22 November 2012
@GreenPixie I'm so upset. No matter what I do, I can't write a fairytale less than 2,000 words. I just can't. I've already written two, I could tell the first one was going to be too long so I stopped partway through and started writing this one instead, and this one is too long too, it's 2,352 words. But here it is I guess anyway. :/
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a small kingdom called Draconia. It was filled with peaceful villagers, pretty fields, and of course, had a magnificent castle on the far end of it. The castle was home to King Sean and Queen Beatrice, and their lovely daughter, Xenila. Life in Draconia was easy and quiet, and everyone was happy - most of the time. The one problem with Draconia, was that it lay near a dragon hold (for which it was named). Dragons had not attacked for nearly a thousand years, but the chance was always there. From the time Princess Xenila was born, she was very brave. She had no problem wearing royal dresses, but would be just as happy in the clothes of a farm boy, her brown hair tied back in a long braid. She also liked to play in the garden. The King and Queen let her play and wear what she wanted in her free time. Her parents liked to watch Xenila play from their balcony on the castle. They watched her make a bow and arrows and a sword out of sticks, and twist a crown from ivy leaves. "I am Xenila, queen of the forest!" she shouted, wearing her crown and waving her sword. "Let no man suffer me!" "She is not quite like other girls, is she?" Queen Beatrice said. "Oh well," said King Sean. "She is unique, and that's what makes her our daughter."
Years passed, and one day, when Xenila was fifteen, a messenger arrived outside the castle. When he was escorted in, he had very bad news. "My king, my queen," he said, panting, for he had just ran very far to see them. "I have some very bad news." "Bad news?" King Sean said. "VERY bad news," the messenger corrected. "What is it?" asked Queen Beatrice. "There have been reports of dragon attacks in the nearby kingdom of Dragania, and it is feared they may target Draconia next," the messenger said. "That is indeed very bad news," King Sean replied. "I shall send an order to have guards all around our borders constantly. No dragon shall attack us and survive, if I have anything to say about it." So the order was sent. Guards were stationed on the borders of Draconia all day and all night. Never was the border left unguarded. However, Princess Xenila was excited by the news. "A real live dragon? That's just so cool!" she exclaimed at the dinner table one night. "You shouldn't be so excited," Queen Beatrice said. "A dragon attack could mean our destruction." "I want to see a dragon. I want to fight it. I'll bet I could," Xenila responded. "I'm sure you could, but you probably wouldn't win," King Sean said, taking a sip of his wine. "Now let's not talk about it anymore."
Every day, more guards were added to the border patrol. Nerves were heightened. It seemed as if you could smell attack in the air. Xenila was not afraid though - she was still excited. One day, she disguised herself as a farm boy and snuck out of the castle. She walked across the village with her hands in her pockets, whistling all the way. Finally, she came near the border between Draconia and the dragon-land. There were soldiers all about, knights on horseback and some on foot. They were standing all along the border with their backs to her, keeping watch. Some were marching back and forth. It seemed to be a rather uneventful day, nothing was happening and all the knights were calm. Xenila turned and quietly walked behind the knights, down along the border, glancing over at the dragon hold. It looked like a small mountain in the distance, with smoke rising out of the top. For a second, she thought she saw a green flash, like that of a shiny scale. "Wow," she breathed. "I wonder if that was my first glimpse of a dragon?" But she could not be sure. Deciding she had seen all there was to see, she turned and quietly headed back to the castle.
The very next day, Xenila awoke to the sound of horns blowing. That was an alarm - the dragon must be attacking! She jumped out of bed and slipped into her pants and tunic, and quickly pulled her hair into a braid. She ran out the door of her room and straight into her mother. "Xenila! I was just coming to get you," Queen Beatrice exclaimed. "A dragon has attacked along the eastern border." The eastern border? That's where Xenila had been yesterday! "We must go hide in the shelter beneath the castle. Most of the servants are there already. Hurry!" exclaimed her mother. "Where's father?" Xenila asked. "Commanding the army. They're on their way to the border now. Now come with me!" "But I want to go with father!" Xenila cried. "No! Absolutely not! You're coming with me!" her mother said firmly, and grabbed Xenila by the hand. "I can fight!" "No! Your place is here." Xenila tried to argue, but her mother would not give in. Defeated, Xenila followed her mother down to the basement of the castle. Once they were in the shelter, Xenila remembered a secret passageway below the castle that she had played in when she was younger. When her mother was not looking, she slipped behind a tapestry on the wall and into the passageway. It led through twists and turns, up, up, and up until she reached a trapdoor. Xenila pushed open the trapdoor, which was under a rug, and emerged into the main hallway. Placing the rug back over the trapdoor to hide it again, she took off for the armoury. Xenila put on some armour and a helmet, and grabbed a sword. Then she ran out a small door in the side of the castle, and took off for the eastern border. Before she was halfway there, she could see the dragon. Big, shiny, green and ferocious. "So that green flash I saw yesterday really must have been the dragon!" she thought as she ran. When she arrived at the scene of the battle, the fighting was in full swing. Horses reared, knights yelled, and swords clashed. Many of the king's men were injured or knocked out and being dragged off the field. There weren't many combantants left. The dragon swung it's head from side to side, screeching at the king's men. Her father was there on his horse, giving orders. "Sir Gregory, fall back! Fall back! Regroup and take it from the other side!" King Sean shouted. He rushed at the dragon and managed to get a strike on it's flank with his sword. Left and right, more knights fell, and there weren't many left. They were being badly beaten. Xenila just stopped and stared. The dragon was amazing. It was breathtakingly huge, with menacing eyes that pierced like diamonds and great wings the size of trees. It breathed a burst of fire out it's nostrils and leaped into the air, screeching before it landed a few feet from her right. She gasped and leaped back in surprise. The knights were already there, attacking again. No one seemed to notice her. Xenila took a deep breath and pulled out her sword. She prepared to run at the dragon, but there was no room to attack. The knights that were left were all attacking the dragon at once. But they were still no match for him. He knocked them out of the way easily with his great tail and let out another burst of fire to frighten off any knights who dared come closer. But the knights were not going to attack again. The last of the king's men had been defeated. The only one left was King Sean himself. He let out a battle cry and charged at the dragon on his horse, his sword held out in front of him. The dragon grabbed the sword with his teeth as the king came by, and flung it onto the ground, pulling the king with it. King Sean was alive, but he could not get up. Right then, the knights who were still barely alive, the king, and the dragon all noticed Xenila standing there at the same time. The king and his men had been completely beat. They wondered who this small soldier was who popped out of nowhere at the moment when it looked like all was lost. He couldn't possibly defeat the dragon that had beaten all of them? They didn't know it was Xenila, disguised as a boy! The dragon stared at Xenila for a moment. Then, it reared up on it's hind legs and roared. Xenila let out a cry and struck at it's side with her sword. But the dragon was too fast for her. It blocked her attack easily, and swiped at her with it's claws. Xenila screamed and ducked just in time. But she was not fazed. She hopped back up on her feet right away, and tried to strike again. The few soldiers who were still alive were of no importance to the dragon. He was only interested in Xenila. The two of them were locked in combat, a whirlwind of attacks and blocks. Xenila had picked up speed, and since she was small she could dart easily out of the dragon's way. Her sword clashed against the dragon's scales again and again, but she could never wound him. The dragon swiped at Xenila time and time again, but she always dodged and ducked and the right moments. Neither side could injure the other. The dragon had finally met it's match. It looked like it would never end. Minutes passed. The injured king and soldiers watched as the mystery soldier battled on with the dragon. Xenila felt herself starting to get tired. Her helmet felt heavy on her head, and was starting to block her view. She hopped to the side to distract the dragon for a second, and pulled her helmet off. Her long braid fell out, and the knights and king gasped. They couldn't believe their eyes - it was Xenila! "Xenila!" King Sean gasped. He tried to stand up, but he couldn't. He was too badly hurt. The dragon seemed surprised too. All this time he had thought he was fighting a small soldier; bu
Xenila, Warrior Princess • Opuss № I