Sir George and the Dragon
TITLE CARD. . . KINGDOM OF COTHERSTONE. . .
INT. THRONE ROOM OF KING ALFRED – DAY
KING ALFRED
Oh, Sir George! Thank heavens you’ve come!
I have a dragon harassing my Kingdom. Its cave is in the hills to the south. You can’t miss it.
SIR GEORGE
Have no fear, your Majesty. Killing dragons is what I do best.
SIR GEORGE dons his helmet and leaves.
Dissolve to:
EXT. ENTRANCE TO THE DRAGON’S CAVE – DAY
SIR GEORGE arrives at the large, intimidating ENTRANCE.
SIR GEORGE
Come out, Dragon! Face me!
Loud noises and deep, guttural growling answer his challenge. The DRAGON emerges from the cave and roars.
DRAGON
Urk!
It falls to the ground, dead.
SIR GEORGE
What the!?
SIR GEORGE approaches the DRAGON. He raises its eyelid with the end of his lance and peers into its eye, pulling back his visor for a better look.
He sticks his lance into the ground and leans on it.
SIR GEORGE
Well that was a wasted journey.
He looks down at his horse.
SIR GEORGE
What are we to do now, old boy?
There is a noise from inside the cave. SIR GEORGE looks up in time to see a flash of blue vanishing into the cave. He frowns and dismounts.
SIR GEORGE
(whispers) Wait here.
He retrieves his lance and heads inside the cave to investigate.
In the back of the cave is a DRAGONET curled up in a sobbing ball oblivious to his presence. He taps her on the shoulder; she jumps and passes out at the sight of him.
SIR GEORGE
This is all that's left? I'd be a laughing stock if I came back with this one's head! What a day this is turning out to be.
SIR GEORGE turns to leave.
DRAGONET
Wait! What happens to me?
SIR GEORGE
You? You’ll fend for yourself. And if you’re unlucky.
SIR GEORGE pulls down his visor.
SIR GEORGE
We’ll meet again.
DRAGONET
[gulps]
She follows him as he heads back to his HORSE.
DRAGONET
But I don't know how to fly, or breathe fire, or anything.
SIR GEORGE
I’m sorry to hear that.
DRAGONET
Can I stay with you?
SIR GEORGE
What makes you think I'd want to take you in?
DRAGONET
[puppy dog eyes]
SIR GEORGE
Oh all right.
DRAGONET
Yay!
Dissolve to:
EXT. ENTRANCE TO THE DRAGON’S CAVE – EARLY MORNING/DAY
SIR GEORGE impales a straw dummy into the ground and gestures for the DRAGONET to breathe fire at it. The DRAGONET coughs, spits and wheezes but produces nothing.
SIR GEORGE flaps his arms. The DRAGONET imitates him. SIR GEORGE facepalms.
SIR GEORGE throws the DRAGONET like a paper airplane. She glides for a few second before nosediving into the ground.
The DRAGONET charges a rock, knocking herself unconscious. SIR GEORGE shakes his head in dismay.
SIR GEORGE hefts the DRAGONET, who is now twice her previous size, above his head. She flails, trying to get out of his grasp.
SIR GEORGE
Stop struggling! I’m only going to throw you off this cliff.
DRAGONET
But I can’t fly!
SIR GEORGE
You don’t have to fly. Just glide! Whoa!
He throws her off but she clings to him pulling him with her. The DRAGONET glides down with SIR GEORGE hanging beneath her.
DRAGONET
I-I’m doing it! I’m really doing it! I’m fly-!
They hit the ground hard. SIR GEORGE grips his shoulder in pain.
DRAGONET
Oh no you’re hurt!
SIR GEORGE
No, no. It’s an old war injury that’s never healed properly. Acts up every now again.
DRAGONET
I’ve got something for that. I’ll be right back.
She hurries off and returns with a green/blue flower in her mouth. She boils it in water and gives him the juice to drink in a goblet.
DRAGONET
When I fell out of the cave once, I hurt my leg. My mum gave me some of this and it was fine in a few days.
SIR GEORGE sips it cautiously/dubiously and makes a face at the taste.
Dissolve to:
The DRAGONET exhales at the straw dummy, producing smoke. SIR GEORGE, who is now shown continuously sipping from the goblet, gives a small smile.
The DRAGONET charges the rock she previously knocked herself out on and cracks it. SIR GEORGE smiles in approval.
SIR GEORGE
Nicely done, Dragon.
The DRAGONET now fully a grown DRAGON breathes fire at the straw dummy, burning it to ash.
The DRAGON charges the cracked rock. It splits in two down the middle.
The DRAGON jumps off the cliff and flies.
Dissolve to:
DRAGON
Tada! I am done. Finished. What happens now?
SIR GEORGE
Is the question. I’m at a bit of a loss, I’m afraid. You see, my original intention once you’d finished was to fight and kill you and claim the reward for it in place of your mother.
DRAGON
[horrified look]
SIR GEORGE
But I’ve become rather attached to you.
DRAGON
[happy/relieved look]
SIR GEORGE
What are we going to do with you, Dragon?
DRAGON
Must you keep calling me that?
SIR GEORGE
What’s your name?
DRAGON
It’s. . . uh. . . I don’t know.
SIR GEORGE
Well we can’t have that, how about. . . Ascalon?
ASCALON
Ascalon. . . I like it!
SIR GEORGE
Then Ascalon it is.
ASCALON
But you still don’t know what we should do now?
SIR GEORGE
[sips from his cup. Looks down at it thoughtfully]
Hmm. I wonder. . .
Dissolve to:
A group of people approach the cave. The landscape has changed drastically; no bones littering the floor, instead rows upon rows of the green/blue mountain flower are now growing in large ‘gardens’.
They notice a figure followed by a small group of guards hurrying towards them.
KING ALFRED
Sir George! Ascalon! My Kingdom is under attack!
SIR GEORGE and ASCALON exchange looks.
ASCALON
Leave this to me.
THE END
