EPISODE 1: THE DRAGON AWAKES
It’s a gloomy evening in Dragon City. A flashy, blacked out car comes to a halt in a bleak corner of 54th Street. A man steps out of the car. His short hair carefully combed to the back, wearing a formal suit and immaculate shoes. He is seen entering an old antique store. Three elderly women are waiting at the other side of the counter, they recognize the man. He is Massimo Giangrandi. He has come in search of answers. He speaks of a mysterious game and wants to know when it is due to start again. It is also revealed that the son of the “traitor” has returned to the city. This awakens his thirst for revenge. Suddenly we hear a noise from the back of the shop which interrupts the conversation. It is one of the employees who dropped something on the floor. The old ladies get back Massimo’s attention. They take out a magic box and consult the contents - some tarot cards – on the counter. It is still too early, they tell him. But they warn that Dragon City is waking up. Joseph Drake, Pep Morgan, Jon Ferro and Sara Monk are a young group of very good friends. They go to high school together and are big basketball fans. They call themselves the Flying Squirrels. Pirate blood runs through their veins, as well as the thirst for adventure. They suspect that Giangrandi – the high school principal – is deeply involved in matters related with the mafia. And tonight, while he visits the old antiques store, they have decided to sneak into his Secret vault in search of evidence. The plan goes smoothly: Sara watches Massimo near the antiques store and she monitors her friend’s progress from her computer. Joseph, Pep and Jon are in close proximity to the high school. They carry video and audio equipment to record everything in their path. They’ve entered into the sewers, taking different routes. Joseph is the first to enter, and a ferocious wolf welcomes him. When all hope seems lost for him, Pep arrives and shoots the wolf, tranquilizing it with a dart. Then Jon ap pears, just in time to decrypt the passcode to the Secret vault. Once inside they come across hundreds of foreign objects. Among them is an old map of the city protected by bullet proof glass and various old photos and newspaper clippings. When they get back to investigating the vault, the wolf wakes up and goes back to attacking the intruders. Bringing together their strengths and abilities, the Flying Squirrels manage to get away from the relentless guard and escape unharmed, although leaving behind a trail of destruction and without noticing that a small camera recorded the raid. Without suspecting that anything happened on his property, Giangrandi leaves the Antique store without any answers. However, the tarot cards continue to announce to the old ladies what is coming up in Dragon City. The tarot has shown four friends. But it is the emergence of a fifth character that makes them celebrate ecstatically. It is the young Pierre Corso. His admission into the school and the group of friends closes the first circle of an ancient prophecy. The Flying Squirrels, now complete, are “The Five”, a special group destined to take on a mission so important, that it could change the course of everything. Soon the courage and loyalty of these great friends will be put to the test. The game is about to begin.
EPISODE 2: THE SON OF THE DESERT
Dawn breaks over the chaotic and rowdy Dragon City, while in the desert, silence engulfs everything. In this mystical environment, Muyi San, the youngest and least experienced member of the ancient Muyi tribe, receives a revelation and goes in search of the Master of the tribe in order to find out its meaning. In the sacred temple, the wise leader listens to the young apprentice and immediately consults the ancient calendar. Suddenly, a beam of light moves through the stone calendar and reveals something highly surprising: in very little time there will be a solar eclipse and the Cave of Hell will open. Just like the ancient prophecy dictates. This can only mean one thing: that the mysterious chest that was hidden thousands of years ago, will be able to be taken by “The chosen
one” . In the center of the city, Pierre Corso is sleeping, without a clue of what is going on hundreds of kilometers from his bed. But his dream isn’t a pleasant one. He is having a nightmare, the same recurring nightmare as always: He’s a little boy who watches with pride as his father winks to him from the podium of the winners of the fencing championship. Suddenly there is complete darkness, and then the flashing lights of police cars, that indicate a tragedy. Little Pierre is escorted by two officers through the halls of a boarding school where a crowd is gathered; pointing and whispering “the son of the traitor”. Just when everything seems to get worse, Joseph wakes up, with the rest of the Flying Squirrels around him ready to introduce them. Meanwhile, in the police department, the chief Syd Monk receives a mysterious phone call. It’s a man; he sounds very nervous and refuses to reveal his identity. He tells him that he is undergoing a major investigation that involves the most powerful organization in Dragon city. He asks for protection. Monk asks for more information but the man says it’s not safe to speak on the phone and hangs up, promising to contact him again. Monk, obsessed with catching Massimo Giangrandi, suspects that whoever was on the other side of the call has the evidence to do so. On the other side of the city, Vladimir assures Massimo Giangrandi that the Flying Squirrels are the ones who entered his Secret vault, but they don’t have any evidence to prove it. Sick of the nosey youngsters, Giangrandi conspires with Sumo Kabuto to distract the Flying Squirrels by challenging them to a game of street ball. To encourage and manipulate Sumo, Massimo reminds him that Pierre’s family had to do with what happened to his ill-fated father and that therefore, the Flying Squirrels are also his enemies. Confident that they will win with their new team member, the Flying Squirrels accept the challenge. However, with the help of Massimo and his evil ways, they are eventually defeated by Kabuto and his coyotes. Finally after a long tribal ceremony, the desert spirits choose Muyi San to be in charge of searching for “The Five”, where amongst them the chosen one will eventually be found, to guide them to The Cave of Hell. The choice completely confused The Muyi’s. None of them, except the Master, had faith in the ability of the youngest of the brothers. Not even Muyi San himself. Will the young apprentice be able to fulfill the great mission assigned to him? In the antique store, the old ladies celebrate a new revelation seen through the tarot cards: The son of the desert has started his journey. Something big is going to happen in Dragon City, and fast.
EPISODE 3: SOMETHING BEHIND THE THRONE
In the editorial office of the newspaper; ‘The Insider’, entertainment section journalist Rita Ching looks for ways to escape the tabloids and get into the world of investigative journalism. After speaking with her boss in vain, frustrated she turns to her colleague Bruno Monroe, from the Crime section. But instead of solace, she finds her friend to be strangely nervous and upset. He seems to be behind a very big, dangerous case. Monroe doesn’t want to reveal anything. Ching leans over his Laptop and sees a photo of a mysterious looking woman with black hair who catches her eye. ‘Who is it?’ She asks herself, but before she can question Bruno, he hurries her out. Ching suggests he goes to the police. Monroe ensures her that he’s spoken to the chief Monk, but seriously doubts that anyone will be able to protect him. But from who? One phone call to Massimo Giangrandi will put an end to Bruno Monroe’s curiosity. It is the ‘Pirate Queen’ on the line. She asks Massimo to dispose of the reporter who’s going in far too deep with their investigation. He accepts her request, but asks for something in return. For Giangrandi, what could be worth more than taking a man’s life? Meanwhile, seeking to fulfill his mission, the noble Muyi San crosses the desert on the way to Dragon City. Overhead an eagle flies, as if it were following his steps. On his way, the young apprentice comes across various characters and hurdles that interfere with his pilgrimage. The wise young apprentice knows how to use his strengths however, so that he can come out on top in all the challenges that face him, without violence; keeping his curiosity and permanent state of zen intact. Without suspecting what destiny awaits them, the Flying Squirrels only have basketball on their minds. The boys are not just going to sit back after Sumo Kabuto and the Coyotes beat them in front of the whole school. So they use their time to train in an old abandoned factory that they converted into their hideout, thus defeating their rivals in a re-match. But Sara prefers to analyze the images obtained in Massimo’s private vault. Two things especially catch her attention: a place on the map called ‘The Cave of Hell’ and an old photo of a young Giangrandi and three other boys. Pierre recognizes his father amongst the four smiling faces in the picture. What did Francis Corso and Massimo Giangrandi have to do with each other? Back in the editorial office of The Insider, Rita Ching is finishing off her days writing when she receives a call from Bruno Monroe. She can’t hear him well at all. He is being chased.Rita urges him to tell her where he is, but he only says that she must remember the keyword: Operation Conquest. The phone call is cut off all of a sudden and Rita is left alone without a clue as to what to do. Night falls in Dragon City, with more than just one mystery surrounding the metropolis.
EPISODE 4: BURNT TO ASHES
Muyi San finally reaches the city in the back of an old, rickety truck carrying. The vast city, being as chaotic as it is modern, excites and surprises him. The eagle that accompanied Muyi from the beginning of the journey continues to monitor his steps, and even saves him from getting hit by a bus. For the young monk, the city seems to be far more dangerous than the desert he knows so well. Meanwhile, in the high school, Sara keeps looking for clues about the other two people in Massimo’s old photo. Walking through the halls she notices the school trophy cabinet. One of the faces from the photo stands out amongst the team por traits of the yearly basketball champions. It is Nagai Kabuto, Sumo’s father. He disappeared 15 years ago, around the same time as Francis Corso. Sara begins to connect the dots, but Sumo Kabuto surprises her, stealing her computer with the photo open on the screen. The Flying Squirrels come to the rescue. And after a wild chase through the halls of the high school, Sara’s computer falls in the hands of the principal. Just as Massimo is about to discover what its all about, Sumo invents something to cover up Sara and return her computer to her. He says that Pierre and his friends are the problem, not her. What does Kabuto mean? After a call from Bruno, Rita Ching jumps from her desk and rushes to Monroe’s office. When she gets there, she sees two security guards taking his computer. Without understanding what’s really going on, she feels certain that her colleague really had his teeth into something big with his investigation. She calls the chief of police and tells him a bit about the case, saying that they must go to Bruno’s home to rescue the evidence before it’s too late. Relentless in her curiosity and sure of having a bomb of a news story in her hands, Ching escapes from her work in ‘The Insider’ and manages to sneak into Monroe’s house. There she discovers a maze of newspaper clippings and photographs. A red thread running through the room from side to side fancifully connects the data. Just when Rita starts to connect the dots, an unexpected visitor interrupts her break-in. It is Vladimir, Massimo’s right-hand man, who within minutes; covers the house with petrol, sets it on fire and leaves. Ching is able to go unnoticed but the smoke begins to suffocate her. When all seems lost, someone breaks the front door down and carries her out. It’s chief Monk. Just in time for Ching, but too late for Monroe. After wandering through Dragon City’s streets, Muyi San finds a map which shows his first stop: the Antiques shop. The old ladies recognize him before he even comes through the door. Delighted with his arrival, they show him what the cards have revealed to them in the last few days. Muyi San explains that the time has come for the key and its carrier to come out into the light. ‘The five', among which is 'The chosen one' must be guided and prepared in order to fulfil their destiny in the Cave of Hell. The old ladies, ecstatic with the news, use the cards so they can show Muyi San where to find them. The start of the game is getting closer and closer.
EPISODE 5: THE SILENT VISITOR
A new day begins in Dragon City. As he does every morning, Jon Ferro starts his daily routine very early preparing the bread in ‘The good croissant’. His passion and dedication when working the bread dough was like that of a samurai. His mother, a strong, kind and caring woman, rushes to leave him his breakfast. She insists that he eats it before carrying on with his work. For Ferro, a big-hearted guy, it’s impossible to resist when his mother spoils him. However, things won’t be so easy-going at high school today. The presence of a small, mysterious man in a poncho will make everybody curious. It’s Muyi San, coming in search of ‘The five', where 'The chosen one' will eventually be found. First he introduces himself to Pep, then to Sara, Joseph and Pierre. He surprises them in their classes, in the library, in the dining room, causing them a few problems. Then, without saying a word, the apprentice disappears. Everyone is baffled. Since then, Muyi San’s presence only meant trouble to the Flying Squirrels. How will the little man from the dessert get into the group and be able to convince them of his mission? Rita Ching goes to the police station to give her statement. Suddenly, in chief Monk’s office, she spots the photos that Syd pinned to the blackboard. It’s the pyramid structure of the mafia, with Massimo at the top. Vladimir is there as well, Rita recognizes him as the man who lit the fire. Massimo Giangrandi is back in Monk’s sight. With new clues at hand, Monk looks for the mayor to ask for his support. He tells him about what happened to Bruno Monroe. Also about Rita Ching’s statement which could incriminate Vladimir and could finally get to Massimo. But far from spurring on the immediate arrest of Giangrandi, the mayor asks Syd Monk to be patient. He assures Syd that he and his people have a parallel investigation on Massimo concerning tax evasion, and that they will definitely have enough evidence soon to put him away. Monk returns to his office with his hands tied. Now he can only trust and hope. Will he be able to? Meanwhile, in the high school gym, Massimo Giangrandi is putting things in his protege Sumo Kabuto’s head. The plan is to defeat The Flying Squirrels in their next meeting, and they both know that it won’t be in a basketball court but in the Cave of hell. To encourage him, Massimo reminds Sumo that Francis Corso, Pierre’s father, is responsible for the death of his father. The strong feeling of revenge boils up inside them both. Vladimir reports back to Massimo, stating that he did what was instructed and ‘removed all the evidence’. Massimo gives the ‘Pirate Queen’ a call to ask her to fulfill her part of the deal. What is it that Massimo Giangrandi craves so much? At the end of the day Jon arrives to the Flying Squirrel’s hideout with Muyi San. A few hours before, the young apprentice turned up in the bakery making friends with the kind and patient Jon. From their own past experiences, Sara, Pep, Joseph and Pierre suspect that it would only bring problems having the unusual, little man around. Until they discover that he has a mark on his tunic, identical to the chest on the ancient map, just above the Cave of Hell. Could Muyi San hold the answers they’ve been waiting for?
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