The Captain Pleads With Elijah

Prompt

2 Kings 1: The third captain of fifty kneels before the prophet Elijah on a hilltop and begs for mercy. Elijah, large and central, sits on a rock at the top of a hill, stern but calm, his staff across his knees, looking down at the captain. Before him the captain, in Israelite armour with his helmet removed, kneels with hands clasped, pleading that his life and his men's lives be spared; a few of his soldiers wait below with heads bowed. Rocky sun-baked hilltop with wide views over the hills of Samaria, clear bright afternoon sky. Style: a blend of photo-realism and cinema, like a still from a big-budget film. Bright, rich, saturated, luminous colour, clear daylight or glowing golden light even in dramatic scenes, never murky or muddy, crisp detail, real human faces full of emotion, shallow depth of field, subtle film grain. Simple, uncluttered composition: ONE clear scene from this chapter, with the chapter's main character or characters large, close and central in the upper and middle frame, and a simple background. No montage, no collage, no inset vignettes, no crowd of small figures competing for attention. Historically accurate ancient Near Eastern clothing, architecture and landscape. Keep the bottom quarter of the frame simple and uncluttered (ground, water or sky) so a large chapter number can be set over it. Absolutely no text, no letters, no words, no numbers, no logos, no watermark, no border, no frame.