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[Boy]
Tell us a story, Fergus.
A good one.
Have I ever told you the story
of the butchers of Angrim?
Aye, you have.
Yes, you have, Fergus.
Well, then, uh, have I ever
told you about the head choppers
of the Black Valley?
Oh, we heard that one, yeah.
We've heard that one.
Tell us one that's scary.
Yeah.
- Scary.
- Very scary.
- Scary you say?
- Yes, please!
- Please?
- Please?
[Boy] None of your lies though.
You can do that, Fergus.
All right.
This is the story of
the Spear of Destiny.
It's a story of
madness and power.
It's a story of corruption
and betrayal,
a story of eternal life
and horrible death.
And don't say
I didn't warn you.
It's a story about a prince
and a spear of incredible power.
The prince wanted to bring
the people of his land together,
but the prince was having
a very hard time of it.
[Men Shouting]
[Conor]
Unification is the only weapon.
I tell you now, unification is the only weapon
that will stop the Romans.
[Men Laughing]
It will!
We have to unite as one!
We will stop them!
We will beat the Romans!
The time is now!
This is good enough for us!
There is nothing to lose
and everything to gain.
Food cooperation.
Exchange of ideas.
Weapons.
instead of your hundred.
If you care anything about
the protection of your home
our home,
this could be the most important
decision you'll ever make.
[Shouting, Laughing Continues]
What is your answer?
[Man Mutters, Chuckles]
I got one question for you, lad.
[High-pitched]
You shaving yet?
[All Laugh]
A nice blade.
Nice.
Damn big blade for such a pup.
- What do you say, men?
- [All Shouting]
What do you say, pup?
Get your filthy hands
off my sword.
[Fergus]
Sweet Bridget.
[Man]
Come on!
Easy there!
There's a lesson
- in manners
- [All Laugh]
- Pup!
- [All Laugh]
Now remember this day.
The day Brach
of the Mountain People
spared your pink, little hide.
Now you run home
and be thankful I never
let my men kill you
just for fun.
[Laughs]
All right.
You can go kill 'em.
[All Cheering]
[Man Narrating]
Long ago,
at the edge of the known world,
the last Celtic tribes
were fighting for survival.
Europe had fallen
to the Romans,
and this remote
and untamed island
was the final stronghold
of the ancient ways.
[Roaring]
So there were our heroes,
chased from the village
of the Mountain People,
their weapons taken from them.
No food
and three days walk from home.
We're better off without them.
Bunch of sow's bellies.
All those big necks
and tiny, stupid eyes.
Terrible thing, inbreeding.
Unification doesn't have to mean
every half-witted tribe
on the island, Conor.
Three out of five.
There's a goal for you.
Absolutely.
You can kick a lot of Roman butt
with three out of five.
Oh, stop it!
Will you stop this!
He said remember this day,
and I will.
I'll never forget it.
We'll go back someday and give
him something to remember.
Conor.
We'll get your father's sword
back for you.
Don't worry.
It'll be an honor
to hand it to you with
that big oaf's arm still attached.
Not before I get my shot at him.
I just want one chance.
[Men Shouting]
[Catlin]
It's the Mountain People.
Oh, I hate running.
[Shouting Continues]
[Fergus Narrating]
So they ran and ran
until they could run no more.
And they came upon a cave.
You all right, darlin'?
Just a chill.
Stand fast.
Who are they?
[Fergus]
These lads knew their duty.
Let's go home, Conor.
Let's go home.
Don't touch it.
dd [Singing Folk Song]
Conor, don't!
Please!
Don't touch that spear!
Conor, please!
Stay away from it!
dd [Continues]
We don't belong here!
Conor, don't! Don't touch it!
Don't touch that spear!
Don't touch that spear.
[Animal Howls]
[Gasps]
[Girl]
Who is he?
Darlin', he's everythin'that
hides under your bed at night.
He's the whispering
sounds of the forest.
He's the claw that grabs you
from behind in your darkest nightmares.
He's the man who cannot die.
[Thunderclap]
[Groaning]
[Groaning Continues]
It's here.
It's here!
It's here!
[Fergus Narrating]
By touching the spear
the prince had unleashed
its sinister power.
A darkness spread over the land.
Trees withered.
Crops died.
The cows dried up.
And the sheep threw
their young too early.
[Thunder Rumbling]
The smell of death
was everywhere.
Maire.
He's mine.
My da said I could have him.
He's mine.
His name is Warrior.
I know.
Let me go!
No, Maire.
Leave me alone!
Come here.
[Crying]
He's my horse!
His name is Warrior.
Now he's dead.
[Gasps]
[Fergus Narrating]
And now the prince knew.
The spear had told him
how it was used in ancient times
to kill a god,
how the man who did the killing
was still alive
and how the fate of the world
was in his hands.
In the dream it's another time.
A desert city.
There are Romans there,
and they've taken the Christ,
their own God, to be crucified.
That's why the Romans
have no souls.
To kill your own God
There are two others,
also crucified.
I don't know if they're
also Roman gods or not.
He wasn't Roman.
He was a Jew.
They killed him because
they were afraid of him.
Catlin, please.
If you know anything
that can help us
anything please tell us.
There are those who
believe there is one God
and that Christ is his son
who taught that God is love,
that the world will
belong to the meek,
that even the lowest,
most wretched creature on earth
has value and can be loved.
[Crying]
Rome could not abide that,
and they killed him
with that.
A spear that can kill a god?
- Burn it!
- [Thunderclap]
[Thunderclap]
[Maire]
Look, everybody!
It's Warrior, he's alive!
[Man] I can't believe my eyes.
[Maire]
Look, Conor, Warrior's back.
Look! He's alive!
Alive!
Warrior's here!
Warrior's back!
He's alive!
Warrior's back!
He's back!
[Warrior Whinnies]
Perhaps the spear
is neither evil nor good.
Perhaps it depends on
who holds it.
Either way, its power is
I think about how
we came to find it,
and I think that maybe
it was meant for you.
Maybe.
The spear has the power
to change the world.
It belongs in the hands
of a leader.
You could do anything
with this, Conor.
Do you realize that?
Yes.
So you'll have to
search your heart.
What is it you want to do?
[Man #1]
What is he doing here?
[Man #2] The pup is back!
[Men Laughing, Shouting]
[Man #3]
Get out ofhere!
[Man #4] Let's run him through!
[Man #5]
Why's your head so high?
[Shouting Continues]
I hope you were right
about that bloody thing.
Heaven help us either way.
Amen to that, darlin'.
Peddling toothpicks now,
are we, son?
I came to change your mind.
You don't seem to wanna live.
You declined my invitation
to join the Confederation ofTribes,
and that was a mistake.
A leader can't afford to make
too many mistakes.
This is your chance to make
the right choice.
After I kill you, I wanna carry
your head around on that spear.
It's you who's made the mistake, pup.
Well, you got guts.
I'll give you that.
What do you say we show
everybody what they look like?
As a leader,
your first responsibility is to your people,
and your people
are best served by joining with us.
It makes perfect sense.
Think about it.
Killing you would be
doing you a favor.
Because you know
what I say is true.
- Because a strong leader knows
what's right for his people.
- Of course.
I don't need you to tell me that.
And what your people want
is to unite with the Confederation.
You want what's best
for your people and so do I.
I will not have you
Unite against the Romans, you say?
Food cooperation.
Exchange of ideas.
Weapons.
instead of your hundred.
This is my decision then.
The Mountain People
would benefit from
this C-Confederation.
It is an honor to welcome
the Mountain People to
the Confederation ofTribes.
[All Murmuring]
Your people defy you.
- That's a lie.
- They will follow you?
Yes.
Prove it.
Bow.
- I'm not goin' to
- As a gesture of your conviction, bow.
Bow.
[All Murmuring]
Bow!
[Fergus Narrating]
So it began.
The great unification of tribes.
The prince rode from village to village,
clan to clan.
No one could resist
the power of the spear.
Soon warriors would lay down
their weapons at the sound ofhis name,
so powerful had he become.
But there was a price.
As the spear gave power,
it ate away at the soul.
Soon the whole land was following
a leader whose heart
had turned to stone.
[Thunderclap]
Then what happened?
Oh, I can't tell you.
- Why not?
- It's terrifying.
It's too much for such young ears.
No, Fergus!
Tell us! You have to!
You'll have nightmares for weeks.
No, we won't!
[Boy #1]
We won't.
Come on.
[Boy #2] It's not true.
[Girl]
Please?
All right.
Here we go.
The prince was feelin' like
everything was under control,
but he couldn't have
been more wrong.
Brach of the Mountain People.
Angras of the River Source.
Laiten of the Boyne.
Dermont of the Highlands.
Conor of the Confederation ofTribes.
Tomorrow we begin
the eastern sweep.
The Lowlands, the Cliffs
and the River People.
It will be a two-week campaign,
which is all we can risk before the Romans
start to build their defenses.
Till tomorrow.
[Thunderclap]
[Conor]
Oh, Fergus.
You left this at the meeting.
Thank you.
That's your father's sword.
I know what it is, Fergus.
You've got something to tell me.
Fergus.
You think I've lost the way,
don't you?
You think I've forsaken my father
and everything he stood for.
You think I've gone crazy
with the power of the spear.
Don't you see, Fergus?
This is my father's dream.
Only it's not a dream now.
It's here now.
It's happening.
The unification of tribes
That's what Galen said.
Now with the spear,
it's in my hands.
In a month's time
the Romans will be gone,
pushed into the sea by the united fist
of the people of the island.
We're not going to
dream about it, my friend.
We're going to see it.
Yeah.
And here, all the time,
I thought it was the spear turning heads.
[Chuckles]
Fergus.
Yes, lad?
Fergus, there's a lot
at stake right now.
Oh, I know that.
I think it would be better
if you'd bow with the others.
[Thunder Rumbling]
For appearance.
Bow?
In councils.
Just when you come in
and when you leave.
The long view is what
you must keep in mind, my friend.
There are things that we all
must do now which are distasteful.
My father's dream
is just the beginning.
There's a world out there,
Fergus, a whole world.
And it's not a dream.
The long view.
[Thunderclap]
It's a simple spear of the old style,
like this one.
Look closely.
See it.
Learn it.
If you find it, if you find anything
that even smells like it,
do whatever is necessary
and bring it to me.
A thousand gold pieces
to the man who brings me the spear.
So, ride, men,
and bring me every spear
on this island if you have to.
With all due respect, sir,
there's word of an army of tribes
growing larger every day.
Just priorities, sir.
I mean, wha-wha-what good's a spear
if the whole island's rising up?
[Chuckles]
[Chuckles]
[Groans]
[Gasping]
"Priorities.
"
Now ride.
Ride!
Who are they?
[Thunderclap]
"They" are his bodyguards.
We're going to be in Rome
before the snow flies.
Can you imagine it?
Rome.
I can imagine it, Conor,
and it's wrong.
It can't be,
because it's meant to be.
[Thunderclap]
Give me your hand.
What?
Do you feel that?
Do you feel my heart?
Do you feel how fast
it's beating?
I'm scared, Conor.
I'm scared.
It's changing you.
It's changing everything.
It's evil.
The spear is evil.
[Thunderclap]
Drop it, Conor.
Let's drop it.
It's too late.
[Thunderclap]
What have you done?
dd [Singing Folk Song]
[Ends]
It was the quiet hours
of the morning
just before the dawn.
The morning the great
Confederation ofTribes
was to attack the Romans
and push them into the sea.
But the spear was gone,
and with it, its power.
And as the prince watched
his dream slip through his fingers,
he crossed the line
that separates sanity
from madness.
Fergus!
Fergus!
Fergus! Fergus!
The Confederation
has made you soft, Brach!
Brach, what are you doing?
Patrick, where are you going?
I'm not endangering
my people.
Our safety is in numbers!
I will not ride into battle with
the River People at my back!
Catlin!
Catlin! Catlin!
Catlin!
[Screams]
Where is it?
Where is it?
Where'd you put it?
Where's it gone?
Tell me!
Where is it?
Tell me!
It's gone!
You're its slave, Conor!
It was your master!
You were its slave!
I saw it in your eyes.
You were its slave!
[Crying]
[Crying]
[Breathing Heavily]
Don't!
It's irresistible, isn't it?
Holding history in your hand.
Enjoy it for the moment.
You'll never feel anything
like it again in your life.
No woman, no glory,
no triumph
will ever be as satisfying.
dd [Singing Folk Song]
I'm going to take the spear
away from you.
There's nothing
you can do to stop me.
I'll die by that spear today
no matter what you do.
The question is,
will you die with me?
dd [Ends]
[Grunting]
[Grunts, Groans]
I've waited 400 years
for this moment.
You think I'd share it with you?
My treasure.
My treasure.
[Thunderclap]
[Thunderclaps]
My treasure.
My treasure.
Oh! My treasure!
[Groaning]
Please.
Please.
Please.
Please.
Please.
Please!
Please.
Please.
Please.
Please!
[Gasping]
Please.
Please.
Please.
Please.
Please.
Please.
Please.
Please!
I no longer serve the spear.
Please.
Please.
Come on, old man.
We're goin' home.
Please.
Please.
Please!
Please!
What happened?
I begged for
that boy to kill me.
I begged him.
For 400 years
I've begged Christ for salvation.
I held the spear in my hands,
and I'm still alive.
I will not beg again.
If I am to live forever,
then so be it.
Christ has betrayed me.
So I will destroy him.
I will spit in the face of God.
I will spend my eternity
on earth.
I will profane his work.
I will eradicate his memory.
I will not rest.
I will remake
the world in my image.
Come to me.
- [Boy] What happened to the spear?
- And the prince?
[Sighs]
The prince.
After all he'd been through,
after all his struggles,
the prince found
the very thing he'd lost.
We will pick up the pieces
of the Confederation, I promise.
For the right reasons.
For us.
For the land.
Not for one man's glory.
I'm sorry.
I am so sorry.
[Wind Roaring]
[Shouts]
[Thunder Rumbling]
[Waves Crashing]
[Seagull Mewing]