The silver armored knight rode across a shining steed, galloping towards the lone castle. Dark stone towers stretched up like crooked fingers into a dusky sky, and the ground around it was barren and cracked. But the knight did not waver, and instead forged ahead, determined to breach the castle’s keep and free the fair prisoner within.
Sword, drawn, the knight charged towards the drawbridge, which began to retract. At a gentle nudge, the shining steed leapt forwards, a silvery streak as clear as moonlight. Its glistening hooves clattered against the wooden drawbridge, and it leapt to the paving stones on the other side. Halting in the centre of a stone courtyard, the knight dismounted and prepared to face the fearsome guardian of the castle.
Stones shook and a deep rumbling came from within. The knight did not flinch. With a bellowing roar, and a rush of flames, the castle’s guardian appeared. Body armoured in black scales, twisting horns pointing to the high ceiling, the dreaded Prince Charming burst through the doorway and faced the knight.
“Who dares invade my castle?” Prince Charming roared, his armour clanking with every movement. “For I am the dreaded Prince Charming, the most feared ego in all the lands.”
“It is I,” the knight announced, pulling off her helmet to reveal glossy black locks that tumbled around her silver-plated shoulders, “Mistress Moonshine, student witch of the White Academy. And I have come to free your prisoner.” She raised her sword and pointed it at the Prince’s broad chest. “Now give Prickles back to me.”
“Never!” The most feared ego in all the lands boomed with laughter. “The greatest knights of the kingdom have all fallen at my doors. You will never succeed.”
“We’ll see about that,” Mistress Moonshine muttered, then lunged forward with her sword.
The Prince parried the attack and swung out at her with a spiked fist. Black thorns with razor tips jutted from along his armour, ready to slice or stab her, but Mistress Moonshine was not afraid. She attacked again, swinging at the knight, her blade glancing off his side. The Prince laughed again.
“Run away now, little knight,” he taunted. “You will never win.”
Mistress Moonshine gritted her teeth and refused to budge. Holding up her sword, she began to twirl it through the air in a complicated twisting arc. The Prince watched in confusion as her strokes came nowhere near striking him.
“I never said I was a knight,” Mistress Moon said with a touch of a smile. “I said I was a witch.”
Purple lightning shot from the end of her sword and struck the Prince square in his armour plated chest. The dreaded Prince Charming, most feared ego in the land, flew through the air, rotating twice, and landed on his head with a soft umph.
Dashing past him, Mistress Moonshine raced through the castle and to the highest room in the tallest tower. Throwing open the door, she found a small purple dragon, covered in thorny spikes, curled up on a large squashy pillow.
“Prickles?” she asked.
The dragon looked up and its eyes widened. The dragon leapt off the cushion, and bounded over to her, stopping just out of arm’s reach. Its ears and tail lowered and it sank onto its haunches.
“I know I’m not very loveable, but thank you for coming,” Prickles said.
Mistress Moonshine lay down her sword and knelt before the thorny little dragon. “Silly Prickles. I always loved you.”
Prickles looked up at her. “But, what about my spikes? You can’t hug me.”
Mistress Moonshine swept the dragon into her arms and cradled him against her chest. “That’s what armour is for, silly.”
FlashFictionMonth day 17
Wordcount: 614
Prompt: The princess who rescued the dragon from the knight.
For more of the adventures of Prickles and Mistress Moonshine, check out:
In the Name of a Hug
The Aspiration Quotient
C. A. Harland 