MARKED 8
Dying of the Light
By Zachary Smith
NOTE: THE ISSUE WILL
START OFF AT NIGHT, BUT WORK TOWARDS DAY LIGHT.
PAGE 1. PANEL 1.
KALLISTE IS PULLING UP IN HER ROW BOAT TO THE ISLAND. KALLISTE
LOOKS TIRED, WORN, AND RAGGED. THERE IS NOT MUCH
BEACH, JUST SOME SHORE TO
LEAVE THE BOAT ON. WE DON’T SEE THE
VOLCANO YET.
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
Are you crazy?
KALLISTE (CAPTION): I
think so, because I should have done this a long time ago.
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
No! This is not fair. Do I not get a say in this?
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
You can say all you want, but it’s not like it does much good.
PAGE 1. PANEL 2.
KALLISTE IS EXITING THE BOAT.
ONI RYU (CAPTION): Over 5,000 years of life, and you’re just
going to throw it all
away?
KALLISTE (CAPTION): I
must be scaring you. You’ve never
sounded like this before.
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
This is foolishness.
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
Is that right? Or was I finally
smart enough to figure out our
weakness.
PAGE 1. PANEL 3.
KALLISTE IS STARTING TO WALK.
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
Nothing can harm us.
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
And there I think you’re wrong.
We’ve just never really tried
hard
enough, you know?
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
Why try to do something so pointless?
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
Because I’m tired. Because this
seems like the only thing left
that
makes sense. Rather than always running,
fighting,
hiding, and then running again, I’d rather just stop. I want it to
DIALOGUE CONT.
be
over.
PAGE 1. PANEL 4.
KALLISTE IS STARTING TO WALK AT AN INCLINE, UPWARD.
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
You didn’t feel this way on the ship not so long ago.
KALLISTE (CAPTION): I
was selfish then. Blind to the constant
harm I bring people.
This
is it.
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
This is my life too.
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
And I’m sorry, because we’re going to…
PAGE 2. SPLASH PAGE.
KALLISTE IS WALKING UP TOWARDS A SMOKING VOLCANO.
KALLISTE: …die.
PAGE 3. PANEL 1.
WE’RE BACK IN TIME, NEAR HADRIAN’S WALL. KALLISTE IS ON A ROW BOAT AGAIN, THIS TIME
EAGER, ALERT. SHE DOES NOT HAVE HAVER
PICTISH FACIAL TATTOO ON THE SIDE OF HER FACE YET. IT IS DAY, BUT SHADY BECAUSE THEY ARE IN THE FOREST. NO
DIALOGUE.
CAPTION: Hadrian’s Wall,
near Solway Firth. 367 A.D.
PAGE 3. PANEL 2.
ROMAN CENTURION HELMETS CAN BE SEE IN THE WOODS, KALLISTE’S
HEAD IS TURNED THE OTHER WAY. NO
DIALOGUE.
PAGE 3. PANEL 3.
THE ROMAN CENTURION, CAIUS, ON THE LEFT IS AIMING AN ARROW
AT KALLISTE. NO DIALOGUE.
PAGE 3. PANEL 4.
KALLISTE IS HIT BY THE ARROW. NO DIALOGUE.
PAGE 3. PANEL 5.
KALLISTE
FALLS INTO THE
WATER.
CAIUS: Got her.
PAGE 4. PANEL 1.
KALLISTE IS FLOATING UP TO THEIR FEET. ARROW STICKING OUT OF HER HEART.
CAIUS: Grab her,
Quintus.
QUINTUS: Yes sir.
CAIUS: This will lift
moral when we get back to camp.
PAGE 4. PANEL 2.
QUINTUS IS DRAGGING KALLISTE OUT OF THE WATER.
QUITUS: She’s pretty.
CAIUS: Don’t be
fooled, she’d--
PAGE 4. PANEL 3.
THE ARROW GOES THROUGH QUINTUS’ EYES AS CAIUS DRAWS HIS
SWORD.
CAIUS: --kill you
where you stand!
PAGE 4. PANEL 4.
CAIUS SWINGS HIS SWORD AT KALLISTE, SHE AVOIDS THIS WHILE
GRABBING QUINTUS’ SWORD.
PAGE 4. PANEL 5.
THE TWO CLASH SWORDS.
CAIUS: You’re good
for wo—
PAGE 4. PANEL 6.
KALLISTE PALM STRIKES HIS FACE.
KALLISTE: You’re bad
for man or woman.
PAGE 5. PANEL 1.
KALLISTE IS CONTINUING UP THE MOUNTAIN, STILL AT A WALKING
POINT, WITH A LITTLE BIT OF HIKING. IT
IS SLIGHTLY LESS DARK, AS THE NIGHT WEARS ON.
ONI RYU (CAPTION): Hadrian’s wall. I
miss that place. Why are you thinking
about
it?
KALLISTE (CAPTION): I
think the rowing. I liked it there
too. How long were we
there?
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
Around a hundred years, give or take.
Moving from tribe to
tribe,
killing Romans and tribesman alike.
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
It was an easier time. Take what you
wanted. But that doesn’t
make
it a better time.
PAGE 5. PANEL 2.
KALLISTE BEGINS TO SCRAMBLE ON SOME ROCKS.
ONI RYU(CAPTION):
You’re a good climber, but you weren’t at first.
PAGE 5. PANEL 3.
KALLISTE’S BROKEN BODY IS AT THE BODY OF A CLIFF SIDE.
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
It took you forever to heal me.
ONI RYU (CAPTION): We
had no focus then. The healing runes
came a couple
thousand years later.
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
Gods, the day when it took me twelve hours to come back
from
sure death.
PAGE 5. PANEL 4.
KALLISTE IS COMING TO THE TOP OF THAT SCRAMBLE PATH. SHE STILL HAS A LONG WAY TO GO.
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
You’re so sure about this.
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
What is left?
ONI RYU (CAPTION): I
would like to see home again.
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
Even if I got one of those shitty dolphin tattoos, that wouldn’t
allow to get back there.
PAGE 5. PANEL 5.
KALLISTE IS LOOKING UP, THE SMOKE AND RED ARE MORE POTENT,
THEY ARE BIGGER AND CLOSER.
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
You told those women you would build it.
A paradise they
could
come too.
KALLISTE (CAPTION): I
was a…
PAGE 6. PANEL 1.
NIGHT. KALLISTE SITS
IN A PICT VILLAGE, AROUND THE FIRE. THE CENTURION, CAIUS, IS TIED UP. MEN AND WOMEN LOOK AT HIM. THE CHIEF SHOWS HER LITTLE REGARD AS A WARRIOR,
WHERE AS THE OTHERS SHOW HER REVERENCE.
CHIEF: …fool to bring
him here. Now he will tell them where we
are?
KALLISTE: How is
that? Can the dead talk? He’ll be quieted soon enough, as soon as
we get some information from him.
CHIEF: Such as?
PAGE 6. PANEL 2.
KALLISTE SPEAKS ANGRILY TO THE CHIEF, HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND
THEIR CIRCUMSTANCE. THE CROWD SEEMS
TENSE.
KALLISTE: How many
men have been sent up from Rome.
CHIEF: We are winning
this.
KALLISTE: We were doing
fine for a while, now that time is over.
Their over running
the other tribes and the foreigners that aid us.
PAGE 6. PANEL 3.
KALLISTE SITS ON THE GROUND NEXT TO CAIUS. KALLISTE GRABS HIS FACE, AND FORCES HIS MOUTH
TO POUT. SOME IN THE CROWD ARE LAUGHING.
KALLISTE: This man
could tell us something.
CHIEF: Are you
suggesting that we will lose?
KALLISTE: I’m telling
you we will if we are smart about this.
CHIEF: Foolish woman.
PAGE 6. PANEL 4.
KALLISTE IS UP IN THE CHIEF’S FACE. HE LOOKS TIMID, TRYING TO HIDE HIS FEAR. THE CROWD LOOKS NERVOUS, AFRAID THIS COULD
TURN INTO A FIGHT.
KALLISTE: I’m the
fool? Who got ten of us killed on that
last raid? Was it me? Oh,
that is right, I was not there.
Just because your wife is the old man’s
daughter, that should not make you our leader.
DIALOGUE CONT.
CHIEF: You—you speak
to—
PAGE 6. PANEL 5.
KALLISTE WALKS AWAY FROM HIM, GRABBING THE ROPE THAT HOLDS
CAIUS. THE CROWD LOOKS AT HER AS SHE
WALKS AWAY.
KALLISTE: I speak to
you however I want. I am the finest
warrior here, and they all
know it.
PAGE 6. PANEL 6.
EVERYONE LOOKS BACK AT THE CHIEF, HE IS AT A LOSS FOR
WORDS. NO DIALOGUE.
PAGE 7. PANEL 1.
KALLISTE IS GETTING UNDRESSED, SHE ONLY HAS HER CHINESE
TATTOOS AT THIS MOMENT. CAIUS LOOKS AT
HER IN WONDER.
KALLISTE: You’re not
shy.
CAIUS: How—
KALLISTE: Took me a
long time, but I finally learned the language.
Helps when I get
captured for them to think I’m some savage that doesn’t know to wipe its
own ass.
PAGE 7. PANEL 2.
KALLISTE STANDS IN FRONT OF HIM NAKED.
KALLISTE: Like what
you see? Good. Then I hope you like to watch, because that
is
all you’re getting.
PAGE 7. PANEL 3.
KALLISTE GRABS CAIUS ROPE NEAR HIS NECK, SHE LOOKS
ANGRY. CAIUS KNODS AS SHE TALKS TO HIM.
KALLISTE: If you
think for one second that you could have me, then you’re crazier
then the shit head out there. Do
we understand each other? Good.
PAGE 7. PANEL 4.
KALLISTE IS LEAVING THE TENT, CAIUS LOOKS AT HER AS SHE
GOES.
KALLISTE: Stay, dog.
PAGE 7. PANEL 5.
KALLISTE IS WALKING ABOUT THE VILLAGE. CHILDREN RUN BY, MEN TALK, ONE WOMAN PAINTS
ANOTHER’S FACE WITH WOAD. THEY BOTH LOOK
AT KALLISTE AS SHE WALKS PAST. NO
DIALOGUE.
PAGE 7. PANEL 6.
KALLISTE BECKONS THE PAINTER TO HER.
PAGE 8. SPLASH PAGE.
KALLISTE IS GETTING THE LEFT SIDE OF HER FACE TATTOOED.
PAGE 9. PANEL 1.
KALLISTE IS NOW AT A STEEPER INCLINE, SHE IS ON ALL FOURS.
IT IS SLIGHTLY LESS DARKER THAN ON PAGE 5.
ONI RYU (CAPTION): I
always like that one. It didn’t add
anything, but it was well
done.
KALLISTE (CAPTION): Dacey was good at what she did.
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
All those names. How do you
remember them all?
KALLISTE (CAPTION): I
remember everyone that marked me.
PAGE 9. PANEL 2.
A TRANSPERANT SHOT OF KALLISTE CLIMBING THE ROCKS STILL, BUT
WE CAN SEE THROUGH HER CLOTHES AND SEE ALL OF HER TATTOOS.
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
From the boy, all the way to Megan in cell block C who
marked me with the crazy life.
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
The boy. I think I loved him most
of all.
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
Only because he bound us. You
felt nothing for him.
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
Hmmm…may be. But I am forever
grateful, unlike others.
PAGE 9. PANEL 3.
KALLISTE REACHES A POINT, WHERE SHE SITS, SO SHE RESTS.
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
Why do we rest? Why even
walk? I could have us up there
immediately.
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
There’s no effort in that. I want
to enjoy this last bit.
ONI RYU (CAPTION): I
think you still fear it.
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
Think what you like.
PAGE 9. PANEL 4.
KALLISTE LOOKS UP, THE PEAK AND SMOKE ARE VERY LARGE NOW,
INDICATING HOW CLOSE SHE IS.
ONI RYU (CAPTION): I
miss sex. I love it when you come.
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
That is what you are thinking about right now?
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
You said I could think what I like.
PAGE 9. PANEL 5.
KALLISTE IS SMILING, BENEATH HER SMILE IS A MONTAGE OF HER
HAVING SEX.
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
It is a good thought.
PAGE 10. PANEL 1.
KALLISTE, FRESH FACIAL TATTOO, IS IN WAIT WITH 10 OTHER
PICTISH WARRIORS. THERE IS A CARAVAN OF
8 ROMAN CENTURIONS, WITH SUPPLIES, PASSING BY.
NO DIALOGUE.
PAGE 10. PANEL 2.
THE ROMANS ARE ATTACKED, ARROWS AND SPEARS COME OUT OF THE
WOODS, THE FORWARD CENTURIONS BLOCK THE ATTACK, BUT 5 OF THE OTHERS FALL. ONE OF THE THREE LEFT IS WOUNDED. LEAD CENTURIONS 1 AND 2 ARE PREPARING FOR A
FIGHT.
LEAD CENTURION 1:
Ambush!
PAGE 10. PANEL 3.
THE WOUNDED 3RD CENTURION IS SET UPON BY A
PICTISH MAN. THE LAST TWO CENTURIONS GO
BACK TO BACK, WAITING TO ENCIRCLED.
KALLISTE STANDS OUT AMONGST HER BAND, A SWORD IN EACH HAND.
KALLISTE: Only
me.
PAGE 10. PANEL 4.
CENTURION 1 CHARGES, HIS SWORD RAISED, CENTURION 2 IS RIGHT
BEHIND HIM. KALLISTE WAITS, SWORDS STILL
OUT.
KALLISTE: Today is a
good day…
PAGE 10. PANEL 5.
KALLISTE GOES TO THE RIGHT OF CENTURION 1, JABBING THE SWORD
QUICKLY THROUGH HIS FACE. THE OTHER SITS
BEHIND HIS SHIELD.
KALLISTE: …for you…
PAGE 10. PANEL 6.
KALLISTE IS NOW LEAPING OVER THE SHIELD OF THE CENTURION, HE
WATCHES IN FRIGHT, UNSURE OF WHAT TO DO.
KALLISTE: …to die.
PAGE 11. PANEL 1.
KALLISTE IS CLIMBING AGAIN.
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
You have always been so violent.
KALLISTE (CAPTION): I
just don’t like being pushed around.
ONI RYU (CAPTION): If
there was a time anyone ever pushed you around, I can’t think
of it.
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
And now they know.
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
What’s your favorite meal you’ve ever had?
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
You’ve been so sentimental since we got here.
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
Humor me, I’m about to die.
PAGE 11. PANEL 2.
KALLISTE, FEN, NOT FULLY GROWN, AND A YOUNG FREYA ARE EATING
EATING COOKED FISH.
KALLISTE (CAPTION): I
had just taught Freya to fish. It had
taken her all day, but she
eventually got it. They were
puny, but they tasted good.
ONI RYU (CAPTION): So
much you could teach people.
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
They already know how to kill each other in many different
ways.
ONI RYU (CAPTION): I
miss Fen.
PAGE 11. PANEL 3.
KALLISTE IS HOLDING A BLOODY SPEAR, THERE IS A LARGE DEAD
WOLF IN FRONT OF HER, BUT JUST BEYOND THAT IS A TINY CUB. THIS IS FEN, ONLY BORN TWO WEEKS BEFORE.
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
Violence brought him into our life.
But…I wouldn’t have
changed a second of it.
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
Violence always brings them into our lives.
PAGE 11. PANEL 4.
KALLISTE IS SURROUNDED BY DEAD SAMURAI, AS A BOUND ONUZUKA
LOOKS ON IN WONDER. HER SWORD DRIPS
BLOOD.
DIALOGUE CONT.
KALLISTE (CAPTION): He had been accused of something he did not
do.
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
And they had insulted you as you walked by. Which had
nothing
to do with your reaction.
KALLISTE (CAPTION):
Honorable men should not be so rude.
ONI RYU (CAPTION): I
think I’ll love Onuzuka the best of all, for he gave me our
favorite mark.
PAGE 11. PANEL 5.
KALLISTE IS GETTING THE ONI MASK/DRAGON TATTOO ON HER BACK.
ONUZUKA: You’re one
of us now.
KALLISTE: These are
permanent.
ONI RYU (CAPTION):
The violence isn’t all bad.
KALLISTE (CAPTION): But it’s…
PAGE 12. PANEL 1.
KALLISTE IS DRINKING IN THE TENT, CAIUS WATCHES.
KALLISTE:
…pointless. I don’t care how many
caravans we ransack, your forces
outnumber ours, but his idiot will no listen.
CAIUS: Would you not
fight on?
KALLISTE: What’s the
point, if we’re going to lose?
CAIUS: Winning or
losing does not matter, if you believe in the cause.
PAGE 12. PANEL 2.
KALLISTE LAUGHS.
KALLISTE: Child, you
have not seen enough of your friends die.
CAIUS: I’ve seen
enough…
PAGE 12. PANEL 3.
PICTS ARE SLAUGHTERING CAIUS LEGION, HE AND QUINTUS ARE
HIDING IN THE WOODS.
CAIUS (CAPTION):
Quintus and I watched our comrades get slaughtered by your folk,
just days
before you and I met.
PAGE 12. PANEL 4.
CAIUS LOOKS AFRAID IN THE WOODS.
CAIUS (CAPTION): Some of those men I had known since I was a
child. Do not tell me
about loss.
PAGE 12. PANEL 5.
KALLISTE IS SITTING NEARER TO CAIUS.
KALLISTE: Fair
enough. But if this is such a worthy
cause, why did you sit back and
watch your friends die.
CAIUS: …Fear. I have no better reason. I was afraid to die.
KALLISTE: I cannot
help you there.
CAIUS: Are you—
PAGE 12. PANEL 6.
KALLISTE IS SMILING AT CAIUS.
KALLISTE: --I don’t
know what I am. But you saw that arrow
go through my heart,
and yet I still live.
CAIUS: You’re a
demon.
KALLISTE: Maybe.
DACEY (OFF PANEL):
Kennis! Hurry!
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