Flight of La Janara Episodes 1 and 2

Abstract

In Renaissance era Benevento, Italy, women have been mysteriously jumping off of roofs, and no one knows why. With Benevento being the infamous city of witches, it is believed to be the influence of the witches, the Strega, that is killing these women.

Father Orsino, the priest at the Duomo di Benevento, intends to keep his adopted daughter, Eleonora, safe from the influence of witches. The eighteen year old grapples with keeping her father happy, and wanting more from the sheltered lifestyle she lives. Orsino bans Eleonora from leaving Benevento, and scolds her for talking about witches in the presence of the church. ? It is revealed that Eleonora has a sexual relationship with Rodas, the church Ambassador of Naples and a coworker of her father. She discovers that she has become pregnant. Because of her deeply religious background, she does not realize how innocent she is in regards to the relationship between sex and pregnancy. Rodas, who is revealed to be a married man, sends her to a medicine woman under the guise that she will “make the baby strong” when in reality he wants her to perform an abortive potion on Eleonora.

Eleonora travels deep into the forests of Benevento to discover that the medicine woman is actually a strega, a witch, named Isifa. Isifa scares Eleonora and touches her, which causes Eleonora to run. Isifa picks up the abortive potion and examines it.

Eleonora goes back to the church, where she reveals to Orsino that she had a sexual relationship with Rodas, and he reveals to her that Rodas has been killed. She then tells her father that she has been touched by a witch, which is considered deeply sinful, and he banishes her from the town. Eleonora visits her housekeeper, Benedetta, to help her, and she reveals her pregnancy to her as she views Benedetta as a mother figure. Once she reveals she has been touched by a witch, Benedetta also kicks her out due to her deep religious roots. Eleonora goes back to Orsino one more time, but sees him killing a woman so she flees, but not before Orsino sees her.

Having no where to go, Eleonora runs back to Isifa. Orsino rallies men from the town to hunt down witches, calling themselves the Redentori di Cristo, the Redeemers of Christ. Orsino hunts down Benedetta, who reveals accidentally that Eleonora is pregnant. He sends the Redentori after Eleonora. Benedetta gets to Eleonora first, warning her of the men, before the Redentori shoot her down. Eleonora escapes with Isifa, wondering about how her little life had changed so rapidly. Will Eleonora continue to worship God even though the most godly figure in her life is a killer? Will she accept witchcraft and denounce her religion? Will Orsino ever catch her?