In my last semester of grad school, I took on a screenwriting class.
I quickly learned that screenwriting isn't exactly my most favorite way to write. But, it was still great to experience, and I have mad respect for it.
For our final project, we were to write out an Act 1 of an original screenplay. I, of course, had to do some sort of pirate story. So, I took on a story about my favorite REAL pirate from history, Sir Francis Drake, but threw in a couple hints of not-so-real things. I had a lot of fun writing this, and I actually would love to come back to it and finish it at some point, though I think as a novel rather than a screenplay.
I also had the idea that this story here could be the prequel to another story I have posted on my blog, "Saint Ed". . .
. . .A prequel that happened over 400 years ago.
Also zombie pirates.
Hope you enjoy.
FADE IN:
SUPER: ENGLISH CHANNEL. JULY, 1588
EXT. MOUTH OF THE ENGLISH CHANNEL - NIGHT
It's storming, and the walloping waves of the sea show it was
a rough storm. But, the wind and rain is starting to clear
up, the storm is passing over. A view of 130 Spanish
galleons, a massive fleet, sailing these waters. The ships
are all a bit scattered and out of formation because the
storm hit them hard. But, it is clear they are trying to get
back into a cresecent formation.
EXT/INT. MAIN DECK OF THE SAO MARTINHO
The entire ship is bustling with crew members as they work to
get the ship back in order after the storm. It's loud and
feels chaotic, but it's organized. DUKE OF MEDINA SIDONIA
walks about this ship giving orders. He is captain of this
ship, and also Commander of the whole fleet. He grabs SAO
MARTINHO CREW 1's arm as he's running past to speak with him.
DUKE
(In Spanish)
The Death's Door, is it ready?
SAO MARTINHO CREW 1
(In Spanish)
Yes, Captain. Down below.
INT. THE HOLD OF THE SAO MARTINHO
A sweeping view of the supplies in the lower decks of the
ship. There is notably a large amount of ammunition and
weapons, as well as barrels of food and water. SPANISH CREW 2
is fumbling with an item that he tries to wrap up in a piece
of cloth. The item is a little figurine the size of a fist,
made of solid gold, and looks like a miniature man.
Spanish Crew 2 looks at it for a moment, then hastily wraps
it back up. He puts it into a chest and then locks it. He
hurries off. After he leaves, the sacks and barrels of food
next to the chest start to rot almost instantly. Within
seconds the food turns black and rots.
EXT. THE ENGLISH CHANNEL, JUST OFFSHORE FROM PLYMOUTH.
A Few miles away from the Armada we see 99 English vessels.
They are easily sailing out of Plymouth's harbor. It is
raining, but it is clear the storm did not hit them like it
did the Spanish.
EXT/INT. MAIN DECK OF THE ARK ROYAL
LORD HIGH ADMIRAL HOWARD is looking through his spyglass, and
spots the Armada in the distance. He doesn't see much, as
they're still far away and the waves are still a bit wild.
ARK ROYAL CREW 1 reluctantly approaches him from behind.
ARK ROYAL CREW 1
Uh, Captain, sir, it has been
reported that only 99 ships have
weighed anchor and sail from
Plymouth.
Lord Howard loudly closes his spyglass.
LORD HOWARD
Let me guess. There's no sign of
the GOLDEN HIND?
ARK ROYAL CREW 1
Um. . . No sir.
LORD HOWARD
That goddamn Drake.
EXT/INT. MAIN DECK OF THE SAO MARTINHO - DAY
The Duke is walking about the deck, giving last minute orders. He tries to lift their spirits.
DUKE
(In Spanish, to the
whole crew)
This battle! This battle we shall
finally slay El Draque!
The crew cheers in response.
SUPER - PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND. SEPTEMBER, 1580.
BEGIN FLASHBACK:
EXT/INT. MAIN DECK OF THE GOLDEN HIND
FRANCIS DRAKE had just sailed his ship, the Golden Hind, into
Plymouth's harbor and dropped anchor. There is loud cheering
and revelry across his ship with his crewmates, but also with
the entire harbor. It is crowded with people cheering and in
jubilation. There are many crew members of the Golden Hind
that are playing instruments, playing a song together. It is
a huge celebration.
Drake is shaking hands with his five closest crewmates:
STARGAZER, CHARTER, MATCHLOCK, CARDINAL, and MYRDDIN THE
WILD. Stargazer and Charter are close friends, but Cardinal
is Drake's distant cousin, William Hawkins jr. Matchlock is
Drake's brother, Thomas Drake. Myrddin the Wild is Drake's
nephew, John Drake. These five refer to Francis Drake as
"DRAGON".
It is clear that these six are very close as they cheer and
holler with each other. Charter is chugging a tankard of
beer, Stargazer starts singing along with the musicians of
the crew. Cardinal pats Myrddin the Wild on the back.
Matchlock pulls Drake aside.
MATCHLOCK
(to Drake)
Congratulations, Dragon, the
first man to successfully lead a
crew 'round the World.
DRAKE
(to Matchlock)
Aye, brother. That it be! What a
fine crew to have led!
Drake then joins along with Stargazer as they sing. Revelry
goes a bit longer, then there is hushing amongst the crowd.
CUT TO:
A view of a beauiful horse-drawn chariot sliding down the
brick road of the docks. People look to it in awe, gasping
and smiling. There are a dozen Royal English soldiers riding
horseback, surrounding the chariot as it makes its way to the
dock where the Golden Hind is moored.
CUT TO:
More revelry on the ship, and GOLDEN HIND CREW 1 shouts from
the crowd.
GOLDEN HIND CREW 1
Good Queen Bess! Gloriana! She
Arrives!
Instead of quieting down, the crew of the Golden Hind cheers
louder. The rest of the surrounding crowd outside the ship
quickly follows suit. The chariot pulls up to the dock of the
Golden Hind. ROYAL ENGLISH SOLDIER 1 gets to the door of the
chariot and opens it. A man first steps out from the chariot,
the Royal English soldier 1 helps him to his feet. What he
wears shows he is a high class man of the court.
He is MONSIEUR de MARCHAUMONT, a French diplomat. Royal
English Soldier 1 then holds out his hand for the second
passenger in the chariot, and the passenger gracefully takes
it. He helps her out of the chariot. The COACHMAN steadies
the horses then gets down from the chariot. He clears his
throat and speaks loudly to the crowd.
COACHMAN
May I present, Her Royal
Highness, her Majesty of England
and Ireland, QUEEN ELIZABETH I!
Queen Elizabeth gracefully exits the chariot. She is wearing
an extravangant golden dress covered in lace. The collar is
high around her neck, and gems and jewels adorn the entirety
of the collar and her chest. Her face is a pale white from
all her makeup, but with bright red lips. Her red curly hair
is styled up high on her head, with more jewels and gold
chains wrapped around it. She is the definition of beauty.
Her skirt is wide all the way around her, and it looks like
she is floating as she walks down the dock. As she walks down
the dock towards the Golden Hind, with Marchaumont and a few
soldiers following her, everyone around her bows their head
low, showing the utmost respect. But, she laughs then speaks
to the crowd.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Now, now. Do not halt your
revelry on my account!
The crowd erupts in cheers again. They clap for her, they
clap for Drake and his crew.
Queen Elizabeth then starts making her way up the gangway
plank to board the Golden Hind. A MAN FROM CROWD then calls
up to her.
MAN FROM CROWD
M'Lady, the Queen! Your presence
excites us all!
Queen Elizabeth smiles at the man. As she walks the gangway,
she hoists up her skirt ever so slightly, being flirtatious
and sauve about it. She reveals a bit of her ankle, showing
her extravagant golden shoes embedded with jewels, and her
shiny silk stockings. Man from Crowd and everyone nearby
cheers at her show, clapping and hollering at her.
Queen Elizabeth continues to play up the crowd as she walks
on. She waves, blows kisses, winks at men. It is clear she
enjoys the revelry and attention. She boards the Golden Hind,
and the crew respectfully stops their cheering. They all dip
their heads low in respect to her. Those that wore hats take
them off and hold them to their chests. Queen Elizabeth looks
around the crew, admiring them. She speaks loudly for
everyone to hear.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
My, what a fine crew of men. Now,
where is that ruthless captain of
Yours?
The crew laughs and cheers as Drake is pushed forward towards
her. Once he is face to face with her, he smiles then dips
low into a bow, lower than everyone else.
DRAKE
M'lady. Though the voyage was
fruitful, it had been a shame to
go so long without seeing Her
Majesty's beauty.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
My Dragon. How I have missed you
So.
Queen Elizabeth motions for Marchaumont to come join them. He
obliges, dipping his head slightly in respect towards her and
towards Drake.
QUEEN ELIZABETH (CONT'D)
This is Monsieur de Marchaumont.
He graces us with his visit as a
peaceful diplomat of His Majesty
King Henry III of France's court.
DRAKE
A pleasure, sir.
Marchaumont returns the respectful bow.
MARCHAUMONT
Oui. I am here to show France's
support in this matter.
DRAKE
And what matter would that be?
Queen Elizabeth is delighted by the question. She speaks to
Drake.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Francis Drake, my beloved Dragon,
take a knee.
Drake is momentarily shocked, but he smiles quickly. The crew
around him starts cheering and hollering again, but they
quiet down as one of the English soldiers hands Queen
Elizabeth a long silver sword. Drake drops down to a knee and
keeps his head low. Queen Elizabeth looks at the sword, then
taps it on each of Drake's shoulders.
QUEEN ELIZABETH (CONT'D)
By the power vested in me as
Queen Elizabeth I of England, and
by witness of Marchaumont as
advisor to his majesty King Henry
III of France, and by all the
witnesses here, I dub thee. .
.Sir Francis William Drake.
She falls silent for a moment, then she smiles broadly.
QUEEN ELIZABETH (CONT'D)
Now rise, as Knight of Her
Majesty's Court.
Sir Francis Drake obliges. He and the Queen share an almost
romantic smile with each other, then the crowd around them
erupts back into revelry.
END FLASHBACK.
INT. A QUIET TAVERN, DIMLY LIT AND NEAR THE DOCKS - NIGHT
Drake and his first mate Stargazer are sitting in the back
corner, each with a tankard in hand. Nobody else in the
tavern approaches them, but there is whispering amongst the
other patrons, and every once in a while someone sneaks a
glance their way. The patrons seem to know who Drake is, but
they say nothing about it and they keep to themselves.
Drake and Stargazer are relaxed and seem to be carefree,
unperturbed by anything going on around them. Stargazer has a
glass eye, a clear marble of glass in his right eye socket.
It reflects the candlelight of the cavern, and seems to
twinkle, like there is a sky full of stars just within his
eye. Drake kicks his boots up on the table.
STARGAZER
(to Drake)
How's the wife?
Drake finds this question amusing.
DRAKE
She fares fine, last I heard.
Stargazer lifts his tankard for a toast, and Drake lifts his
own to meet it.
STARGAZER
To the wife that fares fine.
The two clink their drinks together then gulp them down.
Drake slams his tankard down.
DRAKE
And what about you, dear
Stargazer? Have you ever thought
about finding a lady and settling
Down?
STARGAZER
I have found a lady. But, the
thing is, she'd be a lady I'd be
stealing from you, dear captain.
DRAKE
Oh? And who would this marvelous
woman be?
STARGAZER
Her beauty the Golden Hind.
The two burst into roaring laughter.
DRAKE
She is chock full of disgusting
smelling men!
STARGAZER
Oh, but the pain! She be the only
one for me!
The two laugh again. Stargazer chugs the rest of his drink.
As he does, a YOUNG MAN comes barreling through the door of
the tavern, and frantically stumbles to the bar. The
bartender barely looks up from his own drink. But, the young
man is speaking to him hurriedly.
YOUNG MAN
Sir! Sir, please! Lord Howard
sends me! The Spanish, they
arrive! Where is Sir Francis
Drake? Where is the Dragon? The
Armada shall attack at any
Moment!
The bartender just grunts, still looking down at his own
drink. He points to the back corner of the tavern where Drake
and Stargazer are sitting. The two of them had noticed all
commotion and are looking to the bartender and young man.
Drake frowns, irritated.
DRAKE
(to the bartender)
How could you rat me out like
That?
The bartender just shrugs. The young man scurries across the
tavern to Drake. He bows hastily, and seems to not be able to
hold still.
YOUNG MAN
(to Drake)
Sir, you must come! Lord Howard,
he searches for you! He fears the
Spanish shall attack, and we must
be ready.
Drake and Stargazer share a glance. Neither seem too worried
about this.
DRAKE
The Spanish are nothing but
damned idiots.
STARGAZER
Undoubtedly. But we should
probably head out before Howard
rages Hell. I'd hate for Charter
and Cardinal to get the brunt of
his rage again.
Drake scoffs, but starts to stand. The young man does another
bow to the two of them, then starts to scurry out of the
tavern.
YOUNG MAN
I'll alert Lord Howard! The
Dragon comes!
The young man runs out into the night. Drake and Stargazer
share one more glance, then begrudgingly head out of the
tavern themselves.
CUT TO:
INT. THE QUEEN'S ROYAL THRONE ROOM AT HAMPTON COURT - DAY
Queen Elizabeth I is sitting at the throne, while about a
dozen of her advisors squabble and pace in front of her. She
rests her chin on her hand, not having much care for what her
advisors argue about, even though they are all panicked and
Uncertain.
ROYAL ADVISOR 1
The Armada, they are invincible,
they rule the seas!
ROYAL ADVISOR 2
They are undefeated.
ROYAL ADVISOR 3
Their tactics at sea are nothing
to be trifled with.
ROYAL ADVISOR 4
But they have been delayed, so
our own Navy has had time to
Prepare.
ROYAL ADVISOR 1
But not enough time!
The advisors all mutter and seem to agree with this
statement. But, they look to the Queen, who had been sitting
silent through all of it.
ROYAL ADVISOR 2
(to Queen Elizabeth)
My Queen, Your Majesty, should we
fear for what may happen to
England? Should we fear for what
this impending battle may do to
our already strained
relationships with Spain?
Queen Elizabeth scoffs at the last comment.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Repairing it or building it up
from scratch, I don't much care
for having a friendly
relationship with Phillip, as it
may be.
The advisors whisper with each other at this comment. Queen
Elizabeth remains unmoving from her position, unperturbed.
QUEEN ELIZABETH (CONT'D)
Isn't Drake there?
ROYAL ADVISOR 3
Yes, your Majesty. He meets with
Lord Howard.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Then there is nothing to worry
about.
BEGIN FLASHBACK:
SUPER - LONDON, ENGLAND. NOVEMBER, 1580.
INT. THE SAME COURT OF QUEEN ELIZABETH, BUT EIGHT YEARS PRIOR
- DAY
Elizabeth is in her throne room, with her advisors gathered
around. The door opens, and they all look to see Drake
standing in the doorway.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
(to Advisors)
Leave us.
The advisors hesitate for a long while. They exchange looks,
look at the Queen, then look at Drake. Eventually, they walk
out of the throne room.
QUEEN ELIZABETH (CONT'D)
(to Advisors)
Close the door behind you.
The advisors hesitate again. But, they eventually listen to
her. They leave Drake and Elizabeth alone in the throne room.
Drake walks forward, then drops to a knee and bows before
her. She's amused by this.
QUEEN ELIZABETH (CONT'D)
There's no need for that.
Drake raises his head. He's amused by her comment.
DRAKE
There is always a need for
respect for M'Lady.
Drake then gets up and sits on the armrest of her throne. She
completely welcomes it.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Tell me everything.
DRAKE
Where do I even begin?
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Well, I'd like you to clear the
air of wild stories. When John
Wynter led his ship back to
Plymouth, he told such stories of
your time in Cape Horn. He saw
John Thomas sink with the
Marigold, and all hands of that
ship were lost. Wynter lost sight
of the Golden Hind, but he was
optimistic that you would be
following him back to England.
But, then you never showed. I was
right in assuming you continued
about the voyage. But, you lost
nearly all of your men in Cape
Horn. I notice that Doughty has
not made it back with you.
Drake laughs at this.
DRAKE
Doughty. Thomas Doughty. The
blasted damned fool. He almost
cost us everything.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
I hear he tried for mutiny. Is
that true, or is there something
my dear Dragon left out? I know
how you felt about the man.
Drake scoffs at this.
DRAKE
My Queen, aye, this be true. The
bastard did try for a mutiny.
But. . . How he tried it, well,
that is where the true story
Lies.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
I've heard stories, but I'd
rather hear it from you.
Drake hesitates for a long while. His demeanor changes, he
grows more serious.
DRAKE
Witchcraft, M'Lady. The man had
gotten his hands on witchcraft
that exists in the savage lands
of the New World.
Elizabeth waits for him to continue.
DRAKE (CONT'D)
Our first landfall in the New
World. . . I suppose you could
say we found the fabled lands
that the damned Spanish have
spoken of.
Elizabeth doesn't seem to be buying this.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Fabled lands? Whatever do you
mean?
DRAKE
El Dorado, my Queen. We had
landed in El Dorado.
Elizabeth thinks on this.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
A city of gold? The city the
Spanish claim to be the richest
city this world has ever known?
Inhabited by people that don't
even understand its worth?
DRAKE
Aye, M'Lady. One and the same.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
How did you find it? How could
that have been your first
Landfall?
DRAKE
M'Lady. . . That's just it. It
all just happened. I suppose, I
don't know, we were just drawn to
it. When we got there, it was as
if the land was speaking to us.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
I know you do not take me for a
fool, nor I for you.
DRAKE
Aye, M'Lady, forgive me, it is
the best way I can describe it.
It was a land of witchcraft, like
the Devil himself walked about
the earth. We were not there
long, but Doughty, the bastard,
he found a treasure that no
foolish man should ever be in
possession of.
The Queen doesn't seem to be surprised by this particular bit
of information.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Death's Door.
DRAKE
Aye, M'Lady. So Wynter has told
You.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
He has not told me enough.
DRAKE
It. . . It has abilities, My
Queen.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
What sorts of abilities?
DRAKE
Abilities that the Spanish had
sought after. But, they be too
stupid to use such things
properly. Doughty, he too, was
far too simple-minded to wield it
Properly.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
How so?
DRAKE
I actually told Doughty to leave
it behind when we left that
cursed place. But, he did not
listen. As we made our way south
for Cape Horn, we lost track of
him leading the Swan.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
You had him leading the Swan?
Drake, you had the man leading a
supply ship? You, Wynter, and
Doughty were supposed to lead
this mission equally. And you had
one of your leaders demoted? And
now you tell me of some wretched
witchcraft? We may have told the
World that this was a trip for
discovery, but your true mission
was to disrupt Spanish trade and
to raid their treasures of the
New World. But now I am suppose
to believe in magic and
witchcraft? What am I supposed to
do with this, Drake? Phillip aims
for your head, and he would
attack English soil to get it.
Drake gets up from the armrest on her throne and paces for a
moment. He then gets back to a knee, trying to show her
respect.
DRAKE
My Queen, I would never lie to
you. It took me far too long to
believe in it myself. And you,
Your Highness, you are far wiser
than I. Please heed my advice in
believing in this as soon as
possible. The Death's Door. . .
We will need it back in our
possession as soon as possible.
It cannot stay in Spanish hands.
Queen Elizabeth sits quietly for a long while.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
What happened with Doughty,
Drake?
Drake looks up from his bow.
BEGIN FLASHBACK:
SUPER - CAPE HORN, 1578. THE MOST SOUTHERN TIP OF THE WORLD
EXT. ON A SANDY BEACH LINED WITH OVERGROWN JUNGLE. THE WATER
IS WILD, A STORM RAGES OVERHEAD.
The Golden Hind is anchored just off the coast, you can see
it in the distance, and it rocks back and forth in the wild
waves. You can hear that most of the crew is still on board,
working to keep it afloat.
There is suddenly a bright flash of light near the Golden
Hind. It's almost like a lightning strike, blasting onto the
cresting waves, but there is an unnatural look to it,
supernatural. When the light fades away, there is suddenly
another ship there. It is the SWAN, a ship just a bit smaller
than the Golden Hind.
The Swan magically appeared there in the strange bright
flash. As soon as it arrives, it sails forward much faster
than any ship of the 1500s should be able to, and it is
sailing straight towards the beach with no signs of stopping
or slowing down. Drake's voice is speaking over this scene,
as he explains it to Elizabeth.
DRAKE
(VO)
The Swan appeared in a flash from
Hell. And Doughty sailed it
straight to land, ran it aground.
The Swan does just that, it breaks apart and creaks and
collapses as it smashes into the beach and sharp rocks and
boulders jutting out of the water.
We see Drake, Stargazer, Matchlock, Myrddin the Wild,
Cardinal, and Charter on the beach nearby. They scramble
across the sand to avoid flying shrapnel and bits of the
broken Swan.
DRAKE (CONT'D)
My closest men and I were on land
to try and scope out a place for
our whole crew to take refuge on
land while the storm passed over.
We weren't expecting an attack.
Crawling out of the wreckage of the Swan is Doughty and his
crew, about 50 men, but they are not human anymore. They are
twisted creatures - zombies. They are rotting walking
corpses, growling and snarling.
They crawl around the ship's wreckage aimlessly until they
catch sight of Drake and his five crewmates even through the
wild rain. They all charge for the beach, swimming and
running like predators about to eat their prey.
DRAKE (CONT'D)
They were demon spawn. They had
no mind for reason, they were but
ravenous animals, like wolves.
The zombies attack Drake and his five close crewmates. But,
the six of them are highly capable fighters. Matchlock wears
a bandolier with ten guns- his namesake- strapped to it. He
draws one to fire, and then another, but the third doesn't
fire. The rain soaked the gunpowder, and it locks up. But,
that doesn't slow him down.
Matchlock continues to fight the zombies by smashing the
barrels of his matchlocks to their rotting skulls. Cardinal
is back to back with Matchlock, though his fighting style is
more refined.
Cardinal wears the nicest clothes amongst all of them, and
even in the rain he seems to be trying to move gracefully and
keep his clothes clean and elegant as he fights with his
sword.
DRAKE (CONT'D)
Those two months of sailing from
El Dorado to Cape Horn, Doughty
had the Death's Door aboard the
Swan the whole time.
A view of zombified Doughty holding the Death's Door, the
golden man the size of a fist. Doughty is animalistic in his
movements as he crawls over the wreckage of the Swan and
towards Drake and his crew. Death's Door seems to be giving
off an ominous aura as he clutches it tightly.
Doughty makes it to the beach and lunges at Myrddin the Wild,
trying to bite his head off. Myrddin is only 14 years old in
1578, but by far the greatest swordsman amongst Drake and his
crew. He whips and twirls his English longsword at Doughty,
skillfully keeping Doughty at bay.
But, Doughty keeps coming at him like a cornered tiger.
Myrddin continues to swipe and cut at Doughty, but it doesn't
seem to slow Doughty down.
A gunshot is sounded across the beach, and Doughty's head is
suddenly thrust backward. A bullet hole is visible in his
forehead. We see that the shot came from Stargazer, as he
borrowed one of Matchlock's guns.
Stargazer had positioned himself under some overgrown trees
and plantlife along the edge of the beach, using the
overgrowth as cover from the rain to keep the gunpowder dry.
Doughty falls back to the sand and the Death's Door rolls out
of his hand. Charter, the oldest of the crew, kicks the thing
Away.
DRAKE
(to Charter)
No! We take it. It clearly has
power that we should learn to
understand.
CHARTER
Are you mad?! Dragon, look what
it had done to Doughty and his
crew!
Myrddin the Wild comes over to the two of them. He leaves
behind almost two dozen zombies lying unmoving in the sand.
He had decapitated all of them. Cutting off their head or
shooting them in the head seemed to be the only way to stop
them.
Matchlock and Cardinal are walking around the wake of
Myrddin's destruction to make sure none of the zombies will
move again.
MYRDDIN THE WILD
(to Drake)
Uncle, I think Charter's right.
These men. . . They weren't men.
Myrddin warily looks to the Death's Door still sitting in the
sand.
Drake is frustrated by the two of them.
DRAKE
Only because Doughty was a fool!
Drake then picks up the Death's Door. He looks around to his
crew.
Stargazer joins them, and he looks at the item.
STARGAZER
(to Drake)
Captain, how do you think you
could use it any differently than
Doughty?
Drake turns over the Death's Door in his hand then looks at
Stargazer.
DRAKE
Because I am no fool.
END FLASHBACK.
BACK TO SCENE. INT. QUEEN ELIZABETH'S COURT IN 1580.
Drake is still kneeling before Queen Elizabeth. They are
silent for a long moment.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
So you did have it. Where is it
Now?
Drake sours and gets to his feet. He paces.
DRAKE
The Spanish.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
How did that happen?
Drake clearly doesn't want to divulge how. It seems to be
embarassing to talk about. Elizabeth lets the matter drop.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Do you think the Spanish are
capable of using it the same way
you did?
Drake looks to her questioningly.
DRAKE
M'Lady, you knew that I was
capable of using the artifact
successfully?
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Would you be standing here if you
hadn't been?
Drake smiles, appreciating her.
DRAKE
M'Lady, I am never wrong to say
your wisdom always exceeds
Expectation.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Enough with the flattery, Dragon.
Now answer me. Can the Spanish
use the Death's Door?
DRAKE
Perhaps. From what I could tell,
they did not turn to cursed
abominations like Doughty and his
men did.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
So this truly is the one treasure
that matters.
DRAKE
Aye, M'Lady.
Elizabeth sits silently for a long moment. It is clear she is
hatching a plan.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
The Spanish will aim to attack
England, though I am not sure
when. When they do, we must
assume they will use each and
every weapon they have against
Us.
Drake scoffs again.
DRAKE
I suppose so.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
When that happens, I need my
Dragon to get the Death's Door
Back.
END FLASHBACK.
SUPER: ENGLISH CHANNEL. JULY, 1588
EXT/INT. MAIN DECK OF THE GOLDEN HIND - NIGHT
Charter is at the helm steering the ship. Stargazer stands
next to him, looking out ahead of the ship through a spyglass
with his good eye.
Myrddin sits casually ontop a barrel behind them, playing
with a knife, twirling it in the air and twisting it between
his fingers.
Matchlock is lying on the deck between some crates, snoring.
A bottle of rum is on his chest and spilling over his clothes
as he sleeps.
Cardinal and Drake head up to the helm. Myrddin kicks
Matchlock to get him to shut up with his snoring.
DRAKE
(to Stargazer)
Are we close?
STARGAZER
Aye, Captain. We could probably
go about this whenever you call
for it.
DRAKE
(to Cardinal)
Any word if Howard already began
his plan?
Cardinal laughs.
CARDINAL
Aye, he began before you even
boarded. A dozen Spanish ships
are already ablaze. I reckon
Howard is already leading his
ship to follow us.
Drake looks to Stargazer to confirm. Stargazer adjusts the
spyglass and looks past the stern of the ship.
STARGAZER
Too dark for me to see the Ark
specifically. But if I count. . .
Aye, it looks like every ship is
accounted for.
DRAKE
Good.
(to Myrddin the Wild)
Get on with it, Nephew.
Myrddin looks happy to oblige. He pulls up the half-awake
Matchlock to his feet.
MYRDDIN THE WILD
Aye, Captain. Right away.
Myrddin and Matchlock head down to the main deck in a rush.
Drake speaks with Charter and Stargazer.
DRAKE
The Sao Martinho, it's still in
your sights? I can trust the two
of you to never lose it?
CHARTER
Of course, captain.
Drake gives him an appreciative nod, then speaks to the whole
Ship.
DRAKE
We go dark!
Myrddin and Matchlock then begin extinguishing the flames of
every lantern on board. Cardinal goes to help, as does much
of the crew of the Golden Hind. Little by little, it gets
darker and darker.
Drake speaks out again to the whole deck.
DRAKE (CONT'D)
From here on out, we stay dark,
we stay silent.
CHARTER
(to Drake)
Are you sure about this, Captain?
Howard may have your head.
Stargazer laughs.
STARGAZER
Howard already wants his head.
Drake doesn't seem phased.
DRAKE
Not that he could ever lay a
finger on my head.
Stargazer and Charter laugh at the comment.
STARGAZER
The English Navy will soon go
into disarray, now that they'll
lose sight of us.
DRAKE
As it may be.
EXT. THE ENGLISH CHANNEL - NIGHT
Scanning across the water, dozens of English ships are indeed
in disarray. We hear shouts of "where's Drake?" and "Where's
the Golden Hind?"
EXT/INT. MAIN DECK OF THE ARK ROYAL - NIGHT
Howard is pacing the deck, scowling, cursing.
LORD HOWARD
Drake is still nothing but a
damned pirate.
EXT/INT. MAIN DECK OF THE GOLDEN HIND - NIGHT
The Golden Hind sails quietly and steathily towards the Sao
Martinho. The Spanish ship is unaware of how close the Golden
Hind is. Drake, Stargazer, Cardinal, Myrddin, and Matchlock
start boarding a dinghy. Charter is staying behind, and Drake
speaks to him softly.
DRAKE
Keep an eye out for my signal if
this should turn to cannon fire.
CHARTER
Aye, captain. If I am to be
honest, a part of me hopes this
does turn to cannon fire.
Matchlock laughs as he pulls at the rigging to drop the
Dinghy.
MATCHLOCK
(to Charter)
Old Man, you can barely keep up
with us in a scuffle anymore, so
you hope to compensate it by
blowing us all to Hell?
CHARTER
Perhaps Hell is where you all belong,
Anyway.
They all laugh at the comment. But, Drake quiets them down
after a moment. He speaks pointedly to Charter.
DRAKE
I leave you in charge of the
Golden Hind while I'm away. Stay
Vigilant.
CHARTER
Always, captain.
Drake and the four others board the dinghy and Matchlock
lowers them down to the water. He begins rowing, and they
quietly approach the Sao Martinho.
EXT/INT. THE SAO MARTINHO - NIGHT
Myrddin manages to grab hold of rigging of the hull of the
Sao Martinho, and he begins to climb. Eventually, the others
follow suit. They pay no mind to the dinghy that floats away
from the Sao Martinho.
Once Myrddin gets to the main deck, he wraps his arms around
an unsuspecting Spanish Crew member. He puts a hand over his
mouth to keep him quiet. He holds his neck tight, until the
Spanish crewmember goes limp and falls to the floorboards.
Matchlock and Stargazer then get to deck and they too start
quietly taking out as many crewmembers as possible. They give
blows to the head, or cut off their air to make them pass
Out.
Cardinal is a skilled shipwright, and understands the
architecture of ships very well. He knows where things are
Placed.
As Matchlock, Stargazer, and Myrddin see to the men on the
main deck, Cardinal sneaks around them looking for doors and
hatches to the lower decks. He either locks them or
barricades them. Trap doors he rolls a cannon over or puts a
heavy barrel ontop. All men below decks will be locked down
There.
He looks to the rigging of the sails and masts. He signals
for Myrddin to come join him. The two understand each other
without speaking. Cardinal points to particular ropes, and
Myrddin cuts them clean with his sword. Cardinal jams some of
the pulleys himself.
Cardinal points to a few things high up on the masts, and
Myrddin quietly climbs up the shrouds. He cuts and swipes at
the ropes Cardinal points out. He slices a few slits in sails
for good measure.
Matchlock and Stargazer still move about the deck, taking
every man they find by surprise. Eventually, there is only
about 8 Spanish sailors left.
Drake arrives on the deck. He is not quiet, nor is he
stealthy. He canters across the deck as if the ship is his
own. A Spanish sailor catches sight of him. He is about to
run across deck and shout that there is an intruder, but
Drake takes him by the arm and flips him overboard.
The splash he makes echoes across the water. Spanish
crewmembers turn their attention to Drake. Drake smiles.
DRAKE
(loudly, for the
whole main deck to
hear)
Take the ship, boys.
His four crewmates come out of hding and quickly go to combat
with the Spanish. Cardinal and Stargazer don't have to do
much of anything, as Matchlock and Myrddin do all the
Fighting.
Matchlock fires gun after gun, and Myrddin moves far faster
than anyone else on deck.
Two Spanish crewmember start shouting for backup as they run
from Myrddin's sword.
SPANISH CREW 1
(in Spanish)
Beat to quarters! Beat to
Quarters!
SPANISH CREW 2
El Draque! El Draque!
Myrddin cuts them down before they shout again.
There is pounding and shouting coming from below decks, but
no other sailor comes to aid. Cardinal had successfully
locked all of them belowdecks.
Matchlock shoots down the helmsman, and the body goes limp
over the wheel. It makes the Sao Martinho rock a bit, as the
wheel alters slightly. Stargazer approaches the deadman, then
pats the corpse on the back.
STARGAZER
(to the corpse)
Rest in peace, sir. May the Lord
give you shelter.
He then shoves the corpse off the wheel. He places his hands
on the wheel and takes command of it.
Drake had been casually walking about deck, taking his slow
sweet time to approach the captain's quarters. As he nears
the door, he looks up to the helm and speaks to Stargazer.
DRAKE
How does she fare?
Stargazer shrugs and thinks on this question.
STARGAZER
Alright, I suppose. Pulls a bit
too much to port.
DRAKE
Hmm.
Drake looks to Myrddin and Matchlock.
DRAKE (CONT'D)
Drop the anchor, would you? Slow
us down a bit.
They both nod and oblige.
MATCHLOCK
Aye, Captain.
MYRDDIN THE WILD
Aye.
The two wrap around behind Stargazer and release the capstan.
The chain rattles as the anchor lowers. The water is too deep
for the achor to really ground the ship, but there is an
immediate pull to the stern side of the ship. It slows
Greatly.
Cardinal rips and pulls at the sails, damaging them. The Sao
Martinho continues to slow, and the Golden Hind is just about
in line with it now.
Matchlock fires a round into the sky as he looks over to the
Golden Hind. A signal to Charter that they had successfully
taken the main deck of the Sao Martinho.
A moment later, another round is sounded from the deck of the
Golden Hind, letting them know they got the message.
Drake then finally gets to the door of the captain's
quarters. He fixes his collar, straightens his helmet, clears
his throat. He then knocks on the door. He speaks loudly so
he can be heard through the door.
DRAKE
Dear Duke. You have something
that belongs to me. My men and I
are here to take it off your
Hands.
There isn't a response.
DRAKE (CONT'D)
If you don't mind, I'll just let
myself in. I hope to speak with
You.
Drake then tries to turn the doorknob, but it's locked. He
smiles, then looks to Cardinal.
DRAKE (CONT'D)
(to Cardinal)
Dear cousin, have you locked the
captain in his quarters?
Cardinal casually leans against the mainmast, and shrugs.
CARDINAL
Oops.
Matchlock laughs.
MATCHLOCK
It's a good thing he did,
Captain. We wouldn't have wanted
to kill him on accident if he
decided to join his men in the
scuffle.
DRAKE
I suppose so.
Cardinal then comes over and picks at the lock. It then opens
with a click. He bows and offers for Drake to enter the room.
Drake bows back to him in respect, admiring Cardinal's quick
lockpicking skills.
DRAKE (CONT'D)
(to Cardinal)
My, you have gotten so much
faster at that.
INT. CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS OF THE SAO MARTINHO
The quarters are incredibly clean and elegant. There is an
intricate chandelier on the ceiling. Bookshelves line the
walls. There are extravagant silks and fabrics decorating the
tables and chairs. It smells of spices from the New World.
There is a dark wood desk in the center of the room, with
maps and papers strewn about it.
Drake peers inside, and The Duke of Medina Sidonia sits up
straight behind his desk. He is not surprised or frightened
by Drake's appearance. He sits calmly, and lets out a pained
sigh. He speaks to Drake with a thick Spanish accent.
DUKE
El Draque. To meet you in person.
What a bendicion. Please enter,
though I am sure you would do so
without my permiso.
Drake chuckles. He enters the quarters and sits himself in a
cushioned chair across from the Duke.
The Duke leans forward and laces his fingers on his desk
before he speaks to Drake.
DUKE (CONT'D)
Draque, what have you? Why must
you continue ravaging the seas?
Why continue the pillaging and
the saqueo of the glory that is
Spain? Why doesn't a successful
sailor like you just rest, solo
descansa? Find a home in England,
on land, where all is much
Simpler.
Drake laughs. He appears to be humbled by this, but it is for show. He speaks with feigning sincerity.
DRAKE
It isn't that life ashore is
distasteful to me. But life at
sea is better. There is but a
calling the sea gives, a calling
for discovery. The light of past
discovery draws me forward. Its
shining light guides me to the
glory of exploration. This is but
all that I am, a humble explorer,
a humble seeker of discovery.
Ravage the seas? Pillaging,
plundering, ransacking, looting,
burning, blasting the great
country of Spain? Whatever could
you mean? I could never. I am but
a servant to the seas, so I could
never do such harm to such a
valuable ally like the exalted
King Phillip II and his mighty
kingdom of Espana. I would never
spend valuable time on barbaric
things like pillaging or saqueo
when the sea is a never-ending
temptation of wonder and
discovery that not many have the
courage to indulge. I am one such
man to indulge this, however, so
I would never wish to squander
away that rare courage. Frankly,
senor, I am marveled by your
forwardness. Marveled in your
belief that I have already
established myself as a
successful sailor. What has come
to pass has only been the
beginning. There must be a
beginning of any great matter,
but the continuing unto the end
until it be thoroughly finished
yields the true glory. And the
end? I have not been so blessed
or fortuitous enough yet to have
discovered what that is. Hence
why I could not rest just yet,
could not hole myself up on land.
Successful sailor? You flatter.
But, it is just simply not true.
I am humble, simple man who only
answers a call for discovery.
DUKE
Which is why you come onto the
Sao Martinho? for the Puerta de
la Muerte? The Death's Door?
Purely for discovery?
DRAKE
Yes, of course. Only for
discovery. The secrets of the
Death's Door. . . Unlocking those
secrets, that is all I wish.
DUKE
The Armada is at England's
doorstep. You do not wish to
defend your home?
Drake leans back in his seat and puts his feet up on the
Duke's desk. He looks to the Duke questioningly.
DRAKE
My dear duke. Is that a threat?
The Duke shrugs. He's starting to feel uneasy, now. Sweat
drips down the side of his face.
DUKE
Merely a fact.
Drake laughs.
DRAKE
You've come for slaughter. Give
me the Death's Door now, and
things would go much easier. My
ship is lining up with the Sao
Martinho as we speak. I give the
order, and she will blow your
ship to Hell.
DUKE
With you and your men aboard?
Drake laughs again.
DRAKE
I am El Draque. You question how
crazy I truly am?
The Duke audibly swallows. He is losing his calm and
collectedness.
DUKE
By order of King Phillip II of
Sp-
Drake cuts him off.
DRAKE
Enough with that. Give me the
Death's Door now, or I'll send
hellfire.
End Act 1.
May no seas fare smooth.
—Andi May
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