Estika

Bandar: Estika (1st Draft)
Written by Anthony Adinolfi, May 1, 2005

 
 
"Time touches all things. It knows no distance."

"Time is witness to all living beings, as each moment passes to the next."

"The eyes are windows to this rhythm."

 
Narrative

(1) Fade in from black. We see a close-up of Bandarin hands holding a cup of tea, steam rising, over the sound of blustery air moving between trees and rock. After a moment, the cup rises for a sip. (2) Cut to a medium side shot. We see Majala Estika, sitting in what appears to be a simple, rocky nook in the forest. It is early morning, with the sky a deep, brilliant blue, and dew dripping from a bit of vegetation in the extreme forground. Estika is dressed in warm clothing, enjoying the cup of tea, which she holds, almost affectionately, in her hands. In front of her, the rest of her tea set is resting on a small woven placemat -- this includes: a simple clay teapot, an oval-shaped metal container (for tea leaves), an infusing basket (resting atop a small plate), and a long wooden box with three teacups (and an empty spot for one more). Off to her side is a carrying case for these items.

(3) Cut to a close up, 3/4 view of Estika drinking her tea. The air is brisk, with steam visibly rising from her cup, and wisking away in the considerable breeze. After a moment, she turns her attention to something (off-camera) on a rock ledge beside her. (4) Cut to a low-angle medium side shot of Estika, with an interesting stone (the object of her attention) in the extreme forground. Estika reaches over, and carefully picks it up. (5) Cut, just as she grabs it, back to shot #3, where she straightens up her body and brings her hand into frame, holding the stone. She examines its form for a moment as she finishes up the last few sips of tea.

As Estika beings to put the stone back, (6) cut to a close-up of the rock ledge where she found it. Her hand comes into frame. She places the stone back where she found it, again very gently. (7) Cut to a front close-up, near ground level, as she begins to pack up her belongings. The concise way in which she packs each element implies that, for her, this is a regular ritual. She begins by wiping her cup with a small cloth, and placing it in its box. As she is starts to fold the cloth, (8) Cut to shot of Estika's face, calm and peaceful, looking down as she continues to pack (off screen). After a moment, she turns her attention to her side, where the carrying case is sitting (again, off screen). (9) Cut to a medium side shot, carrying case in the foreground, as she places the box and cloth inside it. This is followed by the tea container and other accessories, and finally the tea pot.

(10) Cut to a front, full-body view as Estika finishes and rises to her feet. Her carrying case in one hand, the placemat in the other. She puts the case over her shoulder, and shakes the mat out in both hands, before draping it over her other shoulder, taking a few steps forward. She allows herself a quick glance around, to make sure she has everything she came with.

(11) Cut to front-on close up of Estika's face. After she is satisfied, she straightens her stance and returns her glance forward to the camera. She closes her eyes, takes a generous breath, and smiles slightly, eyes still closed.

(12) Cut to a ground-level medium shot of her stance. In the extreme forground, is the stone she had recently placed back down. Still, the camera reveals little beyond her immediate surroundings. A few moments pass. Estika is very still.

(13) The shot returns to her face, which fills the whole screen, slowly zooming in on her eyes. After a pause, her eyes open slowly.

Visible in her pupils is a representation of time - infinity in motion. Majala Estika is a "Timewalker" - master of a rare discipline within the Kida'rin Order, whose practitioners can attain the ability to step "across" time. (effectively moving from one destination to another, instantly). The representation in her eyes is that of the "time search" - when traveling over a great distance, the Walker must search through the infinite network of time to locate their destination. Estika is a skilled Walker, and is returning to a familiar place, so it only takes her a few seconds. As the cloudiness and chaos clear, we begin to see the shape of a building. It is a Kida'rin Temple. Her home. It is simultaneously seen from many angles, at many time intervals passing at many speeds. Her destinationt is beginning to take shape.

(14) Cut to Estika's feet, 3/4 view, as she begins to step forward. She pauses for a moment.

(15) Cut to a medium side shot, ground level, of Estika. She is almost in silhouette, against the morning sun. She continues her step forward... and the Timewalk is initiated.

Similar to the image we saw of her destination, we see Estika exist for a split second in many different states of time, simultaneously. She both walks... and runs, at differnet intervals, blended together, but fading almost instantly.

The camera lingers for a few seconds after she "disappears", and then (16) cuts to another view of the site, a little bit father back, and from an aerial angle. The camera is slowly zooming out. A wider view of the site is coming into screen, and we begin to learn more about her surroundings. (17+) The zoom out is accelerated by a series of dissolves back to farther and farther vantage points. It is soon revealed that Estika was actually sitting close to the edge of a cliff. The final vantage point reveals exactly how high up she was! Estika was sitting atop a large mountain, overlooking a fog-filled valley. The outcropping of rock, on which she was recently sitting, is very much inaccessible by foot. It is obvious that only her Timewalking ability allowed to her to enjoy her morning tea in such a remote location (and to arrive with her water still hot!).

Fade to black.