Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess named Alexis. She was the princess of a huge kingdom. One day, Alexis was walking in her garden full of flowers such as daisies and lilies. There were trees everywhere and a huge lake in the center. Suddenly, a huge portal appeared in front of her. Feeling afraid, she whirled around and tried to run. A huge black hand shot out of the portal and grabbed her. The guard that had been watching her, a man named Riley, rushed forward to protect the princess. Unfortunately, before he could get to her, the portal vanished into thin air with Alexis and the hand.
Riley searched for Alexis all around the garden. The only thing he found was a note that had floated down from the sky when the portal disappeared. It said, “I have captured your princess. If you wish to see her again, find me at the top of Mt. Deathpeak! –Lyren”
Riley ran to the castle and into the king and queen’s throne room. He was the leader of the Royal Guard that protected the royal family. He immediately bent down in front of the king and queen. “Grave news sir, Alexis has been kidnapped!” He showed the king and queen the note the kidnapper Lyren had left behind.
“Riley! You are the leader of the guard. Send troops to Mt. Deathpeak immediately!”
Riley bowed and left the room. He immediately led ten knights to Mt. Deathpeak. When none of them returned after two weeks, the king and queen began to panic. They sent the order for papers to be put around the whole kingdom. These papers said anyone that could save Princess Alexis would be given a huge reward of gold and land.
The news even traveled to the peasants. One peasant boy named Len saw this offer and began to feel excited. His parents had both died in a wildfire and he lived with his uncle and aunt. “I must go save the princess!” he declared to them one day at the dinner table.
“Be careful,” his aunt and uncle said, both hugging him tightly before watching him leave the house. “Good luck and do your best!”
Len nodded. “Lyren, here I come!” he shouted.
Len wandered through the Darkwood forest behind his uncle’s house. There were bats and mosquitoes everywhere, much to the horror of Len. He had an abnormal fear of bats. However, with his sword in hand, he felt braver and managed to sneak past the sleeping bats at daylight. Finally, on the third day, he was out of the forest.
Before he knew it, he was at the base of Mt. Deathpeak. He took a huge gulp. “This place is huge… I hope Lyren isn’t too hard to deal with…..” With those words, he began to climb up the side of the mountain. He slouched as the sun began to rise into the sky and its rays beat down mercilessly.
By the time he reached the top of the mountain, the moon was high in the sky and it was well into the night. He collapsed on the ground breathing hard. He saw a cave at the top of the mountain. Deciding to take a break before meeting Lyren, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
When Len opened his eyes, everything was still dark. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and then stood up. Looking around, he soon realized he was in a new location. He leaped to his feet and twisted his head this way and that. He was sitting in a damp and cold place. There were rocks everywhere. It was dark and Len couldn’t help but shiver. Water dripped from somewhere, causing a soft drip drop to be heard. Len soon realized he was in a prison with another man. He walked over to the man and shook him. “Hey, wake up!”
The man woke up and stood up, towering over Len. “Who… are you?”
Len grinned. “I’m Len and I’m here to defeat Lyren and rescue the princess!”
The man introduced himself. “I am Riley, captain of the Royal Guard. I’m afraid I’ve been stuck here for weeks or months, I’m not even sure.”
Len looked around. “There must be a way out,” he muttered.
Riley pointed at the wall. “There’s a whole there, about the size for someone like you to fit through. I think that’s why they put me in this cell. It’s the only one with a way out, but it’s way too small for me to fit through.”
Len walked over to the hole. “If we could make this just a bit wider I could squeeze through and find the princess!”
Each taking a rock, they slowly began to dig the hole until it was wide enough for Len to squeeze through.
Len slipped through the space. “Good luck!” whispered Riley. “I will try to make the hole wide enough for me to fit through. Be careful!”
Len nodded and walked around the cave. He looked around for someone. Soon he found someone guarding an entrance. Len whirled behind a rock. When the guard passed, Len crept up to him and knocked him to the ground. Len held a sharp rock near the guard’s neck. “Where is the princess? Tell me or I will kill you.”
The guard watched Len with wide eyes. “She… she’s over… at the castle… go up the hall… you will find the entrance… to the.. castle’s… main room…..”
Len glared at the guard. “Give me the keys to all the cells!”
The guard trembled and gave Len the keys. Len then knocked out the guard by hitting him in the head with the rock so he couldn’t run away. He also took the guard’s sword, which actually happened to be his own. He quickly opened Riley’s cell. Riley looked dirty, injured, and exhausted. Len passed Riley the keys. “Free all the other knights. I will rescue the princess.”
Riley began to protest but Len shook his head. “You are injured and tired. I have not been in the cell as long as you. Get the rest of the knights and then come help me.” Riley nodded. Len ran up the hallway and soon found himself in front of the castle’s main room.
In the center of the room was the princess and another man. “I have been wondering how long it would take for someone to get here,” the man sneered. “I am Lyren!”
“Help!” cried the princess.
Len pulled out his sword and pointed it at Lyren. “Free the princess!”
Lyren cackled and sent multiple guards at Len. Len ran past them all and soon reached the Princess’ cage.
“Can’t open it, huh?” Lyren laughed evilly.
Len suddenly had an idea. He began to taunt Lyren. Lyren grew mad and his troops charged at Len again. Len stood by the door and quickly began to pick the lock. It quickly clicked open. He opened the cage door and pulled the Princess out. The troops who were running too fast ran right into the cage. Len quickly shut the door on them and closed the lock. They roared in fury, but could not escape.
Then the Royal Guard appeared at the doorway led by Riley. With a shout, they began to charge at Lyren. Lyren roared in anger and sent eight more men at them, which were all he had left. The Royal Guard immediately began to fight them.
In the midst of the chaos, Len pulled Alexis to the side. “I’m going to go finish off Lyren, stay here,” he whispered. Len ran dodging swords and went behind Lyren. With a yell, he plunged the sword into Lyren. Lyren screamed in fury before disappearing, leaving only a pile of ashes.
Lyren’s men, seeing their king deceased, began to scramble. They ran out of the castle with the Royal Guard roaring and shouting at them. However, they did not pursue them. Instead they went to Alexis and Len.
Together they returned through a portal to their castle. The king and queen hugged their daughter and cried tears of joy.
“We owe you our daughter’s life and the life of all these fine men! How could we ever repay you?” said the king.
Len shook his head. “I need no repayment, for I have everything I ever wanted, a loving family and a place to live.”
The king chuckled. “That will not do. My daughter has something to talk to you about.”
A month later, Alexis and Len were married. They had a wonderful wedding that the whole kingdom attended. As they said “I do,” the king and queen beamed at them, as well as Len’s uncle and aunt.
Len’s uncle and aunt moved into the castle and began living in royalty. Len now lived in the castle with Alexis. They lived together happily ever after.