Original subtitles

- Taur!

Taur.

- Who are you?

- Ubaratutu.

- What do you want from me?

- Well I don't want anything,

the king of Surupak sends me for you.

- The king?

What does he wish?

- Syros is about to wed Illa,

his eldest daughter,

and you are expected at Surupak for the festivities.

- The news you bring fills me with joy.

When can we be on our way?

- Immediately.

After eating the magnificent salmon you have caught.

- Good Ubaratutu.

Your sincerity is equal to your appetite.

- Taur?

They've all been captured.

- It must have been the Kixos.

- It must have been.

The ones who came yesterday must have been the Venguard.

He was my master, our king.

I should died with you, with all of you.

It isn't right, forgive me sire, forgive me.

I should have come back sooner.

What shall I do now, all alone in the world.

- Those who are dead are more fortunate

than those who have been taken prisoner,

a terrible fate awaits them.

But I shall fight so long as I live in order to free them.

And you, Ubaratutu, will come with me, and fight by my side.

Uproot that tree, and try to catch on the other.

- There.

I've got it.

- Now swing to the other side.

Come on, come on.

- Help, help!

They're Kixos, help!

Help master, this one is strong.

- Pass him to me.

- Here he comes.

I'm afraid you hurt him master.

Poor thing.

The others--

- They've ran away.

Well, I guess that's that.

Ubaratutu, what do you know about the Kixos?

- They're terrible master.

They eat their brave enemies in order

to acquire their virtues.

- Ha, just an excuse to have a good meal.

I don't think that they would

throw a coward like you into the boiling cauldron,

you mustn't be afraid.

- Oh, it's not that I'm afraid Taur,

it's only that I have no courage.

- Look, those people are prisoners.

- But where are they taking them?

- I don't know.

- Move on! - There's nothing here

that resembles a city. - Keep moving!

- Wait.

We'll follow them and find out

where it is they're taking them.

- But, now that we've seen everything

I think it's better if we turn back,

don't you think so, Taur?

- Come along.

Who are you?

Why have they put you in chains?

- I am one of the unhappy citizens of Surupak.

The Kixos brought us here, as their slaves,

after having destroyed our homes.

They left me to die,

'cause I tried to escape.

It's over Taur.

- How is you know my name?

- Syros told me you would be coming.

- Syros is alive?

- Yes, he is.

But they put him to work in the mines.

You along perhaps can help.

- Taur, here he is.

- Syros.

Syros, wake up.

- It's you!

- Sh, quiet. - Taur!

- Not so loud.

I'm here to liberate you.

I never thought I would see you in a place like this,

and in these conditions.

I was going to marry the daughter of the king of Surupak.

But now it's all over, all over.

- If Illa is still alive, it's not all over.

Soon you will all be free.

That's why I have come here.

- Illa's alive.

I know she is.

She was among a group of prisoners,

I saw her during the march.

- We must try to find her.

We'll look for her together, you will be my guide.

- I'm powerless.

How can I?

- In order to make a plan of action

I must know the disposition of all the guards in the grotto.

Syros, who already knows the underground city,

will come with me.

You will take his place

so they won't notice that a man is missing.

There are quite a few Negroes here,

it will be difficult to discover you.

- Yes, yes.

- Do you understand?

- Of course master.

Pretend that you're a prisoner.

The worst they can do is whip you, that's all.

Then we'll come back to free you.

- Yes, I see.

- Taur!

I don't like this at all.

Taur!

Say brother.

Do they use the whip here?

- They do.

- They do?

- What happened?

Who did it?

On your feet, on your feet!

You saw it, who did it?

Speak, speak.

Get up, you will pay for this.

I'll make you all work double until you tell what you know.

Come on speak, you dog.

- Why pick on me?

- Who killed the guard?

Who?!

- Water.

Water.

Water.

- Who are you?

And what are you being punished for?

- My name is Afer.

It is now more than 18 years

that I am chained here to this grotto to suffer

the atrocious pain of thirst.

And all because I refused to commit a horrible crime.

- What are you trying to tell me?

- 18 years ago we had a king who was wise and just.

After the king died in battle,

the queen gave birth to a boy,

but the grand priest El Khad wanted to posses

the riches of this kingdom.

Therefore he had the queen killed

and her child exchanged in its cradle

with a girl child, Akiba, separated from her own parents,

whom he ordered murdered that very same night.

Taking advantage of Akiba's tender age

he made her his puppet.

After having stunned and tormented her with his magic arts,

so that on the throne sits a queen without will,

who thinks only with El Khad's malefic brain.

- How do you know this?

- In those days I was El Khad's slave.

I was ordered by him to kill the son of the king,

but I hadn't the courage to do it.

And I abandoned him in the forest.

But in order to recognize him, in case he survived,

I made a sign on his breast.

- Tell me, how was this sign of the child's breast?

- It's that one, the one you have on your breast.

I recognize it.

You are the king.

You are the real king of the Kixos, you are the heir.

Have mercy on me, forgive me.

- It was the will of fate that I find the child

before anything happened to him.

I helped him to survive and become a man.

And now I shall help him to reconquer his rightful throne.

They must not know we passed this way.

For that reason I shall not set you free immediately.

- It doesn't matter.

It doesn't.

It's important that El Khad doesn't find you.

Otherwise what I have suffered these 18 years

will have been in vain.

- But I cannot leave you here.

- No, no.

- You saved my life.

- Come Syros.

We'll come back for her.

- As you see you'll find me alive, even today herald.

- One, two, one, two, one, two,

one, two, one, two, one, two,

one, two, one, two, one, two,

one, two, one, two,

one, two.

- They're being trained to fight in the arena.

- One, two,

- Look. - one, two,

one, two, one, two, halt, in place.

You, come here.

About face.

Get back.

Remember, when you are in the arena

you may not vain fighting.

- We found her.

There's also her sister.

- There can be but one of them.

- Which is Illa?

- The death of one or the other.

- The fair haired one.

- Anyone of you thinks she can avoid fighting,

the only result will be punishment by death

for both contenders. - Taur, we must free her.

What can we do? - Because anyone who

will not fight, - Wait!

- Will be immediately killed by the queen's guard.

- Who are you?

What are you doing here?

- I am Taur, and he is the real king of the Kixos.

Let's go.

There.

- This way.

- Careful.

Psst.

Psst, psst.

- Huh?

- Psst.

- Ah?

- Psst, psst.

- Ah?

- Psst.

- Come on, come on!

Of all things to happen, we've been discovered.

Now what should we do?

- Speak.

- We were overpowered by two strangers.

One was incredibly strong.

We were ambushed.

- Who were they?

- The powerful one is named Taur,

the other claims to be the real king of the Kixos.

- The real king of the Kixos?

What are you saying?

- I alone succeeded in escaping to bring you these tidings.

- Describe this lying foreigner

who says he is the real king of the Kixos?

How old was he?

- The same age as our beloved queen, Akiba.

- The same age?

May I count on you, Pheru, to maintain secrecy

about this absurd fantasy?

- Yes El Khad.

- Now, Pheru, I am really sure of your silence.

- And now there is no one alive

who will be able to recognize the lying foreigner, El Khad.

- Get on, move on!

Move it!

Come on, move.

Move.

Move.

Move.

Move.

- Come on there you.

Keep it going.

Move it.

Come on.

- Master, master.

Things are getting worse.

Have they taken you too?

What shall we do now?

- Keep quiet, don't ask questions.

I have a plan.

- But here they drive you with a whip,

they're hyenas. - Don't worry,

all will go well.

- Hyenas. - What did you say?

- Who said anything?

I didn't say anything.

- Courage, Ubaratutu, courage.

- Come on, move.

Move on.

Get in line.

Keep it going.

Move it.

- Do you want your freedom Afer?

- What do you want in exchange?

- You told me that at the moment

you were about to kill the baby according to my orders,

you were forced to leave him and escape

because of the sudden arrival of a lion.

But you had no doubts that the child had been devoured

by the beast, is it so?

- You were able to seize power through

deception and witchcraft El Khad.

But your days and those of your accomplices are numbered.

The gods will that the real king of the Kixos

be saved instead of being devoured by the lion,

and soon everybody will know the truth, tyrant!

- Then you know that he is still alive.

How do you know?

If you tell me everything you know I shall free you.

- And if I don't, what will you do?

- I'll have you torn apart by my horses.

- It would be a liberation to be torn apart,

rather than live in this permanent torture.

- What have you come here for?

How did you know I was here?

- I didn't know.

I came to see the prisoner, Afer,

whose life you entrusted to me.

- Your vigilance in preserving the life

of this woman has now come to an end.

I have just condemned her to be torn apart by my horses.

- I don't know El Khad for what reason

you have condemned her to death,

but let me remind you that by your orders

I must keep alive, even against your will,

for as long as possible the prisoner you entrusted to me.

So that her torture might continue forever.

- Perhaps you are right.

- Hey, Syros?

- Hm?

- Syros, wake up.

The guards are asleep, it's time to act.

- Good, free me and we'll go.

- Taur.

- Huh?

Who are you, why are you here?

A woman of your rank

must have an important reason to come down here.

- Very important, in fact.

It concerns the welfare of my people.

- What do you want from us?

- I want to try to save both your lives.

I know who you are.

Did you hear, Syros?

- Yes.

What is your name?

- Ararut.

- How were you able to get here to us?

- I am the confidant of the grand priest, El Khad,

were he to know I was here, he would have me killed.

- Why all this risk?

- Because you are the real king of the Kixos,

to reconquer your throne you have need of my help

as someday I may need your help.

Afer, the slave condemned to eternal thirst

has sent me to you.

I have been her custodian for many years.

I must absolutely not be seen here.

I'll come back as soon as I can.

- On your feet, on your feet, get up.

On your feet.

This one here.

This one too.

Line up over there.

On your feet, get up!

We'll take this one.

- Don't worry, be calm Syros.

- Come on, move.

Hurry, hurry, move.

Hurry.

Go.

- These are the strongest Akiba.

Chose an opponent for each one of them.

- Taur.

- Prisoners.

Our great people have bravely defeated you.

However, you, who are the strongest,

have been selected to fight one against the other.

The one who succeeds in defeating his opponent

will enjoy a better destiny.

Anyone who doesn't fight will deserve for himself

the penalty of death.

- Master, I knew things would end badly,

what a mess we're in.

You're much stronger.

You're sure to win, and I'm sure to lose.

- Come on.

- No, no, no.

- Come.

- Now it's my turn.

No, no, no!

But master.

- Come on, get up.

- No, no.

- No!

No!

No!

Taur!

- Guards!

Quick!

- No, stop.

Who are you?

- I am your prisoner, Akiba.

- If the men of Surupak had given battle with your strength

and your bravery prisoner,

today I would be in chains before you.

What is your name?

- What importance can my name have for you?

- None!

Because this man must be punished with death.

- I ask of you, that this foreigner

whose strength is so exceptional

be allowed the possibility of salvation.

I leave it to the people to suggest a difficult feat.

If the prisoner achieves victory in our presence,

I order that his life be spared.

- No, no!

This man killed my brothers,

I ask that he be torn apart by horses.

- But this will mean certain death.

- You cannot oppose your people.

- Syros.

It hasn't been easy to with El Khad surveil us.

- Did Taur send you?

- I know nothing about your friend.

I promised to help you, and that is why I am here.

There is now a pact between us that no one can break.

Take this, to appease your hunger.

- Thank you.

- You must have trust in me.

I wish to help you.

- In what way can you help me?

- Tomorrow there will be a great spectacle in the arena.

I will profit from the confusion

to find a way to come and liberate you.

I shall hide in you in a secure place

and together we shall wait

for the proficuous moment when you will be able

to reconquer your throne and your power.

- I would accept your help willingly,

but I cannot desert my fellow prisoners.

And above all I must find a way to save Illa.

- Illa?

Who is Illa?

- El Khad.

This man is now mine.

- Gods of abysus and fire,

thanks to the powers you gave me Akiba has obeyed me.

Her mind as well as her heart

were completely at the service of my will.

And now a senseless love she feels for Taur

has withdrawn her from my power.

Help me to restore my power over her will.

Transform her love to hate, wither forever her heart,

and may her caresses become harbingers of certain death.

Akiba, may your lips bestow an atrocious death.

- I bid you welcome Taur to my house.

- Captainess.

- What is it Ararut?

- I must the prisoners who will fight tomorrow in the arena.

- Come.

Prisoners, in place!

- Which of you is Illa?

- I am.

- You are very young Illa,

you also have a sister, do you not?

- My name is Tuja.

- Tuja.

You're both pretty,

but not so very fortunate women of Surupak.

The queen commands that the two sisters

must fight each other to the death.

- Ubaratutu.

Ubaratutu!

Hey, wake up, Ubaratutu, what are you doing here?

- Huh?

Master.

What a surprise.

Legs.

That woman, witchcraft, I saw him, I saw him.

The one with the feathers.

He made magic, the magician, I saw him,

with my own eyes.

Be careful, you mustn't kiss her, he said a lot of things.

He called in all the gods to put a curse on her three times

and whoever kisses her will die.

He said so. - What are you talking about?

- You must believe me Taur.

It's witchcraft, it's ordered by the wizard.

- Seize both of them.

Arrest them.

- Come on.

Come here you.

- No.

- Quiet.

- No, let me go!

- Now, be good.

- No!

- In there.

- Help!

No, let me go.

No!

Help.

Help.

Help.

Help.

Let me out.

Let me out.

- Uhuh, uhuh, uhuh.

- Help.

Help.

Help.

Help.

Help me, help.

Help.

Help.

Help.

Help.

- She won't die, the chest is full of holes.

Let's go.

- Help!

- Akiba!

Where is her voice coming from?

Hurry up you.

- Help.

- Akiba.

Akiba, where are you?

- El Khad.

- Akiba.

Hurry, remove the block of gold.

- Hurry.

Hurry.

- Hurry.

Hurry.

Hurry.

Lift it up.

Hurry, our queen is inside.

Hurry.

Akiba.

Akiba.

What has happened?

- Martial law must be proclaimed throughout the kingdom.

Taur and his friend must be captured, either dead or alive.

- Taur?

- That is my order.

- Now what do we do master?

- We must find Syros.

Let's see if he's here.

Let's go.

- You're not pushing tower.

You wanna die?

Either you'll work or die.

You understand?

- Taur.

- We have no time to lose, they're looking for us.

We must act quickly.

- You can talk, he's a friend.

He's one of ours, it's Taur.

He's a friend too.

- We're all doomed to die.

I've been here three years, and I've seen many die.

But why is it the gods don't help us?

- The gods will help us if we help ourselves.

You can tell us many things that are useful.

- Of course.

But not here.

It's much too dangerous.

Let's go there.

- Move you dog!

You too!

You stay behind to cover us.

- Alright.

Hail to you.

- Wait a moment.

Come here.

- Me? - Yes you.

- I have nothing to say to you.

You know I'm sorry. - I told you to come here.

- I don't talk to strangers.

- Stop.

Stop!

- Come on, flatten up against the wall.

- Taur.

- Hide yourself come on, hurry up.

- All is well.

- Did anybody notice you?

- No master.

- Then you stand guard here, you understand?

- Yes.

- How many guards are there?

- There's a rule there's one for every 10 prisoners.

- Not many, after all.

It won't be difficult to overcome.

- Unfortunately the worst will come

when we get out of the mine.

Outside are the warriors of Kixos.

- We must be able to find the right moment to act.

We can try to create a diversion

attracting their attention elsewhere.

- I've had my own plan these many years.

- What plan?

- All the machines which serve to extract the ore

from the bowels of the earth

are worked by the force of the volcano.

A torrent of water runs permanently

down the wall of red hot rock and is transformed into steam.

There is an apparatus down there

which measures the pressure of the volcano,

when it rises the balloon fills up

and moves the lever, which in case of danger,

beats the gong, giving the alarm.

The fact that they've invented this

means that too much pressure

would endanger all their machinery

and perhaps their very lives.

But we must reach the reservoir.

- To do what?

- You can tell us later.

You go back to the others and tell them to keep ready.

- Very well.

- Hurry, go, go.

- Come, let's go.

- Are you sure of the plan?

Sh, go, go. - No one can be sure

- Hurry. - of anything here.

- Here, here.

- What do you want?

- We've come for the change.

- What change?

- The change in your face.

- Here we are.

This is the pipe which brings the water to the cistern.

And this is the tunnel that reaches

down to the bowels of the volcano.

- What must we do?

- I'll explain, here's my plan.

A short distance from here the tunnel widens

into an enormous grotto, which is divided at the bottom

by a thin wall of rock.

If we succeed in filling the grotto with water,

at a certain point the wall will not be able

to resist the weight and will cave in.

- What then?

- An avalanche of water in the boiling lava

will be transformed into steam,

bringing about the explosion of the volcano.

- But then we'll be exploding too.

- By that time all of us will be in safety.

There isn't a moment to lose.

Ubaratutu, come on and help me.

- What must we do?

- Bend this pipe.

- Oh.

- I'll warn you if anyone comes.

- Yes.

- Here, my queen.

- Make him stand up.

Do you know who I am?

- Yes Akiba.

- What has happened?

- We were attacked from behind and caught by surprise.

- Who attacked you?

- There were two, a white man and a negro,

both of them powerful.

- What is your emblem?

- The flame and the moon.

- Make a search for the man

who's helmet has the sign of the flame and the moon.

- Ubaratutu, we'll go this way.

You go and free Afer, the slave.

- And then what must I do master?

- Take her to the entrance of the grotto and wait for me.

- Very well.

Hail to you.

- It's him, he has the flame and the moon.

- Yes, the flame and the moon.

What are you doing, what is this?

We're fellow guards.

Taur, help!

- You go ahead, I'll go back and see what's happening.

I'll catch up with you later.

- Help, help!

Help!

Taur!

- A royal scepter is the best ornament

for an ambitious woman like you.

- An illegitimate scepter may easily be acquired

by any woman.

- Illegitimate?

What do you mean?

- El Khad, I've always been faithful to you.

I wouldn't want you to lose power.

- Your words Ararut sound friendly to my ears,

but they are not extremely clear to my mind.

- El Khad, you can't deny

there is discontent in the kingdom.

And that something new has happened

since the arrival of prisoners from Surupak.

- I see then, that you know something

that I, myself, don't know.

- Among the prisoners from Surupak,

a youth has been discovered, the same age as Akiba,

who claims to be the real king of the Kixos.

The soldier you killed therefore,

was not lying.

- The real king of the Kixos?

What are you saying?

- This is grave El Khad.

Would a young prisoner ever have dared

to declare himself king of the people

who had defeated him, unless he really was?

Do you think it possible?

- What do you know about this conspiracy?

Speak.

Speak, or else.

- Don't threaten me.

If you want an ally, what will you offer me

more than the new king will.

- Then you know him, don't you?

You even know his name?

- Yes.

- Hm.

Ararut, you want part of the keeper's treasure,

and impelled by your ambition

you have succeeded in winning my confidence.

I have to acknowledge your victory.

But now tell me the name of that young man

and you will have what you desire.

- I have never doubted that victory would be yours, El Khad.

It's for you I've woven the plot,

which is now so useful to you.

I know the name of the young man.

And to demonstrate my loyalty I'll tell you.

The young prisoner of Surupak is called Syros.

- Syros?

Syros.

Very good Ararut.

You know how to win.

- These are all prisoners of Surupak,

the same age as our queen.

- Which of you is Syros?

If Syros does not come forward, you will all die.

Well then,

when the games are over have them all brought to the arena,

put to death.

- As you command El Khad, it will be done.

- If you try to free yourself

I shall have your friend killed.

Hind his feet.

If, in an hour, you're still alive,

I'll free you, but I warn you,

this will be your last chance.

Throw him in.

I shall return in an hour.

Get back to work.

- Combat match to the death.

Gagged and blindfold.

- They're about to massacre

all the youth in the arena.

Wait a while with those rocks, the guard is coming.

- Come on.

Move, you dogs.

What are you doing?

- I'm going to the arena.

As soon as you think the wall of the volcano

is about to collapse, give the signal.

Then disarm all the guards,

and come out. - Yes, very well.

- The people are waiting for you to give the signal

of death or reprieve.

- We believe that the winner

must at least have the right

to view the face of her adversary before killing her.

- Look.

It means you must kill her.

You must kill her, do you hear?

You've been ordered to kill her.

Come on.

If you don't kill her now, you'll both be killed.

- Stop men, I am Syros!

- You told me that Taur was dead.

Seize him, forward!

- Watch out, Illa!

- Never mind, leave her to me.

- This is it.

Wall has collapsed, quick move.

Disarm the guards, come on, come on.

- I had a hard time finding you.

Quick Afer, the volcano is about to explode.

- The prisoners have rebelled.

- Meet your death.

You dog, you.

- People of Kixos.

I am sure there are many among you

who will still remember me.

I am Afer, nurse of the former Queen Helted.

When her son was born, I was given orders to kill him,

and substitute him with Akiba,

who now calls herself your queen.

You are a false queen.

The real king, whom I abandoned in the forest,

is still alive.

He comes to bring us justice.

He is among us.

There he is, there is the real king.

He alone, Syros.

Thanks to his help we are now able

to get rid of the grand priest, El Khad,

who thirsting for wealth and power,

used witchcraft to empty the brain of Akiba.

Oppressing the people, using her as his puppet

while he made all the decisions.

I thank the gods, who willed that I survive,

in order that I might, before all of you,

recognize Syros from the sign

that I myself put on his breast, this very sign.

No!

- Akiba, it's useless.

You won't be able to escape me.

I should kill you.

- Illa!

Illa!

Illa!

- Come along with me, come!

- Lorek, Lorek.

- Ubaratutu, what are you waiting for?

- Taur, where has he gone?

- Behind.

- What about Illa and Syros?

- I didn't see them.

- Illa, Syros, run!

- Here they are.

- But where's Taur?

- We were worried about you.

Everything went up, and is also

Taur, he's safe. - Where's Taur, Taur?

- Everything's alright now.

- Taur, Taur.

- The plan worked.

Look.

- It worked!

- The kingdom is now gone.

- It's now up to you to rebuild it.

- We've won.

- Lorek.

- Good bye. - Bye.

- Taur, I'm surely glad that's over.

- Together we have restored freedom to the Kixos.

Now, while they are rebuilding their kingdom

we shall go towards new adventures.

- More adventures, Taur?

- More adventures my friend.