Love Conquers All

Once upon a time, in afar off land called Luga, there lived a kind,
widower Tsar with his three daughters in an elegant, beautiful castle.
Now, this Tsar was a generous and merciful man and had no other wish
but to see his offspring and his people happy. Having as much riches as
one could dream of, the only thing that he lacked was a husband for his
youngest. Her name was Princess Elena.
Although all his daughters were very beautiful, Princess Elena was the
most beautiful, with ravishing eyes and hair as dark as a raven's
feather. Because of this, her two older sisters were insanely jealous
and tormented her on every account possible, their favourite being to
tease her about not being married.
"Look at that arrogant Princess Elena. All she wants to do is roam
around the castle all day. Who would ever want to marry a princess like
her? I'm so very glad that we are married to wealthy merchants, for I
am sure we are much happier than she." This was their usual remark
about Princess Elena, trying to reassure them that they are much better
off.
While Princess Elena knew of their feelings toward her, she did not
care at all. She was content by just roaming the great castle and
seeing the beautiful sights and courtyards, for in them lived an
incredibly handsome young man. Princess Elena had been secretly
watching him for days now and knew as she first laid eyes on him, that
he was the one she loved.
By asking maids and scullions, she was told that the name of that
certain person was Dimitri. She was also notified that although he had
not much to give, he was a very generous and loving man. He was hard
working and courageous. Princess Elena would have informed her father
of her interest in Dimitri, had it not been for one thing: Dimitri was
just a farm-boy and she was certain that there was absolutely no way
that the Tsar of such a large empire would ever consider a peasant to
be worthy of marrying his youngest daughter.
So, Elena continued seeing Dimitri in secret, until Dimitri himself saw
her looking at him. Dimitri also had noticed the beauty of the princess
and wanted to meet her, but he knew of his status and considered
himself not worthy to even be near such beauty and power. When Elena
knew that he had seen her, she walked forward and introduced herself.
This introduction became their first actual meeting, but certainly not
the last, for they continued meeting each other secretly and as they
grew to know each other better, the love between them deepened into
more than an infatuation.

As Princess Elena continued to converge with Dimitri, not only the love
between them grew deeper, but also the risk of being caught. Suspicions
were being raised in the minds of the chambermaids that worked in her
bed, but especially in the minds of the two sisters that wanted nothing
else but to see Princess Elena punished for something.
"She's probably out loafing around the castle, flirting with every rich
young man that she lays her eyes upon," said Adla, the older sister,
her almost pudgy cheeks flushing with anger. "What a disgrace!"
Dimitri obviously had the same worries in his head, for one day when he
and the princess were conversing in a little hideaway behind the trees,
he said, "Princess Elena, how I love you with all my heart. But I am
afraid that I am not worth the difficulty that would be stressed on to
you, if you were caught with me. I am just a commoner and do not
deserve your beauty and kindness. Before you had entered my life, I had
no hopes, no dreams to ever become more than what I am. You awakened
these dreams, but a peasant like me has no right to have these dreams
become reality."
To this, the princess simply said, "I love you. Nothing else in the
world matters."
Saying this, she said "Goodbye. For now," and left him to commit the
hard labour that his job presented. She then found a shoddy chambermaid
and told her of her relation with Dimitri. She gave her 20 gold pieces
for her service of telling whoever asked where she was, something that
would not relate to any relationship of some sort.
Little did Elena know that this woman was a traitor and she told the
Tsar right away. Hearing the news enraged the Tsar and he ordered his
guards to bring Dimitri at once. He then ordered that Dimitri be
dragged to the other side of Dark Forest by horses. Dark Forest was
immense and grew around the Tsardom. With many winding trails, there
was very little chance that anyone could find his way back without a
map. The Tsar also added that if Dimitri was to ever return, the
townspeople must chase him out of the city with stones, or kill
him.

After the horses dragged him all the way to the end of the forest,
Dimitri was almost dead from the wounds made by scraping against the
harsh earth and stones. The noblemen then untied him from the
horse
and set off back, leaving him under a large tree where he rested and
tried to recover. He was in a new city, much like the one that he had
come from. He could easily live here had it not been for one thing: His
beloved Princess Elena was not with him, and he knew that without her,
he could not live. He gave the town one more glance and then turned
back into the forest.
Dimitri went through winding paths, treacherous stones and many other
dangerous obstacles that met him along the way, in hopes of finding a
familiar area that he might remember. After finding none, Dimitri was
just about to give up when he found a pink crystal shimmering. There
was not much sunlight because of the thickness of the forest, yet this
crystal glowed, not reflecting any other source of light. He cautiously
picked this up and put it in his pocket.
A little more confident after his surprising discovery, he moved
forward and continued his search for the castle that held his beloved
princess. Suddenly, a large mole popped out from the ground beneath
him. Dimitri stumbled back by surprise.
"Hello, lad," said the mole. I was wondering if you've seen something
that I am missing. It's a pink crystal that I was given as a gift from
a magical frog for saving his life.
Dimitri looked into his pocket and took out the glowing crystal.
"Ah, that's it! Thank you so much. For your kindness, here is a gift
from me. Maybe it will be useful for you." With this, the mole
disappeared back into its hole and Dimitri was once again left to
search for a path back home.

Dimitri had not gone far when he came upon a shabby looking old cabin
between a thick cluster of trees. The lights in the house were on and
smoke from the chimney streamed out and was lost among the darkness of
the trees.
After a large struggle, Dimitri got past the trees. A sharp branch
ripped a piece of clothing from his shirt, where it hung among the
tree. He then cautiously walked up to the house and knocked on the
door. Oddly, the house seemed to be raised off the ground by something
that looked like a pair of chicken feet.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" he said.
Little did he know that this cabin was the home of the infamous Baba
Yaga, an evil and violent witch set on destroying lives.
Baba Yaga was surprised to see someone dare to knock at her door, so
she opened her door and peered outside at the bruised young man in
tattered clothes.
"What do you want?" Baba Yaga said in a threatening tone of
voice.
"I was wondering if you could help me."
Baba Yaga thought that this man was obviously here for her to grant a
wish. She saw the gold in that the mole had given him, and snatched it
out of his hands.
"Make your wish," she barked.
"A wish?" Dimitri said confused. His only wish was that he be a
prestigious and rich Tsarevich fit for marriage of the princess that he
loved. He now realized whom he was talking to. He told his wish, "I
wish to be a wealthy, prestigious Tsarevich on his way to Luga."
With this, the evil witch gave a wicked smile and said, "Wish granted.
But of course you know who I am, don't you? For this wish, you must
sacrifice something to me. I will come and get it in three days. Now, I
am tired of talking. Go away. Your carriage is waiting."
The prince hastily walked out the door, and was confronted by a radiant
carriage with footmen and elegant horses, waiting for his order to go
wherever he wanted. Even more to his surprise, his clothes had
transformed into a beautiful robe of silk, fit for a prince. On his
head lay a golden crown specked with jewels. Around his neck were very
expensive golden chains and his whole body was dressed in the same
luxurious way.

"Off to Luga!" exclaimed the new Tsarevich in excitement. The footmen
and guards moved quickly to his command and within a minute everyone
was on the carriage and off to Luga. Dimitri could hardly believe his
luck. He was treated like a real Tsarevich and was on his way back to
his beloved.
Within a few minutes, the carriage had stopped on the other side of
Dark Forest and they were completely back in Luga. Dimitri peered
through the window to see the city getting dark with nightfall arriving
and the townspeople staring at the carriage in wonder and
disbelief.

'No one would throw rocks at a prince,' thought Dimitri, remembering
his punishment laid out by the Tsar. He waved to a couple of children
playing on the dirt road, and they bowed their heads in respect.
The carriage then moved forward, and by Dimitri's command, moved in
the direction of the castle. Again within minutes Dimitri had reached
his destination. He waited for the guards of the castle to talk to his
footmen and then letting them in by opening the door.
Dimitri was accompanied by a scullion to the Tsar's chamber. The Tsar
looked at the young Tsarevich in front of him in suspicion, but then
thought better of it and asked who he was. Dimitri did not know how to
answer this question, for he hardly knew how he had become a Tsarevich
in such a short instant.
"My name is Roland, and I am the Tsarveich of Svetly. I have come in
hopes of marrying your youngest daughter."
The Tsar was delighted to hear this. He had hoped that a fine young
man that could take care of his daughter would come and ask for her
hand in marriage. He was even more exhilarated to see that this young
lad in front of him spoke very courteously.
Dimitri had a habit of putting his hands in his pocket whenever he was
nervous. Forgetting his new stature, he did this again, but when he
reached in the pouch, something hard hit his hand. As he pulled it out,
he realized that it was a gorgeous golden necklace specked with rubies
and diamonds. Not knowing what to do with it, he gave it to the Tsar as
a gift.
This impressed the Tsar and he called his daughter to the chamber. The
princess looked absolutely morose and must have been even more dismal
when she was informed that there was someone here to marry her. As she
now turned her eyes at the newcomer, her eyes opened wide, and she
stared in disbelief.
'Obviously she is the only one in this city that recognizes me,' the
prince thought, and gave her a big joyful smile, to which she smiled
back.
The Tsar then explained to her what the Tsarevich had said to him, and
if she accepted. The princess accepted. There was rejoice all over the
kingdom, and everyone, especially the Tsar was absolutely delighted of
the news.

The wedding was incredible. The castle was fully decorated with candles
and many ornaments for the celebration that was to take place. The
wedding came only two days after the first visit of Dimitri after his
exile. Tsars and Tsareviches from all over Russia came to be part of
the celebration, bringing with them exquisite and luxurious
gifts.
Then, under the radiant light of the setting sun, Dimitri/Roland was
married to Princess Elena. They were both very excited to be together,
for no one had yet figured out Dimitri's true identity. To them, he was
Roland, Tsarevich of Svetly.
At their wedding night, the newly wed couple celebrated their rejoining
by going to the royal chambers that were now theirs to live in. The
eager princess had many questions to ask her prince, since she knew
nothing of how he had come to be a Tsarevich or when he had acquired
his new wealth.
Dimitri was willing to answer her questions, but was embarrassed to do
so, for he had not done any heroic deed to earn his stature. It had all
come to him in luck, and he once again thought that he did not deserve
all the wonders presented before him. He did still tell her, and to his
relief, the princess was just happy to be with him and didn't care how
it was done. And this was the end of their discussion of the
subject.
Dimitri was woken by a shrieking scream that echoed throughout the
walls of the castle and seemed to be amplified by the onion domes of
the castle. He sat up on the bed with silk coverings and fluffy
pillows, and realized that his wife was gone. He ran to see where the
screaming was coming from and saw a maid shrieking at the top of her
lungs.
"B-Baba Y-Y-Yaga was here. She took the princess," she said. "Said to
tell you 'Consider your debt repaid.'"

With this, Dimitri let out a howl of pain. 'How could I have been so
foolish enough to trust her?' he thought to himself. 'She is known for
destroying lives. It should have been obvious that her choice for what
she would take for her fee was my love.'
"What is all the commotion about?" asked the Tsar. "Why was I woken up
by screaming?"
Dimitri could do nothing but to break down and cry. He looked up at the
Tsar through his darkened eyes and told her that Baba Yaga had taken
her.
"Why would she do something like that?" he demanded. "We have never
even spoken a word with that hag!"
Dimitri knew that the lying must stop this instance. He told the Tsar
his true identity and how he had come to meet Baba Yaga.
The Tsar was obviously enraged at himself for trusting Dimitri. His
cheeks flushed with anger and his eyes looked like they were on fire.
He clearly looked like he was trying not to attack Dimitri, for his
fists were clenched but unmoving.
"Listen, you scoundrel. The only thing that keeps me from sending my
guards out here and getting you chopped in a thousand pieces by their
swords, is my daughter. She loves you dearly, however I do not see why
she would even consider a person like you to be her husband. I will let
you live. You can go wherever you want to go, but I demand that you
leave my castle at once!" The Tsar ordered the guards to kick Dimitri
out of the castle, and therefore Dimitri was thrown out.
Dimitri did not know what he could do now. He only knew that he must
look for his wife. He must find Baba Yaga and rescue his beloved.
'When I find Baba Yaga, she will be lucky if she dies quickly,' thought
the prince. Dimitri knew that it was too dark to start searching at
that time, hence he decided to start packing things up for the
expedition. The things that he decided to take were bows and arrows,
his jewelry that he was wearing and his fine sword.
When daybreak came, he was on his way to find the witch, and hopefully
kill her. He hurried into the thick forest, where he knew will be a
treacherous journey to find his wife. He searched for hours for clues,
stumbling upon rocks and tripping many times on roots that grew above
the ground. Still, there were no clues to be found. That did not stop
him. He continued his search for the witch's house. After hours of
useless searching through winding trails and large trees, he stopped to
sit on a rock for a rest. Suddenly, with a strange noise, a large,
green dragon flew above Dimitri, startling him for a moment.
After about five minutes of rest, Dimitri gathered his things and
continued on his search. He again stumbled over rocks and fell in the
mud. He had not to worry about food, for he had brought much of it with
him, but he was in no mood for eating at this point.
He then realized that he had gone in a complete circle and had come
back to the exact same rock as the one he had sat on nearly two hours
ago.
"No!" screamed Dimitri. "Oh Forest, why do you do this to me? I must
find my love! Show me how!" Dimitri was getting more and more
discouraged. He soon came upon a thick cluster of trees, but behind
them, was nothing. Surely, these were not the trees that he had come
across the first time he saw the cabin, were they?
He then let out another miserable cry as he realized that they were the
same as he had seen before, for right where he had gotten his cloth
ripped was the little piece, hanging on the same sharp branch that had
taken it off.
"How could this be?" the Tsarevich screamed. "How could the whole cabin
just disappear without a trace? I am sure that this is where it was."
Then, he realized that it was Baba Yaga that he was dealing with. She
was no ordinary woman. She possessed inhuman powers and was very
capable of doing things like this, and larger oddities. After all, she
had transformed him into a Tsarevich from a peasant in only
seconds.
Dimitri was overcome with rage. He felt as if everything in the forest
was mocking him. He felt as if the song of the birds in the nearby
trees were actually laughter, laughing at his stupidity and
ignorance.
"I can not let this stop me. Though that hag may have special, magical
powers, the power that me and Elena share is stronger than any force in
the world. For we have the power of eternal love."
With his comforting words, he set off, more determined than ever and
confident in his abilities of searching for Elena. His confidence did
not change the treachery that the forest possessed. The forest was
getting darker and the tired Dimitri found it harder to concentrate. He
realized that there would be no point searching in the dark, hence he
put down his bow and arrow and lay down in a comfortable spot to sleep.
But sleep would not come to him, for all he could think about was how
his wife must be.
'If she hurts her&;#8230;' he thought.
The next day, he was once again awakened by screaming. But this
screaming was not of any human. He was surprised to see the mole that
he had met only three days ago yelling for help. A large hawk, wings
spread, was charging full speed at the mole, obviously trying to kill
the mole.

Instantly, Dimitri took out his bow and one arrow. He had an amazing
accuracy and with one swift movement, the arrow left the bow and went
straight through the hawk's neck. He felt pity for the pain that he had
caused to the hawk, and so with another swift movement, he took out his
sword and cut off the hawk's head, where it lay, blood all over, on the
ground beside the hawk's body.
The mole stared wide-eyed at the newcomer that had come to save his
life. The mole himself was very intelligent and recognized that he was
the same lad that had so graciously returned his crystal.
"Thank you once again for your kindness. I wish I had something to give
you, yet I have nothing that I can offer that makes up for what you
have done for me.'
"The only thing that I could ever want is my love, which was taken from
me by Baba Yaga. If you have any information about where she has gone,
I will be truly grateful." He told the mole his story.
"I am afraid that I have no information about where she may live. All I
know is that she lives in a castle on a legendary hill, only visible to
herself and someone determined enough to see it. By the way, take
this." The mole handed the pink crystal over to Dimitri. "I was told
when I was given this was that it will one day transform to help
someone whose love is stronger than his own strength, or any force of
evil."
When the lad even touched the crystal with a finger, the crystal let
off a strange glow.
"Ahh! So this is what the legend proclaims!" exclaimed the mole in
excitement.
Then, Dimitri reached out his hand and held the crystal. The glowing
became brighter and all of a sudden the crystal began to take a new
shape. It started getting much longer and a bit wider. Dimitri started
noticing an arc in the middle and realized that the crystal had
transformed into a beautiful bow.
"Well, hopefully this will help you on your journey. Go visit my
friend, the eagle. He lives on the top of the largest tree on the
shores of the Lake of Shining Waters. But I must warn you, it is very
far up, and there is a very big risk of you slipping and falling. But
if you get there alive, it will be worth your time, for my friend has
flown all over the country and should be of some help to you.
With the mole's gift and advice, Dimitri moved northwest, as he had
been instructed by the mole to do. He did not see any difference in the
forest, for everything looked the same. Trees surrounded all the parts
of the forest and nothing seemed to stand out. The walk seemed ever so
long, since there were many obstacles in the way. Many times, he had
come upon a broken tree blocking his way. Some of the trees were so
wide that it was hard to climb the curves and this caused the prince to
slip many times.
Other times, he had tripped and fallen, and been confronted by wild
animals that he had to kill. Now, he faced the greatest challenge so
far, which was the immense pool of quicksand blocking his path. There
was no way around it, since the sand seemed to go on forever. The only
end that he could see was in front of him, thirty feet away. He thought
of several ways of getting over, but none of which would be a sure way
of getting over safely. He finally decided to use his best idea, which
was to knock down a tree and make a bridge. He cut and slashed with his
sword, until he had cut down a small tree. Luckily, the tree fell
towards the quicksand and was able to reach the end, creating a
bridge.
Although the bridge was rather shaky, Dimitri knew he must take the
risk and he went forth with no further hesitation. To his surprise, he
reached the other side with ease. He then realized that he was where
the mole had said he should go, since right in front of him lay an
immense lake, the water shimmering. It was obvious how the lake came to
get its name.
Bushes and trees surrounded the lake, but the largest tree was only a
few steps from him. As he looked up the tree, it seemed to reach up to
the seventh sky, nevertheless Dimitri started climbing. As the mole had
said, he slipped and fell many times, but eventually, Dimitri made it
to the top.
"Who are you?" asked a golden eagle bigger than Dimitri, that was
lying in its humungous nest.
"Your friend, The Mole, told me that you might be able to help me."
Dimitri told him his whole story and how he had come to meet the
Mole.
"Well, sorry to be of no help, but you must find Baba Yaga by
yourself. If you are the one destined to see the Invisible Hill, then
so be it. But if you are not, then your efforts are useless. I have
never seen it, but I have seen some of her creatures roaming around
just across the lake. I can fly you there, but after that you are on
your own. Here, you can also have this." The golden eagle poked his
beak back in its nest and with its beak, picked up a single arrow made
of pure gold. "Hopefully you may find this thing useful."
The eagle and Dimitri then set off to the other side of the lake.
Dimitri was astonished to see how smoothly the eagle flew and how it
hardly flapped its wings throughout the whole flight. It was as if he
was on a cloud. Soon, the eagle and Dimitri were across what seemed
like a river that went on to the end of the world.
"I must leave you now. This land contains many dragons and I will be
an easy target for them. My advice is that you stay low to the ground
and take the cover of the trees. Dragons usually appear in the day,
since the cold night air weakens them. I must be off." With this, the
eagle took flight and within a few minutes, was out of sight.
Dimitri took a few seconds to look around. The eagle had told him that
this are was called "The Island of Power." At that point, the sun was
about ready to set. Suddenly, the young hero heard a whooshing noise.
He turned around and saw an enormous, green dragon flying overhead. The
dragon immediately noticed the human and made a sudden halt and flew
down to the ground.
Scales covered almost every inch of the dragon's body. It had wings
similar to that of a bat and intimidating, sharp teeth. Its heavy
breathing produced sparks of flame.
"Who are you, human?" asked the dragon, giving a wicked grin. "I have
been given strict orders to destroy any stranger that crosses this
domain."
To this, the brave young man replied, "Tell me where Baba Yaga is and
maybe I will spare you."
This amused the dragon, as he thought that this puny human before him
would be of no match to his strength. Dimitri realized that this was
the same dragon that he had seen before.
Knowing that it was time for a battle, Dimitri got into a fighting
stance, sword outstretched in front of him. The powerful dragon let out
one mighty huff and sprayed flame out at Dimitri, who quickly leaped
behind a stone for. The dragon then glided towards him, ready to give
him another blast, when
Dimitri jumped out from the refuge of the stone and ran straight past
it, to the other side of the battleground. The dragon turned in anger
and frustration and let out an ear-shattering roar. It charged towards
Dimitri, who was crouching down on the floor, as if he was a cat ready
to pounce on its prey. When the dragon was close enough, Dimitri leapt
into the air and swung his sword, which went straight through the
dragon's left eye. The dragon, distracted by pain, could not stop
Dimitri's next attack, in which Dimitri stabbed it in the stomach and
killed it.
Dimitri noticed something very peculiar. The dragon's right eye was
made of pure gold. He took his sword, and with it, pried the eye out of
the socket. 'It seems like an interesting souvenir,' he thought.
Since it was getting quite dark, Dimitri decided to go to sleep. The
eagle's words had meant much to him. A1l he knew now that if he finds
his princess, it will be because he deserves to find her. With these
comforting thoughts, he fell asleep, but always repeating to himself,
"Baba Yaga will pay for this."
The next day was the first day in two that he had slept through in
which he had not been woken by a scream. He woke up as the light of the
rising sun hit his eyes. He wasted no time in continuing his search. In
two minutes, he was fully refreshed and ready to reach his
destiny.
After what Dimitri had gone through the day before, he decided to take
the cover of the trees as the eagle had said. The trees were thick
where he walked, and little sunshine was available. Dimitri felt as if
this would be the day when he finds his love.
He had not gone far when he came upon an old woman. This peddler's
skin was loose and creased, and the shade of the trees gave her a cold
and gloomy look.
"Well, hello, stranger," said the old woman. "You are the first human
I have seen since I was trapped in these lands."
"Why are you trapped?" Dimitri asked. "Can you not just go
back?"
"You see, dragons are abundant in this land. If I leave the refuge of
this forest, they will for sure catch me and destroy me." Saying this,
his expression changed from cheerful to grim, then back to cheerful as
he said, "Well, what can I do for you?"
"I am on my way to find Baba Yaga. If there is anything you can do, I
will be eternally grateful."
"Baba Yaga? Of course I can help. Living in her territory has taught
me a few things. Well, son, I am sorry to inform you, but the only one
that can see her invisible house is visible to only one with an
extremely pure heart. Legend proclaims that that man will find his way
to the Crystal of Love, which will transform into the Love Bow, and the
Golden Arrow, which will lead him to his destiny."
Dimitri now was astonished. Could it really be?
"Do you mean these?" he said as he used his shaking hands to hold
forward the bow and arrow.
"Ah! So it is. Now, this is interesting," said the excited old lady.
You may be the one that can help me and many others by ridding the
world of Baba Yaga. I must teach you the use of this bow and
arrow."
"Well, if you have an offering, I may be able to help you further,"
said the woman greedily.
Dimitri, anxious to hear more, did not care what he had to give to get
answers. He quickly took out the golden eye from his pocket and gave it
to the woman.

Well, isn't that a beautiful piece?" said the woman, putting the eye in
her pouch. Well, as I told you the names, this is the Love Bow," said
the woman, pointing at the bow. "This is the Golden Arrow." She then
pointed at the arrow. "The Golden Arrow is very accurate, while the
love bow works only with a determined heart. Together, they are used to
lead the holder to whatever he desires the most. No matter where the
arrow is fired, it will lead to the destination. But, mind you, the
string of the Love Bow will not budge if the holder does not meet the
set qualities.
"The Invisible Hill is not only invisible, but also untouchable or
provokes any other sense, unless the person that seeks it is someone
that needs to see it for a certain purpose, a purpose stronger than the
man's courage, stronger than any other desire he has in the world. Once
the bow and arrow have served their purpose, they will disappear and
randomly relocate themselves for someone else with a heart as pure as
yours to find and use. You must now go, and find your destination by
yourself. I can be of no help but this. Here, you can have this back.
If you are the one that can free me, that would be a bigger gift than I
could imagine for my words." With this, she gave the eyeball back to
Dimitri.
Dimitri then hurried off to a clear place that he might be able to
shoot the arrow from. When he had found a perfect place, he
concentrated on only his desire to find his wife and how much she loved
her.
"Please, Golden Arrow, find my beloved." Saying this, he aimed
straight into the air and shot the Golden Arrow, using the Love Bow.
Sure enough, the arrow took flight, then turned west and continued in
that direction. Dimitri instinctively followed as fast as he could.
Soon, the Golden Arrow stopped in midair and stood still. As Dimitri
peered at the direction it was pointing to, suddenly the Invisible Hill
was not invisible anymore, for the Golden Arrow had struck it and
Dimitri was able to see it.
The Invisible Hill was tall, dark and full of dead plants. There was
no sign of any life the ground was rough on the feet. There was a
burning smell coming from the hill and complete silence.
Dimitri disregarded any source of danger that might have been
presented to him and hurried up the hill. Presently, the Love Bow and
Golden Arrow disappeared, as the young hero reached the top of the hill
and at the footsteps of his most hated foe.
As Dimitri looked in the window of the same cabin he had seen before
in the forest, he felt no fear for what might happen. He saw that Elena
was not put in a cage, but for the pleasure of torturing her more, the
witch had tied her to the kitchen table, where she was forcing her to
chop onions. Dimitri was overcome with rage, however he knew that he
must keep calm, as to not make a foolish move and ruin
everything.
Dimitri waited until the witch left the kitchen. When she was out of
the room, he blasted through the closed window, sword in hand.
Princess Elena was badly startled, but she recognized her love right
away, and was overwhelmed with happiness of seeing him again.
"What's that noise?" shrieked Baba Yaga. She came charging through the
open door, seeing to her horror, another human in her house. "You? How
did you get here? Thi-This is impossible!"
The witch was obviously intimidated. "I do not care how you got here,
for you will not leave here alive." She then picked up her broom, which
transformed into a cobra.
"You do not realize that your evil powers can do me no harm," said
Dimitri calmly. "I reached this hill with the power of good. You see,
the power of Good was not affected by the power of evil, letting me see
the hill. On behalf of everything that is good and everyone that you
have hurt, I will punish you. You can not win."
"We'll see about that," screamed the hate-filled witch. "Go, you stupid
serpent!" The cobra attacked, but with one quick move, was beheaded by
Dimitri's sword.
The witch now smiled a wicked grin. "So, I see you are good. But I'll
tell you something. No human is immune to all of my spells, no matter
how good they are. I will now show you my true power!"
Dimitri now stood straight up, arms lowered, facing the witch.
The witch then began concentrating on a spell.
"Hey, witch," uttered Dimitri, "Catch." He threw the golden eye at the
witch, which hit her right between her eyes. The witch immediately fell
to the ground, unconscious.
"You can not cast a spell when you are unconscious," said Dimitri. "And
you can not hurt anyone else if you are dead." Dimitri then took his
sword and stabbed the witch through the heart, ending her life.
He then turned to the amazed, battered Princess Elena. With loving
affection, he said, "It is time for you to return to your castle,
Princess. And they set off to go home.

As the shaken princess pulled herself together, Dimitri carried her out
of the house. When they exited the cabin, the whole hill had
disappeared and the couple was in the forest. The two walked side by
side down the path, when Dimitri saw a familiar figure.
"Princess, I have met this lady before. Please follow me." He then
turned his attention to the old lady that was now sitting on a stone,
busy rummaging through her pouch.
"Hey! Guess who!" said Dimitri.
The old lady turned around and saw, disbelieving, the man she had seen
before coming towards her. She was overjoyed to see him, for she knew
that he was a determined man that would come back only when he does
what he has to do, or not come back at all. This meant that she was
free to leave.
The dragons that the witch created had all vanished as the witch's
powers diminished. It was a clear path, until they came among the Lake
of Shining Waters. This seemed like a setback, but the old woman, who
said her name was Hema, said that she had a boat.
"The boat that I came here on in the first place," explained Hema.
Soon, they were in the boat, which was still in good condition, and
were on their way to the other side. When they were on the other side,
they were once again surprised when they saw the Tsar of Luga's whole
army waiting for them.
"Princess Elena," exclaimed the General as the boat approached. "Your
father ordered her to search for you. We tracked Dimitri's movements
and had gotten this far when we see you her. Are you alright?"
"I am fine, thanks to Dimitri. If you do not mind, General, I would
appreciate if we go home as soon as possible."
"Of course, I do not mind, Princess. We are all so glad to see you
back."
So, they set off on their way back to the castle where it all began. It
was a long journey, since Dimitri had traveled far.
At the castle, the Tsar was overjoyed to see his youngest daughter
alive and well.
"My humble people!" he announced. "Allow me to introduce to you the
newest Prince of Luga, "Dimitri." Dimitri could not believe his ears.
He thought that the Tsar despised him for deceiving him. The Tsar later
explained that Dimitri showed pure love for his daughter from the
start, and even more when he dared ask the evil Baba Yaga to transform
him into a wealthy man. "An ordinary man would not have gone through
this much trouble for any woman if it was only for the money. You have
showed that you love my daughter more than anything else in the world,
and that overpowers any other stature in the world."
Dimitri and Princess Elena were married with the Tsar's consent, and
they lived happily ever after.