The Dead Lands

The dead,

they sigh to me.

They tell me to seek a warrior...

more monster than man.

And only he can help me save my people.

There is a break...

between the world of the living and the world of the dead.

The spirits of the dead can no longer reach their ancestors

and are forced back into the world...

...back into their decaying bodies.

If you heal this breach, who wouldn't welcome you then?

You could die with honour and join us in the afterlife.

Your ancestors refuse you an afterlife.

- We will let you return. - What?

You're Waka Nuku Rau.

You can help my tribe if the legends are true about you.

And what do they say?

That you're the greatest living fighter

that this land has given birth to.

Probably true.

And will do anything for a price.

What is it that I'm to do for your tribe?

The dead took my father.

Your spirit is my greatest joy...

and greatest fear.

Father!

Save him, and I'll give you my blood.

Isn't that what you want?

Father is dead, Mehe.

You don't know that.

Even more reason to go north.

Our uncle is a powerful shaman, and he'll protect us.

Father. Father!

Mehe...

Do you think that just because you help this girl

that you would be forgiven for your sins?

Drink her high-born blood

to strengthen you for what will come.

Because you will fight much that is strange and powerful.

Kill the girl.

Take it.

If you train every day...

you might just put up a fight

before you die.

At least you had a father worth loving. I can't say the same.

Tell the dead I'm coming.

Tell the dead I'm coming.

I offer your life to the gods.

If my death serves our tribe...

I give it freely.

You make me proud.

We will tell stories of your sacrifice.

We will tell stories of your sacrifice.

Why must the young pay for the sins of the old?

It was you who ruined this land.

It was you who allowed the spirits of the dead to return.

And it was you who broke this world.

But we must pay?

Why?

The gods spoke to me and demanded a life in full bloom.

Did they?

- Ah! - You dishonour us,

and you ruin my glory!

The source of the disruption to the world -

is it you, Tane?

Tane! Tane!

Mother!

Go with dignity, at least.

Dignity?

I curse you all!

And you, Uncle?

I will return from this earth and eat your heart.

I will rain down makutu on you.

- I swear it. - E hoki ki te po!

Mate...

Mate ana...

Shh.

You know, you curse a lot in your sleep.

If I couldsleep.

Stop waking me.

Show yourselves.

Mother.

What do you want, you old hag?

I gave you a gift.

And what did you do?

Spat it back at me, like the milk from my breast.

I'm doing what you said.

I'm trying to fix what's wrong with the world.

And the girl?

What of her?

You were meant to kill the girl to honour the gods.

And now the gods are displeased.

I shit on the gods.

I promised the gods the girl's blood.

Ah.

So this is all about you.

As usual.

The gods hate me now. Don't you care?

Yes.

Then do this one thing for me.

Please, my son.

Kill her!

Do it, and do it now.

Kill the girl.

Kill her.

Kill the girl!

If you want to kill me,

at least do it while I'm awake.

At least do it while I'm awake.

So, do you make a habit of

murdering your friends in their sleep?

- We're not friends. - Answer my question.

How is a man to find honour in this world - answer me that -

when everything conspires against him?

I don't know. You could try one day at a time.

Who do you talk to?

You talk when there's no one around.

Are you mad or do you talk to the dead?

What if I do?

And what if the dead are no better than the living -

even more demanding?

What do they say?

That the world is broken - as if I didn't know that -

and I am to fix it.

I can help.

We'll follow your tribe.

I want to meet this shaman that everyone speaks of.

You think my uncle knows what's happened to the world?

It's a start. And then I can get rid of you.

I'm sick of you trailing around after me.

Leave me be!

I want to start training.

You promised to teach me.

I need to protect myself in case you try to kill me again.

You think you're very amusing, don't you?

The problem is...

you're weak.

Never fight from anger.

Let your enemy do that. Understand?

Offend them. Insult their mother - that usually works.

This...

This is Matua Kore.

It is more than just a weapon.

It is two gods.

Here - Hine-nui-te-po, the goddess of death.

And here - Tumatauenga.

Ha!

The god of war.

They see where I cannot -

behind me, beside me.

Your weapon is a truer friend than anyone you'll know.

Draw your weapon.

Hold it like I told you.

Hit me.

Mean it!

Like you did your father.

What did I say?

A fight is like a dance.

There is an art in death.

Life, death and blood.

And I don't think you've got the stomach for it.

It's a pity you weren't a boy.

You'd be leading your tribe instead of your fool brother.

It must annoy you.

True.

Simply because I lack a certain organ between my legs -

one more trouble than it's worth, most of the time.

Eh?

My father wouldn't teach me.

I pleaded from the time I could walk

to be trained like the boys.

Ha!

He was a fool!

- He did teach me one thing. - To whine?

To think.

Thinking for yourself is the sharpest weapon of all.

Talk's easy. Fighting's hard.

Your mother didn't do that for you, did she?

Teach you to think.

I heard you talking to her in your sleep.

Interesting relationship.

Teach me, and I'll teach you.

I've nothing to learn from you.

Are you so sure?

You're frightened of the dead and what they'll make you do.

That's why you want rid of me.

I want rid of you because you're fucking annoying.

What if they can't make you do anything - the dead?

If they could, I wouldn't be here, would I?

They wanted my life, didn't they?

As much as they try, the dead are the dead.

Maybe they need you more than you need them.

Maybe they need you more than you need them.

My uncle's tribe lives there, in the tunnels and caves.

We lived there long ago too.

Together?

We were one tribe until my father left.

We'll never make it before dark.

Would another night in the forest hurt?

I'm sick of sleeping in the trees.