Motherland soul 
Episode I: The Day We Started to Fight
By: Octavian Carter
Ext. - An ancient roadway - day
A beautiful young white woman stands out in the middle of the roadway, walking along. She is nicely dressed for some reason, though she appears tired.
She's carrying a water jug. She puts it to her lips and takes one large gulp of the water inside.  
She suddenly turns her head away from her water jug as she hears the hoofbeats of horses in the distance.
She turns north, and over the hill she sees:
Greek mercenaries
The young woman puts down her water jug, begins to primp herself up a little, pushes up her cleavage sharply, then holds out two fingers(a modern street way of hitchiking), then whistles as the Greeks slow down their small band.
The mercenary captain, a middle-aged man with brown hair and a scar over his left eye, looks down upon the young woman scornfully at first. She looks back up to him with a pouty, yet seductive look, and his scornful look changes into a shit-eating grin. 
He hops down from his horse swiftfully, and approaches the young woman.
Mercenary captain
What's up.
The young woman flashes a bright smile.
Valeria
(flirtatously)
Ave, good lookin'.
The mercenary captain suddenly draws a knife, grabs Valeria by the throat, and holds her head back. He puts the knife to her scalp.
Mercenary captain
You the setup for a brigand trap, bitch?
Valeria breathes fast and nervously, terrified. 
Valeria
No, I'm...
Mercenary captain
(shouting)
I said are you a damn trap? Where's the rest of your friends? Layin' down in the weeds over there? 
The captain pulls on Valeria's hair harder.
Mercenary captain
They fittin' to to get me in the head with an arrow? Maybe they'll get me...
The captain makes a small cut across Valeria's scalp with his knife.
MERCENARY CAPTAIN
But not before I take a piece of that pretty head with me, eh?
The other mercenaries sitting upon their horses laugh.
Valeria
(screaming)
I sware to Jupiter, Juno, and whoever the hell else god that'll listen that I am not with brigands! Come on, now!
The captain snickers a little, then turns to his men. He puts his knife away and releases Valeria's hair. The captain claps his hands together, laughing.
Mercenary captain
Just havin' some fun with ya, baby. We come here from Syracuse lookin' for work. 
Valeria rubs her forehead a little.
MERCENARY CAPTAIN
But what the hell are you doing out here trying to hitch a ride. You're far too hot.
Valeria sighs.
Valeria
I'm recently...widowed.
The captain turns to his band, and laughs a little.
MERCENARY CAPTAIN
Sorry to hear that. How'd it happen.
Valeria
Well, we were riding along this very road, and we were jumped by actual brigands. He tried to fight them, and now I'm a widow. 
Valeria shrugs.
Valeria
I was the perfect Roman wife, but let's put it like this. He wasn't the perfect Roman soldier. He was a diplomat.
MERCENARY CAPTAIN
You sound so broken up over it. 
Valeria
Arranged marriage. My name's Valeria Amellius. My brother, he's head the family, he set it all up. I'm from the house...
The mercenary captain rolls his eyes, completely disinterested in her story. He pushes Valeria back, then begins to undo his belt.
MERCENARY CAPTAIN
Bein' you're widowed and all...
The captain grins eerily, and the mercenaries behind him cheer and whistle.
VALERIA
Um...listen, I don't need a ride that badly-
The mercenary captain advances on Valeria.
MERCENARY CAPTAIN
I do. So do the boys.
The captain begins to chuckle, Valeria backs away slowly, though in vain. The other mercenaries start to hop down from their horses.

A very attractive black, bald man with a trimmed black beard walks over the hill.  He has a stylish blue robe wrapped around his waist so that it falls down to his feet, and wears clean, light black armor on the upper part of his body. He wears black sandals, and seems to stride as he walks. He doesn't appear to have any weapons, but if he does, they're concealed underneath his robe. 
The mercenaries suddenly stop in their attempt to ravage Valeria as he approaches, and strides by. He keeps his head up, and as he walks by the mercenaries and Valeria, he exchanges only a single glance with the mercenary captain, then looks forward again and keeps walking. He seems indifferent about what's going on.
The mercenaries watch him as he walks away. He doesn't so much as turn around.
Noone breaks his stride.
The mercenary captain slowly turns back to the captive Valeria.
MERCENARY CAPTAIN
You didn't think the bastard was gonna help, did ya?
The black man, JALEN, stops dead in his tracks as if he heard the mercenary captain's comment. 
As the mercenary captain continues his attempt to ravage Valeria, time moves slowly as Jalen suddenly produces a large knife in his right hand from, turns, and throws it into the direction of the mercenaries.
The knife strikes the mercenary captain in the back of the neck, much to the surprise of his men and Valeria. The mercenary captain releases Valeria, and begins staggering around. He instinctively tries to pull the knife from the back of his neck, but before he can get his hands on it, blood seeps from his mouth, and he falls forward to the ground, dead.
The mercenaries face Jalen, in absolute awe of what he's done. Jalen strides towards them, and as he does so, four mercenaries on the ground draw their swords and charge towards him.
When they get within striking distance, Jalen swiftly draws his magnificent gladius from underneath his robe and slices into the torso of one of the mercenaries in the same stroke. He blocks the attack of the second mercenary with his sword, then Jalen grabs the second mercenary's throat with his left hand. As the third mercenary lifts his blade high to cleave Jalen, Jalen simply thrusts his sword through the third mercenary's body. He quickly withdraws the blade, then spins the second mercenary into a human shield position as the fourth mercenary approaches.
The fourth mercenary and Jalen stand off against one another.
Mercenary
You picked a bad hostage.
Jalen holds a stern, cold look upon his face.
Jalen
He's not a hostage.
Jalen runs the seoond mercenary through with his blade and the mercenary cries out, then falls to the ground as Jalen withdraws his sword. The fouth mercenary thrusts sloppily at Jalen, but in one incredible acrobatic move, Jalen leaps, sidespins around the thrust, and decapitates the fourth mercenary in the swift movement.
With the mercenary hoplites dead, Jalen faces the ten calvarymen. 
Valeria, unsurrounded, begins covering herself up. She glances at the situation, with Jalen outnumbered and at the tactical disadvantage.
Valeria
You're so...screwed.
The calvary, screaming, charges at Jalen, but he still seems remarkably calm.  He lowers into a stiff combat stance as they approach.
As they close in with their spears and horses, Jalen amazingly leaps into the air again, with both hands on the handle of his blade. He leaps over the head of the front most horse and lands, straddling the horse's back, nose to nose with the rider. 
The rider looks at the stern Jalen in complete surprise.
Calvaryman
...Oh?
A split second later, Jalen drives his blade downwards through the calvaryman's chest, and pushes him sideways off of the horse. He takes the calvaryman's spear, and impales the calvaryman approaching his right with it. He snatches the spear from the second calvaryman and kills a third with it, one approaching him on the left.
As the calvary begins to surround him, Jalen is still sitting upon the horse the wrong way. He clenches the horse's leg in a strange manner, and suddenly the horse back-kicks the horse behind it in the neck. The horse panics.
As the calvaryman riding the kicked horse struggles to gain control, Jalen stands upon the back of the horse he's riding, and leaps onto the back of the horse that was just kicked. 
He cuts the rider's throat with one swift slash of his sword, then looks to his right side as he sees two more calvarymen approaching him on both sides. He leaps forward, and hits the ground with a forward roll. 
He quickly gets back to his feet, sword in hand, and faces the remaining six calvarymen.
Valeria backs away slowly as she notices Jalen lower into a combat stance again.  
Valeria
Um...maybe if you just went up and apoligized...
Jalen holds his position, the calvarymen appear to hold theirs. Jalen's eyes narrow, as he seems to be waiting for something.
One of the calvarymen nods to the others.
Calvaryman 2
Form up.
The cavalarymen move their horses around, rallying into a traditonal calvary charge formation. 
When they finish forming up, Jalen grins eerily. 
Jalen
Traditonal. And predictable.
Jalen rushes towards the calvary, holding his blade in his right hand. The calvary in turn charges Jalen, and as they reach striking distance, Jalen leaps into the air, and spins around in a graceful circular motion with his blade, slicing the necks of the frontmost calvary riders on his left and his right. 
He lands, standing with his left foot on the left horse's back and his right foot on the right horse's back. 
Before the second row of riders can even move, he swings wide, slicing both of their necks the same way he did the first row. 
Valeria folds her arms.
Valeria
...That's hot.
He leaps, and closes his legs together. He drops to the ground, and as one of the last two riders thrusts his spear at Jalen, Jalen severs the front right foot of his horse. 
As the rider falls forward with the horse, Jalen parries the attack of the opposite rider with his sword, then quickly thrusts his blade into that rider's stomach. He pulls the rider from his horse, onto the ground.
Jalen wrestles the spear from the hand of the rider who fell forward with his horse, and jams into the back of the rider he just yanked off his horse.
Jalen glares down at the rider who he just wrestled the spear from, the last one living. 
The final rider turns onto his back, and looks into Jalen's eyes, terrified. He slides backwards quickly. Jalen simply shakes his head, tossing his sword from hand to hand playfully.
Calvaryman 3
Show mercy?
Jalen
Not even.
The last calvary screams like a woman as Jalen moves on him, and the camera pans away so that not even we can see witness his fate. We only hear the screams.
End of act i
Ext. - AN ancient roadway - day
The roadway is no longer littered with bodies, as they are now stacked upon on each on the roadside. Jalen is standing with them, rifling through the pouch of the top-most one.
THE CAPTAIN's anguished face
Valeria, standing by the roadside, walks towards Jalen slowly. Before she can get close, he sharply turns his head towards her, frightening her. She calms herself, and moves closer.
She sighs.
Valeria
Um...I guess I should thank you?
Jalen shrugs and pulls several gold coins from the captain's pouch.
Valeria
Really, that was awesome what you did. If my husband knew how to fight like that I wouldn't be standing on the road like this right now.
Valeria laughs awkwardly.
Valeria
By the way, I'm Valeria...and well, y'know...I'm single now and all that.
Jalen ignores her, continuing to loot the corpses in the stack.
Valeria
I'm not sure how y'know...YOUR people would react to you ridin' into Carthage with a Roman bride but, y'know, I'm a good cook, great hostess...
Jalen continues to ignore her. She twiddles her thumbs.
Valeria
And...I have a few other talents?
Jalen stops, and slowly turns towards Valeria.
Jalen
Like what.
Ext. - AN OPEN FIELD
We cannot see Jalen and Valeria amidst the tall grass, but we can get a general idea of what's going on by the sounds of Valeria's passion that are so loud she scares animals away.
Ext. - before the epic stone walls of carthage - dusk
Jalen rides upon a horse to the massive stone walls of Carthage, Valeria sitting behind him with her arms wrapped around his waist. Two city guards come forward and look up to him. 
They glance at Jalen, then at Valeria.
Guard 1
Who's this?
Jalen
Slave bitch.
Valeria
Hey! You don't have to marry me but I'm not your bitch!
GUARD 2
Whatever. Name?
Jalen
Jalen Arcanid.
Guard 1
Are you a Carthagian citizen?
Jalen
Yeah.
Jalen reaches into his robe, and pulls out his proof of citizenship, a scroll filled with paperwork.
Guard 1
Occupation?
Jalen
Mercenary.
Guard 2
Hm. I recommend gaining audience with a rep of the One-Zero-Four as soon as possible, then. Ever since the war ended rebels and brigands have been picking apart settlements from here to Utica.
Jalen
You fellas were in the war?
Both guards nod.
Guard 1
Former captain of Libyan spearmen. We fought at Tresimene.
Jalen takes two gold coins from his pocket.
Jalen
Thanks for the tip on work. Now here's a tip for you.
Jalen stacks the coins together in his fist, then plucks them into the air. The guards catch them, and smile.
Guard 1
Good lookin' out, merc. Good luck to ya.
Jalen nods. The guards motion towards the men on the top of the stone wall, and the massive gates begin to open. The guards move back to their position, and Jalen rides through the gates as they open.
The camera pans upwards into:
A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF CARTHAGE
The ancient city of Carthage is massive and beautiful, rivaling the beauty of even today's cities.
CAPTION- CARTHAGE - 195 b.c.
Int. - streets of carthage - night
The Carthage Bazaar is bustling with business, even at night. Black-skinned and light-skinned "Phonecian" CHILDREN are playing with wooden swords in the street. 
VENDORS are behind their booths, selling OILS, SWORDS, and TREASURES. There are vendors without booths still attempting to sell things. More MERCHANTS are attempting to sell their wares even without a booth.
Merchant
Greek gear, greek gear, 2 for a talent, get it right hurrrr!
Vendor
Finest mirrors and armor from Egypt get at it!
Chariot seller
What the hell are you walkin' around fo'? Imagine how fast you can get from city to city with this! Hot new model on the scene, HOLLA!
Jalen rides through the streets on his horse, taking it all in. He can't suppress whatever emotion he's feeling, and a gentle smile crosses his face.
Jalen catches sight of a PROSTITUTE. She glances at him.
Prostitute
Hey baby wanna go out?
Jalen's smile falls as the prostitute talks to him, and he looks at other things. Two poverty-stricken children begging a man for food, and a man dressed in Tanit temple robes exchanging "something" with a woman who appears to be addicted to drugs.
Jalen sighs, and slaps down the reigns of his horse, making it move through the crowd faster.
Int. - hakkar's hovel
Hakkar's Hovel. It's got the look of an upscale gentleman's establishment. Dancers are moving about to the rhytm of the music, giving lapdances to the male patrons who are of different nationalities.
Men are at different tables, passing around "PIPES" and smoking from them. 
In the drinking area, beautiful scantily-clad waitresses serve drinks and food to more patrons.
And in a private booth next to the stage, a young middle-eastern man with a fancy red turban around his head counts his gold. 
Jalen, followed by Valeria, walks through the establishment, towards him.  HAKKAR notices him coming, smiles, and stands up. He shakes Jalen's hand, then pulls him into a brother-like embrace.
Jalen
Hakkar, man, it's been awhile. What's up with ya.
Hakkar
Nada! Damn, kid, I've been waiting for you to drop by for months!
Jalen slaps Hakkar on the shoulder.
Jalen
Don't worry 'bout it.
Hakkar's gleeful expression changes quickly to one of seriousness.
Hakkar
Nah, seriously partner. What's been keepin' you from comin' back here for work.
Jalen sighs.
Ext. - atop the epic stone walls of carthago nova - night
Jalen is pointing a bow with a loaded arrow at a man standing several yards from him, but his figure is blurry and appears as a shillouette.
Shillouette
Shoot, bitch.
We next see Jalen wrestling with the unidentified man, then finally we see the unidentified man plummeting from the top of the stone wall, screaming.
Int. - HAKKAR'S HOVEL
Back to the present, Jalen can only shake his head a little.
Jalen
My last lead to Askar is gone. 
Hakkar nods.
Hakkar
So you're back for some info?
Jalen
And some work. 
Hakkar
I can help you out on both ends. Which-
Hakkar pulls out a chair for Jalen.
Hakkar
-leads us to the good news and bad news.
Hakkar motions to Valeria.
Hakkar
Who's this?
Jalen turns to Valeria, who seems rather apprehensive at first, but then she steps forward and presents herself very graciously.  She bows cordially.
Valeria
I am Valeria Aemellius, formerly married to-
Hakkar
She yours?
Jalen
Hell no. You can put her to work if you want.
Valeria
What?! I'm not...
Hakkar rolls his eyes.
Hakkar
You get thirty percent, you can leave whenever you want to. I absolutely don't care.
Valeria shrugs.
Valeria
Does that-
Hakkar
Holla at me later, I'm doing business.
Hakkar motions to one of his dancers, who walks over.
Hakkar
Take care of her.
The dancer nods, and pulls Valeria away before she can begin to protest.  Jalen sits down.
JALEN
Give me the bad news first.
Hakkar takes a sip of the drink he has next to him.
Hakkar
Well, captain-
Jalen raises an eyebrow at Hakkar.
Hakkar
Sorry, old habits. First off, Jalen, Askar isn't in hiding anymore. He's resurfaced completely, but in a bad way.
Int. - A ROMAN ARENA - DAY
A man in his late-twenties with shoulder-length white hair is fighting a poorly armored man inside of the arena.  They exchange attacks for a few moments before the white haired man, ASKAR, easily kills him with a breaststroke.
Hakkar (V.O.)
While you were following his last lead on the Iberian coast for the past months, he was actually in or around Rome in gladitor pits gaining notoriety. Naturally, he won all the time. 
Another gladiator runs into the arena and attacks Askar sloppily, but Askar easily dodges each attack and quickly runs the second gladiator through with his knife. A third gladiator steps into the arena, this one is about 6'5 and massively built.
Hakkar (V.O.)
He got to be known as the most vicious son of a bitch to step into the ring in recent memory. He even polled crowds before his matches so he'd know what kind of kills they'd wanna see.
Askar does an incredible leg-split as the third gladiator attacks, and thrusts his knife into the gladitor's groin. The crowd cheers, clamoring for more. 
Askar spins around, back to his feet as the gladiator falls to the ground. Askar mounts the gladiator's chest, and puts the tip of his blade underneath the struggling gladiator's eyelid.
The camera pans past the violence to the ground behind the gladiator's head.  
We hear a terrible scream, and we see the gladiator's EYEBALL ROLL into centerscreen.
Int. - scipio africanus's grand dining hall
Askar is sharing a drink with a grandly dressed middle-aged Roman man, the great SCIPIO AFRICANUS. They toast with one another.
Hakkar (V.O.)
He earned himself a lucrative, exclusive mercenary deal with Scipio Africanus himself. He is native Roman, after all. He lives in Africanus's villa, now. Doing whatever dirty work Africanus wants-
EXT. - A ROMAN GENERAL'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Askar's shillouette stands over the body of a dead Roman and his wife. Blood drips from his pike.
Hakkar (V.O.)
And getting paid booku-denarii for it. He's living his dream life, J. And unless you're willing to not only walk into Rome but also break through Scipio's small personal army, you can't get to him.
Int. - HAKKAR'S HOVEL
Back to the here and now, Jalen shakes his head disdainfully.
Jalen
It'd be easier to smoke a Consul.
Jalen nods. 
Jalen
I'll figure somethin' out. Eventually. But right now I need to eat, so what you got for work?
Hakkar smiles.
Hakkar
That's where the good news comes in. 
End of act ii
Ext. - an ancient field - night
Jalen rides on the back of a galloping horse through a roadway, travelling west through the night. 
Hakkar (V.O.)
Carthaginian senate's still pissed about the role the east Numidian calvary played at the Battle of Zama.  Rome has banned Carthage from raising up a new army, but that doesn't mean we can't fight the Numidians with the army we have left.
Jalen (V.O.)
And?
Hakkar
War costs money. Rumor has it there's a cart from Mauretania going to Syphax, filled with Numidian tax money. The guy I talked to claims the senate will share 10% of the gold with anyone who's able to take the shipment.
Jalen (V.O.)
Noone's tried?
The horse gallops faster, Jalen rides forward with a DETERMINED LOOK ON HIS FACE.
Hakkar (V.O.)
Shipment's heavily guarded. I was gonna give this job to The Parthian but he's gone MIA. 
JALEN (V.O.)
Like I need a good reason to smoke Numidians. Tell your guy to raise my share to 12%, and he's got a deal.
EXT. - AN ANCIENT ROADWAY - NIGHT
On the ancient roadway, a CART IS BEING PULLED BY A PAIR OF HORSES. Eight STYLISHLY ARMORED NUMIDIAN CALVARYMEN flank the cart on both sides, in front, and behind. 
Another SIX INFANTRYMEN surround the cart as they march, guarding it.
In the field surrounding the cart, JALEN RISES FROM CONCEALMENT AMIDST THE TALL GRASS A LITTLE.
He's wearing black camoflauge on his face and arms. He doesn't stand up completely, but only enough so that he can see the cart.  He's 15 yards from it. 
Jalen looks up to the MOON, then looks ahead of himself. The MOONLIGHT allows him to see the cart and it's guards clearer.
Jalen
(whispering)
Now or never, baby.
Jalen lowers himself again, and picks up a PARTHIAN LONGBOW from the tall grass. 
Jalen loads an arrow into the longbow, and aims carefully.
One of the two front-most calvarymen is STRUCK IN THE NECK BY AN ARROW. He clutches his neck as a little blood spurts out, and wails as he falls off his horse. 
The company sees this, and begins to scramble about the roadway and the field. The INFANTRYMEN huddle around the cart with blades drawn, while the calvary rides into the field surrounding the road.
An ARROW FLIES THROUGH THE AIR as it strikes another CALVARY RIDER IN THE EYE, and he cries out as he falls backwards from his horse's back. 
Another CALVARY RIDER IS SHOT IN THE FOREHEAD, ANOTHER RIDER IN THE UPPER CHEST, THEN ANOTHER IN THE THROAT.
JALEN, still concealed in the grass, loads two arrows into his longbow. He fires them, but before the arrows can reach their targets...a GUNSHOT rings out?
Jalen, caught completely by surprise, looks around. Never hearing a noise like that before except in storms, he looks to the sky.
Jalen
Guess rain's coming.
Jalen shrugs, and loads another arrow into his bow. Before he can fire...another GUNSHOT rings out?
Jalen
...The hell?
Jalen looks ahead, at the cart, and he sees a YOUNG, CLEAN SHAVEN BLACK MAN WITH AN AFRO with some strange object in his hand, killing the Numidian infantrymen guarding the cart. Sparks flare from the front of the strange black object as he points it at one of three remaining infantrymen, and the infantryman's chest explodes. 
As three calvary riders attempt to surround him, the man draws a longer fire-stick from his coat, and points it in the direction of one of the calvary riders. An even greater noise barks from the weapon, and the calvary rider is blasted from his horse. He points the weapon at the second rider, and the same happens.  
As the third calvary rider tries to ride away, he's blasted in the back by the strange man's strange fire-stick.
JALEN, in complete awe of what he's seeing, slowly draws his sword. He RUNS THROUGH THE FIELD WITH HIS SWORD DRAWN, SPRINTING TOWARDS the strange man. 
As Jalen closes in on the strange man, the strange man's head turns towards him. The strange man points his smaller fire-stick at him. Before the strange man can fire, Jalen knocks it out of his hand with a side-slash. 
Jalen quickly kicks the strange man against the cart, then grabs him by the throat. He points his blade to the strange man's forehead, panting tiredly. However, the strange man seems calm.
Jalen
What...are you?
An expression of pain and surprise shoots acroos Jalen's face as another shot rings out, this one much louder than before. 
Jalen staggers backwards, and looks down at his stomach. There's a BLOODY, GAPING WOUND WITH SMOKE COMING FROM IT. He stares at the strange man in complete shock, and blinks slowly.
Strange man
I don't speak that ancient stuff, nigga.
Jalen collapses onto the roadway, spread-eagle. The strange man simply looks down at him in clear disdain, then walks off-camera.
Jalen's breathing slows, and his eyes slowly close. Jalen looks up to the MOON.
Jalen
Marsilia-
Int. - an well-furnished bedroom - dawn
We see a BEAUTIFUL YOUNG "MULATTO" WOMAN WITH BLACK HAIR, laying in bed, appearing tired.
Marsilia
Yes, precious.
Ext. - AN ANCIENT ROADWAY - night
Jalen lays still, his eyes closed.
Jalen
I'm coming to you, baby. 
Jalen takes one last, deep breath.
Jalen
...'Bout damn time, too.
Fade TO BLACK.