Fiction | Fantasy | Challenge
Your Princess is in Another Dungeon
Fantasy Fiction This or That Challenge
Jacinta Palmer went and did it and threw the metaphorical breadcrumbs of inspiration into the pool of hyper fixation and I dove in headfirst. I’m not too familiar with the This or That challenge as this is my first interaction with it but I believe Brett Jenae Tomlin is the OG of this challenge. (You can follow the link to Jacinta’s challenge below.)
Since I was feeling a bit extra today, I will take the This or That challenge a step further and write a story based on all my choices combined. I hope you enjoy it!
- Dystopian or Enchanted: Enchanted. I like the idea of a world filled with magical delight much more.
- Vampire or Dragon: I’m a bit torn on this one. I’ve written more about vampires but I prefer dragons and all the delicious lore that follows in their wake.
- Sword or Bolt of Fire from your Fingers: SWORDS! ⚔️
- Mind Reading or Crystal Ball: Mind reading feels like cheating and creates characters that can become “too OP”. I’m going with the crystal ball.
- Broomstick or Winged Creature: As a human with two legs I feel like riding a broomstick would be Hell. I’m taking the winged beast and hoping for the best.
- Runes or Tarot Cards: Runes all the way. They just seem so much more magical/ancient.
- Under an Oath or Stolen Memories: I’ve played a lot of D&D paladins and I can have some fun with their oaths.
- Rainbow or Waterfall: Waterfall beats rainbow. That’s how the game goes right?
- Enchanted Object or Cursed Object: 👹 CURSED 👹
- Seer or Warlock: Warlock because I’m going with D&D rules and they formed a pact with something possibly sinister. *Maniacal laughter*
- Dungeon or Banishment: I can get a lot of mileage out of a good dungeon.
- Soul Sucking or Demon Torment: I got quite a bit of satisfaction about some soul-sucking in this chapter of Luci’s New Hell I wrote and it plays a major part in the entire series. That demon torment is pretty tempting though…
- Portal or Time Travel: Portals are so much cooler.
- Undiscovered or Forgotten: Forgotten feels like it implies something bad happened. I’ll take that one.
- Enchanted to Sleep or Cursed to Ride: Enchanted to sleep feels too fairytale for me. Curse to ride it is.
- Diary or Grimoire: I’m not organized/thoughtful enough for a diary. Grimoire all the way.
- Kraken or Mermaid: THE KRAKEN WILL CONSUME US ALL 🐙🐙🐙
- Haunted or Re-programmed: Haunted. Even though I like to sleep at night, I’m going haunted.
- Historical or Future: Historical.
- This World or Another Realm: This world is dumb. Another realm all the wayyyyyyy!
Princess Isabella sat in her room high within the castle’s tower, gazing out the window at the beautiful gardens below. It was a warm spring day, and the flowers were in full bloom, filling the air with their sweet fragrance. Despite the lovely scenery, she couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that had been building inside her.
Several weeks ago a seer approached the castle guards and spoke of a bad omen she saw within her crystal ball. Her father paid the warning little mind and had already forgotten it to focus his efforts on combating the dragonic threat to the North.
Her worries came to fruition when a portal opened within her bedchambers. A powerful warlock and menace to the crown, Kaila, emerged from the opening with a leather-bound grimoire in hand.
“Bye-bye.” Kaila snickered while she traced an arcane rune in the air.
Moments later a soul sucking force pulled Isabella through the portal and flung her into another realm. She silently wept at being kidnapped for the third time this month and prayed her knight in shining armor may find and rescue her swiftly.
Enno raised his elegantly painted shield overhead to part the waterfall as he trudged through the waist-high water into the dungeon. He had already battled winged beasts and fought a skeleton that was cursed to ride the earth, haunting a forest unable to pass on to the other side just to get here.
He had contemplated the idea of finding a new line of work had he not been under oath to the crown. He wondered when saving princesses had become a full-time job while the voices inside his head sincerely struggled if his worship was worth it.
Enno’s thoughts were tossed aside when he entered the antechamber. He cast his gaze over the walls, surveying the faded historical images. Various depictions of an ancient civilization offering sacrifices to a mighty kraken.
He silently prayed he would not face such a beast today as he stepped into the next room. His enchanted sword, Requiem, quietly cried out to him via telepathy.
“Do not falter now, Enno, but I sense a great danger nearby.”
Enno was bewildered by who he found, someone truly unexpected within these dungeon depths. He drew Requiem and pointed the blade at his humanoid adversary.
“Who’s there?” He demanded loudly with commanding authority.
Kaila stepped forward from her throne to be illuminated by the flicker of torchlight. Wild shadows of her slender form were thrown against the walls behind her as she cast her arms outward in a welcoming gesture.
“I’ve been waiting for you hero,” she said with a smile.
“Cut the charade,” Enno growled, “Where’s Princess Isabella? I know you’ve kidnapped her.”
Kaila feigned a sorrowful look, “I’ve kept to myself all these years, and I’ve wondered why I kept throwing her into that cell.” She delicately walked across the room, slowly closing the gap between herself and Enno. “But now I’m ready to come out of this cursed shell.”
“What do you mean?” Enno asked uneasily, his sword kept at the ready to strike.
“I’ve missed you after every one of our farewells, Enno,” Kaila said sweetly, her hands cupped together.
“It’s a trap, Enno. Strike her down now!” Requiem cried out to his master.
“Where’s Isabella?” Enno demanded, trying to push his sword’s thoughts out of his mind.
“I’m sorry but she’s in another dungeon,” Kaila wiped away an imaginary tear, “And I fear she won’t even care for you.” She placed the back of her hand against her forehead and sighed. “She’d sooner be with a prince than the likes of you.”
Enno lowered his sword slightly, unsure of the situation. Usually, they were interlocked in a fierce battle by now but something about his adversary was different this time. She wasn’t clad in leather armor and magical runes but instead, she wore black robes which bore a revealing nature he found somewhat alluring.
Kaila slowly made her way down the steps until she stood in front of her armor-clad adversary. With the tip of her finger, she pushed Requiem aside until her face was inches from Enno’s.
“She’s might be in another dungeon, but I’m still here,” she whispered into his ear, her words laced heavily with desire.
“What are you trying to say?” He asked breathing in her sweet aroma and letting Requiem’s tip touch the ground. Was he falling for the enemy he began to wonder.
“Are you going to make me spell it out for you, dummy?” Kaila delicately placed her hand over Enno’s breastplate. “I don’t care about the princess. Honestly, I never have.”
She lowered her voice and spoke barely above a whisper. “The heart wants what it wants, and right now… It wants you, Enno.”
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