Song: Dance on a Volcano (Genesis) (Chopped ver.)
The scene opens on a raging sea during a storm. With each flash of lightning and note strike, we approach an island, high, rocky shores, a kingdom (we pan upwards on a hill with the synth notes here, seeing carved art of a monster holding two men in each hand, roaring. Under the illustration is written 'GRNDL'). With the synth stabs we close in on the word "GRNDL". Both the art and the lettering are illuminated, and everything else fades to black. The words morph into "GRENDEL". Title card. The camera floats down from the lettering and back to the land. The music becomes more lighthearted and we notice the storm has stopped. the camera enters a forest, past many-antlered deer, razorbacked boars, bluebirds, to a cave, the interior...There is a huge shadow on the rock wall.
SCENE TWO
OUR HERO exits the cave, or his furry, red-eyed silohuette does, at least. He walks through the forest, camera to his back. A terrified deer runs from his footfall. His shadow pans across a tree with a bright green lizard who immediatley runs to the backside of the tree. A wild boar and two vultures abandon their meal (a dead rabbit) as the giant figure saunters past them. The beast exits the forest, seeing the meadhall and tiny kingdom in view. He makes his way up the hill to the sprawling building as the lyrics "Out of the night, and out of the dark, into the fire, and into the fight, that's the way the heroes go" play.
SCENE THREE
The creature stops at the door as the music becomes tense. We view from inside the meadhall. Vikings eat and drink, a woman comes around with a meadbowl, children play, a dog sits under the table. Suddenly, the door bursts inward. It is GRENDEL! We see him in the light for the first time. His teeth are bared, and he's drooling. The orange light makes him look even more monstrous. Vikings startle and unsheath their swords, rush up to him, slash at him. GRENDEL makes a move to knock them aside. Women grab their children, the king hides behind his throne. GRENDEL begins to really attack at this point. One thane (Unferth) lunges at Grendel, but he slaps him aside like a troublesome pet. Unferth uncerimoniously hits a table filled with dishes. Thanes attack, Grendel destroys. Heads are knocked off! Blood flies! Swords clatter to the ground! Men are punted away with great claws. Unferth rises up from the dish pile and rubs the back of his head. Cut back to battle! Unferth gains his footing. Cut. People watch horrified as Grendel destroys. Unferth stands up shakily, begins to charge, but before he can even get within six feet of the beast, Grendel snatches two men, one headless, one with a giant gash in his belly, by their legs, and promptly flees out of the giant doors (he has to duck a bit). Unferth is left standing, holding a useless axe and surrounded by blood and debris, crestfallen as people watch Grendel flees into the horizon. The music fades out.
SCENE FOUR
Grendel retreats into the forest, leaving the chaos behind him. He chuckles at the yelling and praying. He does not go back home, but sits against a tree at the edge of the forest, eating one man like a sandwich. As the sun begins to rise, the song begins. Creatures begin to awaken. A deer nurses her fawn in a field. Baby birds chirp for a worm their mother holds in her beak. Grendel is halfway done with his twisted 'samdwich'. The singing begins. Grendel's ears flick, and he peeks out from the trees, confused at the noise. The people are singing. He looks disgusted, yet intrigued. The people are burning the remaining body parts of the two men he has snatched. Black smoke rises. He looks down at his kills, regretful perhaps? The music swells, and Grendel stares in disbelief. He looks back at the people. Every man, woman, and child are holding hands and singing. The camera pans up from the people, the smoke, to the light blue morning sky. We cut to Unferth, sitting stiffly in his chair, brow furrowed, hands steepled. We then cut to the land, the dew on the grass, the chirping bluebirds, grazing deer. Then back to Grendel, listening intently, leaned foward on his hands and knees, attempting to hear more, amazed at this display. The song dwindles a bit as Grendel watches them. The camera pans in on him, and Grendel suddenly seems to not be able to listen any longer. He grabs the other man, clamps both hands over his ears as the ghostly music at begins to play. With the man in one hand, he runs away through the forest as the chords change, back home. The song ends.
SCENE FIVE
GRENDEL enters his cave. The space is adorned with gently gruesome imagery of skulls and bones (both human and animal), with lush moss, sprawling plant life.
GRENDEL: Mama? Uh, I'm home, mama.