AfroFantasy: Episode 4

By Channing Chea

Darren and Asa climb Mount Kilimanjaro to warn the present Guardian of new coming threats. But while the couple searches for the Guardian, the Waalisha searches for them.

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C1GNUS STUD1O presents AfroFantasy, a serialized screenplay.

• Language: English
• Publisher: C1GNUS STUD1O
• Release date: Jun 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9780578931661

Book preview

AFROFANTASY

104 - The First Shard

Written by

Channing Chea

AFROFANTASY

THE FIRST SHARD

TEASER

FADE IN:

EXT. KILIMANJARO SUMMIT - DAY

A thick layer of SNOW caps the land in all directions. Only in the distance--as the landscape tapers in elevation--does the white give way to earthy browns and the greens of lush GRASSLANDS, assuming you could see them through the floor of CLOUDS.

This is the summit of MOUNT KILIMANJARO, and as sunlight rolls in, HIKERS and their TEAMS OF PORTERS trudge to the top, immortalizing the moment with selfies and celebrations. They are so raptured in their victories that they don’t notice the single man moving toward the mountain’s crater.

This man is PHARAOH, dressed for an excursion, but hardly bundled like the other Hikers. He’s not even cold.

Pharaoh arrives at the volcano’s CRATER. The sun throws a shadow into the hole, making it difficult to judge its depth. He reaches into his BAG and pulls out something he’s careful to keep hidden: the MASK OF ARJANA.

As he grips the mask, FIRE crackles around his fingers as he seemingly sends energy into the mask. The mask responds. The crevices that make up its face GLOW until they create the faint outline of a kite-shaped Africa. It glows brightest on the eastern region--exactly on Kilimanjaro.

Pharaoh, reassured, puts the mask away. Then he generates a FIREBALL and launches it into the crater. The fire illuminates the once darkened pit, and a previously hidden feature is revealed: a stone STAIRCASE. Pharaoh is pleased.

He jumps into the pit.

EXT. KILIMANJARO CRATER - TOP OF STAIRS - DAY

Pharaoh lands on the staircase and summons another FLAME to act as a lantern. The light reveals the nature of the stairs. They almost appear to be a natural feature of the landscape and are formed from pure, but dirty OBSIDIAN. They spiral deeper into the pit.

2.

Pharaoh descends.

INT. KILIMANJARO CRATER - CHAMBER DOOR - DAY

A hundred feet down, the steps terminate into a dark floor that leads to a large OBSIDIAN WALL.

Pharaoh examines the wall. He quickly finds THREE CONCENTRIC CIRCLES etched into it at chest height. There’s just enough room in the center circle for a hand imprint.

PHARAOH (smirks)

Simple enough.

He reaches for the door but is interrupted by a SCREAMING WHISPER.

OMINOUS VOICES Ondoka!

Pharaoh withdraws--searches for the source. He finds no one.

OMINOUS VOICES Ondoka! Ondoka! Ondoka-Ondoka-Ondoka!

The VOICES shake the air, echo off the walls. Pharaoh cannot understand them, but their intention is felt. He steels himself, refusing to let the voices scare him away.

He reaches for the imprint and covers it with his hand. The wall responds. It glows and splits directly down the middle, transforming into a door. It opens wide enough for a car to slip through.

The voices finally stop as Pharaoh enters.

INT. KILIMANJARO CRATER - OBSIDIAN CHAMBER - DAY

Walls that were once cavernous straighten into deliberately cut blocks of VOLCANIC GLASS. RUNES and other WALL ART are etched into the glass, illuminated by a light source in the center of the chamber.

Pharaoh approaches the light, the usual focused scowl he wears fading into awe…

PHARAOH

This is it. It was that easy…

3.

The light radiates from a small STONE, a pyramidal polygon, which floats above a shrine-like base. Pharaoh gets within twenty feet of it before he stops dead in his tracks.

A WARRIOR WOMAN, early 30s, steps from behind the shining display and blocks Pharaoh’s path to the stone. Her body is wrapped in a fitted base layer, and she is adorned with compact plates of ARMOR in strategic locations. The HILT of a SWORD that’s strapped to her back is visible.

Her body blocks the light, casts a shadow over Pharaoh.

WARRIOR WOMAN Ondoka.

(beat) Shiya.

Pharaoh keeps silent as he listens to the woman.

WARRIOR WOMAN Ghadir… Quitter…

(beat) Leave…

PHARAOH

And why would I leave after coming this far?

WARRIOR WOMAN

So English? I suppose that makes sense… You are trespassing on forbidden land.

PHARAOH

Hand me that stone behind you, and I’ll be on my way.

The Warrior Woman tilts her head in curiosity. She is