it is a good day to die.
in an age when nature and magic rule the world...
there is an extraordinary legend:
the story of a warrior
who communicates with animals,
who fights sorcery and the unnatural.
his name is dar, last of his tribe.
he's also called...
I found you.
I knew that you would head back to camp.
see, to go from granite pool to the west cliff,
you have to go right through here.
the only problem with that, tao,
is I can't walk through a tree.
not really, figuratively.
my map, remember?
I have charted half of the mydlands,
part of the downs, even the territories,
the granite pool, the burning forest,
all the places that I've seen
and all the places that other
great adventurers have described to me.
other great adventurers,
like you?
this is where the habim tribe
jumped to their death, man, woman, and child,
rather than be captured by the terrons.
here, this is where the argons once lived.
they were priests and soothsayers.
they're terron slaves now.
what are you doing?
I'm making a map.
to find your way through the forest,
you have to use your feet.
it is time, father.
what has been taken from us shall be restored
or I will exact retribution.
I will fulfil my destiny.
you're thirsty?
see, being a great adventurer is hard work.
what is it?
well, what does he see? are we in danger?
a bird? I'm not going to lose any sleep over a bird.
ruh doesn't like this bird.
since when is ruh afraid of a bird?
what sort of bird is it?
is it a giant bird? a sorcerer's bird?
it's a yellow bird.
sorceress?
sorceress.
Where are you, you bloody witch?
sorceress!
I wouldn't shout if you came when I called.
this is no way to woo me if that is your intention.
I don't woo. I want, I take.
an interesting approach -- one that might work
with a slave girl,
I suppose.
forgive me.
at times, my ardour overwhelms me.
your ardour, king?
is it troubling you especially today?
it troubles me whenever I think of you,
which I find myself doing with increasing regularity.
slave girls are no longer good enough.
I find you've awakened a taste in me
for far richer fare.
rich foods can be dangerous to one's health.
yes, but what a way to go.
come, my king -- there are rules about contact
between mortals and immortals.
rules, like men's bones, are made to be broken.
I recommend you bathe in ice water, your majesty.
failing that, I am sure there is someone
at your disposal who can cure what ails you.
one, possibly.
Although I fear she may provide
little more than temporary solace.
what's this?
another of your argon rituals?
qord.
tell me, sella,
what good have your traditions done for your people?
aren't they just as dead?
aren't they?
are you going to answer me?
or is the daughter of the argon high priest
too good for the war chief of the filthy terrons?
everyone dies, qord.
our traditions
just make it bearable.
what comforts you?
go wash your face!
your beauty belongs to me.
you've no right to cover it.
soon, father. Soon.
the sun looks angry.
it is low in the sky.
looks like it'll come down and burn us up.
it's going to be a lonely moon tonight.
why do you call it a lonely moon?
it's been called a lonely moon
because the moons line up in such a way
that they form one enormous moon.
some call it lonely moon.
the argons call it redemption time.
redemption time? What's that?
it's a time to atone for your sins.
be cleansed and renewed.
they put ash on their face as a sign.
How do you get this redemption?
It can't be forced upon anyone.
an act of atonement must be performed.
it can be done in many ways.
what?
no -- spikes, see?
what is it? Is that poison?
It's wonderful. How are we going to get the wombat out of there?
there's something else I don't like.
something's wrong here.
-what did you say to him? -what do you think?
stop struggling, it's just making things worse.
I could have told him that.
but would he have listened?
go...go.
I was about to suggest that.
of course you were.
kodo doesn't like wombats but he does like food.
how do you like that?
not even a thank you.
as long as he lives long--
who are you?
what do you want?
don't you recognize me?
I am prince garuda.
it's the phoenix.
the last phoenix,
as you are the last sula.
and when the night sky closes its eye, I will kill you.
excuse me, father.
but I want the leader of the sulas to understand
-why he must die today. -I've done nothing to you.
for countless generations, the song of the phoenix
has moved the sun through the heavens
so that the sulas may grow their crops.
and what was asked of you in return?
that the sulas do one thing:
guard an urn...
one golden urn.
and you failed.
my people, they couldn't even save themselves.
the terrons destroyed everything.
you survived.
the sula tigers live.
within that urn
is the key to my transcendence into immortality.
every age I return and take human form.
I have this one day in which to renew myself.
if I don't have that urn, I will fail in my mission
and be doomed for another age,
away from my father, the sun.
but zad, the king of the terrons, knows where the urn is.
I don't.
the protection of the urn was the responsibilty
of the king of the sulas.
there is no king of the sulas.
there is only me.
only you.
your father betrayed the trust placed in him.
now I will destroy you.
it's not poison.
sleeping potion.
you're ok.
did you see it?
it was incredible.
I thought the phoenix was only alive in stories.
if dar was here, he could
to find where the phoenix took him.
what good is a map if you don't know where you are?
fetch!
that's not it.
um...um...
find!
you know what I mean.
see? Teaching animals isn't so hard.
You wanted to see me, king zad?
not particularly.
but I do need to talk to you.
you wish me to plan another raid?
I don't need you to plan anything.
you're my war chief.
your job is to carry out what I plan.
we work well together, do we not?
the perfect team.
I say; you do.
that way, you don't need to think.
and I guarantee you all the comforts and pleasures of life.
and a very generous provider I am, wouldn't you agree?
you wanted to talk to me about something.
you're insolent, qord.
but you're too valuable for me to kill -- just.
you have something I want.
what could that be?
I have only what you have given me.
and everything you've taken from our enemies.
with your approval.
nevertheless, I'm a black pit
of wanting, qord.
it's a thirst that won't be slaked.
you have a girl
called sella.
I want her.
the argon slave girl?
she's the daughter of a high priest, isn't she?
a woman of high birth.
yes, but--
do you suppose that you are more entitled to this woman
than i, your king?
do you?
peasant girls are for the amusement of common soldiers.
princesses are for the amusement of kings.
bring her to me.
dar?
sharak. Did dar send you?
what am I supposed to do -- do I follow you
or do I follow kodo and podo?
you want me to follow you.
you do. You do.
I guess it's not hard for animals to train humans, either.
lucky sharak showed up.
this is ridiculous -- not only am I talking to ferrets
but I'm worried about hurting their feelings.
where are we going?
zad wants you for himself.
I'll be damned if I let him have you.
what are you going to do with me?
in here.
what is this place, qord?
my place.
have you stolen all this from zad?
I have taken only what I have earned.
but he will kill you.
he will never find it.
he will never find you.
you would defy your king to keep me?
I'd defy anyone to keep what's mine.
one day, I will no longer bow to zad.
one day, he will bow to me.
qord, beware.
but I've also seen it destroy those who hunger for it.
it will be over soon.
it is not my intention
to cause you unnecessary suffering.
how will my death help you?
it won't get you the urn.
I have my destiny.
perhaps you think it unfair.
much of mortal life is unfair.
sometimes a son must suffer for the sins of his father.
my father's done you no wrong.
perhaps not.
but that changes nothing.
was allowed to take what no mortal has any right to.
that is a sin
for which you must pay the penalty.
what pretender?
I speak of the man
who bears the mark of the phoenix
on his face for all to see.
you know what to do.
I hope.
come here, you rat!
ah, kodo.
how did you get podo to do that?
there was no other course of action for him.
-will you hurry up? -i'm going as fast as I can.
-there. Like that. -fine.
quickly.
dar, go!
when the bright sky closes its eye,
I must fulfil my destiny.
you owe me, sula.
and I will collect... one way or another.
that showed him.
no, he made a mistake.
anyway, what was that speech about?
you owe him? what do you owe him?
an urn...stolen from my people by the terrons.
well, he'll just have to drink out
of a wineskin like the rest of us.
where are you going?
the urn still must be there, and I have to find it.
you're going to go to the camp of the people
who want to kill you to rescue the treasure
of a monster who also wants to kill you?
well, someone's going to be disappointed.
you can only die once.
this is madness.
what will we do, approach zad
and go, "please, zad, can we have the urn back?"
what if he hasn't got it?
will we search the whole camp? I think it's a bad idea.
then don't think.
how are these two going to help?
at least they won't drive me crazy with their chatter.
Tao, I need you to do something.
you have to find the phoenix's sacred place,
his altar -- I have to take the urn there.
you must find it. but why?
because if I don't, he's going to come back
again and again and again in every age until the end of time.
how will I find his altar?
it could be anywhere, not to mention
all the regrowth it could be under.
ruh will go with you.
when you find it, he'll come and get me. You wait there.
it will be like looking for a needle in the earth thatch.
I thought you had a map.
cute.
it can't be far from where you found me.
the phoenix won't stray far from his nest.
hey...
just be careful.
escaped?
you allowed that slip of a girl to escape?
she must have taken off when I was here with you earlier.
I'm so very disappointed
in you, qord,
very disappointed, indeed.
perhaps the favoured concubine of the chief of the ionians.
it should not be difficult to capture her.
that turnip?
my horse is more appealing.
then, how else can I make this up to you?
pay with your life, qord,
unless sella is in my bed
before the moon rises.
find her!
out of the way, rodents.
hey, come on.
hey, hey, you found him?
that's good work.
[ cawing ]
whoa.
I can't even find where I began, let alone this altar.
[ growling ]
what?
[ growling ]
what?
ruh, can you see it?
fine...
I'll just wait here totally unprotected.
do you often talk to yourself?
I-I wasn't, that is--
don't be alarmed.
It is not you I must kill today.
you're not going to kill dar, either.
he's well away. at least two moons gone.
he will come to me before the bright sky closes its eye.
it is ordained.
it's not what I wanted, but it has to be.
you abandoned your courage and all your
-grand plans so easily, qord? -the time is not yet
right for my plan -- zad does
-not believe me. -you'd surrender me to him?
if I don't, I'm dead.
are you not worried that I will tell him
about all this?
I will make my move soon -- when I do,
you will have your freedom.
even if you betray me to him, you will be his slave forever.
You may not believe my promise,
but it's the only hope you've got.
besides, as the daughter of an argon high priest,
you cannot betray me.
I thought you did not care for the faith of my people.
I don't.
but you do.
there was a time when I thought there was more
to you than this, qord.
then you're a fool.
king zad.
you seem especially pleased with yourself today.
I am a man of action, sorceress,
not often given to melancholy...
and happiest when I am about to confront my enemies.
and which enemy is it this time?
my loyal war chief, qord.
however, I'm sure you've been following developments.
you're quite confident of the outcome.
this qord has begun to have ideas above his station.
he's about to provide me with the ammunition
to cut him down to size.
if you distrust him so,
you could simply dispose
of him, couldn't you?
but he's a resourceful and highly skilled warrior.
if, however, I'm presented with proof of his treachery...
so you would sacrifice your best warrior
to satisy this troublesome ardour of yours.
ohhh...
I'll do more than that, much more...
if you were to be my reward.
I take it you'd like to watch.
very much.
one more step, beastmaster, and she dies.
I don't want the girl.
but I do.
that's all I needed to see.
thank you, sorceress.
that mark on your face,
you were attacked by a great bird.
perhaps you stole something that belonged to my people.
your people don't exist. how can they own anything?
the urn, I want the golden urn, qord.
I meant what I said.
this girl is promised to king zad.
if you don't drop your staff and walk away
from here, her blood will flow.
if she is promised to zad like you say,
you won't hurt her, 'cause your life would be worth nothing.
ahhh!
as you wish, beastmaster, just you and me.
this is the day which had to come.
ahhh!
[ roaring ]
call your monster off, beastmaster.
this is not a fair fight.
he likes to watch.
And that's all he's going to do.
[ roaring ]
we'll meet again, I promise you...
you all right?
are you all right?
yeah, yeah, I think so.
I'm dar. I'm a sula.
I'm sella of the argon people.
the urn that you seek,
I think it's in here.
is this it?
thank you.
if I don't return this to
its owner by sunset, I'm a dead man.
you know garuda, the golden phoenix?
yes, yes, my people used to speak of it.
is that the urn?
-tHe day's dying. We must hurry. -whoa, whoa, whoa.
we?
it will happen, father, it will happen.
and I am not afraid of what I must do.
perhaps I should go on alone.
No, this will be such a special
moment of atonement and redemption.
I'm one of the few who still believes.
I must see it.
[ cawing ]
well, at least we won't have to waste time
looking for garuda's nest.
our guide is about to join us.
-he awaits you at the altar. -good, where is it?
through the bushes, this-- who's she?
daughter of the high priest of the argon.
oh...oh, but, dar.
he's going to kill you.
you mustn't go in there.
I have to.
zad.
you remembered my name.
good.
it's a pity you seem to have forgotten who I am.
well...
let's hear it.
explain yourself.
where is she, qord?
where's my
-argon princess? -beastmaster took her.
I tracked her to the cave.
I was bringing her to you
when he and that tiger of his attacked.
damn you, zad, I'm
telling you the truth.
what about all this?
she, she never told me how it came to be here?
in some lands,
thieves lose their hands,
liars have their tongues cut out.
however, a mute, handless warrior
would be of little use to me.
so I give you this
to remind you that I have
the power over life and death.
I am your king.
look.
Of course, when the bright sky closes its eye, when the sun is
eclipsed by the lonely moon.
it will happen only once in our lifetime.
Less than once in our lifetimes.
hands and hands of lifetimes.
look, there it is.
don't go, he's--
no, no, no.
in this place at this time,
you owe me a life.
this is more valuable than my life.
the golden urn.
I've honoured the promise of my ancestors.
Now you may fulfil your destiny.
you have done very well, sula.
wise of me to
give you the opportunity when we fought.
but you knew that, didn't you?
and now you know,
that a sula always keeps his word.
he's not supposed to die.
-he's supposed to live. -and will live.
the phoenix returns to the ashes.
the ashes return to the golden urn.
and the bird is reborn.
captions performed by the national captioning centre