The following is a continuation of the synopsis for “The Viking Way”, a feature-length fantasy adventure screenplay I wrote. Check out the posts below for Parts 1 and 2. Here’s where we left off…

In Norgaard’s humble home, Jimmy meets the Viking’s family: wife INGE (30’s) and son SVEN—who’s 14, like Jimmy—plus 8-year-old twins KLAGG and SKLAGG. Sven believes Jimmy is a Druid spy and is ready to take him out with juvenile bravado. Jimmy convinces Norgaard to take him to the Viking Village to see if anyone knows of his brother.

The next day, Jimmy embarrasses himself in front of Nadian, the Druid girl who saved him, who catches him taking a leak. He discovers Vikings and Druids are sworn enemies, divided by differences in style: Vikings understand hack and slash, where the strongest and bravest survive—the Viking Way. Druids just don’t get it, always sneaking about. Jimmy sees Vikings battle each other for the sheer joy of it. He fascinated by their strength and power—envious, too.

In the tavern, an old SOOTHSAYER tells of Giants who steal Village children and eat them to make themselves strong to declare war on the Vikings. She tells of the Chosen Warrior who can lead the Vikings to victory against the Giants, if he can be found in time. Norgaard proposes training all for war; the Chosen Warrior will make himself known with fighting prowess. The Soothsayer also sees Billy locked in a cage in Jotunheim, land of the Giants. Eager to rescue Billy, Jimmy begs Norgaard to teach him to fight like a Viking. Shape-shifting Loki eavesdropped on this conversation as well and resolves that once he finds out the identity of the Chosen Warrior, he will kill him.

Jotunheim is a creepy, barren wasteland with gnarled old trees and quagmires filled with bubbling tar. Billy

 is locked in a cage with other captured children. Galen incites a horde of thousands of angry Giants, using the chaotic magic of Odin’s Eye (which he wears as an amulet) to empower his hellish army. 

Loki interrupts, appearing on stage.  Galen calls him a traitor for abandoning the Giants to live as a God with Odin as his adopted son. Loki is shocked—is this any way for Galen to treat his long-lost twin brother? The crowd is silent. Their leader has a brother who is a God—the… enemy?

For his audience, Galen recalls that day when Odin plucked out his eye and threw it in the Well of Wisdom. He remembers his father, MirmIr, calling him and his twin brother, Loki, outside their cave when they were just children—Giant children, but 10-year-olds nonetheless. Inexplicably, Mirmir allowed Odin to choose one of Mirmir’s sons to adopt as his own. The rejected son was to be banished to the forest to be eaten by the 2-headed jackals that live there. Odin chose Loki, leaving Galen to be cast into the forest. Before he goes, Galen promises he’ll make Odin pay dearly for his decision.

But Galen didn’t die in the jowls of the 2-headed jackals—he made them his pets. After he grew up, he returned to the Well of Wisdom, murdered his father Mirmir and stole Odin’s Eye from the Well. Galen will use its power to complete his revenge.  

Loki proclaims he wants to come back to the Giant’s world. He pretends to know the identity of the Chosen Warrior, whom he promises to kill in exchange for preferential treatment when Galen wins his war. Loki confides afterward to Shimsham that once he is home with his brethren the Giants, he’ll betray Galen to become leader of the Giants himself.

Back with the Vikings, Jimmy struggles with a sword that’s too heavy. Norgaard tells him the Viking Way is a perfect balance of Honor, Strength and Courage—you need all three to be a good Viking. Sven gets jealous that Norgaard ignores him while favoring Jimmy. When a bully picks a fight, Sven enjoys watching Jimmy chicken out and run away in fear.

Up in Asgard, Odin sees Jimmy’s behavior with Frigg and Thor, who can’t believe this coward will help lead to their salvation. Odin staunchly maintains: “Jimmy, the Chosen Warrior, will show that befilthed beast the harsh cruelty of cold iron and hot vengeance!” Still, Jimmy isn’t the stuff Odin’s dramatic legends are made of. Loki, eavesdropping yet again, now knows the identity of the Chosen Warrior and calls forth legions of Evil Minions to rub the boy out.

Jimmy runs to the river, furious. He calls out for Odin. Odin needs Jimmy for something, and if he doesn’t appear and tell Jimmy what’s going on immediately, Jimmy’s going to throw down his runestone necklace and give up—Billy can find his own way home.

Stuck, Odin appears. He confesses that he, King of the Norse Gods, made the biggest mistake of all time and he needs Jimmy to help him retrieve his eye from Galen. If the Chosen Warrior is tough enough to defeat the Giants, Odin reasons, he must be tough enough to get Odin’s lost eye back. Jimmy says he’ll retrieve the eye on one condition—Odin must grant him a wish, anything he wants. Odin refuses—granting a wish to a Human will surely set the Balance so out of whack that catastrophe is imminent. Jimmy’s firm and gets Odin to agree to the deal.

Jimmy the meets Nadian, who still thinks he’s a Viking and teases him.  When Jimmy lets it slip he thinks she’s beautiful—her dislike for him turns to sympathy. Jimmy’s hit Nadian’s weak spot—no one’s ever said that to her before.  Nadian excels with her bow and arrow to please her father, who regrets his only child is not a son. When a pack of Briar Beetles attack, Nadian sees how useless Jimmy is with his too-heavy sword and silly Viking ways of hacking and slashing. She takes him to her underground home to teach him how to fight Druid style, with speed, silence and deadly accuracy.

The pair practices archery. Jimmy learns the Code of the Druids—Precision, Patience and Loyalty. A true Druid strives for all three, in perfect balance. Jimmy reveals his talent for throwing darts (which he makes from broken arrows) and kisses Nadian.

Loki’s Evil Minions erupt from a gash in the earth and attack the Viking Village. Nadian investigates, but Jimmy hangs back. Panicking, he calls to Odin, using his runestone necklace like an intercom to the Gods. Odin appears, frustrated. Why isn’t he above ground, fighting evil!? He reminds him to pay attention to the advice of his ancestors or he may not survive the night, much less find his brother. Aaaaaaugh! Why didn’t Jimmy pay attention when his father gave him the advice, carried from generations from their Viking ancestors? And why can’t this big brute give him a hint? What the heck does this Valknut thing on the runestone necklace mean?

Odin admits he doesn’t know what the Valknut means. That’s why he needs Jimmy. And until Jimmy can figure it out, his continued survival depends on using his head. Looking down, Jimmy sees broken arrows. He makes more throwing darts and goes above ground to help.

While Nadian fights the attacking Evil Minions, Jimmy becomes scared of the hideous monsters. Odin’s nowhere to be found. Jimmy hides in the blacksmith’s shop while Norgaard, Sven and other Vikings battle the creatures. Nadian kills the largest beast, a Hellhound, with an enchanted arrow.

Afterward, Norgaard and Sven find Jimmy cowering. Jimmy gets Nadian to lie, saying he fought bravely and killed the Hellhound himself. She’s disappointed in him. Norgaard discovers his younger sons, Klagg and Sklagg, have been kidnapped by the Giants. NEXT: JIMMY, NORGAARD, SVEN AND NADIAN JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF THE GIANTS…