The Dragon King

Chapter One

The Enchanted Forest -- Meadowpeak

Levi ducked underneath the sword as its edge neared his head. He could see clearly that they were losing. What had happened? What had gone wrong? Rumplestiltskin promised that the victory would be theirs!

He raised his foot and kicked one of the knights in the stomach that advanced towards him. A hand grabbed his wrist startling him. He flung himself around, his sword tight in his grasp, ready to slice through whoever tried to stop him.

He froze when he saw the worried face of his best friend. "Levi, run! You have to get out of here!"

He gripped her hand tightly in his as the battle ranged on around him, the marble columns began to shake as they started to crumble. "No, I'm not going anywhere without you, Elyssa!"

She shook his arms as she desperately tried to get him to run. "You have to go! Snow White won't stop until you're dead. You're the key to stopping her. You have to run so she can't find you!"

A loud bang sounded from a nearby wall as it was blown into a million pieces. A woman stepped through the opening, her white shirt and brown pants stained with blood, and her long black hair was matted. "You! Stop!"

Levi's heart sank at the sight of the Princess. He couldn't let her get to him. Not if he was going to save his mother.

"Levi, go!"

He hated the idea. He hated the thought of leaving Elyssa. He didn't want to see her die, and that's exactly what would happen if he left her in the hands of Snow.

"Go now! I'll hold her off!" Elyssa took off after the Princess.

"Elyssa, no!" He reached out for her, but she was already too far gone. He gritted his teeth and huffed in anger as he turned and sprinted to the door. He jumped over numerous pieces of stone, and turned around to get one final glimpse of Elyssa. His best friend who was sacrificing herself for him.

Elyssa stood her ground fighting valiantly, but she wasn't strong enough against Snow White. The Princess had no doubt been trained to use a sword while Elyssa had taught herself.

As Levi turned back around to run away, he bumped up against someone tall and strong. He looked up with wide eyes into the face of Prince Charming, Snow White's betrothed.

Levi was struck in the stomach by the Prince, and tumbled backward down large pieces of ceiling until he landed on the granite floor. He couched and grimaced as pain roared through his ribs.

Charming reached down and gripped Levi's wrist, dragging him over to Snow White.

"Let me go!"

Levi was yanked off his feet, and forced to his knees.

Snow White held his best friend by her hair, Elyssa trying desperately to escape the witches grasp.

"Good job, Charming," Snow said with a quick smile. Her face turned to hatred as she held a sword up staring directly at Levi. "Now, I'm going to make you watch your little friend here as I run her through." Again she smiled. "Then it's your turn."

"No, wait! Please!" Levi stared into the eyes of his best friend as tears began to form. "Kill me! Let her live! I'm begging you!"

Snow giggled. "She's been plotting with you to try and kill me. Anyone who betrays their Princess doesn't deserve mercy." With those final words, she raised the sword, and pierced it through Elyssa's back, the front of the blade sticking out from her abdomen.

"No!" Levi tried screaming, but he felt so numb he wasn't even sure if he did. He couldn't hear anything. The world around him stopped as he watched a single tear trickle down Elyssa's cheek before she slid off the blade onto the ground lifeless.