Chapter Text
Long ago, there was a kingdom of pure light. Its radiance brought hope and warmth to even the most remote corners of the world, but it also attracted the attention of undesirable creatures. Inhabitants of the night that envied the light of the kingdom, that feared its power and beauty.
A vicious monster, greedy for the kingdom's riches, attacked it with the goal of taking what he could and things that he could not - burn. If it can't have it, no one can.
The noble knight stood up in defense of his ancestral home. He didn't care how unequal the forces were. He couldn't just stand by while his world crumbled.
The battle lasted three days and three nights until finally, the spirits inspired by his determination decided to help. They gifted the knight with the power of light for his kindness and cold for his steadfastness.
One swing of his magic-soaked saber was enough to slay the monster.
Since then, the noble knight became a guardian protecting the light of the kingdom from all monsters and attacks....
***
Knight Cookie closed the worn book and set it aside. He wished he had the simplicity that lived in the old fairy tales. His gaze traveled to the vastness of the library. Its keepers did not keep much order. Last year's bestsellers and prehistoric folios whose authors had been at the moment of Creation were lying around. Now they were equally illuminated by the rays of the dawn's sun.
The ghostly morning light shone through the caramel window. The dust that hovered between the frosting columns, like hundreds of tiny dancers, made numerous pirouettes in the air. A light breeze, the culprit of this microscopic ballet, came from the open shutter and carried with it a refreshing moisture. Outside the window the whole city was bathed in it.
The fog swayed slowly through the streets of Hollyberry kingdom. Light as cotton candy, it came out of the river lowlands and enveloped the stately buildings with all their colonnades and facades. In the afternoon, the moisture that produced it would change its mood. Instead of freshness, it would unleash a stifling tropical heat upon the city.
Knight Cookie sighed. It had been a long time since the competition for the role of heir to the throne, but his last encounter with the dragon had never left his mind. Clad from head to toe in armored scales. A demonic creature, the very embodiment of the primordial flame, it could not be defeated by sword or arrow. But why? He had already been able to wound it once before. To cut off the monster's tail. What changed? If not for Queen Mother's help, he and Princess Cookie would have turned to fine crumbs long ago. He should have been better than that.
Now Knight Cookie sat going through the books one by one. He himself didn't know what he was looking for and had racked up many volumes on magic, artifacts, legends, and historical events. Huge stacks of them overhung the table and were about to collapse from an awkward breeze. Princess Cookie was still lying asleep in her room, so he had a little time to try to find anything that might make him stronger before they set off on their new adventure. It was times like this that he kicked himself for not studying magic. But having no skill for it, during his childhood he thought physical training would be a much better pastime.
Knight Cookie opened another book, this time a collection of historical events, and began to turn the pages one by one. He was so absorbed in the process that he didn't notice the quiet footsteps and the rustling of the hem of the dress.
"What are you doing?"
A melodious voice sounded right next to the knight's ear and it made him jump up from his chair and turn around. The awkward movement caused several stacks of books to collapse and scatter across the table and floor.
Standing next to him was a well known girl with pink hair, clothes, and a scepter. Her red eyes sparkled with curiosity and energy, and a pure smile spread across her face. Princess Cookie could barely contain herself from laughing at the scene.
"Your majesty, I didn't expect you to wake up so early." Knight Cookie leaned awkwardly on the table and looked around the mess with displeasure.
"And I didn't expect to find you in the library of all places." The girl picked up a book that had fallen near her feet and opened to a random page. "I was so excited for our next outing that I didn't realize I woke up early myself." Quickly, she began flipping through the pages like a glossy magazine before closing it. "What are you doing here? I thought you're more into practicing with your lance than learning history."
"I... It's..." Knight Cookie faltered and sighed heavily. "My apologies. It bothers me how little I could do when facing a dragon. It's like my training meant nothing. Thought maybe I could find some answers in the books." He looked to the side, not wanting to make eye contact. He should be strong enough to protect her and now was basically admitting he wasn't worthy of it.
"Ooooh. Magic? How's that going?" Princess Cookie moved closer to the table and began to look at the books open on it.
"Not great. I know next to nothing about magic beyond the basics and certainly don't know where to start. Thought I'd see if there have been similar situations in the past or legends. Maybe there's some kind of artifact or spell or something. But..." Knight Cookie looked sadly at the resulting mountain and began picking up the books scattered on the floor.
"Let me help. We'll definitely find it faster together." The girl jumped up and began quickly gathering the books into neat stacks, sorting them by the color of the cover.
"What about the trip? You were so excited to leave early."
"Oh Knighty, dear. It's one thing to run off and seek adventure, but I see the quest is right in front of us. Searching for magical artifacts or legendary weapons." The girl waved her hands, knocking over the yellow-colored stack she had just built. "Sounds great, don't you agree? And I think mom will be happy if I stick around a little longer."
"Oh. Em… Thank you, your highness." Knight Cookie smiled softly and made a deep bow. The tip of his helmet caught another stack and the books scattered across the floor yet again.
The pair stood silent for a moment, looking at the new mess they had just cleaned up and began to laugh quietly.
"You can thank me when we find you some cool magic. Something bright and matching the color of your eyes." Princess Cookie pulled the new chair closer, pushed the stack of books farther away, and sat down next to the Knight. "Have you consulted a mage on this matter yet? Maybe Wizard Cookie or Espresso Cookie?"
"I didn't think I'd have much time before we were about to leave and I wasn't sure what to ask them. I don't know exactly what I'm looking for." Knight Cookie sat back down at the table and picked up the first volume that he could reach. They would need to clean this place up when they were done.
"Do you have a talent for magic? Should we start with that?"
"Honestly, I don't know. More of a no than a yes. I don't know any spells and haven't tried to learn any."
"Hmm. Why don't we go the other way around then?" The princess stopped looking at the books and started rocking in her chair. "What do you want magic for?"
"To protect you and the kingdom."
"Okay. And protect me from whom? Specifically."
Knight Cookie hesitated briefly, examining images of magical schematics whose meaning he didn't know.
"...A Greenish-Red Dragon. Pitaya."
"Great. This lizard thing is kind of a fire type, right? What are the weaknesses of fire magic?"
"If you look at the elements, water or ice magic should work against a fire dragon."
"Okay. So we need to look for information on water and ice. And just like that we've limited our search."
"Isn't that too easy?"
"Nah, you just like to make tasks much harder in your head than they should be. Now..." A loud belly rumbling interrupted the princess' monologue. "I suggest we go get some breakfast and continue the discussion over a cup of warm berry tea."
"That sounds wonderful, Princess Cookie."
***
When the palace was designed, the architects envisioned numerous places for resting and dining. From huge banquet halls to tiny lounges and gazebos. Unfortunately by the time the pair had gotten their meals, many options had fallen away. The castle was waking up, filling with the melody of life. The stomping of servants following the trajectories of numerous errands. The rustle of the armor of the palace guards - reinforced many times after the dragon attack. The whispering of young aristocrats discussing the latest news.
But even amidst this cacophony, there was a place of silence. It was the palace garden. The high-rising sun had completely banished the morning mist and chill. Awakened berry birds hopped on the branches. The humming of their chants filled the space around them. Plum blossoms burst into the light, lending their fragrance to the air. Every now and then, chocolate critters ran through the shadows of the bushes.
The Princess and the Knight hid from the scorching heat and noise in a lonely white gazebo in the center of the garden surrounded by berry bushes. On the table they placed cups, a teapot with raspberry tea, plates with blackberry buns and honey.
"Now that's more like it." Princess Cookie took a large sip and leaned back in her chair. "Sometimes happiness is just in a cup of tea."
"Can I pour you another, Your Highness?"
"Not yet, but I've been thinking. How did you plan on fighting the dragon? It's hard for me to imagine you casting spells or using a wand."
"To tell you the truth, I had a couple ideas of how the battle might go." Knight Cookie set the cup on the table and began tapping his fingers methodically. "I've been thinking about it at my leisure when I have a spare moment. For possible strategies... For starters, the dragon has incredibly tough scales that are very difficult to penetrate."
"Yep. I remember how my scepter attacks alone couldn't even damage it."
"But it should be much thinner on the belly or end of the tail, where there's a chunk missing. The very one I cut off."
"I remember the tail. You still have it in your possession like a trophy in your closet. It's creepy how it still moves."
"Another problem could be Pitaya's claws. They’re huge! But from what we've seen, they didn't actively use them to attack, preferring their fire breath instead. I don't think they have a limit on how many times they can use this ability, and if they do, it's too big for me to rely on. Do they have a limited fuel source for their fire or is it powered by their magic? How long can they do this attack before needing to stop?"
"I see..."
"This dragon fights anyone who challenges it, so you can't expect them to fly away as soon as someone shows up. But I wouldn't discard the possibility of them taking off to attack from a height, though. It's going to be very difficult to get the lizard in those conditions. So I would either need to act very quickly or target the wings first.
"Uh-huh..."
"This dragon is big and doesn't turn much. Maybe if I'm fast enough I can get it before it can get me, but lightning speed attacks can't do much damage to the scales. But will I have enough power to wound the wings? And if the wings issue is resolved, then I'll have a very vicious and dangerous monster in front of me that has no way of escaping."
Knight Cookie began to run his fingers across the table, imagining that the cooled cup of tea was the dragon, and the small cube of sugar was him. His speech became frantic, and he paid less and less attention to what was going on around him.
"And how fast should I be to attack them before they use fire? Is it even possible? Will I be able to dodge the fire? I could try to ride my horse, but then I'd still have to worry about Carat's safety. Can I do more than just leaving scratches? If I ambush them I'll only have one shot before the dragon starts burning everything."
There was a flicker of anxiety in Knight Cookie's eyes as he was rearranging items on the table and building possible obstacles out of spoons and forks. His breathing was erratic.
"I could try wearing Wyvern scale armor that resists the heat of the fire for a few minutes, but it would be heavy, which would greatly reduce maneuverability and stealth. I won't be able to sneak up on the lizard and they'll probably attack more often, so I have to count on the armor to withstand even longer. And if I'm in heavy armor, will I even be able to get close enough to attack them or do any damage while I'm burning?"
Knight Cookie threw a sugar cube into his tea and watched it slowly dissolve in the water. If he couldn't find an answer, he would meet a similar fate.
"We need to find a balance between speed, strength and defense. Strike the wings and attack the belly and tail. Prepare for the fire, claws and fangs either by evading them or having durable armor. So many variables aren't clear..."
"Wow... You've given this a lot of thought."
Knight Cookie stopped and felt his cheeks redden. He had completely forgotten that the princess had been listening to him all this time. He wanted to go far far away and never be seen again.
"I apologize, your highness. I got a bit carried away right now."
"Don't worry, I don’t mind your rambles. But did I understand correctly that you have three points to think about?"
"T-that's right. How to break through the scales. How to maintain speed. And how to defend against the fire."
"Sounds like something that can be solved with the right artifact. Maybe a huge water sword or a wind cloak to be faster?"
"Do such items exist?"
"I don't know. I just made it up on the spot. But it sounds cool, doesn't it?"
"Yeah. Yeah it sounds cool, but do we at least have a chance of finding something like that in real life?"
"I don’t know, but look at this. Now we’ve specified what we need to look for; magical weapons and armor. We should either search for an artifact or try enchanting what we have on hand. If Grandmother Holly was here, we could’ve asked her for advice. She fights that dragon all the time. Maybe she has good gear for the job that we can borrow"
"Unfortunately, Queen Mother has not yet returned from the council in the Vanilla Kingdom."
"What's taking her so loooooooong? How much time does it take to talk about a plan of action? We can do our plans in an hour and she's been gone for two weeks."
"Ten days."
"Formalities." Princess Cookie puffed her cheeks and took a large bite of her bun.
"I understand, but they're busy with an important matter. The imminent war with the Dark Enchantress requires careful steps and decisions."
"That's true, but we still have time to prepare. She was freed from her imprisonment not too long ago, right? It will take her a long time to raise a decent army. And we'll have our own ready by then."
"I wish I could be as confident as you are." Knight Cookie sighed and picked up his cup. He couldn't handle the dragon. Would he be able to help in times of war? The tea had gone completely cold by this point.
"Alright then, let's get back on topic and think about what we'll ask her when she gets back. We have time, don't worry about it." Princess Cookie smiled and finished her drink in a quick gulp.
For three days, the Princess and the Knight wandered around the library looking for various books on weapons, magic, and artifacts. While Knight Cookie carefully flipped through the pages one by one, making a detailed list of who he should meet and what to look for, Princess Cookie helped him from time to time when she wasn't distracted by building houses out of stacked books.
On the fourth day, Hollyberry finally came back home with her entourage and brought important news. Their kingdom had a new ally, the Cream Republic. But a few days ago they were attacked by the Dark Enchantress and her army.