Ancient Publishing

Serventa, Shadow of the Light

Logline

A fantasy drama based on old mythology where Serventa battles Beira, the Queen of Winter, and The Blue Men of the Minch to save Nessa of Loch Ness, sequenced into seven different reincarnation scenarios defining the meaning of the seven flaws.

Synopsis

SERVENTA(30s) meets BEIRA(80s), an old hag, Queen of the Winter, during a cold, miserable night on a Scottish beach. Serventa is challenged in a confrontation that eventually takes Beira home to the Light. The Storm Kelpies, the Blue Men of the Minch, who can shape-shift, also witness the event and want to cause trouble. Serventa is then given the task of rescuing NESSA(20s), one of Beira's handmaidens, also a kelpie, who is chained beneath Loch Ness. Serventa finds Nessa and offers to help release her from the bondage imposed by Beira. Attacked by the Blue Men of the Minch but overcome with the help of AVERY and the fairies, Serventa can only release Nessa from this bondage by setting her a series of seven tasks, each one to take place in a succession of separate lives. Suddenly, there is a click and a flash of light from a camera, and Serventa immediately turns to see a visitor nearby. Unknown to the visitor, she removes the images from his film. A blue rabbit emerges from the loch and shakes off its coat of water. It is slightly larger than a normal rabbit and bears large fangs as it smiles with poisonous saliva dripping from its teeth. It looks over towards Serventa.

1st task - Falsehood.
Country hillside farm. Nessa appears as a horse and meets Gregory. Unknown to him she changes into a beautiful maiden. Romance ensues but she is unfaithful. Eventually challenged by Gregory's father she is revealed to be false, a kelpie and races off as the horse once again and dies with a broken heart. Nessa returns to the Loch, having learnt the meaning of falsehood, but blue kelpie rabbits are watching.

2nd task - Cruelty. 10th Century Denmark.
Nessa is a young man, a blacksmith's son, who joins the army of Berserkers, cruel wolf warriors, who battle against the Burgundians. He is kidnapped and rescued, having witnessed terrible tortures, but is eventually killed in battle. Nessa returns to the Loch and meets Serventa. Suddenly, they are surrounded by five blue rabbits who are ready to pounce. Avery and his fairy elves shoot two with arrows. They explode in a violent cloud of blue evil dust just as two flashes of light burst around them. The visitor has returned with a friend and cameras. The remaining three rabbits attack, biting their ankles with poisoned fangs. The visitors collapse on the ground as the rabbits dive into the loch, and long blue arms pull them into the Loch with their cameras.

3rd task - Greed and Sloth.
1890 BCE. Ireland. NESSA (man 50s) is married to Ciara but leaves home to seek his fortune. He finds work at the Fort of Rath Bresse. Nessa is responsible for Téthur's fatal accident and is poisoned for his betrayal by Dagda. Nessa returns to the Loch to meet Serventa for the next opportunity. A blue head and eyes appear just above the water, watching menacingly.

4th Task - Envy. Scottish Castle.
Nessa and her sister run a castle in Scotland. Nessa is jealous of her little sister and keeps her working as a scullery maid in the kitchen with Delores, the cook. Nessa is cruel and tyrannical to Annie. An old boyfriend, Angus, appears, delighted with the sound of Annie's singing. When Nessa is killed by wolves, aided by the fairies of Scotland, Angus meets Annie. They fall in love. The fairies and the goblins are so delighted by what they witness that they all dance in a circle and sing with joy to wondrous music from harps of gold with silver strings, which has not been heard in the Hills of Scotland since. Months later, Nessa surfaces from under the loch, ready for her next journey. Two blue heads watch from the loch, snarling.

5th task - Jealousy.
Many millions of years ago, Nessa is given the ability to weave wondrous silks and baskets. The people of the village are envious and try to learn her skills. Her partner, Adam, is led astray by a beautiful young visitor to the village, Cobra, causing Nessa to become very jealous. Finally, Adam leaves Nessa and runs off with Cobra to a new life. Nessa eventually commits suicide.

6th task – Self. Basilmead farm.
Adrian Percy, the owner of the farm, causes his employee to be seriously hurt in an accident through his own selfish negligence and meanness. Finally, the victim's wife poisons him, seeking her revenge.

7th task - LGBTQ Two Spirit.
Nessa, a young Dakota Sioux Native American, is mourning the loss of her partner, Jane. She has a tough time in her youth, battling with her parents and school when she announces that she is gay. She seeks solace and understanding from her wise grandmother, who directs her on a new path of legal confrontation with the government for water rights in her community. This gives her a purpose in life, and she meets a new girlfriend.

Final scene - The release.
Each incarnation builds up her strength enough to break the bond set by Beira and release Nessa from the Loch, but then, there is a final confrontation with the Blue Men of the Minch.

Nessa with a dead Blue Man of the Minch
Serventa of Tutulumar book

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