ACT TWO

FADE IN:

15 EXT. ANTHISTERIA - NIGHT

Xena heads out of town, leading Argo with Scarecrow Orpheus aboard. Joxer and Gabrielle FOLLOW a few paces back.

GABRIELLE
So? She has blood on her neck. She
was in a fight. It could be anything
... a scratch.

JOXER
Believe me, I've seen every kind of
wound encountered by man or beast.
Most of them on this very body. That, my
friend, is a bite. Specifically, a
Bacchae bite.

GABRIELLE
Then why hasn't she turned into one?

JOXER
These things take time. Trust me,
any moment now, Xena will be sporting
a new set of teeth. Big ones.
(then; realizing)
No wonder she didn't want me on the
mission. She knows I'm the one
man who can stop her.

Gabrielle rolls her eyes.

GABRIELLE
We can settle this right now. I'll
just ask her.

JOXER
Go ahead. But be warned, the wrong
question could propel her into a
Bacchian frenzy.

Joxer grabs Gabrielle's fighting staff.

JOXER
I'd better make a point on the end of
this. It may come in handy.

GABRIELLE
Don't be ridiculous.

JOXER
You're right. We don't want to draw
attention to ourselves. Better to
act nonchalant.

Up ahead, Xena notices them lagging behind.

XENA
Hurry up. What are you two doing
back there?

JOXER
(anything but nonchalant)
Nothing! Just sharpening our weapons!

Gabrielle grabs her fighting staff back and marches ahead of him.

JOXER
Fine. Go ahead. But when Xena bites
your head off, don't come running to me.

DISSOLVE TO:

16 EXT. CAMP IN THE WOODS - NIGHT

Gabrielle cooks over an open fire. Joxer watches every move Xena makes. Gabrielle drops a KNIFE near Xena, but before Xena can retrieve it, Joxer rushes over and picks it up.

JOXER
I've got it.
(re: the knife)
Can't be too careful with these things.
One slip up and everyone's hacked to
pieces.

Xena looks at Joxer as if he's gone nuts, then --

XENA
(to Gabrielle)
Be right back.

FOLLOW XENA as she gets up and crosses to Orpheus who is resting against a tree.

XENA
You all right?

ORPHEUS
I'm a musician without my hands. How
should I feel? Just because you've
agreed to help me doesn't make us friends.
My wife died in your war camp. And you
did nothing to protect her.

XENA
There was nothing I could do. Most
of my men had already fallen. I did
my best to hold off Bacchus in hope
that she could escape.

ORPHEUS
But you failed.

XENA
Eurydice shouldn't have been there in
the first place.

A silent BEAT, then --

ORPHEUS
I can still remember how beautiful
she was the day of our wedding. Her
eyes were so filled with promise.
We were going to start a family. Our
children would grow up with the love
of music ...
(darkening)
But you changed all that. I don't
know why Eurydice thought she could
befriend a ruthless warrior like you...
(angry; to Xena)
Her blood is on your hands.

Xena looks at Orpheus; there's nothing she can say.

RESUME Gabrielle and Joxer cooking over the campfire.

GABRIELLE
Xena is not a Bacchae. I don't want
to hear another word.

JOXER
Fine. Whatever you say.

Xena CROSSES PAST them, still angry about Orpheus. She grabs a KNIFE and tosses it hard into a tree trunk.

Joxer watches all of this -- eyes wide.

JOXER
(to Gabrielle; re: Xena)
Tell you one thing: No one sleeps
soundly tonight.

CUT TO:

17 EXT. CAMP - NIGHT

Later, Joxer sleeps soundly. Just then, behind him, Xena rises, an intense look on her face. She creeps towards Joxer, with a KNIFE. As she comes CLOSER, a twig SNAPS --

Joxer's eyes pop open. He hears something behind him. Play the suspense as Xena draws the knife over his head. Joxer grabs for his sword, but it's just out of reach. Then, Joxer turns, just as --

Xena plunges the knife right at him! He SCREAMS, rolling to avoid her. Then, he turns back to SEE --

Xena has stabbed A GIANT SPIDER. She holds it up for him.

XENA
Spider.

JOXER
(frazzled)
Right.

XENA
Something wrong?

JOXER
Wrong? What could be wrong?
(then)
Now that you ask... Not that I haven't
handled my share of Bacchae but, what's
the best way to kill them?

XENA
There's only one way to kill a Bacchae.
We'll find what we need on the way to
the catacombs.
(then)
Get some sleep.

Xena crosses back, leaving Joxer alone, eyes wide open..

JOXER
Sure. No problem.

DISSOLVE TO:

18 INT. BACCHAES' LAIR - NIGHT

A NUMBER of wild-eyed BACCHAE dance to frenzied DRUMS, as we PAN ACROSS this spectacle of women.

A WINE GOBLET and a matching BOWL are on a TABLE. A FEW BACCHAE dance about the table, pouring WINE in the bowl as they dance. This continues for a beat, then EVERYTHING STOPS - We PAN BACK to:

BACCHUS

A cross between a handsome rogue and a Satyr, he stands before his Bacchae.

He gestures and the DRUMS SOUND AGAIN. This time, the Bacchae rise and circle him. Bacchus takes a KNIFE and cuts his HAND! draining his BLOOD and mixing it with the wine.

BACCHUS
Under the light of the Bacchae moon,
our initiates will drink my blood
and become one of us.

Everyone SHRIEKS in delight, then:

BACCHUS
By this time tomorrow, there will be
a new race of eternal Bacchae... And
one of them will be Xena!

As the DRUMS BEAT LOUDER, the Bacchae DANCE and SHOUT with glee. Bacchus takes the Knife and LICKS HIS OWN BLOOD off of it! As we:

DISSOLVE TO:

20 EXT. PATH IN WOODS/ROCKY HILL/MOUNTAIN RIDGE MONTAGE - DAY

As the day passes, Xena leads Argo and Orpheus, followed by Joxer and Gabrielle, on their way to Bacchus' lair.

They weave through a PATH in the WOODS;

They climb a ROCKY HILL;

They pass along a RIDGE as, in the distance, the SUN BEGINS TO SET behind a LONELY GRAVEYARD.

XENA (V.0.)
We can get weapons to fight the Bacchae
up ahead.

JOXER (V.0.)
Where? I don't see anything ...

DISSOLVE To-

21 EXT. GRAVEYARD - NIGHT

Xena, Gabrielle, Joxer and Orpheus (on Argo) arrive to find a CLUSTER OF GRAVES, surrounded by twisted, leafless trees. A few PARTIALLY DECOMPOSED CORPSES hang in the trees.

JOXER
This is it? When you said weapons, I
was thinking more of a blacksmith's shop...

XENA
No. We need something special.
(then; heading in)
Be quiet and don't step on a grave.

Xena and Joxer start into the graveyard. Gabrielle hesitates.

JOXER
(looking at a headstone)
Dryads? What's a Dryad?

XENA
Sworn enemies of Bacchus. A Dryad bone through the heart is the only way to kill a Bacchae.

Gabrielle slowly walks in, keeping her distance.

GABRIELLE
You mean we have to dig them up?

XENA
Not exactly.

JOXER
Well, they're not gonna jump out at
us ...

FOLLOW JOXER until he stops. Something has caught his leg. Joxer LOOKS DOWN to see A BONY HAND reaching out from a grave and holding onto his boot! Just then, a SECOND HAND reaches for his other leg! Before he can say anything -the Hands PULL HIM INTO THE GRAVE! Xena and Gabrielle rush over, but he's gone!

GABRIELLE
Joxer!

Xena reaches into the grave, searching blindly, until she gets a hold of Joxer's ARM. She pulls! The arm comes out, but there's nothing connected to it! Gabrielle screams! Xena reaches back in for the rest of him, until --

Joxer emerges, reaching out, both arms intact. (Obviously, that was someone else's arm). He gasps for air. Xena grabs hold and pulls, but Joxer isn't moving.

JOXER
It's still got me! Pull harder.

Gabrielle grabs his other arm and pulls. But the Dryad pulls back. Joxer's caught in a ghoulish tug-o-war! Finally, Xena and Gabrielle yank him out. He's in one piece, but missing his BOOTS.

JOXER
(relieved)
That was close.
(then; noticing his feet)
My boots! They cost fifty dinars!
(to the grave)
Stupid, good-for-nothing bag of bones.

Just then, THREE MORE DRYADS explode from their graves!

FLYING WINGED SKELETONS, with razor-sharp CLAWS, these things may be dead, but that hasn't slowed them down any.

JOXER
(to the Dryads)
I meant that in a good way.

The Dryads swoop down. Gabrielle and Joxer dive for cover, but Xena draws her SWORD. DRYAD #1 lashes at Xena. She tumbles to avoid the blow, then springs back to her feet.

Dryad #1 attacks Xena again. This time, Xena uses her sword to intercept the bony creature. With one perfectly timed swipe, Xena shatters it to pieces. Bones fly everywhere.

Dryad #2 and Dryad #3 start to fly off.

JOXER
(to the escaping Dryads)
Go on! Fly away, you cowards!

Xena takes Orpheus' head off the Scarecrow and puts it in her pack.

XENA
Gather those bones. We've got to
get going.

Joxer picks up a Dryad bone.

JOXER
These things are sharp as nails. No
wonder they can kill Bacchae.

Curious, Joxer points the sharp bone at Xena's chest, testing her. Xena doesn't flinch.

JOXER
You're not afraid of this?

XENA
No, should I be?

JOXER
Well, no. It's just, Gabrielle had
this theory that you were a Bacchae and ...
(then; off Xena's look)
Okay. So maybe I thought you
were one, too.

Xena shakes her head, then helps gather the bones.

JOXER
Hey, you had blood on your neck. It
was an innocent mistake.

XENA
Sorry to disappoint you.

JOXER
I was just looking forward to that
first kill is all. Yep. There's
nothing like staking a Bacchae to
get the blood flowing... Bacchae
blood, that is. You know, I love
blood -- the sight of blood, the smell
of blood. In fact, if I don't spill
blood at least once a day, I get cranky.
And believe me, you don't want to
see me cranky...

As Joxer speaks, we see Gabrielle's back. Something is happening to her. Then, in an instant, she turns around, revealing the face of a HORRID BACCHAE. In one incredible leap, she dives at Xena, as we:

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT TWO