Merlin and the War of the Dragons (2008) Movie Script

Chyah, chyah.

Britain, 420 A.D.

The Roman Empire has pulled

all its troops home

and ended its occupation

of the country,

leaving it in turmoil.

In every province of Britain,

the local tribal chief

has declared himself

king of that region

and each king wars with another

for more territory.

And now the Saxon barbarians

have started invading

the shores,

trying to conquer Britain

for themselves.

The Dark Ages

in Britain have begun.

A time lost to history.

A time of legends,

of violence and bloodshed,

of magic

and mythical creatures,

and of a great wizard

named...

Merlin.

That's it.

Push.

Their message, sire,

reads: "Kill the child."

It is the safest way.

But not the wisest.

This child...

If the offspring of a demon

can be called a child.

I believe your daughter.

That was no man,

but an evil spirit

that did come down

and take advantage of her

basic goodness and purity.

Nor do I question the nature

of her account, King Eringar.

Only the nature of the spirit.

Which must have been evil

to defile her so.

One need look no further

than the chaos

in the heavens above, my lord,

to see the basic evil...

Quiet.

I tire of your words.

And I tire of yours.

Soli Kara!

Soli Kara...

The pupil should not

challenge the master.

I have counseled you.

So I did your father,

and his father,

and his father.

And his.

and many other kings throughout

the Wales and Britain.

Lo, these many years brought

thee through plague and famine.

Kept the Roman legions in proper

fear of invading these lands.

Aye.

You and your druid priests

took their pay in sacrifice

when you needed, did you not?

I want the child.

And one more.

I've seen a vision

of the Elder tree

associated with this child.

And so you say

this child's father

is a spirit

of the underworld?

Evil spirits. Which is why

it would be better

and safer to kill the child

than to allow

its evil spirits in here.

Or it would better

to not risk

the wrath of the Dark Gods

by killing it.

*

Merlin, let me see.

Good.

One last lesson for today.

What would you like to learn?

I would like to learn

how to read minds.

A simple proposition.

To read a person's mind

you must know their heart.

You must study them.

You must understand

what it is like

to be them.

Only in that instance

will you be able to place

yourself in their mind's eye.

And you will be able

to read their minds.

But that isn't magic.

Yet it works equally as well.

One should not

think first of magic

if you can accomplish

a thing using other means.

Merlin, what would

you like to learn?

I would like to learn

how to create light.

The spell you seek is ancient.

I rarely use it.

In dark places it will call

attention to oneself

as much as aid one's vision.

Luminarus.

L-Let me try again.

That certainly would call

attention to one's self.

Has he ever

shown you that book?

The Book of Spells?

No.

H-Has he shown you?

No.

I doubt you could

even read it.

And you could?

Of course.

I have studied

the ancient scripts.

His book of secrets.

Handed down from one

wizard to the next.

One thousand years

of knowledge.

Reaching back

into the Hyborian Ages.

Everything we need

is in that book.

He must have his reasons.

He's afraid.

You and I, the power we have,

is within us.

He draws his strength

from those pages.

I don't think we are

so different than him.

He may be hiding

something from you.

Like what?

Has he ever told you

who your father is?

We're orphans.

If he knew who our fathers

were he would have told us.

Ah, naive.

There are spells in that book

that can read the past.

Show you where you came from.

He's hiding that from you.

Don't you want to know

who you really are?

Use your spell.

Volo.

To me.

*

It is enchanted.

Keep watch.

En veritas.

H-How did you do that?

I don't know.

It just did it by itself.

Ask it something.

Show Merlin his father.

His father.

Focus on it.

Ahhh!

Exito.

Ahhh! Ahhh!

Merlin.

Vendiger, put it down!

Pyria, release him.

Pyria.

Release him.

Release him, Pyria.

En veritas.

I have failed.

All that I sought

to instill in you

I cannot see now.

There is great power

within this book.

Neither you nor Merlin

are ready.

I disagree.

If you wish to remain

under my tutelage,

Master Vendiger,

you will adhere

to the time-honored traditions.

I trained you

as I was trained

and as were the wizards

before me.

Now, come.

Let us fix what

needs correcting.

Merlin needs our help.

It's always about Merlin,

isn't it?

I have no favorites.

Do you? If it were I

curled up on the ground

like a simpering baby,

what concern would I warrant?

I left him there

to tend to you.

You came for the book.

You and Merlin

are like sons to me.

You are not my father.

Come.

There are things to do.

Merlin needs you.

There's still time

to undo the damage

which may have been done.

You're making a mistake.

I have failed you too.

I need your help.

Blast the gods...

I wouldn't finish

that if I were you.

Will you help me?

Is this the great Merlin?

Rest, Merlin.

Merlin. Good morning.

I would like to introduce

to the Lady Nimue.

Hello.

Where am I?

My sanctuary.

Private study.

Deep within the earth,

beneath Llyn Ogwen.

Here one can work undisturbed.

Well, there is Nimue

and Viviane, but...

What happened to me?

Vendiger and your incantation

brought you in contact

with your father.

That thing...

That could not have

been my father.

I'm afraid so.

I am no child of a demon.

Your vision, was it not

of an Elder tree?

I'll need more proof

than a mere birthmark.

Turn it fro and one sees

an Elder tree.

Yet this way sees something

entirely different.

Who you are does not come

from your father or mother.

Nor from your status

or family crest.

Who you will be

comes from within.

You're the offspring of a God,

but how much of his powers

reside within you,

and for what purposes

you will use them,

only you can determine.

*

What is she?

Ones such as her

can be powerful allies

or the worst enemies.

There are all manner of Gods

still about in this world.

If you choose to see them.

*

Not what you expected, huh?

Impedio.

To me.

Go!

Go, go, go!

Dragon! Dragon!

- No!

- Go!

Go!

*

Ha ha ha!

Please. Everyone.

I'm just a traveler

passing through.

I only ask one thing.

That we shall celebrate

this night together.

That we can share

in this one thing

for victory.

Ah.

Shhh.

Drink.

We should attack

before our spirits weaken.

Everyday people

leave our ranks.

Hengest has taken us

this far has he not?

We should take

a kingdom for ourselves

rather than protect these fools

who grow fat from our labor.

I wish to join your army.

Ha!

What skill could you

possibly have?

One hundred of your finest men

cannot kill me.

Knave.

I'll run you through

right now.

Maybe so.

But aren't you curious

as to why I would make

such a claim?

What is it you want?

I want what you want.

Sire, are you not

the Hengest

who aided Vortigern

in driving out the Picts

and securing the kingdom?

The same,

if I am correct,

who was rewarded

by being expelled

from the very land

he spilled blood for?

I want the same as you.

To take back what is mine.

Well, Torm?

The verdict

remains the same.

The Gods are telling you

that there is evil

abroad in the land.

Evil that threatens

the foundation of your kingdom.

Evil that has been

brought about

by a dark spirit

that took on human form,

and has now reached

adulthood.

His power is enticing

the Saxons back to this land

to overrun it,

to become his minions,

and to kill all

who stand in his way.

So you must kill him,

this Merlin,

before he is the death

of us all.

Mage.

We've come for the one

they call Merlin.

- Come, now.

- No.

- But...

- No.

But you must have

some idea.

For the hundredth time, no.

I see you carry

no weapon.

My weapon is up here.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Is it your magic

that protects you?

Show us something.

Well, like what?

Make something.

How about...supper?

Magic is not something

one uses on whim.

He can't do it.

Methinks not.

Im-re peer-a.

You first.

Smell that?

Picts.

This isn't their territory.

With the Romans gone,

they come as they please.

You'll wish you had

your weapon on you now.

Kala na na!

Impedio.

Impedio!

*

It is he.

The evil one.

Do I know thee?

I know that thou art

the agents for the evil spirit

that has been bringing down

our troubles upon us.

Now you shall be slain.

And your blood

shall be scattered

around the castle grounds

as an appeasement

to the Gods.

This is the only way

that the Gods will realize

our commitment to the task

of ridding this land

of all evil.

Of being worthy

of the Gods' help

in defeating the Saxons.

And you would rid yourself

of your only hope

in defeating the Saxons.

Mage.

I have seen the visions

of the one who bears

the mark of the Elder tree.

He will bring ruin

to our land.

Death and destruction.

It is your lot in life

to be so wrong

in your vision.

Vortigern,

why do you enlist

one such as Torm,

who crawls so low

to the ground

to as not see the sky.

What do you see?

Dragon.

A white dragon.

What?

I see it too.

There.

Dragon!

Gods.

Dragon!

Archers,

take the wall.

You will not

be able to destroy it.

At least we shall try.

We must work together.

Who sent you?

*

Mage!

We have a chance now

to appease the beast.

Kill him.

My Lord, this man

saved our lives.

He predicted the dragon.

Your own council

did not foresee this.

It's coming back.

He brought the dragons

down upon us, didn't he?

Kill him now,

while we still have time.

*

Luminarus!

To the forest!

Thanks.

Casualties?

The men are leaving.

We are four stone down.

Vortigern.

We are not the enemy.

We can only survive this

if we band together.

I suspect a wave

of attackers soon.

From whence? My outposts

have seen no such invaders.

Ha, they did a fine job

of spotting these dragons.

Thou should not forget

who you are talking to.

I will never forget

who you are, sire.

I will follow those dragons

back to their masters.

I want to go with you.

Teach me how to transform

into a hawk and I will follow.

No.

You go to Llyn Ogwen.

Bring back Excalibur.

Excalibur?

You must get it from

the Lady Viviane.

Viviane?

Nimue's sister.

How do I find her?

Go to Llyn Ogwen,

she will find you,

but remember,

the Gods have little in common

with mortal man.

You must not let her...

detain you.

Now go.

I can help here.

Bring Excalibur.

Prepare yourself

for an attack.

I would set up

defensive positions,

keep out of the open.

How dare you tell me

how to run my army.

If you want to survive this,

I would dig in.

I do not think

that attack

was the worst of it.

Does he know

who you really are?

No.

Wise to keep it that way.

Godspeed.

*

Viviane!

I seek...

the Lady Viviane!

The Mage sends his regards,

but what we really need

right now

is your help.

So if you could kindly

show yourself

and I could...

You be the Lady Viviane?

And you be...

the famous Merlin.

Aren't thou not our kin?

The Mage sent me here

to ask you...

For Excalibur.

Aye.

I give to you the same offer

I gave the Mage.

I give you something,

you must give something

back to me.

What do you want?

I want...

what is in here.

You're not going

to find a lot.

You don't give

yourself credit.

What could a God

possibly learn from me?

*

Excalibur.

Forged in the Hyborian age

before man.

It can cut through

the hide of a dragon.

The blade emits a special light

to blind thy enemies.

This scabbard.

As simple as it may be,

has powers as well.

While wearing this scabbard

one can suffer great injuries

yet come through whole.

A word of warning.

While this blade

has great powers,

it does not bestow them

upon all.

It rewards the just,

the righteous and pure of heart.

It destroys the unworthy.

To remove it from its scabbard

is to reveal who you really are.

For Excalibur will exact

the ultimate price...

if you are not worthy.

Thank you.

You cannot keep Excalibur.

It must be returned to me.

You shall bring it back.

I shall take this.

I wouldn't do that

if I were you.

And why is that?

Excalibur only rewards

the worthy.

And thou art worthy?

The bastard son

of a whore mother

and a demon from

the netherworld?

I shall slay thee

with this blade.

*

Merlin.

What are you doing here?

I had a vision.

A vision?

Who did this?

Vendiger.

What was he looking for?

I fear myBook of Secrets.

He has lost his way.

Did he find it?

No.

That's good.

*

Where did you hide it?

*

So you are the dragon master.

You're losing your touch.

I suppose I have,

to have selected

such a poor candidate

for schooling.

I knew it was a risk.

Taking you in.

Knowing where you came from.

You...

You had so much promise.

To turn out to have

so little talent.

Vires.

The Book of Secrets.

Where is it?

That I would put

thousands of years of knowledge

in your hands...

- Vires!

- Vires lucis.

*

Hyah!

Vires.

Ahhh!

Hyah, yah, hyah!

Mage.

No.

It is lodged by my heart.

My time of death is nigh.

No.

No, you can't.

You are the only one

I would give my trust.

My faith.

For you are, as always,

the closest thing to my son.

Listen to me.

To combat dragons

it is written

inThe Book of Secrets.

You must take my body

to the lake Llyn Ogwen.

It will be the only way.

The...The Lady Viviane

will reveal it to you.

But remember:

the Gods have little

in common with mortal man.

It is...

the truth.

Mage?

Mage!

*

You see that?

*

Hengest.

The tables have turned.

I, once the servant,

shall soon become the master.

It is inevitable.

It is only up to you to decide

how painful the transition

shall be.

You. Replace the sentry

by the mountainside.

*

What manner

of battle plan is this?

All of us out in the open.

The men who

have gather here today

are the finest

fighting men of Britain.

You have served me

and your crown well.

Today I ask of you

but one more sacrifice.

Lay down your arms

and Hengest has guaranteed

to me your survival.

Throw down your weapons

and walk away

from this field of battle,

and you will be able

to return to your farms

and villages.

Hengest guaranteed your

families will be spared

if you do this.

Disobey and you

will be destroyed.

*

Men of Britain.

Though you may live

if you walk away.

You will not be free.

Vortigern seeks to give away

what he never possessed.

Your souls.

If you give in today

you will be vassals.

Servants to a new king.

Vortigern will, I'm certain,

be rewarded for his success

in your capitulation.

But you.

Each and every one of you will

go back to your families

not free men but slaves.

Because mark me, these Saxons

are not men of their words.

Do you not think

they will refrain

from attacking your villages?

Slaying you children?

Taking your women?

Look at what

they've done so far.

Imagine what they will do again.

We will not go down

without a fight.

Are you with me?

But how can we defeat their army

and their dragons?

All you offer is brave words

and a sure death for us all.

Death in battle is a good death

if the cause is just.

And think of this,

though the chance be slim,

we may prevail.

We have more allies

than you may know.

Our people at home outnumber

the Saxons three to one.

If we give in today

all hope is destroyed.

To give in today

is to lose your soul

and a man without a soul

is dead already!

Are you with me?

Yeah!

How dare you speak

to me this way.

Inciting insurrection.

I shall have you

executed for treason.

No. It is you

who shall be executed.

You committed treason

a long time ago

when you killed my father

and banished Ambrosis

and I from your kingdom.

And you commit treason today

by forcing our people

into slavery.

For I am Uther Pendragon!

*

Ahhh!

For Britain!

Told you he wouldn't

go down without a fight.

Shall I?

Not yet.

Send forth the berserkers.

Berserkers,

charge!

Ah!

Send out your dragons,

Master Vendiger.

But our men are still

upon the field.

What about our men?

They are all God's men now.

Fly my children!

*

[dragons screeching

Retreat!

*

Hyah!

He is to be taken to Avalon.

Avalon?

Avalon,

the resting place of the Gods.

And now of the Mage.

There are those that have

Gods as their patrons.

So it was with he,

who earned his patronage

through his knowledge

of the secrets of magic.

Which is by way of the other

reason I have come here.

The Mage'sBook of Secrets?

Aye.

The Book of Secrets.

Thank you.

You cannot take it from here.

The Mage made me promise

it would never enter

the world of man again.

Whatever you need from it,

you must gather it here.

But he never told me

how to break the enchantment.

Nor I.

We haven't even made

a dent in their force.

Not yet but we will.

Word. Word, what word?

Or phrase maybe.

If you have tasks

I keep you from...

No.

Instead of going through

spell after spell in your mind,

would it not be more helpful

to say them out loud?

Perhaps I might hear

something familiar.

Or at the very least,

I could learn from thee.

*

You and your ploy have failed.

Our army lies in tatters.

My battalion annihilated.

Yet the dragons have moved on.

Yes, moved on.

To our family and homes.

With no one left to defend them.

If we had only done

as Vortigern wished

many men would still

be alive to fight again.

Do you not think

for one moment,

having thrown

down your weapons,

Hengest would have

let you live?

He would have slaughtered

you like dogs.

Yet we are being slaughtered

like dogs, Uther.

Do you want to help?

Everyone here is working.

Pick up an ax.

Your words are tiresome.

I see no hope in you.

You are wrong.

As long as we still live

there is hope.

And I also have hope in another,

should he return.

Who?

Merlin.

Merlin? He's probably fled

to another region.

You won't be seeing him again.

He will return.

No doubt he faces

life-threatening danger

to do so even now.

*

Merlin. You must leave here.

If you do not leave,

Lady Viviane will imprison

you here forever.

Why would she do that?

As a cat plays with a mouse,

you, half God,

are interesting to her.

And a lifetime for you

is but a moment to her.

She gave me Excalibur.

And she made you give

it back did she not?

I can't leave now.

Not until I gain

the knowledge I seek.

Tell her you are leaving now

and see what reaction that gets.

You are a prisoner.

And she will kill you

once you show her

how to access the book.

We Gods have little in common

with mortal man.

It is the truth.

The Gods have little

in common with mortal man.

It is...the truth.

The truth.

Thank you for...

Your help.

All right. In truth would be...

In veritas.

Show me the spell

to slay a dragon.

*

Any luck?

No.

In fact,

I think I'm going to give up.

The incantation binding

this book is beyond me.

I must join the battle

before all is lost.

You may leave

anytime you like.

Might I suggest

you try a little longer.

Think.

Think what you can gain

if you can

but access this book.

If one drinks

the blood of a dragon,

one can become like him.

You are a tricky one Merlin.

Pretending thou hast

not solved the riddle.

I think I'll be going now.

If you please,

return me to the surface.

You promised you would help me

learn the secrets of magic,

the inner workings of nature.

I'd love to stay and help,

but I have to rejoin my people.

So if you please...

You are one of us.

We are your people Merlin.

I am only half your kind

and if the lot

of you care not for others,

than I would gladly hone myself

in two and discard that portion.

Merlin, I did not mean

that I would not help you.

Anwelicus.

*

Thank you.

You were right.

You have the book?

No.

I left in the other room.

She can't access it.

I have learned everything

I need for now.

We need the book.

If you would kindly

return me to the surface.

You're never leaving!

Not until you show me

how to access it.

Be gone!

*

I'm sorry I didn't trust you.

We shall see each other again.

And you...

shall make it up to me.

I will return it.

I see you've fared

just as I expected.

Heh. Yeah.

We've got the dragon lord

and Hengest

right where we want them.

On the run.

Well, don't worry.

I have a plan.

Who is your swiftest rider?

*

This scabbard,

as simple as it may be,

has powers as well.

While wearing this scabbard

one can suffer great injuries

yet come through whole.

Are you sure this spell

is going to work?

If you take it of your

own free will.

And then I can

change back at will.

What if you die in battle?

Then you'll change back

to human then as well.

Just as Vendiger's

dragons would.

All we need is to keep his

dragons occupied long enough

for me to get through

and slay their dragon master

and then victory is ours.

I'll do it.

And I also.

*

Are you really sure

you want to take it?

Definitely.

*

Merlin.

Charge!

Reinforcements and archers.

Leave their wizard to me.

*

Ah!

*

That is as close to me

as you will get.

*

You are not the only

son of Pyria.

It doesn't have

to be like this, Merlin.

Join me and together

we could rule Britain.

Never.

Look up to the sky.

Your dragons fall like stones,

unable to best mine.

Tell me where the book is,

Merlin.

A quick death is preferable

to my having to pull

the answer from your mind.

You speak like

you've won already.

I will win, Merlin.

I was always the true power

behind Hengest.

If he falls,

the Saxons will follow me.

It was my dragons

that inspired them.

It is my magic

that can conquer Britain

and rule man

like the God I am.

And now, Merlin,

you see the truth.

Our birthright,

the power of the dark God

inside us.

The Mage taught you wrong

not to embrace it.

No.

He taught me things

more important...

*

Ahhh!

Like a sword can slay a wizard

as much as it can any man.

*

Ahh!

*

You showed true valor

rallying your own men,

but it will

be all for naught.

This Britain doesn't

die that easily.

Ahhhh!

*

You're free.

I could get used to that.

*

Behold Uther!

Your new king!

As I knew...

that you would return to me.

For the day only.

The day...

or maybe a few.

We shall see.

*

* Running

* With my dream

* The path

I should not follow *

* The swords

Of promises *

* Surrounded by my past

* I'm falling

* All alone

* The chain of promise broken

* Piercing through my heart

* For the moment stolen

* Weeping music

* Of my life

* Along the inside

* This dark

* The breath

* Of the night

* White passion written

* Like the dust

* Sifting now

* Through my fingers

* Is the love

* That I could never

Leave behind *

* Time can never sting you

* You're locked inside

* My heart

* You're stronger

Than the promise *

* And I will hear

* The music of my love

* No other love

* In this dark

* Chain of promise broken

* Piercing through my heart

* For the one that's stolen

* I am bleeding

* Music of my love

* Time can never sting you

* Locked inside my heart

* We're stronger

Than I promised *

* And I will hear

* The music of my love

* No other love

* In this dark

*

Merlin and the War of the Dragons (2008) - full transcript