Disclaimer: Original story of Snow White does NOT BELONG TO ME, I only
elaborated upon it. Don't sue, thanks! :)
Chapter 1
Induction to Destiny
It was one fine day during the Summer festival that the Royal Family first came to his life. He had just turned 16 and was already the best hunter of his village. His was the year the Queen and then-prince Jules traveled the country side to find a new Royal Huntsman to be trained. The old was of the land was passing over to the land of omnipresent elk, deer, moose and bird.
Desmus, as he was oft called back then, was a strong youth in both mind and body. His mother had died giving birth to his brother, Hennet La Mort (which was only the poor boy's first name) and his father had become insane soon afterward. The boys had stayed with various relatives throughout their lives, but now lived alone. They had drifted away from their remaining relatives, seeing as the rest that lived with them had mysteriously died. It was rumored the boys were cursed by an evil enchantment. They had found an abandoned cottage on the edge of the woods, however, and continued to live peacefully with the village not far ahead. Desmus spent most of his time hunting while his brother picked berries and other fruits of the forest.
Today was a day of such as the Royal Carriage rode to the cottage and up to the door. Desmus, just back from bagging tonight's dinner, stood before the statuistic warhorses.
"How may I help thee?" Desmus rested on his shoulder crossbow and looked upon the carriage into cold fire-like eyes. It was the Queen, that was undeniable. Her red hair caught in a tight bun with two loose strands framing her face were perfected to accentuate the features on her narrow face. Desmus felt himself staring and knelt quickly to hide his reddening face.
"Are you Desmus Andrinor, boy? The one they say could wipe out an army with a mere one or two arrow? That would be able to kill from a distance of a million feet, should the need arise?" The queens voice pierced the Huntsman's soul. But still he dared to look into her eyes to give his answer.
"Aye. I am no seer-of-the-future, but aye if this be how I am described to thee. I would do anything to please you, M'lady. How may I help thee?" He nodded a small hello to the prince, whose queer eyes looked upon Desmus in an indescribable manner.
The door of the carriage opened, and Queen Nadia stepped down from where she sat. She put her years behind her as she smiled upon Desmus. Her eyes sparkled.
"Prove to me you are as good as they say. Shoot an arrow blindly into the wood and bring me back all of what you have shot and killed. Do this to prove your worth and meet your destiny, boy." The queen's eyes now bounced off his skin, seemingly mocking him to prove her wrong. Desmus nodded and quickly began to fix his bow.
"No," the queen shook her head. "Not with that one. Footman! Bring me Determiner."
Almost trembling as if the slightest touch of the cross bow stung him, the old footman took the massive bow from the covering of the coach and handed it to his Queen. The queen handled it with the grace of a true hunter.
"This cross bow is enchanted with a spell upon it. To determine the truly strong from the truly, pathetic weak my husband's great-great-grandfather had this bow fashioned and crafted to suit his purpose. To find the true Huntsman of the Wood. Take it now, and shoot as clear as you can whilst aiming at nothing but your best. Take it… to meet your destiny." Her voice snaked around Desmus' head, and would ring there until his own voice was long gone from lack of breath.
"Kill, boy."
He nodded and took the boy, pushing what mediocre fears that had embodied themselves selfishly into his soul, into him. Ignoring the pain of his arm from a snake bite earlier that morning, Desmus strung the bow and put it on his shoulder to aim. He winced. He had only come in real contact of magic once or twice in his life, but he knew that was what stung him so.
Trying to remember and follow the queen's directions, he decided the best way was to close his eyes and leave it to chance. He did so and let the arrow fly freely.
The queen let out a small smile as the arrow whizzed far into the dark wood that awaited it.
The arrow sped on and on, past all deer, bird, and animal life. It passed all plant life, the mammoth oak tree Desmus has climbed in his youth, and the small vines he had often untangled his brother in. It sped on and sped on until it found it's youthful prey, that would pass from this world with no more sound than that of a heart breaking apart.
Desmus dropped the cross bow to his knee, and then the ground. He looked upon the queen's face with horror as the birds above cried as they flew out of the woods, telling of the ultimate sadness of young death. The small animals of the Wood cried of the evil enhancement of the arrow that corrupted their home. The bullet of death and chaos.
He turned frantically to the queen, who was nodding in enjoyment.
"What… What did I hit?" He asked in a low voice.
"Go. Find and see for yourself." She turned her gaze from the forest ahead to the boy to her left. She then lifted her gaze and again watched the direction the arrow had traveled. With fear in his heart, Desmus nodded and traveled the path that Death had made in his home.
Farther and farther into the forest he traveled, still seeing nothing. No living , moving, breathing creatures were to be found anywhere in the forest. No sounds were made. It was… strange. This was the only word Desmus could think of. He knew that he must put his fear and emotions to waste because he could already sense by the thread of life that had kept him and his prey together, had been destroyed. When he left this forest, he would meet his destiny with the queen.
"My eyes… no! Pray tell you are deceiving me!"
There, pinned to a tree, blood already drowning life sucking insects feasting upon his flesh, blood drying upon his new tunic for the festival… lay Hennet La Mort. Desmus has killed his own brother. It was his last sacrifice to the Forest God.
Take the arrow and come back to me.
"What?!" Desmus looked bewildered around him and wiped away his mounting tears.
He is dead. Now do as I say, Huntsman! Take the arrow and come back to me. Leave your past behind and rise up to meet your destiny.
Desmus nodded and further pushed his fear, emotions, and negative thoughts away. Bracing himself, he pulled the arrow from the lifeless body of his brother and looked with equally lifeless eyes as his brother crumpled to his feet. The life he had known before was gone, and as he traveled back to his new Queen, he transformed and became the Royal Huntsman.
Chapter 1
Induction to Destiny
It was one fine day during the Summer festival that the Royal Family first came to his life. He had just turned 16 and was already the best hunter of his village. His was the year the Queen and then-prince Jules traveled the country side to find a new Royal Huntsman to be trained. The old was of the land was passing over to the land of omnipresent elk, deer, moose and bird.
Desmus, as he was oft called back then, was a strong youth in both mind and body. His mother had died giving birth to his brother, Hennet La Mort (which was only the poor boy's first name) and his father had become insane soon afterward. The boys had stayed with various relatives throughout their lives, but now lived alone. They had drifted away from their remaining relatives, seeing as the rest that lived with them had mysteriously died. It was rumored the boys were cursed by an evil enchantment. They had found an abandoned cottage on the edge of the woods, however, and continued to live peacefully with the village not far ahead. Desmus spent most of his time hunting while his brother picked berries and other fruits of the forest.
Today was a day of such as the Royal Carriage rode to the cottage and up to the door. Desmus, just back from bagging tonight's dinner, stood before the statuistic warhorses.
"How may I help thee?" Desmus rested on his shoulder crossbow and looked upon the carriage into cold fire-like eyes. It was the Queen, that was undeniable. Her red hair caught in a tight bun with two loose strands framing her face were perfected to accentuate the features on her narrow face. Desmus felt himself staring and knelt quickly to hide his reddening face.
"Are you Desmus Andrinor, boy? The one they say could wipe out an army with a mere one or two arrow? That would be able to kill from a distance of a million feet, should the need arise?" The queens voice pierced the Huntsman's soul. But still he dared to look into her eyes to give his answer.
"Aye. I am no seer-of-the-future, but aye if this be how I am described to thee. I would do anything to please you, M'lady. How may I help thee?" He nodded a small hello to the prince, whose queer eyes looked upon Desmus in an indescribable manner.
The door of the carriage opened, and Queen Nadia stepped down from where she sat. She put her years behind her as she smiled upon Desmus. Her eyes sparkled.
"Prove to me you are as good as they say. Shoot an arrow blindly into the wood and bring me back all of what you have shot and killed. Do this to prove your worth and meet your destiny, boy." The queen's eyes now bounced off his skin, seemingly mocking him to prove her wrong. Desmus nodded and quickly began to fix his bow.
"No," the queen shook her head. "Not with that one. Footman! Bring me Determiner."
Almost trembling as if the slightest touch of the cross bow stung him, the old footman took the massive bow from the covering of the coach and handed it to his Queen. The queen handled it with the grace of a true hunter.
"This cross bow is enchanted with a spell upon it. To determine the truly strong from the truly, pathetic weak my husband's great-great-grandfather had this bow fashioned and crafted to suit his purpose. To find the true Huntsman of the Wood. Take it now, and shoot as clear as you can whilst aiming at nothing but your best. Take it… to meet your destiny." Her voice snaked around Desmus' head, and would ring there until his own voice was long gone from lack of breath.
"Kill, boy."
He nodded and took the boy, pushing what mediocre fears that had embodied themselves selfishly into his soul, into him. Ignoring the pain of his arm from a snake bite earlier that morning, Desmus strung the bow and put it on his shoulder to aim. He winced. He had only come in real contact of magic once or twice in his life, but he knew that was what stung him so.
Trying to remember and follow the queen's directions, he decided the best way was to close his eyes and leave it to chance. He did so and let the arrow fly freely.
The queen let out a small smile as the arrow whizzed far into the dark wood that awaited it.
The arrow sped on and on, past all deer, bird, and animal life. It passed all plant life, the mammoth oak tree Desmus has climbed in his youth, and the small vines he had often untangled his brother in. It sped on and sped on until it found it's youthful prey, that would pass from this world with no more sound than that of a heart breaking apart.
Desmus dropped the cross bow to his knee, and then the ground. He looked upon the queen's face with horror as the birds above cried as they flew out of the woods, telling of the ultimate sadness of young death. The small animals of the Wood cried of the evil enhancement of the arrow that corrupted their home. The bullet of death and chaos.
He turned frantically to the queen, who was nodding in enjoyment.
"What… What did I hit?" He asked in a low voice.
"Go. Find and see for yourself." She turned her gaze from the forest ahead to the boy to her left. She then lifted her gaze and again watched the direction the arrow had traveled. With fear in his heart, Desmus nodded and traveled the path that Death had made in his home.
Farther and farther into the forest he traveled, still seeing nothing. No living , moving, breathing creatures were to be found anywhere in the forest. No sounds were made. It was… strange. This was the only word Desmus could think of. He knew that he must put his fear and emotions to waste because he could already sense by the thread of life that had kept him and his prey together, had been destroyed. When he left this forest, he would meet his destiny with the queen.
"My eyes… no! Pray tell you are deceiving me!"
There, pinned to a tree, blood already drowning life sucking insects feasting upon his flesh, blood drying upon his new tunic for the festival… lay Hennet La Mort. Desmus has killed his own brother. It was his last sacrifice to the Forest God.
Take the arrow and come back to me.
"What?!" Desmus looked bewildered around him and wiped away his mounting tears.
He is dead. Now do as I say, Huntsman! Take the arrow and come back to me. Leave your past behind and rise up to meet your destiny.
Desmus nodded and further pushed his fear, emotions, and negative thoughts away. Bracing himself, he pulled the arrow from the lifeless body of his brother and looked with equally lifeless eyes as his brother crumpled to his feet. The life he had known before was gone, and as he traveled back to his new Queen, he transformed and became the Royal Huntsman.