There it was. The Castle of the Lost Prince. It swept across my entire vision. I was here at last. I pulled my sword out of its sheath and started forward, counting the steps until I stood in front of the great oak doors. I opened the door as quietly as I could, trying to keep the noise to a minimum. I stepped inside the great hall and gazed at the sight before me. Marble statues, most in disrepair, lined the opposite wall. I followed the path set forth by the frayed carpet. As I reached the other end, I paused to listen. Not a sound was to be heard. It frightened me. I gripped my sword tighter and continued on my way.

I wound through the rooms of the castle, searching for the one that housed the Lost Prince. I pushed open a door on the third floor and found my quarry. He lay on the grand bed, tied to one of the bedposts. He jumped as I entered the door, his frail body quivering with fright. I smiled widely and raised both arms high in the air, holding them there for a full minute, not once letting my smile waver. The universal sign of friendship and help. The Lost Prince smiled in return and raised his arms as high as they could go. At this, I walked over to the bed and untied him, making sure not to cut him with the edge of my sword. I hugged him briefly and whispered in his ear that everything would be okay. The poor little boy continued to smile at me. He could not understand a word I had said.

I reached for his hand, and together we left the bedroom. I traced my steps back the way I had come. The unease at the unnatural silence of the castle had left me. I was thrilled at myself for having found the Lost Prince. I gave no thought to the dangers that could lurk. Only half of my quest was complete.

We made our way down the hallway and down one flight of steps before we heard it.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

I stopped quickly in my tracks and held the Lost Prince against me. I could feel his small body shaking next to mine. I darted my head around the hall, but could find no present danger. Quieter than before, we continued on our way, but we were still plagued by the relentless Boom of our unseen enemy.

As we reached the second staircase, a new sound reached our ears. Swish. Swish. My heart began to pound in earnest, for at once I knew the identity of our foe. The Dragon was not about to let her prisoner go. I began to run, dragging the Lost Prince behind me. I could hear his sobs, but knew that we could not stop. If we so much as slowed down, I knew we would be the Dragon's roast dinner. She could simply find another prince to capture and hold prisoner.

With another loud roar, the Dragon burst through the floor behind us. The Lost Prince screamed loudly. I quickened our paces. I started to drag the little boy down the stairs, and prayed fervently to the gods that they would grant us safe passage home. We ran wildly down the stairs, our hearts pounding in our chests. The Dragon roared in her fury and unleashed her demon fire. The heat reached us quickly and became nearly unbearable as the roars sounded nearer. Each winding step we took seemed to bring us closer and closer to the formidable Dragon. At last, when it seemed we could suffer the heat no longer, the stairs ended and we stepped out into the large hallway, only to see -

"Annie! Stop playing with those drat monsters, would you?"

I blinked twice, the large dragon in the castle slowly leaving my sight to be replaced by a much smaller, less formidable dragon. My sister stood in the doorway, her arms folded across her pink dress, her left foot tapping repeatedly against the wood floor. I grinned at her. This dragon I could take on, no problem.

"What are you doing playing with those stupid dinosaurs?" She came into the room, shaking her head at me. "Is that an action figure? Are you pretending to be a warrior again? Why can't you just play with Barbies like a normal girl?"

I smiled up at my sister. "All the girls have guys to save them, but who's gonna save the boys?"

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