ve been sold to the Cold-Bloods from the Dark Continent.”

Dhaval – “What?!”

Isolde – “The CANNIBALS?!”

Manjusha – “It’s a legitimate sale-“

Isolde – “You are not taking him away from me!” 

(She lunges for Manjusha, and is pulled off of her by Pakshan, the house guard, who finally arrives.  He subdues her with one thick arm around her neck, but she doesn’t stop fighting, screaming like a banshee and biting at his arm.  Dhaval lunges forward to help, but immediately, a sword is brought to his chest by Pakshan’s free arm.  Esha, meanwhile, holds her baby in her arms, tightly.  He’s crying.  Manjusha stumbles back into the hallway, hollering at the chaotic scene)

Manjusha – “Lock them all down!  NOW!  Lock this house down!”

Page 14

(The scene shifts to Dhaval being pushed at sword point into his and Amon’s room.  Isolde has her arm around Esha, who is trying to calm her down)

Esha – “Please, Pakshan. . . don’t separate us.  We’re so distraught right now, w-we need to be with a man.”
(She looks up at him with pleading eyes, tearing up)

(Pakshan just gives a solemn nod, and closes the door behind them, locking them all in Amon and Dhaval’s room.  Esha immediately wipes her eyes, and Isolde separates from her, doing the same)

Isolde – “Fool.”

Esha – “These emeralds never fail.”

Dhaval – “You two scare me, sometimes.”

Page 15

Isolde – “I can’t believe that woman!”

Esha – “What are we going to do?  We can’t let them sell Amon.  Let alone to those. . . creatures.”

Isolde – (determined) “It’s not happening.  We just need to think of a way to stop it.”

Esha – “I think you burnt your bridges with Madame, finally.”

Isolde – “Good riddance.  That was getting old.”

Esha – “This is cold even for her, though.  I think she honestly can’t put a stop to this, or she would have.  If nothing else, she must have known it would ruin things with you.”

Isolde – “Apparently that wasn’t enough.  I thought I had that bitch wrapped around my tail.”

Esha – “It was nice for a while.”

Dhaval – “What are you talking about?”
(They both turn to look at him.  Esha puts a hand on his shoulder)

Esha – “Dhaval.  Honey.  I’m sorry.  Isolde has had her claws in Madame for almost three years now.”

Dhaval – “I. . . you sleep. . . with the Madame?”

Esha – “Every brothel Madame has a ‘favorite’. Madame Manjusha prefers women.”

Dhaval – “I. . . you. . . like girls?” (looking to Isolde, who emphatically does not have time for his shit right now)

Esha – (dourly)
“She doesn’t like anyone, honey.”

Page 16

Isolde – “Focus! What the hell are we doing about Amon?!  You heard him!  By tomorrow, he’s gone!”

(As the girls say the following lines, they are in the background, with Dhaval in the foreground, looking around the room)

Esha – “I-I don’t know.  We could try and make contact with the other girls. . . see if we can pool enough coin to buy some time for him. . . .”

Isolde – “It doesn’t matter.  Rajne’s behind this.  I know she is.”

(Dhaval looks first to Amon’s desk, where a handkerchief rests on the dresser.  He goes to pick it up.  It bears the coat of arms of the Denholme Armada.  It tosses about in his hands, blown by the wind.  He looks up, and sees the curtains that lead outside fluttering in the breeze)

Dhaval – “Maybe. . . this time. . . .”

Isolde – looks over
“What?”

Dhaval – turns to them
“We need to get the Amurescans somehow.”

Page 17

Isolde – “The northerners?  Why the hell would they care?  Just because they stuff Amon doesn’t mean they give a shit about him.  You need to get that through your head.”

Dhaval – “No, you don’t understand.  The one who comes to see him all the time?  The one with the merle coat?  Amon calls him ‘Luther’. He. . . talks about him a lot when he’s smoking. He’s let slip that he’s really important, somehow.”

Esha – “An Officer?”

Dhaval – “I don’t know.  But Amon said he’s really important, and really rich.  He could stop this somehow. I don’t know him well, but he sees Amon nearly every night. He’s very fond of him. Besides, they’re at war with the creatures from the Dark Continent, right?  I’m sure they’d go just to fight them.”

Esha – “I don’t know much about the war, honestly. . . .”

Dhaval – “Neither do I, but this might be the best chance Amon has.”

Isolde – “He’s right for the wrong reasons.  If this man’s important, he won’t want his fleet knowing he sees Amon.  We could hold that over his head.”

Page 18

Dhaval – “He won’t trust us if we do that!  Listen, I met him.  He helped me, even though there was nothing in it for him.  Even though it. . . wasn’t in time. . . .”
(He’ll say, eyes downcast)
“. . . if we hadn’t gotten to Amon when we did, they’d have killed him.  We can trust him.  He’ll help us.”

Isolde – (looks uncertain for a few moments)

Dhaval – “Do you have a better idea?!”

Isolde – “. . . fine.  But, how do we even get a message to them?  They’re docked at the port.”

Dhaval – (looks out the curtain)
“I can get to the port.”

Esha – “You can scale the wall?”

Isolde – “The wall’s only the first barrier.  They have collar checks at port.  You’d have to get past the guards.”

Dhaval – “I don’t have to get very far. . . just close enough to the ships to give someone a message.”

Isolde – “Your Amurescan is terrible.”

Esha – “. . . it really is.”

Dhaval – “Can either of you write?”

Isolde – “I can.”
(She nods quickly, heading over to Amon’s dresser, and dumping out his lantern onto the ground, biting her finger, and dribbling the blood into the ashes)
“Get me the paper he rolls his cigarettes in.  Now.”

Amon is sold - EARLY DAWN, still dark, Crimson Divine

Page 19

Amon rests inside the room he was left in, staring out a dirty, stained glass window.  He looks a mixture of sad, and scared.  The door is opened, and Manjusha walks in, solemnly, followed by Pakshan.

Manjusha - "Are you ready, Amon?"

Amon - "What kind of a question is that?"

Manjusha – (looks thoroughly guilty)
"I had Pakshan bring all of your effects."

Amon - glances over
"Making a show that this is a legitimate sale?  Thank you, but I don't think I'll be needing them."

Manjusha - "Take them, Amon.  One never knows."

Pakshan sets all of Amon's things down.  Amon notices a long, wrapped bundle, and glances up, shocked.

Page 20

Amon - "Pakshan, you-"

Pakshan - "I saw it in your room.  I thought, perhaps, you might need it."
(Manjusha heads out at that, and Pakshan helps Amon up, lowering his voice)
"It will be awkward with a blade like that.  My suggestion would be your wrists."
(Amon looks frightened by the concept, but he'll remain silent, listening)
"Instinct is to go for the neck, but you may not be able to carry that out.  Wrists.  Down the inside of each arm.  It shouldn't take you but a half an hour to bleed out, if you cut deeply enough."

Amon - "You're very knowledgeable. . . ."

Pakshan - "The life of a eunich is often very tiresome."

Amon - "Thank you, Pakshan."

Pakshan nods.

Page 21

We switch to a shot of Amon being taken out, his small travel bag over his shoulder, the sword secured away in it, only the wrapped end just barely poking out.  As he is taken outside, we see Rajne waiting, with quite a few guards, and other servants.  They are a sad lot, half of them clearly too old to work well anymore, or sporting injuries or some kind of condition.  Amon steps in beside a sun bear with lash marks across his fur on his back and face, and an amputated arm.  Someone grabs Amon's sleeve, and he glances down to see a young female mouse, with a wrap around her eyes.

Mouse - "Who are you?"

Amon - "My name is Amon."

Mouse - "Master calls me Treya.  Where are we going, Amon?  Master said someone bought me.  I wish I could have stayed. . . I knew my way around Master's house.  Now I am going to have to learn how to move through a new house.  Travelling like this is hard enough.  They keep yelling at me for not keeping up well.  But I do not know these streets."

Page 22

Amon – (gives a pained expression)
"Treya, why don't you take my hand?"
(Treya smiles at that, and reaches out, blindly.  Amon closes his paw around hers, tightly)

Manjusha - "You really did scavenge for the worst of the lot, didn't you, Mother?"
she looks disgusted as she says it, but not at the slaves

Rajne – (giving a toothy grin)
"Look on it this way.  Whatever happens to them will be a mercy."

Manjusha - "You have no heart."

Rajne - "It's a pity it wasn't an inherited condition.  Get back to running your House, and go torture yourself with guilt out of my sight."

Manjusha starts heading out, and catches Amon's eyes as she does.  She will in fact look tortured with guilt, and Amon's gaze is condemning.  She'll ultimately head back inside, though.

Rajne - "Let's MOVE OUT!"