Hey there! It took me (looks at publish date) ...sheesh, four years, but finally it's here! Finally finishing my lesser-known fairy tales series with "The Six Swans"!

This one is going to be the longest and most ambitious of the set, but...I've taken to heart what the comments for the first three installments were and so I've decided to put this one out in chapter installments. Easier to read now. :P

For this particular one, I've drawn from multiple adaptations as well as put my own spin on several points. There was a LOT of opportunity for character development, and while I tried to stay with customs and social norms of the times in many sections, I also tried to flesh things out rather than having things just happen for the sake of the story.

I will also say for this one I incorporated a lot of horror elements into this story. Hey, my chance to "do Grimm right", eh?

This first installment is going to be pretty big because I wanted to get into the main story after it. Enjoy!

"The Six Swans"

Adapted from the fairy tale

"The Forest Crone and her Daughter"

"Hooray! We made it out of the evil forest and to the dark lord's castle!"

"Let's be careful, though! We may have gotten over that troll mountain, that river of blood, and that forest of glass, but I'm sure the dark lord has his most horrible monster saved for last!"

Immediately, the two boys brandished their weapons and dashed along into the castle. Except the weapons weren't finely tempered blades but reasonably straight sticks, the forest of glass was nothing more than a sown and trimmed bed of grass, and the castle was little more than a few ornamental trees. They also didn't have to go very far into it. Both boys, no older than nine with identical features, didn't exercise much in the way of caution either. They looked around a bit, obviously in pantomime, imagining that the clear skies, warm breeze, and ornamental trees rustling were something dark and foreboding, instead of scarcely tall enough to provide enough shade for an adult to partake in walking underneath at full height. In truth, there was a castle nearby. Surrounding them, in fact; mostly around the gated inner courtyard where an extensive garden had been planted, with not just trees but also flowers and hedges. Stones and landscaping had been set on either side of the main path leading to and from the castle proper, and no less than twenty sentries were posted roundabout on the low walls; a few keeping their eyes on those inside but most looking out to the surrounding lands and sea. Definitely a place of landed nobility, and, judging by the looks of the grounds, the style, and how well it had been made, a family of considerable wealth.

And judging by the dress that the two boys wore, definitely made of finer material, better stitching, and, in spite of their best efforts, newer and less worn than any commoner boys would wear, it was easy enough to guess that the two were residents of the same castle.

The two continued to move forward, acting far more serious than they needed to—the sure sign of children "hamming up" their performance to add drama and lost more in the realm of imagination than anything seriously dangerous. They wandered right into one of the ornamental groves, looking about as they did as if they were in the most dangerous place in the world.

Suddenly, a much larger figure leapt out from behind one of the trees, having scarcely been able to hide behind it before. This one was not only a bit older than the boys, definitely in his teenage years, but was also larger in muscle and stature by far; easily dwarfing both them and most other people that he encountered. In spite of that, his attire was the same as that of the twins, if not just a bit more roughed-up and dirty, and perhaps stretching to the breaking point in some areas. A pair of rather large "Cane Corsos", or Italian Mastiffs, were being held by leashes in either hand, and somehow, in spite of both of them raring and eager, trying to leap and surge as excited dogs were known to do, he was able to hold both back with relative ease.

"There he is!" one of the identical boys shouted. "The Black King!"

"Give us the princess!" the other sounded as he waved his stick before him.

The big young man grinned in response. "Heh, aren't you two forgetting something? If you want to get to her, first you've got to go past my trained wolves!" Immediately, he let both leashes go. "Get 'em!"

Both boys cried out in fake alarm as the eager dogs took off for the twins. They arrived a moment later, but had long since been trained to stay low and didn't even knock them over, although they did begin to prance around and eagerly give dog kisses. The boys exclaimed as if they were bites and tears. For a few moments, they thrashed about as if being attacked, going to the ground and getting the dogs more riled up. But eventually they reached up and started petting either dog in "just the right spot", and it wasn't long before both calmed, got on the ground themselves, and rolled over to let their bellies get rubbed. The twins did so a moment while pretending to stab them with the sticks, then got up.

"Ha! We killed your wolves!"

"Now how are you going to stop us?"

"Oh no!" the teenager exclaimed in fake shock, and then turned and began to run deeper into the forest.

"He's going to use the princess for a hostage!"

"Stop him!"

Soon they were hot in pursuit. They didn't have to go too far. They only needed to weave around a few trees, clearly going on paths they knew before now, as they rushed toward where, in their minds, the dungeon was. After rounding one tree, the big one headed straight for a natural arbor acting as a floral arch and doubling as a "jail cell". There was a large stick lying nearby, perhaps the weapon of the "Black King". However, that was all that was there.

As a result, although the large one kept running, the twins soon halted. Their eager and excited looks turned to frowns.

"Hey! That's not fair!"

"You can't move the princess!"

Immediately, the larger one stopped and turned toward the boys. "What?"

"You hid the princess somewhere else!"

"You said you wouldn't do that anymore!"

"What are you talking about?" The large one answered. "I didn't move Costanza anywhere."

"You're lying!"

"You're trying to cheat!"

Suddenly, a loud whistle broke out. "Oh boys…"

The three all turned and looked, and saw a fourth young man, this one a big younger than the muscular teen, only far smaller and with a bit of a casual or playful look about him gesturing to a hedge nearby.

"Should have tended your cage a bit better. The 'little birdie' flew the coop."

All three of the others turned and looked to it. There was a moment of silence and stillness, before the hedge moved just a little. The one behind it realized she had been found out, and slowly rose out. She revealed another individual dressed in finery, this kind nicer and not built for nearly so much wear and tear, yet dirty and worn in a few places none the less. It wasn't a boy this time, but rather a girl little more than eleven years old. She gave something of a sheepish smile as she realized she was discovered.

However, this only made both of the twins groan.

"Costanza!"

"We're supposed to rescue you!"

"How can we rescue the princess if the princess isn't stuck?

"Sorry, you two," the girl answered with an apologetic shrug. "I just wanted to try something new in the game this time. I thought maybe this time while the Black King was away with his wolves, the princess could sneak out of her cell."

"But you were locked in!" one of the twins insisted.

"Well, I figured maybe she worked a bar loose and squeezed out."

"You can't do that!" the other twin answered. "They're in too tight and they're made of the strongest iron!"

The girl paused momentarily, grimacing a bit. "Well…maybe she squeezed out of a gap already there."

"She couldn't do that! The Black King makes the bars too tight!"

"But what if she found an old bone and picked the lock?"

"How would she know how to do that?"

"She'd keep trying until she succeeded!"

A new voice gave a rather loud and exasperated sigh. "You cannot be serious."

The five young individuals looked to the source and found, not too far away, a sixth person dressed in finery lounging on the grass under a tree, apparently reading from a book as his nose was stuck in one. He looked neater than all the rest as well as older than the rest as he slowly turned a page. "Could the five of your keep it down? It's a children's game, for goodness sakes. You don't need to quibble so much over trifles. I can barely hear myself think…"

The two youngest began to pout.

"But Costanza ruined the game!"

"We were supposed to save her!"

"Ah," the more lively-looking one said with a hand wave, "you boys save Costanza at least once a day and sometimes twice. Don't you know that variety is the spice of life?" He looked to the one reading soon after. "You could try putting that book down and join in for once, Uberto. You might enjoy yourself. And it's not like that book is going to sprout legs and run off while you do."

"No thanks," Uberto answered. "I spent a year getting tossed into the fountain by Tito and that kind of slew my interest in these games."

The big one gave a chuckle. "Aw, come on. You had to have a bit of fun from that. Besides, we could use a new dark-looking fellow to play the villain and you fit the role pretty nicely."

Uberto merely sighed as he looked back to the book.

"I'd like a change once in a while…" the girl, Constanza, said with a bit of a sigh. "Whenever we play, I always have to be the princess."

"Hey, what's so bad about that?" the lively one answered, looking back to her. "You're the only 'royal' in these games. You get to be the one all the men want to serve and praise, get admired for being so graceful and lovely, and get to have fine heroes like these two…" He gestured to the twins. "Risk life and limb to see your safety."

"Besides," the big one, Tito, added, "you are a princess, little sis."

Constanza pouted. "But all I ever get to do is just sit around and wait to be rescued by Giovanni and Giuseppe and whoever else is playing the hero. All I ever do is walk around like a princess or wait under the arbor calling for them to save me. I can't do anything except stand around and wait for help. Besides, I am a princess. I don't do anything in these games that I don't do already…"

The lively one looked to Costanza for a moment, before he smiled a bit more and put an arm around her in an encouraging gesture.

"Hey, don't sell yourself short," he encouraged, getting her to look up to him. "You know there's still one thing you can do that could bring the heroes of the game to their knees."

The twins, Giovanni and Giuseppe, both looked up on overhearing that, realizing there was an indication that she could do something better than them. Costanza likewise looked up, and the young man smiled almost slyly at them as he explained.

"As the princess, you can give your rescuers a big kiss for saving you."

Immediately, the nine-year-old twins shrieked in alarm.

"Ew!"

"Gross!"

They quickly dropped their sticks and ran for the hills. In spite of her pouting, the princess couldn't help but smile and giggle. Tito laughed more out loud on seeing them go and called out after them. "Better hurry, you two! I hear you'll get turned into a frog if she kisses you on the lips!" Even Uberto, back in his book, smiled a bit and shook his head.

Costanza held a moment before her smile faded again and she sighed, looking again to the young man. "But that's not the same, Ruggero. The rest of you are all supposed to be big and fast and strong and bold and daring…and I'm just supposed to look pretty and proper."

Tito turned to her on hearing this, raising an eyebrow. "Well…yeah, of course you are. You're a princess, after all. You're supposed to be admired and not go out and get tough and dirty."

The girl pouted anew. "Why not? Why can't I go hunting or riding or anything else? Even you get to do some work around here, Tito. That's more fun than just sitting around trying to learn music…"

"Work? You'd like to have to do work?" Uberto spoke up again from his book. "You'd like getting sore and dirty and messy, have your hands all roughed up, blood on your clothes from cutting up kills, and get tired and aching going about the country all day?"

Costanza hesitated a bit at that, grimacing a little, but then frowned. "I could do it if I had to."

"Maybe, but you sure wouldn't like it," Tito laughed. He pounded a hand against his chest. "I'm only good at that because I was born with muscles. Sorry, but you'd get too worn out trying to swing an axe or work a hammer or saw, little sis. You should stick with the music and painting."

The girl frowned even more at that as Tito turned to start going after the unleashed dogs, but, seeming to realize a "raw nerve" had been hit, Ruggero quickly bowed his head more to her level and interjected.

"Tito didn't mean to make you upset by that, Costanza. He's just pointing out a fact. All of this hard work and labor we do isn't as fun as it looks like in the games. Giovanni and Giuseppe are still kids. They haven't really tried to learn how to fight or anything yet. When they do, they'll find it's not nearly as pleasant as a fairy tale. I dare say they'll wish they were you after that."

Costanza still huffed as she bowed her head and turned more toward Ruggero. "They can have it, if they want… Pretty soon, father won't let me even play with all of you anymore. I'll have to go off by myself and just learn how to do all sorts of lady things from now on…"

Ruggero sighed. "Come on… You're a smarter girl than that. Would you rather do nothing but have to clean or cook all day? Sit around a hot, dirty house doing chores? You'd really prefer all of that to the life of a princess? Or are you scared about who you might end up being married to?" He gave her a reassuring look. "You don't really think father would try to get you to marry someone who would make you unhappy, would you?"

The princess looked up. "It's not that at all... I don't want to leave all of you behind," she protested. "You all can do whatever you want whenever you want because you're princes. All I get to do is what everyone else tells me: first father, and then whoever I end up marrying. I like being here with you all and father. I don't want to have to go somewhere else. And…and…"

She trailed off here. This made Ruggero turn his brow a bit. "…And what?"

She sighed. "And…I don't know…" she complained as she turned her head back to the ground. "It's just…just…"

She paused again, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. Ruggero gave her the time, seeing as she was trying to find just the right words, and that could be hard for an eleven-year-old. She exhaled.

"I didn't 'break out of the cell' because I was just bored of waiting to be rescued," she finally said. "I…I don't know what it is…but…"

"But what?"

"I was tired of always having Giovanni and Giuseppe rescue me. I wanted…to rescue them for a change."

The young man snickered. "Oh, you'd like the princess to rescue the princes for once?"

"No!" Costanza immediately answered, almost shouting, which actually took Ruggero back a bit when she looked up. "It's because…because…" she finally sighed and slumped again. "Nevermind. You'll think it's silly anyway…"

Ruggero actually held a moment. Out of all of Costanza's brothers, he was likely the closest to her if for no other reason than he was close to everyone. He might have been the third born, but through whatever stroke of chance or luck he had always been amiable and friendly, a joy to be around and always trying to make others smile. Everyone could open up to him, but especially his little sister. And, in turn, he was the most empathic. He almost wanted to probe a bit deeper to see what the princess meant…

But that was before he was interrupted by another voice, this one making both Tito and Uberto look up as well.

"Whew, how long has it been since I got to spend midday in the garden?"

Costanza looked to the source and saw yet another figure dressed in finery, this one definitely the oldest out of all of them at around seventeen years of age, began to round one of the ornamental hills and approached the gathering. Everyone looked up a bit more, Ruggero parting a bit from Costanza and grinning on seeing him.

"Well, well…if it isn't the bedridden prince himself," he chuckled. "Still feeling under the weather?"

The new arrival frowned in response as he neared, letting out a sigh. "Any excuse I could come up with to avoid going out on that hunting party today was well worth it… Father barely gives me a moment's peace anymore. When I'm not studying diplomacy, I'm talking with the advisors. When I'm not talking with the advisors, I'm meeting the local nobility. When I'm not meeting with the local nobility, I've got nothing to do but learn the local economy. And when I'm not learning that, I'm reading war history. When I'm not reading war history, I'm eating or sleeping. I understand why I have to do all of this but I'll go mad long before father needs me to take over for him at this rate…"

"And you didn't think going out for a ride and a hunt would be a nice change of pace?"

The young man shrugged as he came closer. "To be honest, I think spending a little time away from father would help keep me from getting too frustrated with everything."

Ruggero merely shook his head and "tsked". "Oh my…Prince Salvatore is getting soft already on the job of kingship and he hasn't even taken the crown. Woe to the kingdom."

"Oh, be quiet!" Costanza retorted as she gave Ruggero a light slap on the leg before running up to the older one and giving him a hug. "It's great to see him! It's been too long since we've got to spend the day with Salvatore!"

The eldest son grinned in response as he put his arm around her. "You see? Costanza understands. We're more alike to each other than the rest of you. Father expects both of us to get in a hurry to grow up pretty soon. We've got to enjoy days like this while we still can."

Tito chuckled. "Good! Then that means you can chase down Giuseppe and Giovanni and then you can take over being the villain for their game. I'd much rather be in your shoes. Hunting is more my fancy."

"I have to admit…" Uberto added as he looked back to his book, "while I like having you around, Salvatore, I'd like it better if you were with father. He gets too eager nowadays. Like he's trying to live up the last bit of his youth. I honestly worry about him."

Ruggero snorted. "Father is far from an invalid, Uberto. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."

Costanza frowned as well. "I don't like it either. He told me last night he was going out farther than usual…"

"Oh, come on," Ruggero answered. "He has the whole hunting party with him. Ten men strong. You really think he could possibly get in danger from that? Besides, it's only about five miles farther. What could be so bad?"

One might have argued that, as years had gone by, King Eugeno had gotten more rambunctious and energetic. He was by no means a young man anymore, especially not after having sired seven children, but he was barely middle aged, as he had, for lack of a better word, started out "young" in life, the same as his wife. Perhaps he had a few bits of gray hair near the temples, but that was all. Much of his skin was still smooth and, to be honest, he was quite handsome. Yet more than his features that testified against his age was his behavior.

After his wife had died giving birth to his sixth and seventh child, the pair of twin boys, and he had mourned her for two years, it seemed he sought to combat the sadness at losing her by trying to seize life more eagerly. While up until the birth of the twins he had seemed to grow more sagely and reserved, after it was done he took up being more energetic and bold. He would be more apt to dancing and traveling. He'd interject whenever there were performers or musicians and sometimes take over to show them how it was done. He would drink and indulge a bit more at feasts and laugh and cry out more, and would always be challenging himself to do new things. Even his older children had noticed that he seemed more energetic and playful with the younger children than they had been when they themselves were smaller. However, for the most part, they didn't mind it so much. It meant more attention from him, and seeing as they were hurting from the loss of their mother they certainly didn't mind. They could have used a more happy persona in their lives after having lost their mother, who used to be the more cheerful of the two. But the fact of the matter was that there were times when it made him reckless and unwise and thus far he had been lucky to not suffer much for it.

It didn't mean that his children didn't worry about him sometimes. And not only them, but a great deal of the courtiers and the rest of the castle staff. Today was no different.

There were plenty of lands in the surrounding kingdom in which Eugeno or anyone else could hunt, and so there had been for many generations. Yet on this particular occasion, the king had declared his boredom. After all, the average size of game had died down, and so he sought wilder territory to search for hunts. And to that end, he had elected on one of the wilder portions surrounding the kingdom periphery. He took it as a good hunting ground for larger prey as no one had hunted there in at least 100 years.

Unfortunately for him, the main reason that this forest had gone unused for so long was that it was taboo by everyone in the country. There had been superstitions about how those who went in foraging or just for a walk would see strange and unsettling things. Nothing directly horrific or monstrous, mind you…just the sense that the entire place was off. The wind seemed unnaturally still when one went by, even if it was blowing everywhere else. The trees almost seemed too green in summer and too gray in winter. Even the birds that flew in seemed to change their song a bit. Of course, all of this could have been psychological; the side effect of the woods having a dark superstition about them, but the people took it seriously enough.

Hence, the hunting party, which consisted not only of the king's companions as well as bodyguards who rarely showed any emotion, had a distinct uneasy feeling hanging about them. Everyone save the king seemed rather on edge now that they were in this part of the forest, and even crossing into it earlier there had been some hesitation; not just from man but from beast as well. Their horses seemed reluctant to venture any nearer into it, and once inside they frequently snorted and stiffened as if frightened.

Since the horses were on edge, the riders likewise picked up on the situation. Try as they might to dismiss it as mere superstition or their imaginations, as they ventured into the woods they noticed the air did seem stiller, noise did seem dampened, and the colors did seem to be off. It was very subtle, but there was definitely something unnatural about this place…

About the only one who seemed oblivious to it was King Eugeno himself.

"Listen to that," he sounded as his horse slowly walked deeper into the woods, more out of having been trained to obey its master rather than any conscious will. "That silence…that stillness… This place hasn't been touched by anyone in decades. The local wildlife has to have dwelt in security for generations. All the prize stags have to have grown rather large indeed…"

The hunting party hardly thought about that. They just focused on the silence and the stillness, and they continued to look around uncertainly. The nearest one looked to the king. "My lord, there's something not right about these woods… The very air seems unnatural…"

"Think nothing of it," Eugeno answered without even turning in his saddle. "It's merely a land untouched for so long. It's the lack of human presence that sets you on edge."

This was hardly comforting to the rider. "Sir, if there is a lack of human presence, as you say, then if there is a problem or hazard that befalls us, how would we end up getting help? Or if we were to get lost…"

He was cut off as Eugeno held up a hand; the motion that he spotted something. Immediately, he pulled his horse to a halt. The other riders quickly did the same, those in the rear of the party hoping that this meant that the king had finally come to his senses and was turning around. However, it soon became clear that such wasn't the case when the horses seemed more antsy. As if something was coming that was making them more nervous than before…

Unfortunately, this isn't what the king saw. After a moment, he made his horse move again. He began to reach for his crossbow, and his eyes remained focused ahead through the trunks of the trees. He went a distance of about 25 meters before he got a better look.

As it turned out, he had indeed spotted something, and just now it began to reveal itself. It was a stag, and quite a large one too. The like no longer existed in the traditional hunting grounds that the king or anyone else went to. This one stood almost an entire foot taller and the antlers it possessed was taller yet and pointed even more extensively. The rack, in fact, was almost too perfect, and the creature itself seemed almost a different shade from a traditional stag that the king had seen before. Not only that, but the animal provided a shot almost too excellent to be true. It walked straight across the path, presenting its side and the area of the heart all too distinctly.

Some people might have thought this looked just a bit too ideal, but Eugeno didn't hesitate at all. To him, this was simply great fortune. He paid no mind to the oddity of the stag's appearance and how it looked to be everything he had hoped for and more on this hunt. What more, as happy as he had been to hunt this morning, he suddenly found his happiness doubled on looking at this stag. And while he normally thought little of hunting simply beyond recreation, he found at the moment that he wanted this kill very, very much.

With the shot lined up so perfect, he pulled his horse to a halt again. Although he was close enough to spook any normal deer, the animal didn't run off; only continued to present the target. The king thought nothing of this now, not even as an excuse of not being used to being around humans. He thought only of how splendid the stag's head would look in his hall and how delicious the venison would be. In moments, his crossbow was up and a bolt loaded. He quickly raised it and aimed for the creature's heart. The best shot any hunter could ever hope for. A moment later, he squeezed the trigger.

The bolt hit the mark flawlessly, and the bolt sank in all the way to the bristles of the shaft. The king saw this clearly and nearly gave a cheer at his own skill…

But then the stag, apparently from being hit, turned and bolted for it, racing off into the forest.

Those in the hunting party behind the king who had been near enough to catch a glimpse of this immediately started to remark.

"Impossible…that shot was straight in the heart."

"It's a devil…"

However, the king had a different reaction. Immediately, he put the crossbow back at his side while spurring his horse on. "Hurry! After it!"

The hunting party froze. One shouted out. "My lord, that stag-"

"I hit it straight in the heart! It will fall at any moment! Get it! It'll be the biggest prize for years to come!"

The horse was reluctant to move, but the king didn't let that stop him. He spurred it in the flank eagerly; harder and faster than he ever had before. Finally, it was enough to get the horse to get moving. And when it did, he only spurred it on harder until it was in a gallop, and then in a run. As for the hunting party behind the king, they shouted out for him to wait, but soon took off after him. After all, they couldn't abandon the king. Soon, the entire group was racing deeper into the forest.

It didn't take long for the king to spot the animal. In spite of the shot to the heart, it was running at full speed…at least, compared to any other stag he had ever seen. He continued to spur on his horse, going from a gallop to a full run, and somehow the beast was able to keep moving forward after it, jumping over fallen logs and evading other irregularities on the ground to keep up the pursuit. Yet in spite of that, the distance didn't close. That didn't matter to the king, however. He knew the animal would weaken and fall soon, and so he pursued it all the more avidly. In fact, as he continued to stare at the beast, he found his desire for it growing even stronger. More so than any hunt he had ever undertaken in his life. Probably stronger than even a dedicated huntsman would ever desire… And he felt it only grow as he rode hard on…

The rest of the hunting party did their best to keep up with him, and as they did, they noticed that the woods grew larger, thicker, and more unnatural than before. Where earlier the colors seemed odd, now they were almost nauseating to look at. Greens and browns that had no paint or shade or anything mankind had ever imagined. The plants grew wilder and uglier, almost monstrous in appearance, and soon turning into things that looked downright twisted. They called out to the king to stop, that the woods were getting too dark and deep…but he didn't listen. He only rode harder. Assuming he did hear them and cared for it at first, they were soon forgotten.

The king rode on, his eyes lighting up almost ravenously. To him, he forgot about the forest. He forgot how hard his horse was panting beneath him, growing tired and more uneasy. He didn't notice how the canopy grew thicker until it became opaque, and how the day went from bright and sunny to gray, to dim, and finally darker yet… As the trees grew wilder and fiercer around them, soon hardly even resembling trees and more like simply large, ugly, twisted "things", he only focused on the stag. He coveted it more than anything in the world right now; unable to think of anything but his desire for it. He didn't even care if he mounted or ate it now…he simply wanted it. And it overrode everything else as the forest turned dark as night, and the horrific things that grew twisted and large around him faded into shadow.

He only rode shortly into this darkness before tiny, gleaming yellow lights began to pop up in the forest: eyes. Eyes that defied description and did not match any wolf or other creature in existence. Soon after, there was a crash, and one of the riders following him gave a tiny cry that was suddenly silenced. The king didn't hear and if he could he wouldn't have cared. He only saw and heard the stag, who had been running for close to fifteen minutes now and showed no sign of weakening or dying. Soon there was another cry. And another after that. And another after that. The sounds of hoofbeats began to die down, one by one vanishing. And still, the king rode forward, hearing and seeing nothing but his prize…

The forest grew darker yet, but still the king ravenously went after it. His eyes almost had a wild look, never blinking, never shifting, and never paying attention as his horse panicked more and more. It rode less out of being driven and more out of fear as the sounds behind him continued to vanish. Even when the woods grew nearly black, somehow he still saw the stag…somehow he forgot everything but it…

Then, at last, it happened.

Suddenly his horse had had enough. Its hooves slammed into one place. Perhaps it had tripped on something, or maybe it had just been spooked by something the king was no longer aware of. But before he could realize what happened, his body went flying straight out of the saddle, in spite of having his feet in stirrups. It was as if they suddenly had been cut. His body sailed through the dark air of the forest a moment, and then collided with the ground.

He went for a tumble on landing. It was rough but, miraculously, on a piece of soft ground, such that while he was bruised and sore for the experience, he did no permanent damage. However, it had another effect as he went for a tumble…as if he was being awakened from an enchantment. As pain flooded him, all of his senses came rushing back to him. How he had seemed like a man possessed going after the stag, how he had thought of nothing but it, and how, he realized, he was now in a forest so dark it was practically night even though it had to be the middle of the day.

As he came to a stop, he lay only a moment, groaning and grunting. However, his head was turned toward the sky and he realized he could see nothing. It was as black as a cloudy night, but he now had enough wits to realize that was impossible. He hadn't been chasing the stag that long. Yet as he leaned up, he soon got another shock. Although he had just been thrown to the ground, the stag had already vanished. Now all that greeted him was a black nothingness ahead, with just the hint of the nearest outlines of monstrous-looking trees visible. Not only that, but he heard his mount nearby give a panicked whinny, and then suddenly snap around and bolt for it.

He quickly leaned up more and turned to the direction of his horse, unable to see once it had gone only a short distance away, and reached out to call to it. Yet as his mouth opened, he slammed it shut again…for he suddenly heard a loud, wet, ripping sound combined with a squeal from the horse that was definitely not a sound a horse normally made. It sounded like flesh tearing. Not only that, but he realized after it was done that silence was all that was left behind in its wake. No sounds of the rest of the hunting party. No sounds of their horses either.

He was alone.

And judging by the sound of what his horse had just made…

Almost as quickly as his awareness came back, fear began to rush into Eugeno. He didn't know what had bewitched him to come into this forest, but now that he was here he realized he wasn't in a good place. It was deathly quiet around him. At least, it was for a moment. Then he suddenly heard a sound—something far larger than any animal he had ever heard moving to his left. He turned his head but naturally saw nothing. A moment later, he heard something just as big break a branch to his right. He turned, and again nothing. What sounded like a cricket chirp…only from a cricket at least the size of a cat…went off behind him. He turned to that as well…

For a moment, he saw two glistening white orb-like eyes looking at him, before they rapidly shut.

Quickly, the king got to his feet. He was sore, but fear drove him on. Once standing, he opened his mouth to call out.

"Hello? Is anyone out here?"

He nearly called for any of the hunting party, before he shut his mouth and dared not open it again. His voice had caused more noises. More insects, these ones not crickets or anything else, began to make twisted noises; noises that began to come nearer. More noises began to move through the woods, cracking branches and sounding like they were overturning stones in their wake. Not only that, but they began to make unnatural noises as well, and always more of the pale orbs, some white, some yellow, and some red, flickered around him…eyes.

He didn't bother to wait to see if anyone else was still there. He turned and, as fast as his sore body could, began to run for it.

He only got a few steps before he heard the noises around him pick up. The eyes faded in and out more rapidly, and some glared at him for long periods this time—following him. The sounds got even closer, first the insect-like ones, and then the larger ones. They were moving faster. Quickly, he picked up speed, but they only increased in response. He went faster yet, in spite of the pain it caused, but they only kept coming. Finally, in a bigger shock, he heard a noise before him. One of the things was coming directly at him. Quickly, he turned and tried to run in a different direction, away from the sound, but he soon found it difficult. With the forest so dark, he was running into trees, roots, and rocks. He stumbled often, and drove himself into pain each time. But worst of all the noises always seized the chance to get closer…

Eugeno's panic and terror was now growing just as easily as his obsession over the stag. As he raced on and on through the forest, he found no exit from the darkness and no relief from the constant assault of things residing in it. He thought he could hear snarls, or the sounds of teeth snapping or claws reaching out for him. He continued to twist and run, but the forest seemed endless. He saw not the slightest ray of light…only the eyes constantly looking for him…constantly wanting his blood… He wasn't sure how long he ran through that forest but fear drove him on tirelessly. As it continued to surround him with terrors and night, he began to forget how he even got there…or that there was anything in the world but this living nightmare he now found himself trapped in. His heart pounded harder and harder, sweat poured from his brow, and he continued to smash into one thing after another, getting dirty and tattered, but still he ran through this forest…feeling nothing but fear for what seemed like hours…

Days…

Years…

A lifetime.

It drove him nearly to madness. The constant fear…the constant dread…the feeling of being lost forever in a nightmare or a twisted version of Hell…no escape…no end anywhere… Just the eyes and the sounds of things coming for him from all sides. It was too much to bear. His heart pounded until he thought it would explode. His mind nearly shattered. At last, he ran into another stump and this time he could go no further. He was exhausted and too stricken with panic. He began to fall to the ground, and expected this to be the last thing he ever felt.

Yet on landing, he got a surprise.

The moment he hit the ground, he felt no rough uneven terrain or bare dirt and rocks from lack of sunlight but soft grass. Not only that, but the darkness was gone. He was nearly blinded by it, but the sun was shining again. Bright, clear, and without a cloud in the sky. It felt warm and inviting, although there did seem to be something a bit off about it just as when this all started. Still, it was definitely preferable to the darkness of the forest.

The king lay flat for a moment, covered with sweat, his heart pounding, and slowly his senses came back to him. His fear subsided enough for him to think, and he realized he was out of the forest. He was in some sort of sunny clearing. That, however, made no sense. The last thing he had seen was darkness and more of those horrible eyes leering at him. This place was so bright and sunny that there was no way he could have missed it if he was running toward it. The forest had been far too thick and opaque for that.

As his senses continued to return, he finally gained enough of his wits to push himself up and lean back on his knees, and started to look around. Sure enough, this place was warm, clear, and actually a bit pleasant. The grass was nice and even featured some colorful wildflowers. And yet the king did not go completely at ease here. The colors seemed a bit too vivid. The sun seemed a little too dim even for a clear day. And, again, the air was clear and void of sound. Even the way a light breeze came by seemed unusual. That was all the confirmation Eugeno needed—he was still in the forest. A clearing, perhaps, but still in the unnatural wood…

Yet he only had a moment to focus on that, before he froze again, nearly letting out another exclamation. He realized he wasn't alone in this clearing.

Just up ahead of him stood a figure. It was an old woman; standing perfectly still and watching him silently. Based on her position, it seemed she had been calmly doing so ever since he had arrived in this place. That in and of itself would have been unsettling. However, the thing that truly made him nervous was that, much like this place, she looked unnatural as well.

Her lines of age seemed unconventional, as if she was some age that didn't seem possible, or didn't age properly. Like a drawing of someone being aged or something else that was attempting to look like something that was old. In doing so, she wasn't precisely ugly, but she definitely didn't look like something "normally old" either. She seemed just a small bit too crooked. Her skin had just the slightest hint of what appeared to be a greenish-tint to it; just slight enough that one couldn't tell if it was a trick of the light or reality. When she smiled, her teeth seemed just a little too long and her eyes seemed to have a trace of red in them.

He did not feel relieved at all when she grinned at him.

"Why, good sir," she said slowly and smoothly, almost rather like one would expect a cunning serpent to say rather than a person, "you look like you've had a terrible time. You've been lost in these dreadful woods, haven't you?"

Eugeno didn't answer. Nor did he want to. The way the old woman talked, it wasn't as if she was really speaking out of concern but more like going through the motions of some sort of play. Besides, with her voice behind it, it sounded not so much as a concerned old woman and more like a crouched predator trying to entice her prey to get closer. Whereas before the king's senses had been muddled by the stag, here they were quite clear. The way this woman emphasized "terrible" and "dreadful" wasn't out of horror or experience but from familiarity; as if she knew full well everything that had happened to him. And yet, Eugeno did not grow angry for that. Rather he felt fresh fear.

He realized this was just a clearing in the woods. He was still in this "spider's web". As horrible as the forest had been, he got the sensation that he had entered something just as deadly and dangerous.

"Please…" the old woman continued, "allow me to help you up…"

Almost immediately, the king spat back in a tone that barely contained its tension. "N-No thank you, my lady…" He nearly put his hands up in front of him as he rolled back and began to stand. Only now did he realized how battered and bruised his body was. His clothing was torn and he had bloody gashes in a few spots, and he was still quite exhausted, but in moments he pushed through and forced himself to stand. "I…I wouldn't want you to trouble yourself."

Although Eugeno realized that this woman was something dark and sinister, he wasn't yet sure if she realized that he had realized that. He had to try and keep up appearances. He had the feeling that once she knew he had caught on to her, he'd be dead.

At any rate, the woman continued to look at him as he rose. In fact, she seemed to stare a bit more earnestly, and stepped forward a bit to examine him better. The king had to fight the urge to recoil when she did.

"Hmm…you seem to have been through a lot, good sir. But I can see from the color and insignia of your clothes that you are a man of some prominence; certainly not one of the locals from the kingdom…" She raised an eyebrow a bit, allowing her eye to gleam redder than ever. "Dare I say…that I am in the presence of the king of this province?"

For a moment, Eugeno thought of denying it. However, the way the old woman said it he realized she already knew the truth. After a second, he swallowed and gave a nod. "I am."

"Why, your majesty…" the old woman stated, proceeding to go into a graceful, if exaggerated, bow, "you honor me with your presence. I did not think I would ever live to see you here. But my lord, whatever were you doing in such an awful place? Do you not know how dangerous this forest is? How, if you hadn't been extremely fortunate to stumble upon my abode, you would have likely spent the rest of your life wandering through it until you starved to death?"

The way she said it, it was less of an explanation and more of a threat. Eugeno swallowed again.

"No, my lady. I was only here for a hunt."

The old lady let out a snicker like a cackle as she rose again. "Oh, my lord…that was very unwise of you. This forest is not a very safe place. Not in the least…" Again, a threat was on her voice, before it evaporated. "But since you are here, my lord, I can't help but ask a question. You are not currently married, are you?"

Eugeno didn't know what that woman was trying to get at by saying that, but before he could restrain his voice, he found himself, in an effort to appear casual, saying the truth.

"No, my wife died some years ago."

Almost immediately, he paled. Good lord…why did I say that? Even if he wanted to be casual, that didn't mean he had to be truthful about it.

A moment later, she seemed to brighten slightly. "Oh really? Well, in that case, please come this way. I have someone I'd like to show you…"

Without another word, the old woman immediately moved to the side of the king. Eugeno again wished to move away, but, once again, he was too fearful to show that he was on to her. Soon she was nearby and leading him onward. Unlike how he would do normally, the king didn't offer his arm. In fact, he didn't even dare look at her. He kept his gaze forward and tried to look at anything except her.

From here, the forest that surrounded him looked mostly how it had appeared when he had first gone into it. Unnaturally colored and shaded but still just a forest. Not the black oblivion he had found himself lost in. Yet what was more surprising, and what he had a hard time believing he hadn't noticed before based on the old woman's position, was a small log house just up ahead. Nothing too dramatic. Simple enough, but not a hovel by any means. It was painted with a small garden around it. A few flowers growing about. Yet it was still the same nature as everything else here; having the sense of being something wearing a disguise.

As it turned out he wasn't going inside, but he soon saw another individual seated out front in a small stool, spinning away. He didn't see the face immediately, for her head full of flawless black hair was turned away from him, but he could tell based on the dress and body that it was another woman. A much younger one this time, with a flawless form and figure. She didn't turn to him as they neared at first. It was only when they were within about thirty feet of her that the old woman called out.

"Laura, could you put the spindle down for a moment? We have a guest."

The woman did so, very slowly and gracefully, and then turned to face the king.

When she did, she gave him the fairest smile he had ever seen before in his life, and he saw that she was easily the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen as well. Possibly the most beautiful woman that any in his kingdom had ever seen; both in his day or in the days of any of his forebears. Everything about her appearance seemed perfect in every way. Her eyes…her lips…her nose… It was as if she was a masterwork of art. She was also quite young as well; easily enough to render any man smitten with her instantly.

However, Eugeno was not smitten at all, for just like everything else here he saw something was off. He didn't see that tint to her skin like with the old woman, nor did he see the same reddish gleam to her eyes…at least not as clearly as he did with the older one. But although she smiled fairly and looked to be a vision of perfect loveliness, the king knew there was something about this woman that made this all just another disguise. Something that made her unworldly…

"This is Laura, my only daughter," the old woman proclaimed, as she stepped forward and gestured to her. "What do you think? You've never seen a woman more beautiful than her, I'd wager?"

The king swallowed. "No, my lady, I haven't," he admitted. It was truth enough.

"And she's as clever and wise as she is beautiful. To say nothing of being as skilled. In many ways, she's perfect. I dare say there isn't a man in the world who wouldn't be fortunate to have her for a wife, but…naturally, no ordinary man is worthy of her. But a king? Now, that's something else entirely, wouldn't you say?"

Eugeno didn't like where this was going. He felt a cold chill begin to move down his spine.

"Tell me, would she not make a splendid wife for a king? How many years ago was it since your wife passed on? I'm sure the period of mourning is over now if you're out on a hunt, and that you're seeking a new queen…"

The young woman smiled at him; her look seductive and sly, and awaking a nameless fear within Eugeno.

"I have no interest in remarrying at this time." The king stated, nearly taking a step back.

The old woman feigned puzzlement. "No interest? Why…is Laura not the most beautiful, fair creature you have ever seen?"

"That is beside the point," the king nearly stammered, but managed to say somewhat firmly. "As I said, I have no interest in marrying again at this time…or ever, for that matter."

He expected anger as a result of this. Their eyes to turn red or their teeth to grow, even. Yet neither thing occurred. The young woman only grew more sly and seductive, almost seeming amused at how he was trying to back off. When he did indeed take a step back, the old woman slid up to him again, making his skin crawl, and grinned just the same.

"What a true pity…" Before he could stop her, she reached out and placed an arm around him. It was strong, stronger even than he, and began to turn him around, away from the young woman and the house…and back the way he had come. "Is there nothing I could say that would change your mind, my lord? You'll find Laura to be very excellent in every respect…and I do mean every…"

"No…no!" the king nearly outburst, losing himself a moment before he calmed down. "That is…no, I have set myself upon it. I loved my wife too much to remarry."

"I see," the old woman answered, still turning him and still grinning. Soon, they were fully turned around and facing the woods again. "Well, if you will not have my daughter…" She released him, but in doing so almost seemed to shove him a bit toward the woods, making him take another step toward them. "And you are not on your kingdom's property, then I am afraid I must treat you as a common interloper. I have no choice but to cast you off of my land and back the way you came…"

The last few words were said with a very dark and cold edge, and rang in the king's ears although he was no longer looking at the old woman. Instead, his gaze was to the forest. And as he looked to it…right before his eyes, it seemed to grow dark again. He wasn't sure if his wits were fully his at the moment, but the colors seemed to turn grimmer and more unnatural. The shadows seemed to grow.

"Return to the forest and do as you will, my lord…" The voice continued, almost gaining power to it.

The forest grew darker yet. Not only that, but the trees began to twist and enlarge, deforming into monstrous shapes. The air grew stiller. At once, the fear began to grow in Eugeno again. He planted his feet as he felt his heart start to race and panic begin to seize him. As he did, to his horror, the world seemed to warp around him…as if the forest was shrinking the land between him and it. Actually coming for him.

"Even if you must wander through it for the rest of your life…until you die of hunger…or…heh…perhaps something else…"

The forest grew closer and darker yet, as if it was going to come over him. The king was petrified in fear. He wanted to turn and run, but it was impossible. His feet were rooted to the spot. As parts of the forest started to turn black, he could almost start hearing the noises again…could almost see the eyes looking out to him again… His heart pounded in his chest so fiercely he swore he could feel it striking his ribs. Sweat began to roll down his brow. How long had he been stuck there before? An hour at the most? It had felt like an eternity… To spend the real rest of his life in there… To spend days wandering through the same living nightmare until something finally came to end his life.

Finally, the terror was too much for him.

"Alright! I wish to marry her!"

At once, the forest seemed to lighten and retreat again before his eyes, as if it had been a trained animal that had been called off by its master. Where before it had seemed to nearly come upon him, now it backed up and left a long stretch of clearing behind. Everything foul and fearsome inside it vanished, and Eugeno felt as if a weight had been taken off of his chest. However, he didn't stop sweating, and a new fear filled him as he realized what he had just agreed to. He turned his head back to the old woman and found her grinning in satisfaction. He realized he had not managed to go far from the small house at all. He could still see the seductive woman smiling at him, already looking more foul than fair.

"You've made a wise choice, my lord. And one that I do so dearly hope you do not try to back out from…" the old woman continued, even as the young one began to put her spindle aside and rose. "Now, be a gentleman and place this fine young lady on your horse."

The king, in spite of his fear and anxiety as well as realizing how trapped he was, managed a frown. "I have no horse with me because of y-"

He was cut off, however, when he heard the sound of a hoof clomp on the ground nearby in stopping. Immediately, he snapped to the source and found his horse next to him. However, the animal did not look normal. The eyes of the horse, if possible, looked contracted, and its body seemed unnaturally still and even on the thin side. As for Eugeno, he was shocked. He remembered from the forest that his mount sounded like it had been torn to pieces. Yet now here it was—although it no longer looked like the same horse he had rode in on. It was almost as if a supernatural force was keeping it going…

Unable to protest now, the king reluctantly did as he was told. Standing to one side, he waited for the young woman to rise and come to him, going through all the motions as he helped her onto it. He would not rise as well, however, or even look on her, even though the horse should have been strong enough for two. That done, he took the bridle, turned, and, without looking back, began to lead the horse and woman out of the woods.

It took only fifteen minutes, and not once did the forest appear dark or impenetrable.

The moment the young woman alit from the horse on returning to the castle, the beast fell down dead.

To be continued...