Niro's Story 3

Destiny Saga

Niro’s Story 3

Scene 1 — “Eve of War” (short animation scriptment)

INTENT: Establish the world, the cycle, and Lira’s charisma. De-emphasize Niro (not present). Seed the sacred rules in the Queen’s brief address. End on a lunar omen.

Shot 1 — Establishing: Capital Canopy (EXT. CAPITAL TOWN – DUSK → NIGHT)

A soaring glide over a jungle metropolis braided into colossal trees. Rope bridges hum with foot traffic; banners with claw-mark sigils ripple; drums thump like a heartbeat. Lantern-fruit glow warms faces. As the camera floats inward, the sound thickens: ululations, bamboo flutes, whip cracks used as percussion.

Camera: Slow push-in becomes a crane drop toward the town center.

Shot 2 — The Five Queens

ANGLE: High-to-medium as we descend onto a stone-and-root dais. The five queens recline on carved perches; the Victorious Queen stands center, crowned in black-feather torque and vine-gold. The four sister-queens flank her, each distinct in dress and posture.

SOUND: Crowd hushes on a drum roll; insects keep a faint metronome.

VICTORIOUS QUEEN (brief, ceremonial): “Seven rains fattened our peace. Two years wake the jungle. Fight as sisters. Spare the hands that heal; guard the runners of our word. Win clean. Remember all. We host the pyres—let their smoke find the stars.”

Crowd: A ripple of claws tapped to chests; a low, rolling cheer.

(Visual cues quietly establish rules: medics and gofers visible behind the dais, marked by yellow cords and white ash bands.)

Shot 3 — Cutaway: Lira’s Circle

CUT TO: The edge of the square, firelight licking faces. LIRA YU, lithe and scarred, holds court with a ring of young warriors from mixed tribes—different whip hilts, different claw paints, all leaning in.

Lira’s performance (no weapon—mime and body language):

Ad libs (spare, with a grin): “Strike. Coil. Breathe.” “Make fear do the running.”

Reaction: The circle erupts—whoops, claw-taps, a young warrior tries to mimic the figure-eight and tangles, laughing.

Detail: As Lira straightens, her pendant (a leaf-shaped charm) catches firelight and chimes once as it taps her collarbone.

Shot 4 — Pan to Moon

CAMERA: From Lira’s lifted hand, we tilt and pan up past streaming banners to the canopy gap and a full moon burning silver. Torch embers float up to meet it like patient stars.

SOUND: Drums broaden to a festival rhythm; the single bell-tone of Lira’s pendant is echoed faintly in the score. Insects swell, then narrow to a clean, expectant hush under the moon.

TITLE CARD (optional): WAR SEASON.

CUT TO BLACK.

Scene 2 — “Home, Moon, Floorboards” (short animation scriptment)

INTENT: Land intimacy, show the family triangle without centering Niro, bridge the festival’s energy into a hush. Keep dialogue spare; let framing do the work.

Shot 1 — Match-dissolve: Moon drift (EXT. SKY – NIGHT)

The full moon from the last scene, now shifted along its arc. Festival drums faint in the distance; insects louder. Hold a breath, then dissolve to—

Shot 2 — Floor-level entrance (INT. YU HOUSE – CONTINUOUS)

ANGLE: Fixed, low—just above the reed mat. The door creaks open; LIRA enters waist-down, feet soft with jungle dust, a whip coil brushing her calf. Her pendant taps her chest —a single chime. She pauses to remove sandals; the soundscape drops to house-quiet.

Shot 3 — The greeting (still low; Niro de-emphasized)

BLOCKING: NIRO steps in from frame right—only from the waist down. He stops close; a hand (his) touches Lira’s wrist. The kiss is off-screen—we see only the tilt of hips, a small sway, then stillness.

DIEGETIC SOUND: A faint exhale; fabric whisper.

(Optional murmurs, nearly inaudible): Niro: “Welcome.” Lira (soft): “Home.”

Shot 4 — Kara’s rush

From the sleeping nook, KARA (12) darts in; we first catch her bare feet skidding, then she pops into frame as Lira kneels. This brings both their faces into the low frame while Niro’s remains cropped above the waist.

ACTION: Kara flings herself into Lira. Lira’s arms fold around her with practiced, panther-sure care.

Kara (drowsy, relieved): “You came back.” Lira (into her hair): “Always.”

TEXTURE DETAILS: Kara’s training wraps peek from her sleeves; Lira’s arm bears faint bandage lines under bracers—early foreshadow.

Shot 5 — The drift to sleep

CAMERA: Hold the low frame. Kara’s excitement ebbs; her cheek sinks into Lira’s shoulder. Her fingers loosen from Lira’s braid; the pendant nudges her temple and chimes again, softer.

SOUND: Insects; a far-off whoop from the square; the house fire settling with a tiny crack.

Shot 6 — Lift and exit (faces leave frame)

Lira shifts, sliding one arm beneath Kara’s knees. She stands, carrying Kara; as she rises, both their faces lift out of frame, honoring the low composition. Niro remains a gentle vertical on the frame edge—hip, hand, the faint movement of breath.

MOTION: Lira steps past camera left; Kara’s dangling hand trails briefly in frame, brushing a bead curtain—soft clicks.

Shot 7 — House settles (button)

The frame holds on the empty doorway slice and moonlight pooling on the mat. Niro’s hand briefly enters to nudge the door—never revealing his face. The latch settles with a wooden tok. In the next room, off-screen, Lira’s whisper: “Sleep.”

CUT.

Scene 3 — “The Edge of Peace” (departure)

INTENT: Big communal farewell, mother–daughter handoff of the pendant, Niro present but visually minimized, the jungle swallowing the warriors.

Shot 1 — Establishing: village outskirts (EXT. VILLAGE THRESHOLD – DAWN)

High, lateral move along the palisade where crowds churn: bundles passed, drums thrum, banners snap, kids dart between legs. Medics and gofers visible by yellow cords, already assembling.

Shot 2 — Family approach (MED WIDE, TRACK)

Lira, Kara (12), and Niro move with the stream toward the clearing. Keep Niro partly occluded by other bodies or frame edge.

Shot 3 — Back-of-Lira pause (REAR 3/4, SLOW IN)

From behind Lira. She stops at the threshold line of trampled grass. Deep breath; shoulders rise, then settle. Ambient sound dips for a heartbeat.

Shot 4 — Hand-off setup (TWO-SHOT, LOW MID)

Lira turns to Kara; Niro stands to one side, cropped above the waist. Background hubbub softens.

Lira (gentle, ritual cadence): “Keep the leaf until your first cut.”

Shot 5 — Insert A: pendant in Lira’s hands (CLOSE)

Leaf-shaped charm across her palms; fine nicks from years of wear. A tiny chime as chain links brush.

Shot 6 — Kara’s face (MED CLOSE)

Eyes shine—pride spiked with the ache of parting. She nods, mouth firming to hold back tears.

Shot 7 — Insert B: the transfer (CLOSE)

Kara’s smaller hands slide under Lira’s; the pendant passes. The metal rests in new skin. Micro chime.

Shot 8 — Kara examines, puts it on (PROFILE CLOSE → OVER-SHOULDER)

She turns the leaf, tracing an etched figure-eight. Slides it over her head; it settles at her collarbone. Background bokeh: Lira and Niro share a brief kiss, faces soft and out of focus.

Shot 9 — Dissolve to departure vista (WIDE ESTABLISHER)

Fades to a long view from village out toward the dark green wall of jungle. Drums lengthen; the path opens.

Shot 10 — Warriors’ farewell (FRONT LINE, MED WIDE)

Lira at the front rank with other warriors, jungle behind them. She lifts a hand, waves once—measured, composed. Other warriors mirror.

Shot 11 — Kara’s reply (REVERSE MED CLOSE)

Kara waves back, tears glassing her eyes. Niro also lifts a hand but is cut off by frame at the shoulder; only his forearm and moving hand read.

Shot 12 — The turn (REVERSE WIDE FROM JUNGLE SIDE)

Camera now inside the trees, looking out at the village. Warriors are silhouettes against sunlit dust as they turn—whip coils and braids swaying—and step into the shade. Lira glances once toward Kara; the jungle swallows the line.

Shot 13 — High farewell (BIRD’S-EYE WIDE)

From above, the village waves—a field of arms and fluttering cloth—while the warriors shrink into green, their shapes breaking and blending with vines. Festival drums fade under insects and leaf-rattle. One last pendant chime from Kara, tiny but clear.

CUT.

(Name note: using Kara per your original family list; if you prefer Kira, I can batch-rename in the script later.)

Scene 4 — “Band of Purple” (warband formation → Kara echo)

INTENT: Show Lira’s authority and the composition of her warband (12 warriors + 1 medic + 2 runners). Brand the tribe color purple across bodies and gear. Seed support roles as sacred. Cross-cut a single flash of Kara to bind their arcs.

Shot 1 — Establishing: Jungle assembly (EXT. RAINFOREST CLEARING – MORNING)

A fern-framed view opens onto a small clearing near a root-bridged stream. LIRA stands at the apex of a loose wedge: eleven other warriors fanning behind her. To one side: MEDIC (distinct pale wrap, kit satchel) and TWO RUNNERS (light gear, courier tubes), all three wearing non-warrior cuts—but each with a purple accent.

Design beats:

Ambient: insects, distant festival echo, water over stones.

Shot 2 — Roll call, marks of belonging (INSERT MONTAGE)

Shot 3 — Bonding gestures (MID SERIES)

(Quiet rule cue: support are honored and distinct.)

Shot 4 — Weapons check (WIDES → INSERTS)

Lira uncoils her whip and gives a single test crack—controlled, not flashy. Others test in sequence, each snap swallowed by leaves. Close on a pair of claws flexing, then relaxing.

Shot 5 — Vow without words (GROUP WIDE, STILL)

Lira lifts her hand; the band mirrors her. No chant—just breath held together. Leaves shiver. A nod, and—

SMASH CUT →

Shot 6 — Kara’s echo (INT. VILLAGE ALLEY – SAME MORNING)

KARA (12) in a narrow strip of sun between houses, examining Lira’s pendant. She threads a thin purple cord through its loop and ties a neat knot. The pendant chimes softly as it settles against her collarbone.

She steps back, tries a figure-eight with her practice whip. The first loop wobbles; the second lands clean.

Kara (under breath): “Strike. Coil. Breathe.”

Background bokeh: village life moves; a hand (Niro’s) briefly enters frame to set a water jar by the doorway—cropped above the waist—and withdraws.

Shot 7 — Match-back: ribbons to leaves (INSERT ↔ INSERT)

Kara’s purple pendant cord tightens on the knot. CUT TO Lira’s sash knot being cinched. The visual rhyme ties them together.

Shot 8 — Set-off (EXT. CLEARING – WIDE TRACK)

Back to the clearing. Lira tilts her chin toward the trees. The runners slip ahead to scout, the medic falls into the center of the formation. The warriors move, steps soft, purple marks flickering between leaves.

Camera tracks as the formation threads into green, the clearing knitting shut behind them—only a few violet threads lingering in the undergrowth.

CUT.

Scene 5 — “The Shop Keeps Breathing” (Kara steps in)

INTENT: Show Kara assuming responsibility without centering Niro. Use blocking to keep him nearly off-frame or obscured.

Shot 1 — Interior establish (INT. YU SHOP – MORNING)

Sunlight stripes the shelves: coils of whipcord, jars of salve, claw caps, bundles of purple ribbon, resin blocks. A bead curtain ticks softly in the draft. The pendant at Kara’s throat taps once as she moves—tiny chime.

Shot 2 — The ask (COUNTER, MID)

A customer—young warrior with travel dust—leans in. Customer (quiet, brisk): “Sting-salve. The green jar.” Kara scans the wall of jars—hesitates. Her hand hovers over blue, then amber.

Shot 3 — The point (SAME ANGLE, WITH EDGE)

From the far edge of frame, a hand and forearm enter—Niro’s—and point to a high shelf, just right of Kara’s reach. His body remains cropped above the waist, voice low and off-screen. Niro (soft, off): “Above the cord spools.” Kara follows the line, spots it, brightens; a quick step-ladder climb, jar secured. Kara (to customer): “Got it.” Exchange done; the warrior drops coins; Kara’s ledger chalks a neat mark.

Sound texture: muted street noise, faint drum far away, bead curtain clicking as the customer exits.

Shot 4 — Backroom rhythm (INT. BACKROOM – CONTINUOUS)

Stacks of crates, hanging herbs, a scale, and an inventory board. Kara and a moving silhouette of Niro behind piled goods.

Blocking:

Micro-inserts:

Ambient: paper rustle, twine scrape, the soft clunk of jars. The pendant grazes the crate rim—gentle chime.

Niro (off, obscured): “Two more bundles in the corner.” A hand sets them into frame; we never clear his shoulders.

Kara (focused, half to herself): “Sort by cut length, not color.” She rearranges; the system makes sudden sense.

Shot 5 — Button (INT. BACKROOM – LOW CLOSE)

Kara chalks a final mark, exhales. In the blurred background, Niro shifts another crate; only his hip and elbow read. Kara wipes dust from the ledger’s leather—her thumb pauses on Lira’s carved initials—then closes it with care.

CUT.

Scene 6 — “Win / Loss” (flash aftermaths)

INTENT: Show the sport-ritual cruelty of war season: triumph, then the cost. Keep support roles visible and inviolate. End with the new count: eleven.

Shot 1 — Aftermath surge (EXT. JUNGLE CLEARING – DAY)

The fight is ending. A rival warband breaks and flees, shadows slipping through undergrowth. Lira’s band stands tall amid trampled ferns and hanging mist. Someone whoops; others lift forearms, purple marks catching light.

Blocking: A few of Lira’s warriors instinctively step to pursue—Lira cuts them off with a calm palm-down gesture. No chasing. The jungle swallows the defeated.

Sound: Distant footfalls fading, breathy laughter, insect drone retearing the silence.

Shot 2 — Flash cut (AUDIO WHIP)

A hard whip-crack on the soundtrack becomes a white frame that snaps us to—

Shot 3 — The huddle (EXT. UNDER CANOPY – MOMENTS LATER)

Tone drops. Warriors kneel in a tight crescent around a fallen sister. The MEDIC is at her side—white-ash bands steady, kit open, hands sure. One RUNNER crouches nearby, courier tube against her knee; the other keeps watch, back turned to honor the space.

Camera: Low and close, leaves framing faces; background blurs.

Action: The medic finishes, eyes meet Lira’s—small shake. Lira settles to her knees, takes the dying warrior’s forearm in a firm clasp. No tears, only pressure, respect.

Dying warrior (bare whisper): “Hold the line.” Lira (matching grip): “We hold.”

Fingers loosen. The medic’s palm closes the warrior’s eyes. The crescent bows heads—no weapon raised.

Design beat: A warrior ties a thin strip of purple to a root near the body—quiet memorial.

Shot 4 — Flash cut (BREATH → BLACK → LEAVES)

A single breath in, cut to black, leaf-shiver fades in, carrying us to—

Shot 5 — The march of eleven (EXT. JUNGLE TRACK – LATER)

WIDE TRACKING along a narrow path. The formation moves through dappled light: eleven warriors, the medic in the protective middle, two runners flanking the column’s edges. There’s a gap where the twelfth would have been—held deliberately, a scar in the pattern.

Inserts:

Sound: No cheers now—only footfalls, leaf-scrapes, and the jungle’s pulse.

Button: As the band curves around a buttress root, the camera holds on the empty space between two warriors, then lets the green close over it.

CUT.

Scene 7 — “Drills and Draw” (Kara trains; Niro blurred)

INTENT: Show Kara’s precision and discipline growing under a scar-marked veteran. Fathers, including Niro, remain background blur. Build a tactile grammar: breath → coil → strike; then the jab with claw deployment/retraction.

Shot 1 — Practice yard (EXT. VILLAGE RING – MORNING)

Dusty clearing ringed by posts. Cups sit on stump-tops at measured distances. A VETERAN WARRIOR (scar-latticed face and arms) stalks the line of girls—including KARA (12)—adjusting stances with two-finger taps. Background, blurred: a cluster of fathers watching—Niro among them, only a soft silhouette.

Sound: Insects, soft triple-drum cadence, whip cracks like metronome on off-beats.

Shot 2 — Precision drill

ANGLE: Front three-quarter on Kara. She inhales, coils the practice whip behind her spine, eyes on a green cup. Crack. The cup flips; a puff of dyed leaf-dust bursts. Kara relaxes shoulders, resets.

Veteran (quiet, passing): “Spine leads. Wrist follows.”

Shot 3 — Quick misses and fixes (INSERT MONTAGE)

Shot 4 — Fathers’ blur

ANGLE: Over-shoulder from Kara toward the onlookers. Niro is a soft shape at frame edge, hands folded. He shifts weight; focus never catches him. Kara’s pendant cord flickers as she breathes—tiny chime.

Shot 5 — Faded transition to afternoon (DISSOLVE)

Light has warmed and lowered. The cups are gone. The girls form a line facing a bark wall marked with chalk circles.

Veteran (even cadence): “Set. Jab.”

Shot 6 — Jab drill (SIDE WIDE → MID)

On cadence, the line steps and thrusts, exhaling with a short shout. They reset, inhale, repeat. Dust kicks, settles.

Girls (in unison, on thrust): “Haa!” Reset. Feet slide back. Hands guard. Again.

Shot 7 — Focus play: the paw

ANGLE: Shallow focus on the background—Niro and fathers blurred. Foreground empty. The line shouts “Haa!”; Kara’s paw darts into frame from left—slightly out of focus—then retracts. A beat. The line shouts again. Kara’s paw enters now in crisp focus—palm forward, fingers curled into hooks. Near full extension, her claws deploy with a soft snick. Before she pulls back, the claws retract—a whisper of sheath against keratin. Third repetition: the motion is cleaner, faster, breath timed to the extension; micro-beads of sweat on her knuckles.

Shot 8 — Button

INSERT: Kara’s taped wrist tightens; the pendant settles at her collarbone. She resets stance, eyes bright, jaw set. In the blurred background, the veteran gives the smallest approving nod; the fathers remain a haze, Niro included.

CUT.

Scene 8 — “Night Fire, Morning Ash” (raid → dawn)

INTENT: Plunge Kara into real danger, keep Niro visually minimized, spotlight the veteran’s ferocity, then land on survival and consequence.

Shot 1 — Flash to night (EXT. VILLAGE – NIGHT)

FLASH CUT from training to chaos: huts bloom fire; smoke shears through moonlight. Alarm rattles, whip cracks answer. Shadows sprint between orange and black.

Sound: Conch horn, panicked shouts, bamboo frames popping, insects drowned by roar.

Shot 2 — The run (ALLEY, LOW TRACK)

KARA darts through a tight lane; a hand (Niro’s) enters frame, pushing a doorboard aside and guiding her shoulder—Niro remains cropped above the waist. Embers float like fireflies.

Veteran Warrior slams into frame from the opposite side—scarred, calm, whip already uncoiling.

Shot 3 — Hold the line (ALLEY MOUTH – WIDE)

Raiders surge. The Veteran plants her feet and cracks the whip, yanking a torch from a raider’s hand; she steps in, claws flashing, drives them back. Behind her, villagers slip past—Kara and Niro among them, low and fast.

Veteran (short bark): “Move!”

Shot 4 — The boy

As Kara clears the alley, a boy, a shade younger than Kara, stumbles out of smoke—his fur coloring echoing Niro’s. Kara grabs his wrist, tugging him along. Niro’s hand swings into frame to steady the boy at the back, then vanishes again into blur.

Shot 5 — Street of flame (CROSSING, CHAOTIC MID)

Villagers pour toward the palisade gap; some carry bundles, others nothing. A roof collapses; sparks sheet across the street. Kara ducks; the pendant taps her collarbone—soft chime swallowed by noise.

In the background, the Veteran backs down the lane, whip looping defensively; a small crew of villagers forms a bucket chain, silhouettes against orange.

Shot 6 — Break in the noise (CUT TO BLACK → BREATHE)

A quick plunge to black with only breathing and a faint insect tremor.

Shot 7 — Daybreak silhouettes (EXT. RIDGE BY THE FIELDS – DAWN)

DISSOLVE IN to pale gold. Silhouettes stand against the rising sun: Kara, the boy, Niro (still blurred and cropped by foreground grass), and other villagers. Quiet, ragged, upright.

Sound: Insects return, a low wind, distant wet crackle of dying fires.

Shot 8 — Village stands (EXT. VILLAGE ESTABLISHER – MORNING)

High, steady view over the settlement. Charred huts smoke, but most structures remain. People already move: bucket lines, patchwork tarps raised, embers stamped. The Veteran limps through frame, checking a wounded shoulder, then keeps going.

Button: Kara and the boy step into the street; Kara squeezes his wrist once before letting go. A faint pendant chime threads the morning air.

CUT.

Scene 9 — “Counterstroke” (victory → attrition → ambush → moon)

INTENT: Exalt/undercut: a win’s high, then the attrition tally (seven left). In the ambush, keep support inviolate—injury by terrain, medic protected. Echo Kara’s drill when Lira takes the same jab, then redeems it one-armed. Land on the moon to link back to the cycle.

Shot 1 — Crest of a win (EXT. JUNGLE CLEARING – DAY)

Smoke threads the canopy. Lira’s warband stands amid trampled ferns; the rival band’s last figures flee into green. Hands rise; forearms bump; a ragged cheer. Sound: Laugh-breaths, a few whip cracks pointed skyward—brief, controlled.

Shot 2 — Fade of numbers (EXT. JUNGLE TRACK – LATER)

DISSOLVE to a shaded path. The formation moves quieter now: seven warriors (Lira among them), the medic tucked center, two runners shadowing the column’s edges. There are visible gaps where sisters should be. No one speaks.

Shot 3 — Ambush spark (EXT. BUTTRESS ROOTS – CONTINUOUS)

A hiss of leaves. Opposing warband erupts from cover—whips slice the air, claws flash. One runner pivots to signal, slips on a slick root, and goes down with a sharp cry—ankle twisted. She’s not struck. The medic slides to her instantly; nearest warriors arc to form a breathing ring around them.

Rule cue: No one targets the medic; fighters whirl around the triage pocket.

Shot 4 — The distance game (MID WIDE, CHAOTIC)

Whips lace the space between bands, cracking to control range, tangling brush, forcing footwork. Lira’s sash flickers as she advances, eyes locked on the opposing leader—a panther-fast woman with a plain cord wrap and a scar under her eye.

Shot 5 — Close the gap (DUEL, TIGHT)

The leader slips inside a whip’s reach; Lira mirrors, claws bare. They circle, weight in the hips, hands low.

Leader feint → jab: She snaps a tiny shoulder fake, then launches the hooked-palm jab Kara drilled earlier—palm forward, fingers curled, claws deploying at extension.

Lira’s near-evade: She twists—almost clear—but the claws drag along her left forearm.

INSERT — the hit: A clean rake across muscle; a dark line beads, then threads downward. Sound: A wet hiss, breath knocked short.

Effect: Lira’s left arm dulls, fingers refusing to answer. She drops that shoulder, stance re-centers—now one-armed.

Shot 6 — One-armed adaptation (SERIES OF BEATS)

Shot 7 — Return the lesson (DUEL BUTTON)

The leader overcommits on an inside slash; for a blink, her center opens. Lira steps in, breath knotted to motion, and fires the same jab—palm-forward, fingers hooked—with her right. At full reach, her claws deploy and bite into the belly.

Sound: A low, surprised oh from the leader; breath leaves. She folds to her knees, palm on the wound, eyes lifting to meet Lira’s; a small, defiant nod. She sags—life ebbing.

Lira backs away a step, giving space as the rival band’s medic moves in. No gloating, just the work.

Shot 8 — Regroup (WIDE)

Lira pivots back into the fray—support ring still intact around their injured runner, the medic binding the ankle. Her bandmates rally off Lira’s return; the opposing fighters break and slip into green.

Shot 9 — Moon take (EXT. NIGHT SKY – LATER)

FADE to a full moon burning through fronds. The jungle hum resumes its steady pulse. A lone whip crack echoes somewhere distant, then is swallowed by leaves.

CUT.

Scene 10 — “Purple Wash” (moon → fireworks → truce)

INTENT: Declare the season’s end in one elegant stroke: moon → fireworks → color-coded victory. Freeze the melee at each flare, then pivot to sportsmanship. Mark the medic’s absence. Land on a handshake, fade to white.

Shot 1 — Hold on the moon (EXT. NIGHT SKY)

The full moon hangs, steady. Jungle hum thickens. Hold for several beats—quiet enough to hear leaf-friction.

A scree cuts the air; a firework tears upward and blooms—a purple flower of light that washes the frame.

Shot 2 — Pan down to chaos (EXT. JUNGLE EDGE – CONTINUOUS)

Camera pans down through canopy to a battle in progress: Lira’s warband tangled with another. Whips lace the space, claws spark off bark, breath clouds in the humid night.

A fresh purple burst lights the clearing—everyone freezes mid-motion, as if the color itself were a command. The light dies; motion resumes.

Shot 3 — The pattern of flares

Another volley: purple, purple—each bloom the same hue. With every flash, the fighters halt, blades and whips held respectfully away from bodies, eyes lifted. The opposing warband glances between one another—understanding dawning.

Design beat: The purple matches the sashes, bands, and ribbons worn by Lira’s group; the opponents carry no purple anywhere.

Shot 4 — Declaration and response (WIDE)

As the final volley fades, Lira’s warband raises forearms and gives a ragged, contained cheer. The opposing warband kneels, heads bowed—not in submission to conquerors, but in acknowledgment of the season’s verdict.

Details:

Shot 5 — Sportsmanship (SERIES)

The purple quiet still ripples across leaves as Lira’s warriors step forward to the kneeling fighters. Hands extend; backs are patted; quiet words traded.

Fireworks continue at regular intervals, each screech climbing to a purple wash that softens bark and skin to amethyst.

Shot 6 — The offer (MEDIUM TWO-SHOT)

Angle: Front-on to a still-kneeling opponent; background softly aflare with intermittent purple. Lira stands before her, centered, right arm extended. She waits. The next purple bloom washes the frame just as Lira’s paw reaches full extension—time seems to thicken.

The opponent hesitates—eyes on Lira’s bandaged arm—then takes Lira’s paw.

They rise together.

Shot 7 — The clasp (INSERT CLOSEUP)

Hands fill the frame—fur, scars, bandage texture, a bead of blood dried at Lira’s wrist. Muscles tense; the grip is strong and equal.

A final firework ascends; its screech threads the silence; the purple wash blooms across their joined hands—

Shot 8 — Fade

—and becomes a FADE TO WHITE.

CUT.

Next, we can pivot from this hard-cut white into the homecoming march—a quiet, exhausted procession that sets up the reunion and the honor-pyre sequence.

Scene 11 — “The Return Line” (homecoming)

INTENT: Announce the end of war season from the village POV. Show time’s passage, Kara older and hopeful, Niro still de-emphasized. Build a rolling reveal: horns → column → recognition → Kara breaks forward.

Shot 1 — Fade in: changed village (EXT. VILLAGE – DAY)

SLOW FADE IN from white. Wide, static view of the village: new timber spliced into old frames, patched roofs, a few fire-blackened ribs still standing. Smoke curls from cooking pits. People mass outside the palisade, facing the jungle.

Sound: Murmur of voices, children shushed, occasional hammer knocks.

Shot 2 — Threshold presence (EXT. VILLAGE EDGE – MID)

Framed by the gateposts, KARA steps into shot. She is two years older—taller, surer, hair bound with a thin purple cord. A wide smile blooms as she touches the pendant at her throat—tiny chime. She steps out of frame toward the gathering.

A figure that looks like NIRO ghosts through after her—in and out of frame, face always off-screen.

Shot 3 — Waiting feet, waiting breath (EXT. EDGE—TRACKING SIDE)

Kara paces—three steps forward, two back—eyes on the tree line.

A horn cuts the air.

She turns toward the sound, breath catching.

Shot 4 — The lookout (EXT. PALISADE TOWER – CUTAWAY)

Up on a simple watch stand, a LOOKOUT plants her feet and blows the horn again, pointing down the trail. A few nearby villagers cheer, then hush themselves.

Shot 5 — Kara’s lift (EXT. EDGE – CLOSE)

Kara’s face lights; her hand finds the pendant again—chime. Her shoulders square, eyes bright and wet.

Behind her, the Niro-like figure is a blur at the frame edge, weight shifting.

Shot 6 — The corridor (EXT. APPROACH PATH – LINGERING PLATE)

An empty frame of the jungle path, low brush on either side. Time passes a beat—then warriors begin to cross left-to-right, only visible from neck to waist: straps, whip coils, bandage wraps, hands brushing ferns. Footfalls thud and rustle. A stretcher’s corner slips through, then more torsos, all without faces.

Shot 7 — The column revealed (EXT. APPROACH PATH – FRONT-ON DOLLY)

Now head-on: the returning column approaches at a steady, tired pace. Bodies scarred and worn. Some lean on sisters; a few are carried by medics. Purple marks show here and there, dulled by mud and time. No one speaks. Breath and fabric do the talking.

Shot 8 — The surge (EXT. EDGE – PROFILE ON KARA)

Side angle on Kara, foreground; the Niro-like figure stands behind, cropped at the shoulder. As villagers recognize mothers, daughters, wives in the line, they break into runs—some streaking past camera, others deep background—a chaos of reunions blooming around Kara as she keeps scanning, not yet moving.

Shot 9 — Search (EXT. EDGE – EXTREME CLOSEUP)

Kara’s eyes fill the frame, tracking left to right, pupils flicking. The jungle column reflected as smudges in the gloss of her gaze. A breath. A tiny intake.

She sees something.

Shot 10 — Break forward (EXT. EDGE – PROFILE RETURN)

Back to the side angle. Kara’s face shifts—surprise, then joy. She bursts forward into the lane, feet kicking dust. The Niro-like figure hesitates a beat, then follows, still cut off above the chest.

CUT.

Scene 12 — “Reunion, Misdirection” (embrace → reveal → question)

INTENT: Pay off the mother–daughter arc with a joyful collision, then spring the misdirection: the “Niro” silhouette is the boy, now grown. End on Lira’s desperate question to pivot the story into grief.

Shot 1 — Weaving the gauntlet (EXT. APPROACH LANE – TRACKING)

BEHIND KARA. She threads through tangles of reunions—arms, packs, stretchers—her smile widening as she goes.

SIDE ON KARA. She slips past a laughing pair, pendant flashing at her throat—tiny chime.

BEHIND AGAIN. She speeds up; bodies part.

FRONT ON KARA (DOLLY BACK). Face alight, eyes searching; she breaks into a run.

Shot 2 — Leap

PROFILE FOLLOW. Kara sprints, jumps, arms outstretched.

OPPOSITE ANGLE: LIRA steps into frame just in time—Kara crashes into her, momentum knocking them both down into grass and dust.

Shot 3 — Kara over Lira (Lira’s POV)

From Lira’s eyes, Kara fills the sky, grinning, tears bright. The pendant swings, catching sunlight, flaring the lens for a beat.

Kara (breathless laugh): “Mama!”

Shot 4 — Lira over Kara (Kara’s POV)

From Kara’s eyes, Lira looms above, older, sun making a halo at her back. Relief and pride soften her features.

Lira (soft): “Look at you.”

Shot 5 — Side embrace (TWO-SHOT, HOLD)

They wrap each other tight, foreheads pressed. Tears of happiness leak and mix. The lane’s chaos blurs to a hush.

They part slightly. Kara’s gaze drops—she notices Lira’s left arm: deep scar tracks, a lingering stiffness.

Kara (a hitch): “Your arm—”

Lira snorts gently, rolls the shoulder with a wince that becomes a grin. Lira: “It’s nothing.” She rubs the top of Kara’s head; Kara yelps, they laugh—relief laughter, shaky and real.

A pair of legs steps into frame at the edge—stance familiar: the Niro-like figure.

Lira plants a hand to stand, eyes still on Kara.

Shot 6 — Expectation (OTS from “Niro”)

OVER THE SHOULDERS of the newcomer, face still off-screen. Lira rises into frame from below, dust on her cheek, smile ready to greet—

Her eyes lift to level—the smile collapses into shock.

Shot 7 — Reveal (REVERSE ON LIRA)

CUT to behind Lira, framing the newcomer’s face: it’s the boy from the raid, now older, taller, features echoing Niro’s coloring but unmistakably not Niro. He stands awkwardly, respectful.

Kara edges into frame, suddenly a little shy. Kara (gentle, tentative): “Mama, this is— my betrothed—”

Lira isn’t listening. Her head turns, scanning.

Shot 8 — The search (SUBJECTIVE PASSES)

Lira’s POV, sweeping the crowd: families colliding, medics easing burdens, purple ribbons, smoke curls, sun glare. No Niro.

Another pass across the village edge, stalls, market stalls, rooftops. No Niro.

Shot 9 — Crumple and question (MEDIUM ON LIRA)

Back to Lira. The hope drains; breath shortens. She pivots as Kara approaches, sadness peeking through her brave face.

Lira grabs Kara’s shoulders, voice low and ragged: Lira: “Where is your father?”

CUT.

Scene 13 — “His Last Night” (Kara recounts → raid → loss)

INTENT: Let Kara carry the memory. Reveal Niro’s face only at the moment of parting. Keep action readable, emotion uncluttered. End on mother and daughter in the same frame, small against the world.

Shot 1 — The telling begins (EXT. VILLAGE EDGE – DAY)

BEHIND LIRA, tight. KARA faces us; her eyes brim as she starts to speak. Her voice softens.

FLASH CUT—

Shot 2 — Alarm (EXT. VILLAGE – NIGHT)

Village lanes under moon and fire. A hut catches, flame licking up thatch. The horn blares, echoing off trunks. Figures spill from doorways.

Shot 3 — Waking (INT. YU HOUSE – NIGHT)

Low, lamplit. NIRO leans into Kara’s sleeping nook—face off-screen—hand to her shoulder. A squeeze, a whisper. He moves to the next room, wakes the boy—a smaller shape with fur coloration that echoes Niro’s. The three move toward the door.

Shot 4 — Out the door (EXT. YU HOUSE – CONTINUOUS)

WIDE, then FOLLOW. In the distance, huts burn; sparks float. Kara, Niro, the boy enter frame; the camera falls in behind as they push toward the palisade. They fold into a flow of villagers. In the background, the village guard clashes with raiders—whips cracking, silhouettes tangling. More roofs ignite.

Shot 5 — Head-on flight (EXT. LANE – FRONT)

Camera tracks backward as the three run toward us—breath harsh, feet slapping dust.

An ambush bursts from a side alley—raiders slam them down.

Whip snares snap: Kara’s ankle yanked; the boy too. Niro rolls, pulls a knife, slashes both lines—clean, fast. Niro (urgent): “Run!”

Kara scrambles up, grabs the boy’s wrist.

Shot 6 — Turnabout (INSERT)

A whip wraps Niro’s forearm—a snap and a jerk. He stumbles, arm pinned.

Shot 7 — Children hesitate (EXT. LANE – MED)

Kara whirls; the boy is at her shoulder, both poised to go back.

Shot 8 — The stand (EXT. LANE – BEHIND NIRO)

FULL BODY of NIRO, back to us. His arm is trapped in a raider’s line. Two more raiders prowl the edges; fire curls along a wall.

Niro turns—first clear look at his face: tired, resolute, kind. Niro (shouting, fierce): “Go! Live!”

A burning beam above them groans—then a section of the building collapses, a wall of flame and dust falls between Niro and the children.

Shot 9 — Break (EXT. LANE – ON CHILDREN)

Shock freezes Kara and the boy as the collapse roars. Heat-bleach on their faces. The boy pulls Kara’s arm; she resists, then moves, tears starting.

Shot 10 — Run (EXT. FIELDS APPROACH – CLOSE ON KARA)

CLOSEUP as Kara runs for safety, the world strobing orange and black. Tears track her cheeks; the pendant knocks against her collarbone—one thin chime lost in the noise.

Shot 11 — The telling ends (EXT. VILLAGE EDGE – DAY)

SMASH BACK to Kara and Lira where we left them. Kara’s voice catches.

Kara (quiet): “We found him at first light. He took down two…” A beat. “A third struck him.”

Shot 12 — Three flashes (INSERT MONTAGE)

Flash 1: Niro wrenches free and drops a raider with a knife thrust—silhouette against flame. Flash 2: He throws a burning brand; a second raider falters, goes down. Flash 3: A third shape lunges from smoke—steel arcs—impact into Niro’s side. He stiffens. CUT.

(Keep blood minimal; let sound—breath, the dull thud—carry it.)

Shot 13 — Collapse (EXT. VILLAGE EDGE – MED)

Back on Lira as the weight lands. She breaks, breath folding inward, and drops to her knees. Hands find the dirt.

Shot 14 — Small against the world (EXT. EDGE – WIDE, SLOW ZOOM OUT)

WIDE from behind, centered on Lira, small before the jungle and the rebuilt palisade. Kara kneels beside her, arms around her, holding while Lira shakes. The village murmurs behind them, life still moving.

The camera zooms out slowly until they’re two figures in a broad landscape.

FADE TO WHITE.

Scene 14 — “Planting Song” (epilogue)

INTENT: Close the circle with hands, soil, and memory. Let Niro’s presence finally stand in full frame—only in recollection. Time passes by the growth of a living thing. End with a quiet handoff across generations.

Shot 1 — Seedling (EXT. YU HOUSE THRESHOLD – DAY, SOFT LIGHT)

SLOW FADE IN on a small tree seedling in a clay pot. Wind brushes a single tender leaf.

A paw enters—Lira’s right—and gently pats the soil. She hums a simple tune, low and steady. Her left arm is stiff and out of use, tucked close.

Hold long enough for the melody to settle.

Shot 2 — Memory wash: “Dawn of War, Night”

DISSOLVE on the hum into the moonlit doorway from Scene 2—but now Niro is in frame.

The hum continues as a faint underscore.

Shot 3 — Memory wash: “The Pendant”

DISSOLVE to the village edge from the departure—now reframed.

Shot 4 — Back to soil (EXT. THRESHOLD – DAY → LATE DAY)

DISSOLVE back to the pot. The sapling is larger, two leaves widened. Lira’s right paw pats the soil again; the hum continues, a touch stronger. She works one-handed—competent, patient.

A second pair of paws enters—Kara’s. She joins the rhythm, humming harmony.

Shot 5 — Memory wash: “Shop hours”

CUTAWAY MONTAGE, brief and warm—Niro fully visible in each:

Each image floats a second, then yields to the next.

Shot 6 — Soil and song (EXT. THRESHOLD – DUSK)

Back to the pot again; the tree has grown another notch—small nodes, sturdier stem. Lira’s paw shows new scars across the knuckles; Kara’s left paw bears a fine healed line. Their humming now fits together—two parts, one melody.

A third set of paws enters—small ones. Kara’s daughter (about 5) pats the soil in clumsy rhythm, then finds the beat. She joins the tune, a soft thread.

Shot 7 — Faces at the plant’s eye level (POV FROM POT – NIGHT-FALLING BLUE)

From the plant’s perspective, we see Lira and Kara framed above: older, lined by sun and time, bittersweet smiles. A new scar crosses Lira’s face. They keep the melody, gentle and full.

Kara’s daughter bobs up into frame from the bottom, eyes bright, ears flicking; she adds the last note to complete the chord.

They stand together.

Shot 8 — Watering

LOW MID on the pot. The child tips a small gourd scoop; water pearls over the soil, soaks down. Around her neck gleams the pendant—now hers—catching a final glint.

As the camera edges wider, we reveal that Lira’s left arm is now gone—sleeve pinned, absence accepted. She stands easy in her balance, whole in a new way.

In the background, the boy-now-a-man—Kara’s husband—crosses the yard with a bundle of reeds, a simple domestic silhouette. He doesn’t intrude; he’s part of the quiet.

The melody ends on a held breath. The leaves tremble.

FADE TO WHITE.

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October 31, 2025