The Wizard and the Knight - Script

Please check out the adapted screenplay of my short story The Wizard and the Knight. I've made many changes to the original short story during the adaptation process. A lot of name changes and added extra scenes here and there.

I'm looking for some feedback so feel free to comment on the characters, story or format or even nit-picky stuff.


The Wizard and the Knight

by Storyteller

In a land of forgotten times, there was once a wizard who he lived in Hummingtown. Whenever the townspeople had problems, they went to seek his aid. Chafe, the wizard, ended up spending all his time making potions to help women with fertility, men with virility, and children with warts. He soon grew tired of their petty problems.

He secretly envied the accomplishments of other wizards who had invented teleportation, invisibility, flight, foreseeing, and even the cure for deadly plagues. Some were attempting to turn metal into gold. Others were searching for everlasting youth.

Chafe was afraid that the townspeople were holding him back from his real purpose in wizardry, although he did not know what this was. So he decided to find out. He moved to a remote forest to live in isolation.

Free from distractions, he drew up elaborate plans, pursued whims and studied ancient scrolls. However, on many occasions he would start work on a new potion only to abandon it midway. To his frustration, he accomplished very little.

One day, the wizard was interrupted by a knock on his cottage door. A knight said he had searched long and hard throughout the land for Chafe. The knight confessed that he was afraid of an upcoming quest to slay a dragon, which he hopes will impress the princess. He wondered if the wizard could help him.

Chafe thought for a moment then remembered a spare potion he had lying around. He mumbled as he rummaged through the disarray of magical ingredients. There were bottles of fairy dust, dragon breath and angel tears. He finally pulled out a potion called Zero Fear.

'Drink this and, for a short time, you will have no fear,' said the wizard, hoping it would solve the knight's problem and that he would go away and leave him alone in peace.

The knight thanked him and left. The wizard shook his head and went about replacing the potion.

A week later, the knight came back and reported he was going on another quest to slay a two-headed monster to further impress the princess.
Annoyed, the wizard handed out another dose, hoping the knight would go away and leave him alone in peace.

The following week, the knight came back again to announce that war was upon them, and that he would soon ride to battle. He would be away for a long time and would need to stock up on Zero Fear.

The wizard became angry and refused to help. He was tired of devoting all his time to making Zero Fear instead of working on finding his true purpose.
'I'm sorry, but I really need more potions in order to continue my duties,' said the knight. He hesitantly added, 'If you don't help me, I'm afraid I'll be force to tell the others of your whereabouts.'

Worried that all the townspeople would disrupt him like before, the wizard gave in and agreed to have a supply ready.

The wizard toiled through long nights and hot afternoons gathering, boiling and mixing ingredients until he gave up in frustration, thinking there must be a better way. He realized that even after the war, the knight would always come back for more. The circumstance would not change unless he could find a permanent solution. He pondered and deliberated for days until an ingenious idea struck him. If it worked it would be his greatest creation yet.

The next time the knight visited, he was confused by what awaited him.
'One empty flask?'
'The flask is magical,' the wizard explained. 'Fill it with water and it will work like Zero Fear.'
The knight accepted the explanation without a second thought. He bade farewell and left for war.

Weeks grew into months.
Months merged into years.
Years drifted by and still the war raged on.

Chafe continued trying, without success, to find his real purpose in wizardry. Despite being content about the lack of interference, the wizard found himself brooding over the fate of his experiment. Doubt crept into his mind. The thought that he might be responsible for the death of the knight deeply troubled him.
Eventually, the knight returned looking haggard, but well. He recounted how he fought against horrific goblins, ogres, ghouls, trolls and giants. There were many times when he wanted to give up and turn back.

'But thanks to your magical flask, I was able to face my fears.'
Although Chafe was pleased at the knight's safe return, he was more thrilled that his experiment had worked. He couldn't help but reveal his secret.

'What I gave you is called a Placebo. The flask I handed you had no magical properties. When you filled it with water, it was water and nothing more.'
The knight became confused, then angry.
'You deceived me!'
'Yes, but it was for your own good. You see, every man, woman and child possess Zero Fear within them. They just don't know it.'
The knight was quiet for a long time before saying, 'I need more.'
'No, you don't.'
'Yes, I do. You don't understand. I need to face something more terrifying than what I've faced on the battlefield.'
'What's that?'
'I'm going to ask the princess for her hand in marriage.'

Chafe was disappointed by the knight's inability to see the truth and the fact that Placebo did not work after all. Frustrated, he refused to help. When the knight again threatened to report the location of his hideout, the wizard sighed and shrugged in defeat.
'Constant disruption from one man is not much difference to the disruption of many.'
Having lost his position of power, the knight stormed out and rode away. He tossed the Placebo flask into the woods.

Time passed. In spite of the knight's threats, no townspeople came knocking on the wizard's door. Once again Chafe concentrated on finding his real purpose in wizardry. He continued to produce many new potions but they were mostly silly and trivial and had no practical use. Try as he might, he created nothing close to the ingenuity of Placebo.

When a knock on the door disturbed him, he feared the worst. He sneaked to the window and looked outside to see a young page. The wizard thought the knight, out of anger, might had reported his whereabouts. He was irritated when he thought about all the trouble he went to help the knight.

He pretended not to be home, hoping the page would eventually go away. But the knocking continued, becoming louder and more insistent until the he could no longer stand it.

He pulled the door open and shouted, 'Go away or I'll strike you down with a lightning bolt!'
However, the page was unruffled.
'Don't worry,' he said, 'I am not here to bother you. I am here to deliver a message.' He cleared his throat before proudly announcing in a clear voice.
'On behalf of the knight, you are invited to his wedding as the guest of honour. Have a good day.'
And the page left promptly leaving the wizard bewildered. Chafe closed the door and looked back at the hundreds of idle potions lined on the shelves. He mulled over whether if he should go.

A big celebration was held for the wedding at noon. Even the King made an appearance. Everyone in town was present except for Chafe. Against pleas and protests, the knight insisted the ceremony could not start until the guest of honour had arrived. The guests had no choice but to respect his wish and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Sunset approached and the crowd became restless. Fed up, the King ordered proceedings to continue. The knight was just about to relent when a figure appeared before the setting sun. Everybody shielded their eyes and squinted for a better look.
'Is it him?' one person called out.
'No, it's a donkey,' shouted another.
'No, it's an elf.'
'It's the wizard!'
The knight rushed to greet and hug his friend.
'Thank you for giving me the courage to face my fears.'
'No, I must thank you,' said Chafe.
'Why?'
'For finding my purpose, of course,' he replied. 'I finally realised that, like Placebo, some of the greatest inventions are borne from human necessity. It’s my duty as a wizard to help people, no matter how big or small their problems may be.’
That night there was a huge feast along with lots of drinking and dancing. Celebrations continued throughout the evening. Chafe provided fireworks to top off the night.

After the wedding, the wizard moved back to town. The knight and the princess lived happily ever after.