Long ago, in a far away kingdom, there
reigned a fortress no God could tear down. In this kingdom there lived a Prince
who would soon inherit the throne. As his father’s time came to an end, the Prince
gathered his loyal Knights for a stroll among the lands. Before he took the throne, the Prince longed for adventure; to conquer a nation. They mounted their
horses, they galloped through the streets. The Prince and his Knights rode into
the sunset as his future kingdom bid them a safe travel.
In
the land of milk and honey the Prince and his Knights wandered, marveled at
every turn. Miles of endless wonder stretched beyond the kingdom, as far as
the eye could see. Puddles shimmered in the air, lakes replenished the wild. Blankets
of hills colored the vastness. Clouds ate the mountain tops as they took new
shapes, scattering along the blue sky. The Prince and his Knights pranced along
a trail that lead them far, far away.
One day, the Prince
and his Knights came across a forest where tall trees grow. Shadows loomed afar
as they gazed inside. Night consumed the forest on a sunny day, they noted. “No
man would dare enter this forest,” the first Knight began. “This forest is
plagued with tales of dark malicious doom.” Their horses fell back for even
they sensed trouble. The Prince snarled and laughed. Creatures echoed as birds
resettled in the beyond.
“Prince,”
continued the first Knight, “We must not. This is a forest with no trail. Many
have entered, none have returned.” The other Knights contemplated as their
horses stomped away. “I plea, young Prince, we must map a different route.”
“’Tis
not but a forest,” the brave Prince laughed. “We can cut across and make our
journey short.” The Prince drew his sword and entered the forest.
“Prince,
it could be the end of us if we step inside the Forest of Forgotten Wonder.”
The first Knight repeated, pleading to his master. “Our supply is limited, we
carry a months journey. If we head towards the mountains we can trade in the market
for more.” The Prince faded away, ignoring the warnings his Knight proclaimed. They
struggled to convince their horses to enter the forest. Cold whispers blew in
their necks, sending chills up their spine.
“If
anyone should die,” spoke the Prince as he raised his sword to the sky, “It
shall be I!” The Prince disappeared further into the forest, his Knights lagged
behind.
Deep
in the forest, creatures lingered in the unknown world. The Knights held their
swords as light from the sun became dimmer and grimmer. Nothing but tall thick
woods and an uneasy heaviness surrounded the Prince and his Knights. Echoes of
distant animals sang in their ears. Their horses became fretful as danger
whispered to the wind. The Prince and his Knights calmed their fears. They attempted
to get the horses back in formation but they were too scared. Something
frightened them at every turn, at every crack.
Off
in the distance came a faint cry of terror only the horses could hear. The
horses became wild. They kicked the air, attacking whatever invisible threat
that stood before them. The Prince and his Knights fell to the ground as the
horses jumped and kicked. The horses were gone in an instant, they disappeared into
the depths of the forest. The Prince and his Knights continued their quest on foot.
With their swords in hand, they began to walk the unmarked trail up ahead not aware
of the danger that stood in their way.
The
Prince paused as he listened closely. Over in the distance a pack of wolves
stomping the ground neared. The prince turned to his Knights and encouraged them for a battle. The stomping became louder, their numbers multiplied as the
sound of hungry wolves approached them. “Come alive men!” The Prince shouted valiantly.
He swung his sword and glued his feet to the ground. “We will kill them all if
we must!” The Prince proclaimed in hopes of inspiring his Knights.
The
sound of wolves rattled behind a bush. The Prince and his Knights prepared themselves
for blood when nothing but a gust of wind carrying the sound of wolves rushed before
them. The cool refreshing burst of air blew dirt from the ground and into their
eyes. They covered their faces as the dirt from the wind flew away, taking the
stomping of wolves with it. They cleared their eyes as silence settled. They stood
for a moment, dumbfounded, as they realized they were never in any danger.
As
days became weeks, their next chapter through the forest became unsettling. Their
food and water were becoming scarce. The Prince questioned every turn as his
Knights glared from behind. His every decision brought resentment from his
Knights. The less food they ate, the less water they consumed the more agitated
the Prince and his Knights became. His Knights warning of passing through the
forest haunted his every thought.
Up ahead, the
sound of a waterfall broke the silence. They followed, not knowing if it were
true. The pouring stream lead the Prince and his Knights to a massive statue spouting
water into a lake. The Knights rejoiced as they ran towards its vibrant ocean.
They cupped their hands and dipped them into the lake to revive their thirst.
“Halt!” Came the warning of the first Knight. “We must not drink the waters.”
“And
why not?” The second Knight protested.
“Because
it comes from the forest,” the first Knight answered. The rest turned to the Prince
for his approval.
“If
we must not, we must not.” The Prince finished, defeated. They gathered their
things and continued their journey.
When
weeks turned to a month, the Prince and his Knights passing through the forest took
a turn for the worst. His once loyal Knights began to doubt the Prince. The further
they traveled, the deeper their regret resonated. They wondered, questioned if
and when will they ever climb out of the forest, to feel the light of day once
again. The tall thick trees began to take form as faces mocked the Prince and
his Knights, frightened them deeper into the forest. Their eyes judged, their mouths
laughed as the wind howled.
Slowly, they began
to turn on one another for the remaining scraps of food and water. Order
toppled down until one day the Knights had had enough. Their resentment towards the
Prince turned to a grudge that overpowered the Knights. One Knight took his
sword and challenged the Prince. As the Prince drew his sword, another
challenged him as well. The Knights swung at the Prince, nearly decapitating
his arm. The Prince fell to the ground as the rest surrounded their liege. The Prince
looked them in the eye and saw possessed men.
The
Prince managed to get on his feet with his sword in hand. He dodged a swinging
sword and missed a punch. The Prince did all he could to keep his Knights from
taking his life. He ran away but ended up cornered. The Knights approached the
Prince with their swords aimed for his head. Out from the bushes emerged the first
Knight. The Prince went to him for help, unfortunately the first Knight had turned
on him as well. “Once upon a time, you had said if anyone should die, ‘Will be I.’”
The first Knight reminded the Prince as he swung his sword. The Prince stood cornered
to face death at the hands of his Knights.
Just
as the first Knight swung to kill, the Prince blocked then ran. He ran as fast
as he could, never looking back. With every sprint, the Prince could feel the
edge of the Knight’s sword behind him. He jumped every fallen tree, ducked
through every branch that stood in his way. Thorns cut his face all the while. Suddenly,
the Prince fell down a hill. He rolled through the steep hill and into a small shallow
pond. He lay on the ground as he gasped for air. The Prince managed to escape
his Knights but ended up lost in the forest.
Up
ahead, a sweet melody lured the Prince out of his entanglement. The Prince got
to his feet and walked towards the hypnotic hum. He came across an old cottage
hidden in the forest. Inside, a young beautiful maiden sang as she dusted the
window frame unaware of the Prince. He was as surprised but happy to have found
someone. The Prince approached the entrance and knocked. The maiden happily opened
the door and welcomed the Prince inside.
“My, a Prince on
my door step.” She sang, “Please, do come in.” She stood aside as the Prince
made his way in. She gestured him to sit as they entered the open kitchen.
“Thank you,” said
the Prince. “Would you happen to have any spare food or water?”
“Why yes,” replied
the maiden, “Anything for a Prince.” She placed a small glass of water in front
of him. “How did you ever come across this place?”
“My Knights and I
are on a quest,” the Prince began, “Or so we were.” He noticed the cottage
seemed ancient, “I lost my Knights and stumbled upon this place.” He looked
around. There were spider webs and dust everywhere. “Do you live here?”
“Please, my lord,
drink.” The maiden adored. “You must be thirsty.” The Prince raised the glass to
his mouth then stopped.
“What well did you
pull this water from?” The Prince questioned.
“Not a well but a
nearby lake,” the maiden answered, gracefully.
The Prince tossed the
glass onto the floor, got to his feet and aimed his sword to the maiden. “Who
are you?” The Prince demanded to know.
“You are very
observant, my liege.” The maiden said as she turned dark and evil.
Once again, the
Prince was on the run; for his life. He left the old cottage and entered the
forest as the evil maiden chased him. She hissed as she inched her way
closer to the Prince. Her fingers grew long and sharp. Her once long beautiful
blond hair turned wild and dark. Her mouth watered as she came closer in
capturing the Prince. She was hungry for royalty, his pure breed was a rare
delicacy she did not want to pass on. He ran as fast as he could but could not
escape the evil maiden. She was faster than he.
Then, the Prince
worst nightmare stood before him. He stopped in his tracks as he faced his Knights
who were looking for him. The Knights ran towards the Prince, their swords
hungry for his blood. With the maiden behind, the Prince leaped to one side as
his Knights collided with the evil maiden. The maiden, stronger than the
Prince’s Knights, ate the Knights to pieces. The Prince crawled away to a near
by shrub for safety.
The maiden tore
through the Knights as if they were paper. She tossed them in the air, threw
them against each other while munching on their limbs. The Prince hid behind a
tree as he witnessed his Knights scream for mercy. Once the evil maiden
finished the Prince’s Knights, the Prince came from behind and jammed his sword
right through the maiden’s wicked heart. He stood in a puddle of blood as the
bodies of the evil maiden and his Knights lay on the ground.
The young Prince
continued his journey through the forest, alone. Tales of the enchanted Forest
of Wonders were all true, the Prince came to find as he voyaged through. He fought
every eerie whisper that called to him, prophesying of pending dooms.
Persevered the strange figures that haunted him at night. He alone bravely defeated
anything that came his way. The Prince proved to the forest that he wasn’t
afraid, he was alone but never afraid.
At long last, light
from the sun off in the distance broke through the abyss. The Prince conquered
the forest, bruised but alive. Gallantly, the Prince holstered his sword and
climbed out of the forest thick trees. A breath of fresh air filled his lungs,
light warmed his embrace as the heavens opened its doors to him. The horizon no
longer loomed hopelessness but everlasting miracles. To his surprise, the horses
stood by the forest splurging on grass. The Prince mounted his horse and
continued his journey into the sunrise heading far, far away.
