The Forgotten Princess

"I suggest you let go of the princess or there will be major consequences." Leon said.

"I am afraid I can’t do as you say." The young man said. "She belongs to her own kin. She doesn’t need to go back."

I look at Leon and the young man exchanging glances. Their gazes were firm and unwavering.

"Then I have no choice but to fight you." Leon said with a chilling voice. He looks at me and his face became gentle. "Just wait a bit. I’m going save you." He smiled his bright smile.

Then Leon looked at the young man again with fierceness. "You’ll going to regret abducting the third princess of Alvannia."

Leon unsheathes his sword from its scarab and pointed it towards the young man. So the young man do the same.

"You are also a knight I presume?" The young man said. "Then I challenge you to a duel. If you win then I will gladly give you the princess and also my life."

"Are you sure?" Leon asked.

Leon looks at young man, gauging him. Just one look at him and he knew that this man had been poisoned by he dagger he had gave to me a while ago.

"You have my word as a knight." The young man said. "If I don’t get the princess back to our prince then I am as good as dead. I will be much better of dead."

Leon looked at the young man with scrutinizing eyes.

"I am against this your highness." Dimitri whispered. "We can quickly subdue him with the two of us."

"But as a knight, I can’t just let his words go." Leon said. "I accept your challenge." He said to the young man and unmounted Midnight.

"Your highness." Dimitri whispered more forcefully.

"Light a torch, just in case." Leon ordered him.

Dimitri do as his prince ordered and light a torch.

Leon and the young man were now standing in front of each other. Their swords both in their hands. Then not long they engage in battle.

The sounds of swords clashing is heard in the dead of night.

In the fight, the young man was clearly in a disadvantage. Leon was easily pushing him back with every swing of his sword.

The young man was panting heavily. His movements become unstable and sloppy. Not long he dropped his sword to the ground.

Leon points his sword on his throat with a triumphant gaze.

"Yield!" Leon said with authority. "I know that you are at a disadvantage. And I am not that cruel of a person to kill a person who is lying on the ground."

"Never!" The young man yelled. He raised his hand and the water from the pond near us also raised.

"Leon, look out!" I yelled. "He can control water."

The young man waved his hand towards Leon. The water turned into spears and flew towards Leon.

Leon was surprised with the sudden attack. But he was able to dodge the water spears effectively.

"You really are an Atlantian." Leon had a mock smile.

"I will get the princess to our prince whatever it takes." The young man said. But then he coughed some blood.

"I am afraid that you can’t stay alive to take her. I think you only have a few hours left." Leon said mockingly.

The young man looked at Leon in anger. The water spears multiplied in number.

"Dimitri!" Leon yelled.

Dimitri threw the torch he was holding in a pile of dry leaves. The fire flared up.

With a swish of his hand the fire grew bigger. The young man stared in awe with the burning blaze behind Leon.

"You can control fire?" The young man asked in disbelief.

"I won’t accept a challenge from and Atlantian if I also don’t have some cards up my sleeve." Leon said.

Leon raised his right hand and the some fire was detached from the blaze. They were shaped into balls of fire.

The balls of fire were sent flying towards the young man. But he countered it with his water spears.

Leon multiplied the fire balls and launched it at the young man. The balls were sent flying towards him. He can’t get up with the poison acting, his body felt heavy and weak.

The young man took the water from the pond and made a water wall around him. The fire balls the were flying to him dissolved after it touched the water wall.

"You have strong magic." The young man said. "You must have Atlantian blood to use magic."

"I just use magic if I have to." Leon said.

"I must not be defeated here." The young man said. "I have to take the princess at any cost. It is for the future of our country."

The water wall vibrated violently.

"You know that water can extinguish fire, right?" The young man said.

He raised his hand high. The water wall changed its shape into droplets and rained over them. The fire was extinguished in no time.

"You are good." Leon said. "But after your stunt, all the water in the pond has been spent. You also don’t have anything to use."

Leon was right. The water in the little pond has dried up. With Leon still having his strength, the young man was still in an disadvantage.

"Have you forgotten." The young man smiled. "I still have some water left."

Then the water around me changed its shape, leaving me falling to the ground. My clothes was soaked and wet, my body felt the chill of the night.

The water that just left my body encircled Leon. He made a defensive position slashing the water to pieces. But the water still comes back.

The young man made a water whip and hit Leon on his arm. Leon loosen his grip of his sword.

With this moment, the young man enveloped Leon’s whole body with water. He was inside the water bubble grasping for air.