Knight’s Evocation

BY MARCUS BARRAZA
 Fade In
EXT. OPEN FIELD, GOLDEN HOUR.

Across a golden field are 2 figures attacking each other, noises

of light combat in an early morning. KNIGHT, OLDER, AND BATTLE
HARDENED, wearing practice gear, skirmishes with his SQUIRE,
YOUNGER, wearing his own gear, visibly struggling to win.

KNIGHT, parrying and blocking

Keep your elbows up, and strike deeper. A knight strikes hard
and true!

Hearing this SQUIRE pulls his sword back and leaps at KNIGHT

SMASH CUT
EXT. DARK WOODS, NIGHT.

KNIGHT running through trees weapon drawn (same direction as

SQUIRES strike), CLOSE-UPS of worry, wear, and damage. On him a
pendant jingles around the neck.

LORD(O.S.)
Hunt down the WITCH responsible for these disappearances. Take
this talisman, may it light your way your way.

KNIGHT(O.S.)
Yes, my lord… Thy will be done.

LOUD SNAP

KNIGHT dives into cover, trying to calm his breathing, waiting.

CLOSE UP, TORSO, KNIGHT tucking the pendant away and preparing
himself. A dark shape passes away down to a trail. KNIGHT reacts
and gives chase through the forest.

LATER

EXT. CINDERBLOCKS, CONT.

The path leads to an open area where there are many large stone
structures and noises of running echo throughout.

REVERSE ANGLE, from inside the almost massive structure looking

at the tiny KNIGHT.
 KNIGHT, UNDER HIS BREATH
You gotta be kidding me. You better not be in there.

KNIGHT LIGHTS HIS LANTERN AND DRAWS HIS BLADE, MOVING INTO THE
JAWS

Fade Out

EXT, CINDERBLOCKS TUNNEL, NIGHT

Sneaking into a long structure KNIGHT sits exhausted. Movement

at the end of the tunnel is barely seen. KNIGHT quietly pulls
out the pendant and taps it. The pendant shines a small beam
deeper inside, then pulses light.

Silence.

KNIGHT, gets up tucking the pendant and grasping his blade.

Asking.
Light, grant me strength to vanquish evil.

Follow as KNIGHT walks down the tunnel weapon drawn, and wrought
with fear. Flash behind him pale and sickly hands reaching out.
Once gone KNIGHT checks the pendant again, pulsing once more,
softer. A DARK HOWL can be heard in the distance opposite the
arrow.

KNIGHT, DROPPING, looking toward the sound.

What monstrosity has she wrought upon us?

LOOKING AT THE TOP OF A HILL ROCKS ARE FALLING DOWNWARDS. KNIGHT

escapes deeper into the ruins as the sound of heavy footsteps on
the stone above and all behind are heard giving chase.

Maneuvering through the ruins and walls, the creature giving

chase when attacking makes black marks on the stone, leaving
large powdery black handprints as it chases KNIGHT through the
ruins and into the woods

Leading THE BEAST from the ruins and into the woods. the KNIGHT
sees a STORM DRAIN, PITCH BLACK INSIDE.

KNIGHT dives for it as THE BEAST sidesteps the drain,

disappearing into the dark.

CUT TO BLACK
INT. DRAIN PIPE, NIGHT.

Pitch Black, only visibility is from the lantern

Crawling through the tunnels KNIGHT pulls out his pendant which
is dimly glowing

Coming to a cross tunnel cries of help can be heard coming down

one way and KNIGHT cautiously follows the noise. Hold the camera
as KNIGHTS FOOTSTEPS QUIET DOWN IN THE DISTANCE, silence.

KNIGHT comes down the opposite way back to the original

intersection, confused. Drawing his pendant and tapping it, the
light shines away from the camera down the tunnel he did not go
down. It then pulses once more and a scream is heard before it
is cut off.

Readying himself he slowly marches down the tunnel, and as he is

walking away, black handprints are marked like footsteps on the
side of the tunnels leading behind KNIGHT.

CUT TO.

CLOSE UP, KNIGHT TORSO, CONT.

A sweating and exhausted KNIGHT cautiously marches down the way

following the pendant's glow. Turning down the final tunnel
there is a dim light at the end reflected in his eyes. Steeling
himself, KNIGHT makes his way to the light.

FADE TO.
Int. ritual room underground

Chanting is heard as the camera pans across a collection of

occult objects and artifacts, finally landing on a ritual circle
in the middle of the room, A woman is chanting across it INSIDE
ANOTHER CIRCLE.

Pull back as KNIGHT stomps into the frame, the WITCH continues
chanting.
KNIGHT, RAISING HIS BLADE TO STRIKE
By order of the Order, your crimes against this country and its
people end tonight WITCH!

KNIGHT STRIKES AT THE WITCH, IT DEFLECTS off the rune

circle
 WITCH looks through her veil at KNIGHT, LOOKING DOWN AT HIM
I surely hope that you will be more entertaining than that RUNT.
He kept on about a knight coming to save him, I made sure to
shut those lips.

KNIGHT
Mark those words your last, for all that you have destroyed. I
shall destroy you.

WITCH, not breaking eye contact

I will enjoy making you mine, SIR KNIGHT.

WITCH CLAPS and a roar and charging footsteps are heard down a
tunnel. KNIGHT READYS HIMSELF FOR COMBAT.

Smash cut to
Int, DARK TUNNEL, facing KNIGHT AND WITCH, cont.

From the tunnel, bare feet charge into the RITUAL ROOM zooming
into the look of horror on KNIGHTS face.

Cut to

REVERSE shot as KNIGHT is being struck by a VISIBLY UNDEAD

SQUIRE, wielding a wooden sword, wearing nothing but bloody rags
and torn armor, scars visible all over. The only identifiable
feature of the squire is the squire's helmet.

WITCH CACKLING AT THE SCENE

Look at this touching REUNION. KNIGHT and SQUIRE, dueling over
my heart.

KNIGHT, STRUGGLING TO HOLD SQUIRE BACK

You will pay for this.

WITCH
No, you will pay for believing you could stop me.

At that moment WITCH pulls out a gong and rings it.

GONG RINGS, FLASHBACK TO

MONTAGE BEGIN

Ext. open field, golden hour.

KNIGHT AND SQUIRE EXHAUSTED AFTER TRAINING, backs against each
other
Int. under spotlight, night.
SQUIRE IS BEING KNIGHTED BY KNIGHT, both look extremely proud.

Int. dark room, night.

KNIGHT AND A FACELESS INDIVIDUAL SIT ACROSS FROM EACH OTHER, The
faceless person stands up as KNIGHT puts his head in his hands.
The faceless person is trying to comfort KNIGHT.

Int. under spotlight, night.

KNIGHT IS KNEELING AS HE IS HANDED THE NECKLACE BY HIS LORD,
LORD then places a hand on KNIGHTS shoulder and prays over him.

GONG RINGS, MONTAGE END, FLASHFORWARD TO

Int. ritual room, night.

KNIGHT STRUGGLES TO HOLD BACK SQUIRE, KNIGHT HESITATES, and is

sent flying back from SQUIRES blow. KNIGHT makes a break for the
tunnels hoping to escape and prepare himself. WITCH SNAPS AND
SQUIRE STOPS inside the circle gets on its knees in front of
WITCH. SQUIRE OPENS its chest cavity and WITCH inserts a demonic
heart into SQUIRE.

WITCH RAISES HER HANDS AND CHANTS AS THE BLACK HANDPRINTS COVER
THE WALLS AND SQUIRE. WITCH WAVES HER HANDS AND THE CANDLES GO
OUT.
SILENCE.
MONSTROUS NOISES AND BOOMING IS HEARD.

CUT TO
Int. tunnels, CONT.

KNIGHT whispers a prayer to the pendant as he is running through

the tunnels. Continuing down some tunnels KNIGHT finds the exit
and escapes as the WITCHES MANIACLE LAUGHTER CAN BE HEARD DEEP
INSIDE FOLLOWED BY A MONSTEROUS HOWL.

Escaping the tunnels KNIGHT continues to flee into the forest.

FADE OUT.

EXT. CREEK, NIGHT.

ROARS ARE HEARD IN THE DISTANCE AS KNIGHT RUNS THROUGH THE

FOREST and comes across a creek. Pausing.
TWIG SNAPS, KNIGHT MOVES INTO THE CREEK.

SILENCE OTHER THAN THE CREEK NOISES. KNIGHT KNEELS DOWN PANTING,
WHISPERING A PRAYER INTO HIS PENDANT

ROCKS SHIFTING, KNIGHT LOOKS, nothing. SPLASHES OPPOSITE SIDE,

KNIGHT LOOKS, nothing. KNIGHT leans back LANDS ON THE SQUIRE,
now HUGE AND ABOMINABLE, standing SILENTLY behind him.

SQUIRE GRABS ONTO KNIGHT, KNIGHT cannot escape as laughter is

heard in the distance drawing close. WITCH enters the area,
Snapping fingers and illuminating the area with torches.

WITCH, tauntingly
A young pup has brought his new master a gift! A vessel truly
worthy of my lord.

KNIGHT, thrashing
I will never give you my body, for I am a temple.

WITCH, raising scythe

How holy will your temple be after I shed your unholy blood?
SLICE CROSS BODY, BLOOD SPLATTER

WITCH
(One liner)

KNIGHT, screams,
Damn you!
reaches for his pendant shoving it under SQUIRES HELMET
FLASHING A BRIGHT LIGHT

FLASH TO

Ext, open field, golden hour

KNIGHT AND SQUIRE AFTER TRAINING, both resting against each
other

SQUIRE, TIRED
One day I am going to be the strongest when that day comes. I
hope that you are there to watch.

KNIGHT, CHUCKLING
I'll be there for sure. Cause when you're the strongest, you’ll
be the knight.

FLASHFORWARD TO
Ext. creek, night

Smoke fills the shot as a pile of ash and embers smolder before
KNIGHT. KNIGHT falls to his knees. Inside the pile there is his
SQUIRES blade and helmet, KNIGHT REARFULLY PULLS THE SWORD FROM
THE ASH.

On the blade is written an oath to destroy the unholy and judge

the cursed fairly.

WITCH, pacing
You knights and your honor, look at where it got you. Half dead,
companion obliterated by your own hands, and YOU about to become
mine. Pathetic really.

KNIGHT GRIPS SQUIRES BLADE TIGHTER, RAGE SWELLING INSIDE

WITCH, POINTING
Beg and grovel for mercy, and I might give you a painless death.

At that MAGIC BUILDS ON WITCHES FINGER

KNIGHT LUNGES AT THE WITCH AS SHE FIRES HER BLAST-PIERCING

KNIGHT’S CHEST. A LOOK OF SHOCK AND HORROR LANDS ACROSS THE
WITCH'S FACE AS THE KNIGHT PIERCES HER HEART WITH SQUIRES SWORD.
Pulling the sword out, both stumble away from each other.

WITCH, COUGHING UP BLOOD

How? You should be dead. I shot your heart…
COLLAPSES.

KNIGHT LIMPS HIS WAY BACK TO WHERE SQUIRE'S ASHES LIE AND
COLLAPSES TO HIS KNEES NEXT TO IT.

KNIGHT, TEARFULLY.
Rest easy now, both of us know that it was your blade that
struck down the WITCH. You are the strongest and always will be.

THE KNIGHT BLEEDS OUT AND EVENTUALLY COLLAPSES.

FADE TO BLACK.

end.