“The princess has been taken by the Great Dragon!” the king cried out. Everyone in the village gasped. The dragon was feared by all. Who would dare to rescue the daughter of the king?
No one. Except… a lowly young squire.
The squire had been on several missions before, accompanied by more experienced knights. Longing to prove himself worthy as one of them, he jumped at the opportunity.
“I’ll go.” His voice was filled with firm resolve. “I”m just a squire, but I’m brave enough to do what’s right.”
He knew that the dragon lived in the Fortress of Avion, which was just on the other side of the Mysterium Forest.
The gate to the Mysterium Forest was dark-colored and covered with overgrown vines. The door was made from rusted metal and creaked when it opened. The young squire stood outside the entrance, contemplating whether or not he should enter. He stretched out his hand towards the door and pushed it open.
Cautiously putting one foot in front of the other, the squire stepped into the forest. He surveyed the land around him. It was practically the opposite of the entrance. Instead of being dark and ominous like the outside, the interior of the forest was filled with light and color. There were dozens of skinny white trees that were covered in moss, along with red and white spotted mushrooms.
But the squire didn’t pay attention to any of this. He began to run through the forest. He felt the cold, mossy ground under his feet as he picked up his pace. He occasionally glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was following him. No one knew what kind of creatures could be lurking in a place like this. The squire’s feet squished against several of the mushrooms, causing him to wince. He’d never been on a mission like this before. It was by far the most dangerous. Plus, he was alone. And he wasn’t even a knight.
Snap!
He jumped as he heard a branch snap. The squire shakily drew his sword and looked around. He sighed when he saw that he had been the one to step on the stick.
“Who are you?” a timid voice squeaked.
The squire leapt again, but gasped when he saw that it was only a tiny, fuzzy chipmunk sitting atop one of the mushrooms.
“I’m…uh…I’m just a squire,” he mumbled, trying to discreetly avoid the odd creature.
The critter leapt from the mushroom and landed at the squire’s feet. “What are you doing here, squire?”
“I’m trying to save someone…the princess,” he blurted out.
The chipmunk’s little eyes grew wide. “Has she been captured by the Great Dragon?”
The squire sighed. “Yes.”
“You could be killed!”
He shrugged. “I’m going to save her from the dragon. It doesn’t matter what happens to me.”
The chipmunk jumped up on a tree and scampered up the bark until he was eye-to-eye with the squire. “It’s dangerous! It’s a job for a knight.”
The squire took another step forward. “Well, I’m trying to become a knight.”
The chipmunk followed him. “Saving a pretty princess from a cruel dragon is about the most knightly thing you could do. Can you handle it?”
The squire squared his shoulders. “I’ll do my best.”
“Then go. Save her.” The chipmunk scurried away, and the squire raced out of the forest.
The Fortress of Avion was actually an abandoned, crumbling castle that was covered with thorny, overgrown vines. The squire nervously crept through the gates and into the inner dungeon.
No dragon in sight. Good.
But there was the beautiful princess, who was wearing a silver jeweled crown and dazzling golden dress.
The squire rushed for the prison bars that she was locked behind. “I’m here to save you.” He tugged his knife from its sheath and began fiddling with the lock.
Roar!
The squire slowly turned around. An ugly, fat green dragon had appeared out of nowhere. His gaze was locked on the squire.
The squire dropped his knife into the princess’s hands and winked. Then, he leapt to his feet and swiftly drew his shiny sword.
Roar! Fire spewed from the dragon’s mouth, and it shot through the air, aiming for the squire.
The squire began thrusting and swinging his sword at the dragon.
“You’re no match for me, kid.” The dragon sprayed more fire, but the squire ducked and let the flames hit the prison bars instead. The princess screamed and retreated to the back of the cell, the knife still in her hands.
The squire leapt so that the dragon’s back was to the prison. He hoped that the princess would know what to do.
“Yowwww!” A loud thump echoed through the rooms of the abandoned castle as the green dragon fell dead on the cold stone floor. Behind him, the princess stood, holding the knife. The fire had melted the prison bars, and she had killed the dragon.
She rushed towards the squire. “You’re a hero!”
He backed away, shaking his head. “No, you’re the one who killed the dragon.”
“But you came to save me.” She slipped her hand into his. “My father will be overjoyed! What would you like in return?”
The squire led her out of the crumbling fortress and back into the mysterious woods. “I…I don’t know, Your Highness.”
The princess thought for a moment. Then her eyes lit up. “Well, we can start by making you a knight.”
The squire’s eyes grew wide. He was speechless as the two of them walked past the chipmunk’s mushroom.
The chipmunk didn’t say anything either. He just sat on his mushroom, smiling at the pretty princess.
But he winked at the valiant knight.
The end.
- A Lowly Young Squire - July 2, 2025
Caitlyn is an amazing writer and an even better leader! I have had the privilege to serve as her youth pastor in our youth ministry!
So proud of her taking this big step of faith to write and post her writings to the public. You will be seeing her name more and more in the future.
Thank you, Pastor Mylon! Your support has been so impactful for me in my faith walk and writing journey! Thank you so much for reading my story and encouraging me!
Thank you, Pastor Mylon! Your support has been incredibly invaluable in both my faith walk and writing journey! Thank you so much for encouraging me and reading my writing!