Who Wards the Water

Written By

Samuel Gunther

cSamuelGunther2021
Samuel.Gunther@biola.edu
720-227-5230
FADE IN

EXT. SMALL BARREN VILLAGE - MIDDAY

Auestadheim, a small medieval town, sits alone on the remains

of a fertile floodplain. Handfuls of buildings line the edge
of a dried up river bed. The wind howls, bringing with it a
warm dust that coats everything in sight.

In the center of town a small crowd gathers around a deep

WELL in front of the church. One man, ELIAS, late 20s, stands
tall amongst the crowd donned in a suit of ARMOR brandishing
a polished BLADE. He guards another man, LAWRENCE, 40s,
pulling up the BUCKET from the well.

The BUCKET comes up half empty. The crowd's anxiety rises as

Lawrence carefully splits the remaining water into four small
jugs. He hands three of the jugs to the family heads present
in the crowd.

Elias takes the last jug and takes a small sip. He looks up
at the dispersing crowd to see a YOUNG BOY, 10, staying
behind. Elias sighs before handing the boy the jug and
watching him run off. Elias breathes deep.

LAWRENCE
The well's dry as a bone. We're not
gonna last much longer.

ELIAS
I'm leaving tonight.

LAWRENCE
To do what? The mountain gives and
takes as it pleases- Perhaps the
mountain thinks we're better off dead.

Elias stares towards a mountain shrouded by a dark cloud in

the distance. He furrows his brow.

ELIAS
The mountain doesn't scare me. I'll be
back with the water- I promise.

EXT. MOUNTAIN FACE - DAY

Elias climbs up the side of a gloomy mountain, pulling

himself up between the jagged rocks. His once pristine and
polished ARMOR now coated in a layer of grime and dents. It's
unclear how much time has passed.

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 2.

He strains and pulls himself onto a small cliff. Taking a

pause to catch his breath. The ominous, swirling clouds begin
to descend from the peak and coat the cliff in a dark fog. He
tries to take cover by pressing closer to the rock face. He
loses his footing and begins to fall. He slides down a rocky
face and slows to a stop. He sits up and looks around.

EXT. FORREST OASIS - DAY

Somehow, he has landed in a green paradise, hidden inside the

mountain. He looks back to see the fog flowing in through a
hole in the wall.

After listening for a moment, he hears the sound of water.

Leaping to his feet, he rushes towards a river hidden amongst
the foliage. He wades into the water, rejoicing! He drops to
his knees and begins to drink deeply, refreshed.

After a moment, he comes to his senses. His eyes dart around

cautiously scanning for threats. He locks eyes with NAIAD
standing on the surface of the water halfway into the river.

She is beautiful, radiating an ancient refinement which

contrasts with her youthful features. She is clothed in a
blue Greek dress which flows into the water, twisting and
tumbling as it becomes the river. Her sapphire eyes stare
through Elias.

She steps forward towards Elias. Elias pulls out his blade,
ready to defend himself. She laughs as she flicks her wrist.
A wave forms from her fingertips, overtaking Elias and
throwing him onto the shore.

He lays there, stunned, as she approaches him. She stands at

the edge of the water.

THE NAIAD
What brings you here, child of the
earth? Why do you seek my paradise?

ELIAS
I am Elias of Auestadheim, ward of
patriciate and peasantry. I come to
beg the mountain for water.

She laughs at him.

THE NAIAD
Elias, you don't beg the mountain. You
beg this of me.

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 3.

ELIAS
Then I beg of thee, please, give us
the gift of your water.

THE NAIAD
Though the water is mine to give I
cannot give it to you.

ELIAS
Why not? A tenth of this paradise
could sustain us! A fraction of your
majesty. Have you no compassion?

THE NAIAD
Compassion?!

She turns to ice and summons a crystalline spear to strike

Elias with.

THE NAIAD
You do not know what you ask of me.

She pauses, softens back to flesh and water. She thinks, then
a wave of realization drifts across her face. She turns to a
foggy mist and covers Elias' eyes.

EXT. SMALL BARREN VILLAGE - MIDDAY

Elias sees flashes of human progress in the village. First, a

serine village, at peace with nature. Then agriculture, a
town, a city. The world becomes more modern.

The sky grows dark. The progress of the city has led to a
brutalist concrete jungle where what little water left has
become dark and cloudy. Tainted.

Elias comes face to face with a darker version of himself,

clad in a suit, drinking clear and pristine water as he looks
out at the ruined land.

EXT. FORREST OASIS - DAY

The Naiad pulls her hand from Elias' face. He snaps back to
the present. The Naiad looks on in anger, which cools to
sadness before she pulls away.

THE NAIAD
You speak of compassion, yet you come
into my bosom and ask me to cut out my
heart. The children of dirt would only
sully the life that I'd give them.

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 4.

Elias looks shocked, then resolved. He reaches out to her.

ELIAS
I cannot speak for them- but I can
show you who I am.

She touches his hand-

EXT. SMALL BARREN VILLAGE - MORNING

-and sees him guarding the well and passing out water. Every
time the well dries up Elias lowers himself down into the
well, digging deeper and deeper until he finds water yet
again.

He makes sure that everyone gets a little water, even giving

his own portion to the young boy who takes it to his dying
siblings.

EXT. FORREST OASIS - DAY

The Naiad is shocked by his compassion.

THE NAIAD
If I give you this gift, would you
guard it?

ELIAS
I would.

A mist begins to emanate from The NIAD; her eyes glow.

THE NAIAD
Then I make this covenant with you. I
shall give you the gift of my water
and in return you must spread it
equally through the lands of the
earth, so that it should not be
wasted.

If any seek to hoard my gift or

prevent another from tasting of it, do
not be sparing in your judgement of
them- They are rejecting the life that
I give.

You shall do this, unceasing and

unyielding, as long as men live in the
paradise I have given them.

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 5.

ELIAS
I will.

Elias bows.

THE NAIAD
And if you break our covenant, I shall
take back my mercy and return you to
the dust of which you were born.

ELIAS
I will not fail you.

THE NAIAD
Then rise, he who wards the water, and
be clothed in my gift.

Elias's armor is replaced by a flowing robe of water.

EXT. SMALL BARREN VILLAGE - MORNING

Elias returns home, riding a wave of water down the riverbed.

He steps onto the bank to greet the TOWNSPEOPLE.

ELIAS
Behold! I have brought us water once
again!

He watches the crowd rejoice for the return of the water.

They rush to the waters edge dancing and playing in the
water. Some bend down and drink to their heart's fill.

Elias watches one of the men in the village pull the Young
Boy away from the water. They pull a jar from his hands and
smash it on the side of the river.

Suddenly, the river begins to dry up. The wind whispers the
Naiad's sad words.

THE NAIAD (O.S.)

The wasted gift of life.

The town grows from joy an jubilation to anger as they try to

horde as much water as they can for themselves.

In Elias' mind's eye, the man who hurt the child begins to
resemble the dark version of Elias from the vision. He draws
his sword, emboldened.

THE NAIAD (O.S.)

The filthy greed of men.

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 6.

The Young Boy looks on in horror. Off Screen, Elias cuts down
the man who pushed the Young Boy away and a couple others who
tried to keep the people from the water when the river
started to dry up.

THE NAIAD (O.S.)

The blood of my covenant.

Water returns to the river, swallowing up the bodies of those

who tried to hoard the water for themselves.

Elias rinses his blade in the water, the blood washes from
his sword. The people come back to the waters edge, making
sure everyone gets their fair share. Elias sheathes his
sword.

CUT TO BLACK

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