《Grim Fairy Tales: The Legend of Snow White》


 Prologue: The Unusual Gift

    I am Svetlana Brangomar, daughter of King Leonid Brangomar and step-daughter of Queen Rose Brangomar. I live on the world of Sumeru and the environment of these lands is quite cold that is engulfed with ancient ruins as well as snow-capped areas. The kingdom of Sumeru is called Sineru and it is located far in the mountains of Meru. Sineru is a great city that was built in the stone heart of Meru with a great white tree protruding from its top along with great many other white trees surrounding it that grew from her roots. Within the stone hearts of Sineru lied many boasting small passageways, shops built into rock walls, and cavernous rooms. The city was home to smiths and forges, the largest one could ever see in the world and for good reason. It is very chilly within Sumeru but so cozy and warm within Sineru.


    ¡°Mr. Porgie!¡±, I greeted the huntsman, Georgie Porgie, with a smile like I always did. ¡°There you are, little Snow White!¡±, he kneeled down and hugged me before he surprised me.


    Georgie Porgie was the hired huntsman of my family who often hunted and prepared the ingredients for their food. He also ran his own cafeteria and pastry within Sineru with his own group of the Baker¡¯s Dozen. He wore green attire and even kept his hair green at the top with his green suit covering most of his armor from underneath with the middle exposed that revealed it for all to see. I would be often sent to his cafeteria for free food and drinks paid by my parents.


    ¡°Chocolate pudding?!¡±, I was so excited to take it from him and he laughed while the Brangomar Guard looked on from behind me, they always kept a watchful eye over me.


    The Bragomar Guard is modeled after the warriors of Ancient Sparta with cybernetic armor. Their mission is to protect the city¡¯s streets and those who wore the Golden Armor of our Kingdom were those of the Brangomar Royal Guard. They were the ones who watched over me for they were only loyal to the King and answered only to the King himself. They answered to my mother until her death and refuse to answer to Queen Rose unless my father tells them to.


    ¡°I¡¯ve also a few visitors who¡¯d like to see you!¡±, stated Georgie and I wondered what he meant until I saw a figure step forward in a strange red robe with scarlet hair and orange eyes who reminded me deeply off my own step-mother, although she appeared younger and happier.


    ¡°So this must be the beautiful Snow White.¡±, George stood up and walked behind me while I moved back, pressing my back against him. ¡°Oh, I apologize if I frightened you, my child.¡±, she said before she placed her hand over her chest. ¡°I am Mary Bloodstone.¡±, she introduced herself.


    ¡°This is my companion, Jack¡¯ron Horner, and we come from the Dragonlands, a world from beyond the stars.¡±, I kept looking into her eyes and I studied her facial expression, and at the time I was inexperienced and was unsure off her but today I could safely say she studied me.


    ¡°We come bearing gifts for your mother and father, and you!¡±, she pointed me at me and turned to face Jack¡¯ron, who then stepped forward and kneeled down with a platter in hand that was covered by a lid, and before we knew it he raised the lid from it to reveal a plum pie.


    ¡°T-T-This is¡­¡±, the dragonsworn haru seemed to be rather slow, which you didn¡¯t expect from most harpies. ¡°F-f-for you, p-p-princess.¡±, he kept his head back but held the pie forth for me.


    ¡°Jack¡¯ron is quite¡­¡±, Mary went to explain only to pause and look around in thought. ¡°Bashful, shy¡­¡±, she placed her right hand¡¯s main finger over her lower lip. ¡°He is also very slow, but he means well, princess.¡±, she explained before she tapped Jack¡¯ron¡¯s head that looked up to her.


    ¡°Now, Jack¡¯ron, would you kindly place the pie over the table for the princess?¡±, she asked and I interrupted. ¡°Is it conjured?¡±, Jack¡¯ron then turned his head back to my question.


    ¡°N-N-No, p-p-princess¡­ Jack¡¯ron loves baking. P-P-Pies t-t-taste sweeter w-w-when we share them.¡±, he explained and I smiled before I reached out for the platter. ¡°Okay...¡±, I replied.


    ¡°Let¡¯s share the pie!¡±, I said excitedly and Georgie Porgie chuckled happily as Jack¡¯ron smiled. ¡°I wish we could, little princess, but your father and mother are dying to see us.¡±, stated Mary.


    ¡°As I said, we come bearing gifts for them as well.¡±, she added. ¡°Is it pie?!¡±, I asked in my little childhood innocent like tone. ¡°Yes, and we cannot allow it to get it cold. Why don¡¯t you share your pie with Mr. Porgie instead?¡±, she suggested and I looked up to the huntsman who smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to.¡±, he said to me and I smiled. ¡°Huntsman, Princess.¡±, Mary bowed her head and then she smacked Jack¡¯ron¡¯s forehead, who snapped out of his gaze and bowed his head.


    Jack¡¯ron Horner was a haru who had been through so much and who was quite physically fit, who lost his wings and yet seemed to be very loyal to the human sorceress. The unusual duo would then leave and the haru gave me the impression of a servant to a noble woman, and yet she was unusually happy and I often didn¡¯t see that in people. I also wondered why a big creature like him would aid a small creature at her. He would clearly overpower her.


    ¡°Mr. Porgie?¡±, I sat at the table with the huntsman who would then respond. ¡°Mhmm?¡±, as he held his own knife that he used to cut the pie into several pieces in front of me.


    ¡°What are the Dragonlands like?¡±, I asked and he looked at me, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never been there. I¡¯ve only heard rumors about it.¡±, he replied.


    ¡°Is it a star?¡±, I asked. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t, little princess. It is a celestial body.¡±, said Georgie. ¡°What is a celestial body?¡±, I asked.¡± Ugh...¡±, he was at a loss for words at the moment. ¡°It is a planet.¡±


    ¡°So like Sumeru?¡±, I asked and he nodded his head. ¡°Yes, like Sumeru, little princess.¡±, replied the huntsman before the sound of many screaming girls filled the small cafeteria we were within.


    The huntsman¡¯s eyes widened and they all charged towards us for they all came to play with me. Georgie got up from his seat and ran away while the girls swamped around the table. They climbed it and took their seat as I laughed while several of them ran towards Georgie, chasing him around the cafeteria while the Golden Guard just stood there in silence, staring at one another. Meanwhile, Mary Bloodstone and Jack¡¯ron Horner walked over to the Imperial Chamber to meet an elfling there that held a carpet bag that she handed over to Mary Bloodstone and she in turn would to hand it to Jack¡¯ron, who looked down at it and rolled his eyes before the trio walked over to the doors of the throne room. The Golden Guard from inside could hear the walking footsteps of the trio before doors of the Imperial Chamber were forced open by the single push of an elven¡¯s claws. The gorgon elf would then walk into the chamber, flanked by Mary and Jack¡¯ron, walking towards the center of the throne room before she would proceed to reach for her scythes while Mary and Jack¡¯ron immediately knelt down in respect. Elina Frostclaw, the gorgon dressed in a blackened robe with a skimp-like silvery armor, would proceed to bow her head and kneel down on both knees, placing her scythes on the ground on opposite sides of her that appeared to be complete submission and respect that made the King and Queen feel very royal, very important, and they were glad.


    ¡°Lady Elina Frostclaw, my beloved and I welcome you and yours to the Kingdom of Brangomar with open hearts.¡±, my father greeted the lady who kept her head down in submission. ¡°We are honored to be here, good King.¡±, Elina then raised her head and smiled before turning her head to face my step-mother and Rose Brangomar did not like her at all, keeping her eye on the elf.


    Leonid Brangomar, my father, is also known as King Brangomar but the title that they usually associated him with is the ¡®Golden King¡¯ for the clothing he wore and the army that protected him. My father and mother are collectors of magical objects and it is for this reason the Golden Guard came to be, and it is for this reason his attire came to be. My father wore a black suit with very light pieces of fabric consisting of the majority of his clothing from his left and right side. There was a symbol of a pink heart in the center of his chest surrounded by black lining shaped like a heart with the two buttons of his golden suit serving as lights and cameras of his cybernetic suit. The shoulders of his golden suit were decorated like wings of angels with pieces of gold worn over his forehead and on the sides of his face like decoration along with the small golden piece of armor on his nose. My father was quite the healthy man and took care of himself well, and to many, due to his suit and good nature, he was known as the ¡®King of Hearts¡¯.


    ¡°And beloved Queen of Roses.¡±, Elina sounded like she flirted with her that sort of distracted my step-mother a little bit even though she kept her eye on Elina closely. ¡°We come bearing many gifts from beyond the stars.¡±, Elina then turned her head and smiled towards Jack¡¯ron.


    The dragonsworn haru stepped forth only for a few Golden Guard to step forward the closer he came to the King and Queen. However, it didn¡¯t take long even for the slow-minded haru to stop and notice the Golden Guard that had surrounded him and when he looked into their Spartan-like helmets he could not see any eyes but a void that was in their place for they were mere golems or constructs made by man, androids whose body was made off gold.


    ¡°It¡¯s a carpet bag?¡±, the King noticed what Jack¡¯ron was carrying and the haru hugged the bag with his arms while staring fearfully at the guards. ¡°Whatever it is, it is oozing with magical energies. Are you trying to deceive us, Lady Frostclaw?¡±, the Queen of Roses questioned the Pale Lady who just shook her head before nudging towards the bag.


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    ¡°You are right, beloved Queen of Roses.¡±, for a moment the Queen of Roses and the King was convinced that Elina confessed until¡­ ¡°It is magical in nature. However, it is within that your lavish gifts lie in wait. That is¡­¡±, Elina looked upward in thought, clearly playfully.


    ¡°If you would kindly allow Jack¡¯ron to present it to you, and if not, you not need to worry.¡±, Elina explained. ¡°We can always bring it back from whence we came, free of charge.¡±, she was clearly joking around now with the royalty and the King sighed, waving his hand to gesture for the Golden Guard to stand back and allowing the haru to step forward with the bag.


    He placed it over the ground, opened the bag and then reached inside of it with his right claw. Suddenly, the haru pulled out a broom that began to dance and move away on its own as he looked on with confusion and Mary Bloodstone smirked while Elina Frostclaw sighed, rolling her eyes. Jack¡¯ron then reached back inside of the bag again and pulled out a spinning wheel that confused him as he looked back to Mary Bloodstone that chuckled. The King and Queen were amazed by the spinning wheel that was tall as a human before Jack¡¯ron just shoved it back inside of the tiny bag and then he rummaged through the bag with his right claw, looking for the object he so desired. He then pulled an umbrella out of the carpet bag that matched the same fabric as the bag itself. He then kept rummaging through the bag as both the King and Queen wondered what the hell they were seeing. He leaned half of his body into the bag and then most of his body until only his legs were sticking out. He was taller and wider than the bag, and yet he was inside of the bag somehow. He then finally pulled back and with both of his claws he held onto a carpet wrapped around an object. The King and Queen waited in expectation before the carpet then suddenly flew forth and swooshed around, stretching itself and flying around. It was then that the Golden Guard stepped forth and the tip of two scythes appeared before the necks of the King and Queen, but did not have the intention to slice through their skin and flesh.


    ¡°If I truly wanted to deceive you¡­¡±, Elina said before lowering her head between both the King and Queen. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be dead.¡±, this confused them both as Elina then swung her scythes backwards as the royalty turned to face her before the magic carpet flew before her.


    When the carpet flew by, she had disappeared and the Golden Guard then raised their saw-blades in preparation to face her as she stepped forth from behind the mirror and they looked on in awe before she bowed with her whole body, and Mary Bloodstone just stood there giggling with an evil and playful smile on her face while Jack¡¯ron just stood waiting.


    ¡°Death is just too quick. You can¡¯t savor all the¡­¡±, she dragged her head over the tip of the frame of the magic mirror in thought. ¡°What is it again, magic mirror, that I cannot savor if death is just too quick?¡±, she asked the mirror with an obsidian frame with golden lining a question, and the glass in the center of it turned bloody for a moment before an image appeared.


    ¡°The little emotions, Lady Frostclaw, that show you who the people are. That is what you savor, gorgon, and that is what you seek in their last moments; the truth.¡±, the image that appeared was that off a mere reflection of Elina Frostclaw herself and it was her voice that talked back to her.


    The Golden King and the Queen of Roses were disturbed by this display, but they nevertheless understood the point that Elina Frostclaw came across. The Queen of Roses was intrigued by the mirror more than the Golden King who leaned forward in thought as the magic carpet flew on the ground over the stone steps just between the throne seats and the mirror itself.


    ¡°Magic Mirror, what do you do?¡±, asked the Golden King and then the image transformed into the Golden King himself, its voice turning to his. ¡°I tell the truth if the right questions are asked, Golden King, and yet the people often ask the wrong questions.¡±, responded the magic mirror.


    ¡°If that is so, Magic Mirror, then tell me about Elina Frostclaw. Who is she, what is she, where does the come from?¡±, the Golden King asked immediately and Elina nudged her head forth, raising one eyebrow seemingly with a smile and the magic mirror then laughed.


    Its image suddenly transformed to that of the image of Elina Frostclaw herself and the mirror took on the voice of the elven gorgon, and Jack¡¯ron leaned his head forth, he wondered what the magic mirror itself would say as did Mary Bloodstone.


    ¡°There is much more to be written about Elina Frostclaw and so to determine who and what she is not yet determined. Where she comes from, however, is also quite undetermined for death does not come from this plane of existence but another, a realm of dream and nightmares that connects other worlds. What is it that you truly wish to know about the gorgon though?¡±, Mary Bloodstone and Jack¡¯ron Horner looked to each other, both surprised about what they just heard as equally as the Golden King and the Queen of Roses are themselves.


    ¡°What are her intentions towards the Kingdom of Brangomar?¡±, asked the Golden King. ¡°Her only intentions lie with you by delivering me to the palm of your hands.¡±, the mirror replied as it took on the appearance of the Golden King and used his voice once more.


    ¡°What do you mean by that, magic mirror?¡±, asked the Golden King. ¡°Information is power, King of Brangomar, but it is how we use that information that determines who we really are.¡±, explained the magic mirror and he looked down before observing the mirror yet again.


    ¡°So you are here to test our emotions, to test who we truly are through our actions after what we discover from you?¡±, the image of the Golden King in the mirror bowed its head to confirm. ¡°We appreciate this gift, Lady Frostclaw, but I would rather you take it back for how do we know the mirror tells the truth at all times?¡±, asked the Golden King and Elina Frostclaw rolled her eyes before leaning over to the side of the mirror.


    ¡°Magic mirror, show us Snow White.¡±, the mirror¡¯s image then turned to white snow falling outside of the walls they lingered in and the Queen of Roses chuckled. ¡°I meant the Golden King¡¯s daughter!¡±, Elina shouted at the mirror that then showcased a cafeteria where I was.


    I was sitting on the table with my friends and cutting the pie in slices that I distributed to all my friends in equal amount while they squabbled for bigger or smaller pieces. I took the smallest piece of pie for myself and my father then realized the true gift of the magic mirror. He could forever use it to watch for me and discover where I was while also learning about his enemies or seeing them with his own eyes even though they were far away.


    ¡°Would you still like the mirror to be returned from whence it came, good King, or do you desire to keep it at long last?¡±, asked the elven gorgon and the human king gazed in thought. ¡°We will keep it.¡±, the Queen of Roses answered for him and she turned to face him.


    ¡°If you fear the mirror so much, we can always place it within Snow White¡¯s room.¡±, the Queen suggested and the King shook his head. ¡°No, all font of information can be corruptive if not used and utilized properly. We will take it to the trophy room and keep it there until needed.¡±, the Golden King replied before turning his attention to Elina Frostclaw.


    ¡°We thank you for these gifts, Lady Frostclaw, and in return you are welcome to stay for as long as you wish. However, I don¡¯t believe that you¡¯ve come all this way to leave such a powerful gift in our possession only to leave empty handed?¡±, Elina Frostclaw then turned and faced her scythe towards the glass mirror, its tip touching its center and even the animated object felt fear.


    The magic mirror stared at Elina and she looked upon it with a smile on her face, waiting for the mirror to respond and so it would.


    ¡°Elina Frostclaw came as a representative of the Black Lotus Tribe that in turn represents the Dragon Empire of the world of the Dragonlands that seek to open a trade with the Kingdom of Brangomar.¡±, Elina lowered the scythe, observing the mirror very carefully before leaving.


    ¡°However, the elven gorgon does not care for what your decision is for all she desired, truly, is to leave me in the palm of your hands.¡±, Elina walked towards the chamber doors and whistled for Jack¡¯ron to come as he bowed to the King and Queen along with Mary Bloodstone.


    They flanked Elina¡¯s side once more and left as the gorgon pulled the chamber doors open before turning around, smiling and bowing her whole body.


    ¡°Farewell, Golden King and Queen of Roses, until we meet again.¡±, she bid them farewell and walked out with her two followers accompanying her out of the throne room.


    This left an ominous silence within the throne room for the Golden King and Queen of Roses that were greeted like royalty but when their guests left they did not feel like that anymore. The Golden Guard approached the mirror on both sides and lifted it, carrying it away for them. The Queen stood up, took a few steps down over the carpet and smacked it with her foot as it did not even move. She then whistled and it rose up with her on top of it, levitating in front of the King that stood up for he was worried. The Queen then looked down upon the carpet in wonder as the Golden Guards entered the trophy room, a vast open round room, where the King and Queen kept all their enchanted objects, magical icons, bobbles, and gewgaws. The Golden Guard placed their latest collection in the room before they would leave it be while the Queen of Roses rode the carpet around the throne chamber with the Golden King noticing that the trio had left their bag behind. He approached it, opened it, and looked within only to see a large void before reaching down within it only to pull out a staff with one hand and a hatchet with another. It was then that he saw the dancing broom that kept on dancing in the throne room and sighed for he knew that the trio clearly did not care for what they left behind. He placed the objects down and kept looking inside as he pulled out a sorcerer¡¯s hat, a hook hand, and even unicorn horns. He then wondered what the umbrella was that the trio brought from before and opened it, but nothing happened and the Queen of Roses stopped beside him, staring at him with a smile while on top of the carpet and he handed her the umbrella for he found it to be useless until she levitated up into the air and he laughed for now he knew its magical nature. His golden armor weighed him down but she did not wear such armor to weigh herself down. My mother wore a red corset with her body exposed from above her boobs to her neck where she wore a piece of black clothing matching her black metallic plates that served as her shoulder protective wear with spikes coming out of them and underneath them she wore a dark red fabric that covered half of her red silk sleeves she wore over her arms. She wore an obsidian crown with golden lining in her red hair with four red enchanted roses that bloomed wherever she ventured with spikes protruding from on top her crown. She spotted several tattoos over her face and body. She was known as the Queen of Roses, the Queen of Love, and the Queen of Thorns. My father hopped up on the magic carpet and pointed upward, shouting for the carpet to fetch her and it obeyed. Once he had acquired his beloved Queen, she let go off the umbrella that struck the ceiling like a balloon and remained there as he smiled towards my step-mother and kissed her over the lips.


    ¡°Little Snow White!¡±, Georgie Porgie called. ¡°I hope you are enjoying your pudding and pie.¡±, he said. ¡°Because now prepare for ice cream!¡±, he raised two cones and the girls cried out for more sweets as they ran towards him and he laughed while backing away.


    I then looked through the window of the cafeteria and saw the trio walk away with Elina herself stopping in her tracks. She turned her head and looked at me with an evil grin on her face before turning to leave in the company of her followers. I always wondered who the strange unusual visitors were and what unusual gifts they brought from beyond the stars¡­

 Chapter One: Snow White & Rose Red

    I would spend most of my days with my friends who are the sons and mainly the daughters of noble families. My life was not like that of Georgie Porgie and other citizens as well as villagers of the Kingdom of Brangomar that lived in villages, caverns and lairs of Meru Mountains. My father always believed I should not be involved in politics until I was at least ten and I was seven years old at this time. My father and I would often spend our time together while I could never adjust to my new step-mother, something he knew too well.


    ¡°Careful now, careful¡­¡±, my father had me crouched down over the magic carpet that levitated. ¡°My daughter means everything to me. No cut corners, no fast turns, no ballsy little moves. I want you to fly her around the trophy room, slowly and gently.¡±, he instructed the flying carpet that levitated upwards and did exactly as my father instructed him to do so.


    It flew past, around and between the many columns within the room and besides the many layers of separate levels where more objects were kept behind glass. My father looked on as I giggled.


    ¡°Keep your head down, Svetlana, you don¡¯t want to hit your head in the ceiling now, do you?¡±, I lowered myself down cautiously and grabbed hold of the carpet that flew around the area.


    My step-mother walked into the room in the company of two Golden Guards that stood at the door and waited for her while she went to talk with my father. Upon her seeing her approach, he raised his head and said out loud to the magic carpet.


    ¡°Do not drop her, but show off a little, will you?¡±, the carpet did as he commanded and often flew upward, dropping me before it would snatch me mid air. ¡°Didn¡¯t those strange visitors from beyond the stars concern you even a little tiny bit?¡±, asked my step-mother.


    ¡°I do not wish to speak off such matters while I am spending time with my daughter, Rose.¡±, my father replied only for my step-mother to sigh. ¡°She¡¯s levitating on top of a magic carpet. If anything, she is spending time with a rug.¡±, my step-mother gave her opinion and father sighed.


    ¡°The trio gave me the creeps, sure, but not as much as the pale lady did and if what the magic mirror says is true, then she is not a threat to us and therefore none of my concern.¡±, he explained much to my mother¡¯s annoyance for she believed that the strangers were dangerous.


    ¡°And you trust in this magic mirror? You trust in these strangers that have left it behind for us? You trust that there is evil intention for what they left it behind? You just¡­¡±, my step-mother paused. ¡°Just blindly trust?¡±, she was right to question my father, but he knew too well¡­


    ¡°I do not trust in the strangers and I do not know whether or not they have any intentions for our Kingdom of Brangomar or not, nor do I blindly trust in anything they say. I do, however, trust in the magic mirror.¡±, he explained. ¡°And I also believe that information, knowledge, is a power that can both corrupt and be used for good.¡±, he explained while observing the carpet fly before turning finally to face my step-mother, staring deep into her eyes.


    ¡°The pale lady was telling the truth from the start, which both intrigued and scared me about her. She left behind the mirror in the palm of our hands and I believe it is to test us, which is why it shall be left here and used only when necessary. We shall not abuse its power for both you and I know that magic is capable of shaping the individual who uses it, do we not?¡±, my step-mother looked aside in thought and then turned to face him. ¡°So you truly believe the mirror is telling us the truth?¡±, she asked and my father replied. ¡°It is not what I believe. It is what I know.¡±


    ¡°Now excuse me, I need to spend some time with our daughter.¡±, my father said to her before whistling for the carpet to come down and she left in that moment, leaving us alone.


    ¡°This is the best!¡±, I said out loud to my father, who looked upon me with a smile and then climbed on top of the magic carpet along with me. ¡°Well, I still have much to show you.¡±, he then patted the magic carpet before whistling and pulling on it as we flew outside of the window.


    As the magic carpet flew, I gazed from above down towards the Mountains of Meru below and saw the many flashing lights of our glorious kingdom and the many tree houses they¡¯ve made. At night time, they often had campfires and bonfires that gave bright lights below. As I looked to my father excitedly, he just nodded his head and held onto the carpet while he directed through the region¡¯s many cold and even frozen rivers, and it was very cold up here as my face froze due to how cold it was. My nose was so cold that I could not even feel how stuffy my nose is. My step-mother walked back into the trophy room after we left and carefully observed the magic mirror that she gazed upon in thought, and as she planned to leave she was distracted yet again.


    ¡°Magic mirror on the wall¡­¡±, she called for the mirror as she approached it with grace. ¡°Who is the fairest one of all?¡±, she asked the question that the magic mirror would answer to as it took on the form one of the one who is fairest and it was me, Svetlana Brangomar, and no answer was given as my mother observed carefully, wondering why it did not talk.


    ¡°What is the matter, are you broken? Is it that you only speak with the Golden King?¡±, she questioned the mirror and the image of myself smiled to her before replying. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±, the mirror asked a simple question and my mother¡¯s worst fears at the time came true.


    ¡°Snow White¡­¡±, she said with realization and looked over on the side. ¡°But this cannot be.¡±, my mother added. ¡°How can she be the fairest one of all? She¡¯s a little girl, merely seven years old.¡±, my step-mother questioned the mirror that focused its eyes on my mother.


    ¡°Beauty is not everything, my Queen.¡±, said the mirror and my step-mother gazed upon it in disgust. ¡°Lips red as blood¡­¡±, the image that was me placed its right hand over its lips before it would proceed touching its hair. ¡°Hair black as ebony¡­¡±, as the mirror went onto explain before lifting its head and dragging its left hand over its neck, grazing its finger tips there.


    ¡°Skin white as snow¡­¡±, the mirror explained before it would tell her something that not even my father and I knew. ¡°Just like her mother wished when the wishing star fell from the skies on that very faithful day.¡±, the mirror revealed and my step-mother just had to know.


    ¡°Magic mirror on the wall¡­¡±, she said. ¡°Show me that very faithful day that Snow White, daughter of Leonid and Irina Brangomar, was born.¡±, the magic mirror then smiled before the image of myself disappeared only to be replaced by that of the castle in which we lived.


    My step-mother could see my own mother, Irina Brangomar, sitting near an open window and sowing during a winter snowfall. My mother had short white hair, light blue eyes and wore a winter coat at the time she sat beside the window where she would accidentally prick her finger on her needle. She dropped her needle to the ground and three drops of red blood dripped onto the freshly fallen white snow on the black windowsill before she placed her finger in her mouth to lick her wound. My step-mother gazed in awe at the reflection of the past before my mother gazed upon the skies to see a star that fell from the skies and in her eyes there was hope as she saw it swoosh by. In that moment, she lowered her hand and placed her finger in the snow on the black windowsill. She then leaned her body forth and said¡­


    ¡°Star light, star bright, first star that I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight. I wish that I have a daughter with skin white as snow, lips as red as blood and hair black as ebony.¡±, my mother wished only for my father to reach out for her with his arms and hug her that made her smile so much as she turned her head to face him before they both kissed.


    ¡°And one day¡­¡±, my father said. ¡°We will.¡±, he smiled towards her and kissed her again before lifting her from the black windowsill and the vision ended.


    ¡°That is how much your mother loved you.¡±, my father and I happened to ask the magic mirror to show us the same vision, although my father asked it to do so out of love for me. ¡°You were her last wish before she died and mine. I never wished for anything ever again.¡±, he explained.


    ¡°Not even for mother to come back?¡±, I gazed at the mirror that was a reflection of myself as I asked that question and my father sighed, kneeling down and placing his arms around me. ¡°Of course I wished for that. I wished for that many, many times, my beloved Svetlana, and I wish there was a star like the one that gave birth to you that day, every day, deep down in my own thoughts and my own mind, but there isn¡¯t one. I wish you could have met her, gotten to know her, to have spent time with her, to have grown alongside her as I have.¡±, he gazed into the mirror as I did and we both saw our own reflections while my step-mother looked on in secret.


    ¡°One thing is for sure, Svetlana, she loved you and if she was still around, she would still love you and none of that would ever change. Her love for you was as powerful as the wish she made on that faithful night.¡±, he explained and I sniffled, tears formed in my eyes. ¡°The kind of wish and love that killed her.¡±, I wiped the tears in my eyes before he turned me around.


    ¡°No, no, no, Svetlana, don¡¯t you ever say that.¡±, my father added. ¡°But it¡¯s true.¡±, I replied. ¡°No, Svetlana, it is not. I do not know why your mother died that day, but it wasn¡¯t because of you because you gave her strength as you give me strength with every passing day, okay?¡±, he wiped my tears with both of his thumbs of both of his hands as he looked deep into my eyes.


    ¡°Your mother loved you, Svetlana, as your father loves you. Don¡¯t you ever forget that, okay?¡±, tears formed in his eyes and I nodded my head as we both hugged in front of the mirror that night and my step-mother observed carefully, and she concluded that my father would never love her.


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    That my father would never love her as he loved my mother and that was abundantly clear to her. She lowered her head down and turned around, leaving the room and many things clicked in for her from that day onward. She found herself standing in front of the mirror, alone, on nights that no one was there and her only companion was the magic mirror and carpet that the trio gifted upon her as well as the magical phoenix she kept within a magical cage in her possession.


    ¡°He never loved someone like he loved her.¡±, she said to herself. ¡°Of course.¡±, the magic mirror replied and the Queen of Roses turned, facing the magic mirror that confirmed what she said.


    ¡°She was his first love and they are always the most powerful.¡±, the mirror took on the appearance of Irina and used her voice to describe the burning passion that once lived back then.


    ¡°And yet, unlike most couples, their love never ended, it grew and sprouted into something beautiful. Most couples just break up and part ways, leaving behind a seed that withers away, old and alone, in their hearts and closes them off to others, and the Golden King¡¯s seed started to wither when his love died.¡±, the magic mirror explained and Rose Brangomar listened carefully, thinking off her own past relationships and what it means to love¡­


    ¡°But he is my first¡­¡±, said the Queen. ¡°By chance or by arranged marriage?¡±, the mirror asked and Rose Brangomar raised her head in realization. ¡°There is another, remember?¡±, the mirror continued to speak. ¡°Another by the name of Snow White.¡±, this caught the Queen¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Yes, my sister¡­¡±, said Rose Brangomar and then the mirror showed a vision of two children playing in front of a cottage with a spinning wheel by a creek in the woods. ¡°Your sister was quiet and shy; she preferred spending her time indoors, reading and doing housework. You, on the other hand, Rose Red¡­¡±, the mirror continued to explain and Rose Brangomar turned to see herself in the mirror that knew the truth off her past all along.


    ¡°You were quite outspoken, lively and cheerful. You preferred to be outside and yet¡­¡±, the image looked around inside of the room at all corners. ¡°You now spend most of your time indoors, quiet and unspoken, even to your husband while in bed.¡±, Rose Red then raised her head in anger. ¡°That is enough!¡±, she raised her voice to the magic mirror that then went silent.


    That night, Rose Red returned to her chamber along with her husband and he lay with her in bed, lying over the bed with his back facing her and even if she reached around him with her arms he would move aside or simply not even acknowledge that she wanted his attention. It felt like that every night and the queen consistently thought about the magic mirror. In fact, she thought about it so much that it kept her up at night and the less she slept, the more her thoughts consumed her. She returned to the trophy room in the middle of midnight and approached it. The magic mirror did not react at all and the magic carpet rose up from one side, spying on the Queen of Roses that looked back to the carpet that immediately laid flat over the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m half frozen and I merely want to warm up a little at your place.¡±, said the Queen of Roses. ¡°That is what he said when he came to our door on that very faithful day and we let him in.¡±, Red Rose described to the mirror about her past, gazing into it to see her own reflection.


    ¡°We let the bear in and he lay beside the fire as we beat the snow off of him, and we spoke with him and became quite friendly with him. We played with the bear, rolled him around playfully, and let him spend the night until our mother woke the next morning, scaring him and chasing him off as he trotted out into the woods. He came back every night for a rest that winter and eventually even our own mother grew used to him.¡±, she described as she kept staring into the mirror. ¡°When summer came, the bear told us he must go away for a while to guard his treasure from a wicked dwarf, a dwarf  we had never seen before until¡­¡±, she paused in thought.


    ¡°You wandered through the forest and happened to find a dwarf whose bears was stuck in a tree.¡±, the magic mirror spoke in her voice and her image, and the Queen of Roses stared back. ¡°Yes¡­¡±, she confirmed what the mirror said. ¡°We rescued him by cutting his beard free, but he was ungrateful and yelled at us for cutting his beautiful beard.¡±, she remembered those days.


    ¡°You encountered the dwarf several times that summer and rescued him from some peril each time, for which he was ungrateful as well, wasn¡¯t he?¡±, the magic mirror asked and Rose Red nodded her head. ¡°Then one day, we came across the dwarf again. This time, he was terrified because there was the bear who was about to kill him and the dwarf had the gall to plead with the bear and beg for him to eat us. Instead, the bear paid no heed to his plea and killed the dwarf with one single swipe of his paw and the bear transformed into a prince before our eyes, a little boy equally as old as we were at the time.¡±, Red Rose continued to tell the tale before the mirror would once more continue it for her, further revealing it knew the truth all along.


    ¡°The dwarf had previously put a spell on the prince by stealing his precious stones and turning him into a bear, and the curse was broken with the death of the dwarf. Your sister married the prince and when your mother became too old...¡±, ¡°the mirror would then be interrupted by Rose Red who raised her head and said. ¡°I cared for her!¡±, in a firm statement of anger.


    ¡°Snow White left me behind to watch our mother deteriorate, slowly lose her mind and wither away in front of me while she was off living a wealthy life with a prince that loves her.¡±, Rose Red would never forgive her sister for what she had done and looked down in thought. ¡°Then years later, after our mother¡¯s passing, she comes to her funeral and offers me the hand of the prince¡¯s brother, now a widower, not because she missed me or because she took pity on me but because it was the best for the Twin Kingdoms of Brangomar.¡±, explained Rose Red to the mirror that stood in observation, giving her time to recollect her thoughts as the queen closed her eyes.


    ¡°She would become the Snow Queen and I the Queen of Roses. She would marry one who loves her and I would marry one who would forever love another, and now his daughter is called her name. It is as if the very fabric of the universe is mocking me.¡±, explained Rose Red before a thought came to her mind and then she turned to the mirror with a thought in mind.


    ¡°Magic mirror on the wall, tell me about Georgie Porgie¡­¡±, she asked and the mirror replied. ¡°Which Georgie Porgie?¡±, the Queen of Roses sighed before she would smack her own face with the palm of her hand and then she would go into details about whom she truly meant.


    ¡°Svetlana?¡±, my father would knock on my door that night. ¡°Come in, daddy!¡±, I said to him as he would open the door into my room and walk in with a box. ¡°I¡¯ve brought you a gift.¡±, he said as he approached me with a jewelry box in hand and I wondered what it is.


    ¡°What is it?¡±, I asked and he sat on the corner of my bed, opening the box in front of me and from it he pulled a necklace with four tiny pebbles of runic stones with the fifth taking the shape of a star in the middle that he presented to me and I took hold of it, observing them carefully.


    ¡°They are beautiful.¡±, my eyes were mesmerized by the stone shaped like a heart for stars had an important meaning for me from that night onward for the rest of my life. ¡°Do you remember the tale I told you about your step-mother and her sister?¡±, my father asked and I chuckled.


    ¡°Yes, and¡­ ohh!¡±, I said with realization. ¡°These four stones, they are, they are¡­!¡±, I repeated in excitement and my father nodded his head. ¡°Yes, the very four pebbles that the dwarf stole from my brother and used to transform us into bears. Your uncle gifted them to me and now I pass it onto you, my little Snow White, so that you may hold onto them as I have once upon a time.¡±, my father explained before he kissed my forehead, petted me and smiled at me.


    ¡°This stone here, however, was your mothers.¡±, my father pointed to the star. ¡°She told me to pass it onto you when you come of age.¡±, he stated and I turned to him with confusion.


    ¡°But I am only seven?¡±, he smirked to my question. ¡°But far wiser than most girls your age. That is why I believe you are ready to receive it earlier.¡±, he explained and I smiled to my father.


    ¡°Really?¡±, he then snuggled my nose and felt my cheek. ¡°Yes, Svetlana.¡±, he said in confidence to me and this warmed my heart so much. ¡°Your mother always said that when things seem most dark that this star will show you the light to guide your path.¡±, he felt the star in his hand.


    ¡°On the day I first met your mother, this star shinned bright and therefore it is without a doubt that it will perhaps, one day, illuminate your path when you need to find your way as well.¡±, my father explained and I touched the star with my hand, observing it in the palm of my hand.


    ¡°Now sweet dreams, my beloved Svetlana, and good night.¡±, he said as he kissed my forehead.


    After my father left, my step-mother would leave him to lay in his bed alone and he didn¡¯t even notice, and how could he? He did not bother to feel her warmth in days. The Queen of Roses would walk towards the Imperial Chamber where the Golden Guard lied in wait and she walked past them in between as she thrust the doors open as the huntsman turned to see her.


    ¡°What do I owe to the honor of these summons, your grace?¡±, the huntsman asked the Queen of Roses who just walked past him without saying a word. ¡°I find it amusing that you think this summoning of yours is honorable, traitor.¡±, this confused the huntsman that remained where he stood although his look shifted first left and then right towards the Golden Guard.


    ¡°I am afraid I do not understand, my queen.¡±, said the huntsman. ¡°I am perfectly sure that you perfectly understand what I am trying to convey, huntsman, and since I can no longer afford delay, allow me to make it clear to you. You are an agent from beyond the stars, servant of the famed Dragon Empire, are you not?¡±, she questioned the huntsman who shook his head.


    He could not believe what the Queen of Roses was telling him as he stared at her with disbelief.


    ¡°Today, we received a couple of visitors from the Dragonlands and they left behind a magic mirror that tells no lies.¡±, the Queen explained to the huntsman that smirked. ¡°I believe the one who gifted it upon us was called the pale lady¡­¡±, upon the Queen saying those words, the eyes of the huntsman had widened and Rose Red sat upon her throne, crossing her legs together.


    ¡°The mirror told me you would not confess unless you knew off her hear real name and it is Elina Frostclaw, the elven gorgon of the Black Lotus Tribe. She was the one that thrust this gift upon our us.¡±, and the huntsman would only confess upon hearing her name as he sighed deeply.


    ¡°Gift?¡±, asked the huntsman. ¡°More like a curse.¡±, he added. ¡°The pale lady is death incarnate, Lady Red, and death does not lie nor can we lie to death.¡±, the huntsman explained and the Queen was intrigued by just how much even the huntsman feared the very thought of her.


    ¡°So¡­¡±, he said before he knelt down on one knee. ¡°I guess this is the end for Gorgie Porgie. If little Snow White asks, could you at least tell her I said goodbye?¡±, he said with a smile.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry.¡±, said my step-mother. ¡°You will be able to say good-bye to her yourself.¡±, this confused Georgie Porgie, who looked up to her with a focused gaze on his face.


    ¡°I shall reward you with your weight in gold for doing so and more importantly; by not telling the Golden King of your true origins.¡±, she revealed to him much to his astonishment. ¡°That¡¯s it? You just want me to say good-bye to the little girl and leave forever?¡±, the huntsman asked.


    ¡°Well, you got it half right.¡±, this now confused the huntsman even more. ¡°Huh?¡±, he did not know what to say until my step-mother added. ¡°For you are not the one who shall be leaving this plane of existence, she is.¡±, the Queen of Roses said that to the huntsman and he grew even more astonished for he knew now exactly what she was implying¡­

 Chapter Two: The Woodlands

    The following days, father and I would spend our time flying over the magic carpet to various destinations to see the rest of our Kingdom and in the meantime, my step-mother would visit the Magic Mirror in secret almost every single night. At the dinner table, we eat like we did every night with father and me joking around while my step-mother wouldn¡¯t say a word, but I could see her smile and gaze towards me in thought. It was as if something emotional moved her heart. Perhaps it was memories, perhaps not? I do not know how she felt back in those days for I was merely a seven year old girl. My father fell ill on one day and he remained in his bed, a high fevered developed that kept him there and I visited him to see how he was doing. I didn¡¯t think anything of it for a fever and a cold were quite common, and my father was a firm believer in building up your immunity to most sicknesses that came our way. Georgie Porgie would take me to his cafeteria every day where I would meet up with my friends and one faithful day¡­


    ¡°Hey, Snow¡­¡±, I eat pudding and pie when he spoke to me about his plan. ¡°Since your father has fallen ill and you don¡¯t get along with your mother. How would you feel if I took you out for a magic carpet ride?¡±, I was excited by his suggestion but at the same time worried.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±, I said to him. ¡°I would have to ask my father.¡±, I implied only for Georgie to look at me with uncertainty. ¡°But your father is ill and he needs rest.¡±, stated Georgie Porgie.


    ¡°I know¡­¡±, I said while lowering the pudding down over the table. ¡°What he does not know cannot hurt him, you know?¡±, the huntsman implied and I looked down in thought.


    ¡°That is an excellent suggestion, huntsman.¡±, I turned to see my step-mother in the cafeteria as she looked at me with a smile. ¡°I apologize, my little Snow White, I just happened to overhear what Georgie had suggested to you from afar.¡±, I looked uncomfortable as I always did.


    Something about my step-mother always gave me the chills and the creeps. I always felt an unusual energy circulating around her and I also felt like I didn¡¯t want to get too close to her for I felt I would be responsible for yet another death of a loved one that my father loves.


    ¡°With your father sick and being barely able to spare some time with you as it is, I think a little trip with Georgie here would be fun. Where are you planning to take her though?¡±, my step-mother inquired only for Georgie to gaze up at her and then towards me in thought.


    ¡°I was thinking to take her on the borders of Meru, to show her the woodlands a little bit.¡±, this immediately made me worry. ¡°But father always said the woodlands is a very dangerous place.¡±, I gave my opinions to the huntsman and my step-mother, both whom were lost in thought.


    ¡°Well, yes it is, if you head into the woodlands. Isn¡¯t that right, huntsman?¡±, she took her seat next to me and questioned Georgie who nodded his head. ¡°Yes, but we won¡¯t be heading into the woodlands, my queen, we will be heading to their borders for I just want the princess to see the forest from afar.¡±, he explained to my step-mother who nodded her head in thought.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see anything wrong with that¡­¡±, she said. ¡°You are sure that it is safe though? I don¡¯t want you to run into any of those mutant barbarians.¡±, she stated and Georgie smirked.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about them, my queen, that¡¯s why they call me the huntsman.¡±, he chuckled and the Queen nodded her head with a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt your abilities at all, but at the end of it all it comes down to Snow White¡¯s decision overall.¡±, my step-mother patted my back and I looked to her uncomfortably, and I could tell her in her eyes that she noticed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±, I said to them both. ¡°I don¡¯t feel comfortable.¡±, I added and they both seemed to understand. ¡°If you don¡¯t, you don¡¯t.¡±, said Georgie Porgie. ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t have to go.¡±, said my step-mother. ¡°It is just a suggestion. I mean, god knows I am any fun.¡±, she added and at the time I believed she made a very good point, we barely hung out.


    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you come as well? We could spend time together.¡±, this made the huntsman look towards my step-mother as she sighed. ¡°I wish I could, little Snow White, but all of the Kingdom¡¯s responsibilities fall upon my shoulders for as long as your father remains ill.¡±, her explanation made sense to me and I looked down myself, sighing in disappointment.


    ¡°But you can still go and have some fun, and besides; it¡¯s going to be a whole new experience for you. I lived in a cottage within the woodlands almost my entire life, remember? It¡¯s something I suggest you do not miss out on.¡±, my step-mother explained and gave it a thought, and I knew she was telling the truth for father always told me about her past and his own.


    ¡°Is it true what they say about the mutant dwarves? Are they truly tricksters and deceivers?¡±, I asked for I wished to know and Georgie Porgie smirked. ¡°Are they ever?¡±, he said. ¡°But don¡¯t you worry, we won¡¯t run into any of them for they know better than to encroach upon the borders of our Kingdom.¡±, he firmly reassured me and I smiled, gazing longingly in thought.


    ¡°Fine¡­¡±, I made my decision. ¡°I¡¯ll go, but next time¡­¡±, I then gazed to my step-mother. ¡°You¡¯re coming too, okay?¡±, I grabbed her hand and she looked down towards it, reaching back for it and holding onto it, and it was for the first time I felt we were close. ¡°I promise.¡±, she said.


    The next day we would emerge out of the trophy room with my mother bidding us a farewell as we journeyed around the Mountains of Meru upon a magic carpet. It felt so unusual to be with Georgie Porgie this time compared to my father but I thought about it as another adventure. I would go to explore and most importantly finally able to see the borders of the woodlands. The locals referred to it as the ¡®Dwarf Woodlands¡¯ for the dwarfs inhabited the region. The woods surrounded the Twin Kingdoms of Brangomar and between the two kingdoms lied what is known as the ¡®King¡¯s Road¡¯ that lead to the center of the world where there was a crossroads and in the center of that crossroads there was a gigantic tree known as the ¡®World Tree¡¯. Its roots spread far and wide all across the world of Sumeru. There were many who referred it to as the Heart of Sumeru for they believed it held the world together. Georgie Porgie and I would descend into the forest below with the magic carpet where he dropped me off. We would hurl snowballs at one another, we would build snowmen, and I would slide down hills in the snow. I would lie on the ground and make snow angels while constantly paying heed to the woodlands. I always wondered what lied within until Georgie walked up behind me and gave me a nudge.


    ¡°Are they often this silent?¡±, I asked the huntsman. ¡°Yes, and for good reason.¡±, explained the huntsman. ¡°Elves¡­¡±, this one word made me reach for my chest for I was an elf too.


    ¡°I heard that those who linger within these forests are unlike those of the Twin Kingdoms.¡±, I said to the huntsman that nodded his head with agreement. ¡°They¡¯re savages, Snow White, and cannibals.¡±, I stepped back frightened until he reached over my shoulders with his hands.


    ¡°But rest assured, none of them will harm you as long as Georgie Porgie is around.¡±, the hunter reassured me and I trusted him as I gazed deeper into the dwarf woodlands. ¡°So why is it called the dwarf woodlands then and not the elf woodlands?¡±, I questioned the huntsman.


    ¡°Well, to tell you the truth, I do not know. It¡¯s probably because humans have a huge hatred for the dwarves.¡±, explained Georgie as we wandered deeper into the woodlands and looked to its beautiful surroundings as it was an ancient, old forest that was unchanged by humanity.


    ¡°Why?¡±, I asked the huntsman. ¡°Because they¡¯re mutants.¡±, replied the huntsman. ¡°So they were once humans like us?¡±, I asked. ¡°Yes.¡±, said Georgie Porgie. ¡°There are many legends about where we came from as a species and one of them speaks that we came from beyond the stars with many believing we are tiny fragments of a falling star.¡±, this intrigued me because of the very past of how I was born due to the wishing star, and I believed there to be a connection.


    ¡°And what do you think?¡±, I questioned the huntsman who chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t know and I don¡¯t care, little Snow White.¡±, I then turned to face the huntsman and saw him holding the rifle he had often carried over his back with both of his hands, and I looked up into his eyes.


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    When I looked into his eyes, I no longer saw the same kind look off the huntsman but rather a different one I did not recognize. It looked like he thought little of me with the stare he gave me and I looked down towards the rifle, thinking about my step-mother and everything that lead me into the woodlands. I then thought about my father being ill, how my step-mother suggested for me to be brought here, how Georgie Porgie was so adamant to do so as well and how mother made excuses for not telling my father or letting me wander into the forest alone. There was a silence between the both of us and I sighed, closing my eyes and breathing out the cold air as the huntsman stood before me without saying a word.


    ¡°Spare me the mockery of justice.¡±, I said in quiet contemplation. ¡°I know why I am here. I know it was my own step-mother who put you up to this.¡±, I told the huntsman that gazed longingly at me in silence and he lowered his head, gazing deep into my eyes where he saw tears forming in my eyes for I knew there was no escape from this.


    ¡°Do you also know that she wishes for me to take your heart and place it inside this chest?¡±, he then raised the same chest that my father held my necklace within that was around my neck.


    ¡°I always knew she was a vain woman, but wicked?¡±, I shook my head as tears went down my eyes. ¡°She¡¯s also envious of you, Snow White.¡±, the huntsman stated. ¡°And how couldn¡¯t she be?¡±, he added and I looked up to his eyes, seeing him point the rifle towards me.


    ¡°I mean, just look how wise and mature you are for your age.¡±, stated the huntsman. ¡°How fair you are to your friends, family, and even to strangers.¡±, the huntsman added and I exhaled, shaking as I waited for the huntsman to strike me down at last.


    ¡°Have you any last words, Snow White? If so, speak now or forever hold your peace.¡±, he asked and I fell down on my knees, crossing my hands together. ¡°Thank you.¡±, I said to the huntsman who looked down at me with confusion. ¡°Thank you for what?¡±, he asked.


    ¡°For being the man I will forever carry in my heart, huntsman, and not the man you have become.¡±, I said to the huntsman who pointed his gun closer to me. ¡°I was always this man, little Snow White, you just didn¡¯t see it!¡±, the huntsman said and I shook my head in denial.


    ¡°Without heart, without consciousness?¡±, I stated. ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe that.¡±, I said to the hunter who pointed his gun closer to my head. ¡°Believe what you will, girl!¡±, his hands shook and so did the rifle he held as I closed my eyes with my tears moving down over my cheek that froze.


    The huntsman¡¯s hands weren¡¯t steady and they constantly shook, he struggled on making the decision whether or not to shoot me. He stepped closer and pointed the rifle closely but I did not open my eyes. I cried and I waited for him to do it, to finally shoot me where I was kneeling until he shouted and finally opened fire, several shots fired into the woods as the trees cleared of the many birds that past by me. I remember turning my head and falling down into the snow as the sound of the gunfire was too loud and so deafening, and I covered my ears as I heard loud ringing. The huntsman gazed down towards me and I looked up towards him, and he held his rifle as he took repeated heavy breaths before he heard an unusual sound coming from the forest. It was then that upon all of a sudden sprouted forth the elves, both gorgon and malfhi in larger packs that went to attack the huntsman that opened fire upon them. Seeing this distraction, I got up and immediately fled into the woods as I heard the huntsman¡¯s rifle shoot repeatedly. I fled deep into the woods as the gun shots kept firing and I could hear the huntsman grunt and yell as he waved his hatchet that was drown out by the sounds of the growling and snarling elves. I could then hear something descending down upon the many trees and I immediately thought that they were elves as I didn¡¯t even bother to look back. I ran and I ran as they gave chase after me on all fours, both claws and paws as they had their massive jaws spread open ready to consume me if they got the chance to. I saw owl eyes staring at me whenever I turned in the darkness and I kept running only to move through a group of bats that flew past me as I shook myself off before suddenly falling down a ravine as I found myself sliding and screaming in terror as I covered my face only for one of the elves to thrust herself forth only to strike the ceiling with her head and then slide only to screech as she hit a nearby rock. One elf then struck the ground with her claws to stop and laughed at her friend before the snow that I fell through from before struck her, sending her further down the ravine. I then struck a few branches that seemed to be made out of roots that seemed to be entangled within the ravine and broke through them as I kept screaming. I kept twisting and turning only to fall down another hole as the third elf that chased me snatched the ground with her claws, stopping and was about to jump down the hole until she saw a large snowball ball make its way to her and her eyes widened.


    ¡°Oh, fuck my life.¡±, the elf said before her companion struck her like a bowling ball and sent them both flying out of the ravine itself.


    I then felt gushing winds that pushed me forth as I slid through a tunnel full of bats and finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel as I screamed until I was finally launched out of the ravine itself. I fell down over a snowy hill and kept rolling downwards as I kept hitting the ground over and over again with my own tail always encircling me to protect me from harm. I then remember falling into the snow and felt a huge blizzard surrounding me that was chilling to the bone. The huntsman himself, however, managed to get away by jumping off a cliff and landing upon the magic carpet that flew him away from danger as he circled around the forest, trying to find me. I lifted my head as the snow fell from me and everywhere I looked I could see mists as the gushing wind blew past me. I got up to stand and held my hands together as there was not a creature in sight no matter how long I stared in either direction. I then chose to wander into the snowy hills of this strange place in hopes to find shelter from the snow storm. Minutes turned to hours and although we could never see the sun in the skies, we felt its warmth and saw its light that I now saw was fading which concerned me. Once I caught glimpse of the sight of the woods again, I headed into its direction only to pass by a frozen river and noticed a small bridge in the distance that I crossed over and before my very eyes I seen it. It was a cottage that appeared human sized but what confused me was that it appeared human child-like sized. So I decided to head towards it and I could see several tree stumps as well as one fallen tree that were lying over the ground. Just before the cottage is a large bridge that lead across and over the frozen river that was entirely covered in snow, and I crossed over the bridge fearing that I might collapse through the ice that could potentially break beneath my feet. I made my way to the cottage that appeared to have two floors and I knocked on the door only to receive no answer. There was a window close by that appeared to be dark and I looked inside of the cottage, but it was pointless as my eyes could barely make out anything for it was very dark inside. I sighed and turned as I reached for the handle of the door and pulled before I then pushed only to enter the cottage.


    ¡°Hello?¡±, I called out frightened. ¡°Hello?!¡±, I double checked as the snowy blizzard blew in the snow and I turned only to shut it closed immediately after myself to prevent anymore wind and snow coming in as everything turned dark for I could not see anything.


    ¡°Anyone home?!¡±, I called and the only light I had shinned from outside the window that light up the cottage where I saw a beautifully decorated interior with ornate wood carvings.


    I looked around only to see the woodcarvings of various animals, dwarf figures, humanoid figures, doll houses, and even one carving of the wooden cottage itself that was a very intricate and detailed design. Almost every object, from a chair to a candle holder, was detailed in some way. I looked to see that there were many hammer picks, shovels, bags of jewels, sowing kits, needles, spinning wheels, saws, hammers, sledgehammers and other equipment lying around that seemed to be quite clean compared to most of the houses ornamental objects that were covered in webbing or dust in some sort of way. I immediately realized that somebody lived here that preferred to work rather than take care of the cottage itself. It was then that I saw a kitten walk over to me that I found rather strange for when it sat down I could swear I saw it wore boots.


    ¡°Aw, aren¡¯t you just the cutest little puss in boots?¡±, I said to the kitten before it would astonish me by actually replying. ¡°How come you know of my name, stranger?¡±, my eyes then widened once I saw the black Persian cat actually move its lips and I focused my gaze upon him.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ve been outside in that snowstorm for too long.¡±, I pointed at him. ¡°For a moment there, I thought you talked.¡±, and here I was talking to a cat, hoping I was right.


    ¡°Yes?¡±, the cat leaned his head to the right and gave me a firm reply as my heart started to beat faster. ¡°What is wrong with that?¡±, I kept pointing to the cat and mumbled my words. ¡°What, cat caught your tongue?¡±, the cat spoke yet again and this was too much for me as I just passed out in front of him as I fell over the ground with the cat just sitting there, staring at me.


    My father was falling deathly ill that many of the doctors began to notice. His health was failing as the only thing he would eat was dry bread, fruit, and vegetables while they monitored him. Little did any of them suspect that the one who was mostly by his side, listening to him repeat my name over and over again, being the one who put him in such a state of mind. She would leave him rest in the company of a few other doctors before entering the Imperial Chamber where Georgie Porgie was located and he carried the chest with a boar¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Is it done?¡±, she asked Georgie Porgie and the huntsman bowed his head before handing her the chest. ¡°It is, my queen.¡±, overjoyed, the Queen of Roses took the chest that she handed to her Golden Guard servant that approached her with an object she kept in her trophy room.


    It appeared like a golden hand and the huntsman believed it to be the reward that the Queen had promised him as she opened the glass container. She then held it by the stone pedestal it stood on top of and presented it to the huntsman that smiled before reaching for it.


    ¡°Thank you, my queen.¡±, the huntsman said before his hands began to transform into pure gold that slowly began to transform the rest of his body as the queen looked on with an evil satisfied grin on her face for she had double-crossed him, and little did she know that he did as well¡­

 Chapter Three: The Seven Dwarfs

    The Golden Guard carried the golden statue of Georgie Porgie to the trophy room where they would proceed to place him down. The Queen of Roses observed him and in that moment then gave him a golden trident for him to carry in his right hand as she smiled with satisfaction. She turned to the chest that was given to her and handed it to a cook that took it from her before staring at the queen that ordered for it to be cooked for her next meal. At that time, I was lying down on tiny little beds and sleeping away while the Puss in Boots covered me in blankets. He put on a kettle to warm water within and prepared a bag for tea within a large jug. The cat then turned upon hearing the sound of seven little figures moving throughout the forest. The Puss in Boots, seeing that, shrugged his shoulder as he carried a platter upstairs and then the door opened as a gushing wind carried it with it some snow inside of the cottage. The first to enter was a dwarf with a white beard and white outfit who immediately began to sing.


    ¡°Oh!¡±, he yelled out loud that it woke me up. ¡°Old MacDonald had a farm. E-I-E-I-O! And on his farm he had a cow, E-I-E-I-O!¡±, then he stopped singing before he said. ¡°Oh my, speaking of the bloody cows!¡±, he then ran out quickly and past another dwarf  he butt heads with.


    ¡°Watch it, MacDonald!¡±, the dwarf that he butt heads with shouted before I could overhear MacDonald say. ¡°Sorry, lad.¡±, as Old MacDonald then rushed away to attend the farm.


    ¡°You senile old fool.¡±, the next dwarf to enter was the one MacDonald butt heads with and he entered with a black attire as it seemed he had goggles over his head and a sheath on his back.


    This sheath contained his rifle with bandoliers holding his bullets and he also had a white beard like Old MacDonald. He had a black parrot over his shoulder that he walked in with that immediately flew for the nearby bird feeder he had in the house. He then opened one of the cabinets to reach for more bird feeder while the cat that I saw before my eyes offered me a platter with tiny meals and what appeared to be some sort of red substance for drinks that I took from the anthropomorphic cat that then proceeded to shush me.


    ¡°Careful, careful!¡±, the third dwarf that then entered carried wood and he wore a brown attire as he carried a large axe with him, and he had a light brown beard. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s about time. We need a fire.¡±, stated the dwarf in black attire. ¡°This is not for the stove, you fool!¡±, said the brown dwarf.


    ¡°This is for my beloved craft, my art, my finesse!¡±, the brown bearded dwarf sounded passionate and the one in the black attire sighed. ¡°But the poll says! Gah!¡±, replied the Poll Parrot dwarf.


    Upon all of a sudden, a fourth dwarf entered the room with a purple outfit and a sitar guitar with headphones over his head as his music was so loud that the Poll Parrot could barely hear¡­


    ¡°Turn that beat down!¡±, himself speak for how loud the tune was and he grabbed the dwarf.


    The musical dwarf then lowered his headphones and stopped the tune as the Poll Parrot stared into his eyes, pointing at him.


    ¡°I said, turn it down!¡±, the musical dwarf then hit a chord and a tune played out. ¡°Gah!¡±, that drove the Poll Parrot dwarf insane. ¡°Whose turn is it to get the firewood?!¡±, the Poll Parrot then looked to the poll he carried on a sheath of paper and the purple dwarf replied.


    ¡°That would be me.¡±, Poll Parrot looked up at him and then the musician kept playing his instrument that levitated several pieces of wood from the snow towards the cottage.


    ¡°Gah¡­¡±, the Poll Parrot then gave up for now he knew why he is playing his instrument and I couldn¡¯t help it but spy on them from the stairwell that lead to their rooms from above.


    The musician kept playing his sitar and placed the headphones back over his ears as he kept rocking that tune while pieces of wood came inside of the house that levitated from the outside. There were brooms that then got animated to life that swept the place from cobwebs and dust as well as even washed the dishes. He was certainly an Arca¡¯nar mage and wielding the power of the arcane through music was one of the ways that most magi found balance in their work that helped them prevent their mind from deteriorating. He must have been one of those types of mages while Poll Parrot was most likely a Sharpshooter hunter considering his outfit was made from prized fur. I also saw the carpenter in the corner that immediately began to use his table with a saw as he began to saw wood in half and cut it so fast that he threw pieces of wood on the side beside a stove that made me watch in awe. Poll Parrot was staring at a sheath of paper and taking notes that made me think he was the man who kept track of everything. I then looked to see the Puss in Boots at the door that looked at me with its loving cat eyes before a dwarf¡¯s hands reached for him and raised him from the ground only to snuggle him, and this dwarf seemed quite childish and his outfit was all red like his nose from the cold. He was the tiniest of the dwarves and also the youngest with the tiniest eyes and the smallest of beards that is brown. He would then lift his cat, run up the stairs and I panicked only for him to run past me as if I wasn¡¯t even there to begin with that confused me so much. The dwarf did move aside though and I don¡¯t know if he thought I was one of the dwarves or if he just didn¡¯t care. It was then that a huge snow storm blew from the outside and pushed all the snow away that covered almost the entirety of the dwarf cottage. It was so powerful that it cleared the frozen river¡¯s surface of snow and pushed it away before all of it gathered in the center of the cottage fields where it gathered only to form an elemental of water that took on the appearance of a dwarf figure wearing a blue outfit. He was the more serious of the dwarves with black hair, a short black beard with the tip of it frozen in ice and his eyes were icy bluish that showcased just how cold he was. It was then that a dwarf in a green outfit raised his staff that released pollen over the land that allowed pollen to spread all across it that helped the plant life be nurtured and grown once more. It was due to this distraction that I didn¡¯t notice the musician who then saw me and hit one string over his guitar wrong that screwed up his sense of rhythm that dropped most of the pieces of wood including the brooms that were animated and the buckets of water all over the place.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡±, shouted Poll Parrot. ¡°What in the hell is wrong with you?!¡±, he pointed his pen towards the dwarf musician whom he noticed stared longingly at the stairwell.


    Poll Parrot then turned his head and his eyes widened as he spotted me along with the carpenter whose wood then splintered into as it ricocheted throughout the room. It was then that the red dwarf ran down the stairs past me and once more ignored me as he carried the Puss in Boots outside of the house seemingly careless. I stood where I was, uncomfortable, and gulped.


    ¡°Hey, what happened to the music?¡±, the dwarf with the green outfit and the white beard asked as he stepped inside of the cottage only to spot me as he lifted his sorcerer¡¯s hat from his eyes.


    ¡°By the gods¡­¡±, said the dwarf. ¡°A wandering elf and in a human attire!¡±, stated the dwarf who pointed at me. ¡°Aye, this one is civilized.¡±, said the purple dwarven musician.


    ¡°And good riddance with her!¡±, said Poll Parrot that got up from his seat before pointing at me. ¡°You, get out!¡±, I was startled. ¡°Go on, get!¡±, shouted the dwarf and I immediately rushed down the stairs to go outside while the dwarf in green stopped my tracks.


    ¡°Now hold on there, lass, you can¡¯t go back out there in the cold all by yourself!¡±, said the green dwarf. ¡°Sure she can!¡±, said Poll Parrot. ¡°We don¡¯t need any leeches in here! No, no.¡±, he added.


    ¡°How can you be so unfeeling?¡±, said the carpenter. ¡°This poor girl is clearly lost. The least we can do is take her back from whence she came.¡±, the carpenter explained and Poll Parrot sighed.


    ¡°It would be a waste of our time! We should be focused on the polls!¡±, said Poll Parrot. ¡°To hell with your Polls already, Filip, can¡¯t you see the poor girl is in distress?¡±, said the purple dwarf.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±, Old MacDonald returned in the company of the blue dwarf that remained silent and observed me with a serious unhappy look on his face the moment he saw me.


    ¡°What in the blazes?!¡±, Old MacDonald pushed the musician and the green dwarf away as he focused his eyes on me. ¡°A little elfling girl?!¡±, he could then finally see what was before him.


    ¡°Where did she come from?!¡±, Old MacDonald asked. ¡°Who cares?¡±, said the blue dwarf. ¡°Get her out of our house!¡±, he raised his voice while leaning his head closer to me and the white dwarf would slap him so hard across his face as half of his face disappeared in front of my eyes.


    I gazed in horror at what I saw as it seemed like the blue dwarf¡¯s whole body was made out of water. His right arm suddenly transformed into a large frozen knife as he glared at Old MacDonald that crossed his arms as he stared stood between me and the blue dwarf.


    ¡°Go on, make my day, magian.¡±, said Old MacDonald. ¡°The elfling is already turning us against each other!¡±, stated Poll Parrot. ¡°We must get rid of her at once!¡±, he implied.


    ¡°Where do you come from?¡±, suddenly all the dwarfs turned to see the tiny red dwarf.


    The red dwarf stood at the doorstep in silence and they all then shifted their gaze back to me as I gulped, the green dwarf held his left hand over my shoulder and nudged his head, gesturing for me to reply and I had a feeling he was trying to imply it was safe if I spoke my mind.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°From the Kingdom of Brangomar.¡±, I replied to the red dwarf. ¡°Great, a Brangomarian!¡±, said Poll Parrot before the carpenter smacked the back of his head. ¡°Would you shut the hell up and let the poor girl speak?¡±, the carpenter argued and Poll Parrot grunted to himself.


    ¡°East or West?¡±, asked the purple dwarf. ¡°She¡¯s a little girl, Schmidt, she doesn¡¯t possibly know the cardinal¡­¡±, Poll Parrot once more interrupted and then I interrupted him. ¡°East.¡±, I replied.


    All the dwarfs now had my complete attention for they realized I had some knowledge for a seven year old. The red dwarf, however, stepped forth and decided to question me further.


    ¡°Are you a princess?¡±, he asked and I looked to the dwarfs with the blue dwarf sighing. ¡°Yeah, right, as if a princess would wander away from¡­¡±, the blue dwarf spoke. ¡°I am.¡±, I replied and this cut the dwarf off as they all now looked at me astonished by what they just heard.


    ¡°W¡­¡±, Old MacDonald was at a loss for words for a moment. ¡°What did you just say?¡±, he asked and I lowered my head down, looking around and observing each dwarf carefully.


    ¡°I am.¡±, I revealed to the dwarfs of my position within the Brangomarian society. ¡°And what happens to be your name?¡±, asked Old MacDonald. ¡°Svetlana Brangomar.¡±, this caused all the dwarfs to have their jaws drop except for the red dwarf who clapped his hands excitedly.


    ¡°I always wanted to meet a princess!¡±, the red dwarf jumped up and down like a bunny rabbit. ¡°I told ye!¡±, said Poll Parrot. ¡°I told ye she¡¯s trouble!¡±, Poll Parrot argued and the magian agreed.


    ¡°Then we should return you from whence you came.¡±, said the carpenter. ¡°No!¡±, I panicked. ¡°No, please!¡±, I begged. ¡°I will leave, I swear it! You¡¯ll never see or hear from me again!¡±, I rushed past the dwarfs only for Old MacDonald to grab me and prevent me from leaving.


    ¡°Let her go, MacDonald!¡±, protested Poll Parrot and the blue dwarf grabbed hold of the old dwarf¡¯s arm before the red dwarf kicked him his leg as the magian¡¯s leg split in two.


    ¡°Why ya little¡­!¡±, shouted the magian and I breathed heavily as I looked to the old dwarf. ¡°Why are you so afraid to stay?¡±, Old MacDonald asked. ¡°And more importantly, why are you so afraid of returning home?¡±, he further inquired as I broke into tears in front of the dwarfs.


    ¡°Because of my evil step-mother.¡±, I stated. ¡°She¡¯s trying to kill me.¡±, I said to the dwarves and Poll Parrot rolled his eyes, sighing and placing his right hand over his face.


    ¡°Well, I promise ya¡­¡±, said the old dwarf. ¡°As long as you are with us, no one will harm you, child.¡±, I looked into the dwarf¡¯s eyes and for the first time I felt a glimmer of hope, I felt like I was no longer alone and I immediately jumped into his arms to give him a hug.


    The other dwarves observed with a smile with the exception of the blue dwarf that reformed his leg and the Poll Parrot that sat in his seat before placing both of his hands over his face.


    ¡°We¡¯re doomed.¡±, before he said to himself as his friend once more smacked him over the back of his head. ¡°Would you cut that out?!¡±, Poll Parrot argued with the carpenter.


    ¡°I am Nory MacDonald, the Volva Shaman of our group.¡±, the white dwarf said as I leaned back and gazed into his eyes. ¡°This here is our Xiangling druid, Peter Piper.¡±, the green dwarf smiled and bowed his head. ¡°That there is Henry Foster, our Magian sorcerer.¡±, the blue dwarf still was not quite happy with me and crossed his arms as Old MacDonald leaned forth to whisper.


    ¡°He stepped on a puddle in a mine that was a water elemental and ever since then they have merged, conjoined, as one and he¡¯s been quite grumpy ever since.¡±, explained Old MacDonald. ¡°I heard that!¡±, said Henry Foster and Old MacDonald then turned to point at the red dwarf.


    ¡°This here is our tiny little Viking warrior; Robin Redbreast.¡±, Robin grabbed the paw of Puss in Boots and waved at me using his paw. ¡°And our beloved android cat, Mojo, whom we like to call our little Puss in Boots.¡±, Old MacDonald explained before pointing to the musician.


    ¡°This here is John Jacob Schmidt, our very own Arca¡¯nar mage musician, and we call him by his stage name; Jingleheimer.¡±, the purple dwarf bowed gracefully unlike most of the dwarves and he seemed the coolest to me as he wore black glasses with his stylish purple sorcerer¡¯s robe.


    ¡°That over there is Yon Yonson, our lumberjack and carpenter.¡±, the brown dwarf bowed his head before the old dwarf would point to Poll Parrot. ¡°And last and not least, the grumpiest dwarf among us all; Filip Parrot. He holds our variety of polls.¡±, explained Old MacDonald.


    ¡°Like what?¡±, I asked. ¡°Like all in favor of getting rid of this little girl say I?!¡±, replied Poll Parrot as he and the magian would then say in unison. ¡°I!¡±, before Old MacDonald sighed.


    ¡°We¡¯re not gonna vote just yet. Because first!¡±, Old MacDonald then turned back to face me. ¡°You will tell us more about yourself, won¡¯t you, lass?¡±, I stared at all the dwarfs uncomfortably and came to a quick conclusion that it would be very fair for me to do so since this was their home and I was a stranger here, not to mention all the potential dangers I could bring.


    Meanwhile, back at the Kingdom of Brangomar to the east¡­ my father wondered where his beloved daughter was and kept calling for her with the weakened tone in his voice while my evil step-mother admired the golden trophy of the huntsman that she had double crossed. She eat her meal over the table she had set up in the trophy room for such just occasion as she feasted on the heart what she believed to be Snow White¡¯s and then lifted her head to call for the mirror.


    ¡°Magic mirror on the wall, who now is the fairest one of all?¡±, the Queen of Roses asked the magic mirror that took on my appearance that was followed by a brief moment of silence.


    ¡°You¡¯re mocking me, aren¡¯t you?¡±, she smirked at the mirror that raised one eyebrow to her.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious?¡±, said the queen who got up to stand. ¡°Snow White is dead and the huntsman brought me proof. I am feasting upon¡­¡±, the Queen of Roses then looked at the heart of the boar on the silver platter before her very eyes and then gazed upon the golden huntsman.


    ¡°A heart of a pig.¡±, revealed the magic mirror as the Queen of Roses gazed up at the mirror. ¡°It seems both you and the huntsman have double-crossed each other, and yet in his silence he feels far more victorious then you do.¡±, the Queen of Roses was furious and pushed everything off the table after what she had discovered from the magic mirror itself.


    ¡°No, no, no, no!¡±, she pushed and threw her own seat down over the ground, kicking the table over in her fury and rage as she could not believe the betrayal she has experienced now.


    ¡°Where is she?!¡±, the question shouted as she pointed at the magic mirror that gave no response as the Queen of Roses sighed. ¡°Magic mirror on the wall, where is Snow White?!¡±, she asked the mirror that looked back to her with one risen eyebrow. ¡°The fairest one of all?¡±, the Queen said.


    The magic mirror then immediately understood her question it began to display an image off a place; the cottage of the seven dwarfs. The Queen of Roses gazed at the mirror to see the seven dwarfs from a good distance as they were speaking with me regarding my past to which I have finished explaining to them. She then heard moaning throughout the hall and waves her hand.


    ¡°Magic mirror, dismissed!¡±, the mirror immediately obeyed and its image dispersed, and good that she did so too for the Golden King came in the room. ¡°Svetlana!¡±, called the Golden King.


    ¡°Svetlana!¡±, the Golden King called again and the Queen of Roses panicked until all of a sudden the magic carpet surrounded the huntsman, concealing him from view and in that moment she knew that the magic carpet was bound and loyal to her above all others.


    ¡°Rose!¡±, my father spotted her. ¡°Have you seen Svetlana?¡±, he asked. ¡°Honey, why aren¡¯t you resting?¡±, my step-mother asked. ¡°Svetlana comes to visit me. She has been absent lately. It is not like her¡­¡±, the Golden King was so weak that he nearly collapsed as she reached for him.


    ¡°My love, she¡¯s probably outside playing with her friends. I¡¯ll find her, but you need your rest. I¡¯ll summon the huntsman and¡­¡±, my father shook his head and the Golden Guard stood behind him, waiting for the orders of their beloved rulers on what to do next.


    ¡°Just let me ask the magic mirror and¡­¡±, she then reached for the cheek of my father and turned his head to face him. ¡°Honey!¡±, she raised her voice loud and firm. ¡°We do not need a bloody magic mirror every time our daughter goes out to play!¡±, my father thought it was a fair point.


    ¡°Go to bed!¡±, she gave him an explicit order. ¡°I will find her, I promise.¡±, my father was so sick that he noticed the mirror not covered by anything while he did not notice the carpet covering something else entirely as he looked down, looked up and nodded his head.


    Regardless of him not loving Rose Red like he loved my mother, he loved her enough to trust her. He believed in what she had to say and he turned to the Golden Guard that helped him stand. They helped carry him away along with the Queen of Roses while the magic mirror spied on them in the distance for the animated object knew that its powers had already corrupt one, and yet the magic mirror had to do nothing but answer questions that it was made to do.


    ¡°I told ya! I told ye she¡¯s trouble and ye didn¡¯t listen!¡±, he explained to the other dwarves. ¡°An evil queen, a step-mother at that, trying to kill her own step-daughter?!¡±, Poll Parrot reminded everyone in the room. ¡°There is no greater hellish scorn than that!¡±, he stated the facts.


    The dwarfs argued and bickered among each other, they even threw insults at one another and I stood there in the middle of them all while Robin Redbreast handed me the Puss in Boots as he smiled at me. I took the cat in my arms and the cat purred while staring at me with his eyes. Old MacDonald saw this with his arms crossed and stroked his beard in thought.


    ¡°We could leave Mojo to watch her as he has watched the cabin while we are gone.¡±, Yon Yonson gave the suggestion to the group as Jingleheimer shook his head. ¡°And what if the Evil Queen¡¯s guard come?¡±, the musician argued. ¡°I say good riddance.¡±, responded Henry Foster.


    It was then that the musician struck him in the head with his guitar and Henry Foster growled at the musician that raised his arms up, taunting the magian sorcerer.


    ¡°Lads, lads, lads!¡±, shouted Poll Parrot. ¡°We vote on it! All in favor for the girl to leave, say I!¡±, Poll Parrot raised his hand along with Henry Foster and Peter Piper that surprised me.


    ¡°Peter?!¡±, Old MacDonald could not believe it. ¡°Sorry, lad, but she¡¯s another extra mouth to feed and not to mention we risk lose everything, even our cattle, if the evil queen¡¯s henchmen come for us. She has to go.¡±, explained Peter Piper while this made everyone else think.


    ¡°Oy, I never thought about it like that.¡±, said Yon Yonson. ¡°We should just return her from whence she came or just give her enough supplies to wander out into the woods.¡±, the carpenter suggested before he raised his hand to agree with the other dwarves to get rid of me.


    ¡°She¡¯s seven years old!¡±, Old MacDonald argued. ¡°All in favor for the girl to stay, say I!¡±, Poll Parrot said with Old MacDonald, Robin Redbreast, and Jingleheimer raising their hands.


    It was then that Mojo raised his paw much to the confusion of all the dwarves but the clear happy satisfaction of Old MacDonald that nudged his head towards the Poll Parrot.


    ¡°A cat can¡¯t vote!¡±, argued Poll Parrot. ¡°Oh, really?¡±, said the Puss in Boots and I was shocked as the cat spoke once more, further proving it wasn¡¯t me hallucinating. ¡°In that case, I hope your cottage doesn¡¯t suddenly burn down because I have no right to vote.¡±, Puss in Boots replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s black mail!¡±, stated Poll Parrot. ¡°Damn straight!¡±, said Mojo. ¡°So either you let her stay or you fancy finding yourself finding another cat.¡±, the dwarfs sighed, defeated.

 Chapter Four: Hunted

    I slept upstairs in the bed of Puss in Boots that was perfectly my size. There were two bunk beds on one side of the room and two more other bunk beds on the opposite side of the room. Mojo, the Puss in Boots, slept beside me and at my feet, and he made for an excellent foot warmer. I wondered throughout the night where Henry Foster was because he did not come to bed and I couldn¡¯t sleep because of everything I went through. I got up from the bed silently, went down the stairs and looked around the house before walking to the window only to see Henry Foster standing in the middle of the open field. His back faced the cottage and I did not see as his eyes were closed with his face facing the forest. I wondered how he could do that¡­


    ¡°He¡¯s not outside because of you.¡±, I turned to see Old MacDonald up the stairs. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I woke you¡­¡±, Old MacDonald shook his head. ¡°You didn¡¯t wake me, lass, I just get up to piss every night. It comes with old age.¡±, the dwarf explained and I nodded my head in silence.


    ¡°It is true what I told you about him.¡±, said MacDonald. ¡°You mean that he stepped into a water puddle of an elemental?¡±, I asked. ¡°Aye, he has never been the same since but he has been loyal. No matter how much he sleeps, it is as if he did not sleep at all.¡±, described MacDonald.


    ¡°Would you like some tea, lass?¡±, I nodded my head. ¡°Yes, please.¡±, the kettle already started to warm and heat the water before he would say. ¡°And how about after the tea I show you around the cottage, ya?¡±, MacDonald asked and I smiled. ¡°I would like that.¡±, I replied and we did that.


    We stepped out of the cottage shortly after and both of us carried a cup of tea with our hands as Peter Piper ran past us so quick rushing towards one of the barns. It was then that I saw a barn surrounded by brambles, thorns and branches with several brambles spreading apart from the handles of the barn doors so that he may enter. Old MacDonald patted my back and Henry Foster gave me a look with his teeth showing, clearly unhappy for seeing me and I kept my head down. I then entered the barn where Peter Piper went and in awe I saw a huge garden of many fruits and vegetables all over the place. There was a large tree in the middle of the barn and the top of the tree itself had its roots spread all over the barns with them hanging back down from which many apples, pears, oranges, mandarins, watermelons and other assortments of fruits and vegetables grew from. I kept gazing around at the beauty of the farm as Peter Piper rushed around. He kept opening hands and spreading pollen all across the room while bees flew around him.


    ¡°This is beautiful!¡±, I shouted. ¡°Yes, I know.¡±, replied Old MacDonald. ¡°This is not our only barn, you know?¡±, the dwarf revealed and I looked up to him astonished. ¡°Really?!¡±, I asked.


    ¡°Really, really¡­¡±, said the dwarf. ¡°This is not our only cottage. We move, mine to mine¡­¡±, this confused me and the dwarf chuckled before he nudged his head for me to follow.


    It was then that he brought me to a mine shaft where I saw Little Robin Redbreast running around and chasing Puss in Boots over a wall and up a fence before they ran up a tree. Jingleheimer was in front of the mine shaft, testing the strings of his guitar, and he was so focused that he didn¡¯t even notice me. Poll Parrot was there and he was looking at a set of blueprints that had the entire layout of the mine. Yon Yonson carried high wooden beams he placed within the mine that served as support beams for the walls and the ceiling. Jingleheimer played his sitar and the mine cart began to move by itself with many chunks of stone that was carried out of the mine. Henry Foster raised his arms and spread his hands open that cleared the snow that was in the way of the cart as Jingleheimer continued to play his tune.


    ¡°Nory!¡±, called Poll Parrot. ¡°Feed ye barn yard animals and let us see how much fancy treasure we can find!¡±, that was the first time I saw the dwarf being happy and then he looked down at me with a serious look that quickly turned to anger. ¡°And take the girl with ye.¡±, ordered Poll Parrot.


    ¡°Come along now, girl.¡±, said Old MacDonald and I looked down, sad that he always wanted to get rid of me. ¡°Don¡¯t take him to heart, girl. He hasn¡¯t just got quite use to you yet, is all.¡±, Old MacDonald explained. ¡°Everyone has their place in the world, even you.¡±, he added.


    ¡°I do?¡±, I asked and the dwarf chuckled. ¡°Why, of course!¡±, before he pointed at my tail. ¡°Elves are natural communicators with the wild life and you happen to be an elf, right?¡±, the dwarf asked and I looked down uncomfortably, reaching for my tail in thought.


    ¡°I never really utilized it. My father was always skeptical off me being around animals.¡±, I said to the dwarf who laughed out loud before he kicked and pushed open the doors of a red barn.


    I walked inside to see chickens, cows, sheep (including bighorn sheep or rams), lambs, horses, and as I entered the voice of the chickens and sheep sounded like human voices for me.


    ¡°Food, food, food, food!¡±, they all said in unison and I smiled, laughing. ¡°They remind me of the city¡¯s spoiled dogs and cats.¡±, I stated. ¡°Hey!¡±, said the saddened Puss in Boots. ¡°Sorry.¡±, I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Puss in Boots loves food too!¡±, Little Robin Redbreast squeezed the cat in his arms and hugged him while I giggled while holding my fingers over my lips.


    ¡°Let me guess, they¡¯re all calling for food?¡±, asked MacDonald. ¡°Yep.¡±, I said. ¡°Oh!!¡±, the dwarf then surprised me when he started to sing and reached for his broom. ¡°Old MacDonald has a farm, E-I-E-I-O!¡±, the animals then jumped up in excitement as the shaman waved his hands.


    It then lit up several totems like candle light and a cyclone carried the seeds for the chicken as well as the hay and the grass for the cows that surrounded the area. He continued to sing and the animals were very excited because of the old dwarf.


    ¡°Yay!¡±, they all cheered and he then handed me a broom after the cyclone pushed the dust and cobwebs in the further corners of the room. ¡°Now help Old MacDonald clean his farm?¡±, said the dwarf and I laughed before I would reply. ¡°E-I-E-I-O!¡±, the animals were so focused on the food and the dwarf laughed as he knew I was already happier as I could be.


    ¡°Oh, Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers!¡±, sang old MacDonald. ¡°E-I-E-I-O!¡±, I sang back. ¡°A peck of pickled peppers Peter Pier picked!¡±, the dwarf continued to sing.


    ¡°If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers; where¡¯s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?¡±, the dwarf was astonished by how I asked that question while I sang. ¡°Why?¡±, he asked.


    ¡°The guinea pigs want them!¡±, I sang. ¡°No!¡±, the dwarf sang back in firm denial. ¡°The pickled peppers are highly acidic and their sugar content makes it dangerous for the guinea pigs.¡±, Old MacDonald explained. ¡°But not to worry lass, Old MacDonald will teach you lass!¡±, he sang.


    ¡°Little Robin Redbreast, sat upon a tree, up went the pussy cat and down went he!¡±, sang the old dwarf who pointed at them both with the barnyard doors opened. ¡°Down came the pussy cat, away Robin ran, you can make a song out of anything!¡±, the dwarf explained in his song before pointing towards Jingleheimer in the distance that lowered his headphone and bobbed his head.


    ¡°John Jacob ¡®Jingleheimer Schmidt. His name is my name too! Whenever we go out, the people always shout;¡±, the old dwarf pointed to me and I giggled. ¡°There he goes; John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt!¡±, I sang as Little Robin fell down from his tree and we looked worried.


    ¡°Ya-da-da-da-da-da-da¡­!¡±, the little dwarf sang randomly as he raised his arms joyfully to the skies. ¡°Robin, bring me my tea!¡±, Old MacDonald pointed up towards the cottage.


    ¡°Little Poll Parrot sat in his garret, eating toast and tea.¡±, then all of a sudden Peter Piper stepped in and raised his right hand¡¯s main finger. ¡°One day a little brown mouse jumped into the house and stole it all away!¡±, Peter Piper looked sad and Poll Parrot rolled his eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I shot him so that may never happen again!¡±, then a mouse jumped on top of the windowsill and the dwarf shouted in anger as he chased the mouse around the garret.


    ¡°My name is Yon Yonson!¡±, the brown dwarf sang. ¡°I live in a cottage. I work in a lumber yard there. The people I meet as I walk down the street they say;¡±, he pointed his arms and hands to me and the other dwarfs. ¡°Hello!¡±, sang the dwarfs. ¡°I say;¡±, he sang. ¡°Hello!¡±, the dwarfs sang.


    ¡°They say;¡±, he sang. ¡°What¡¯s your name?!¡±, the dwarfs sang. ¡°I say; My name is Yon Yonson!¡±, he sang and all the dwarfs raised their hands to sing back in good cheer.


    ¡°Henry Foster went to a mine in a shower of rain; He stepped in a puddle!¡±, I went to sing and then all the dwarves surrounded me with Old MacDonald placing the palm of his hand over my mouth as Henry Foster then approached me with an agitated, angered look on his face.


    ¡°I stepped in a puddle, right up to my middle, and never went there again! Haha!¡±, all the dwarfs then sang again and I sang joyfully with them as I felt at home while Poll Parrot sighed.


    He could not help it but he knew that all the dwarves would grow to accept me. He looked down at us in secret with admiration and he shook his head smiling before he would sing to himself.


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    ¡°We are doomed.¡±, then the mouse would jump. ¡°Ho-Hey!¡±, he continued to shoot at the mouse while his sang and at this same time, back at the Kingdom of Brangomar to the East.


    ¡°Magic mirror on the wall¡­¡±, my father, distraught, spoke with the magic mirror in the trophy room. ¡°Show me where my beloved daughter be.¡±, he held onto the magic carpet and little did he know that beneath the carpet was the huntsman that now served as a decorative golden statue.


    The magic mirror then showed the Golden King the cottage where the Seven Dwarfs and I dwelt, and my father¡¯s eyes widened in hope. He approached the mirror and gazed longingly at it.


    ¡°My beloved Snow White taken by dwarves?¡±, my father was now far more worried than ever and the magic mirror went to speak only to be cut off by my concerned father.


    ¡°Magic Mirror, provide me a map to help guide us to my beloved daughter, Snow White.¡±, the magic mirror did as it was instructed and displayed a map that it then conjured with magic.


    One of the Spartan Warriors of Brangomar saw a scroll shine in his possession and lifted the piece of paper that he began to open only to see it was being inscribed with magic enchantments, the guide the mirror displayed was being copied and pasted upon the scroll in order to provide a map to help the guards of Brangomar to find me. The King was fascinated by the magic and amazed by what the magic mirror could truly do for even he was not aware that it could do this.


    ¡°Go!¡±, my father shouted. ¡°Go and bring her back! I don¡¯t care what it takes, just bring her home!¡±, the King commanded and the warriors left immediately. ¡°Golden Guard!¡±, the King called and they turned to salute him. ¡°Bring the mirror to my room!¡±, my father nearly fell but his servants, two maidens, reached for him and helped him to stand as they carried him away.


    The Golden King would be brought to his bed by his maidens as he reached for an apple that he took and bit on as he held his chest that hurt, he waited for the mirror to be delivered to his room and he sensed something was wrong for this was no ordinary fever. The guards rode out from the kingdom on their horses with the Golden Guard androids running after them in tow. My step-mother walked into the trophy room only to see the mirror missing and the magic carpet¡¯s tip then pointed towards a crown that suggested and implied heavily to the queen that it was the King who took the mirror away. The Queen sighed, turned around and walked away as the magic carpet then proceeded to follow after her for it was loyal to her and her only. That day I would feed the animals, wander the gardens with Peter Piper, gather fruit and vegetables in baskets, I would deliver them along with the hay inside of the house where MacDonald would instruct me on how to cook. I would learn many things that day, many things I never learned from home for I always had servants that served my every whim and needs. Poll Parrot would ring a bell while Jingleheimer approached the house and played instruments as the mage conjured many pies, puddings, and pieces of bread while Poll Parrot reached for a fried chicken in the oven that he proudly displayed upon a platter over the table. Yon Yonson threw wood into the oven to keep the fire going while Jingleheimer filled many buckets with water that he moved closely to the table with his musical tunes. All the cups, plates, forks, and spoons placed themselves over the table. Mojo, the little Puss in Boots, then suddenly transformed in front of my eyes into a taller cat figure and I was astonished to see who he really is. The cat was now my size and sat on the one of the seats that was the eight in line while I had no seat that made me sad until Yon came.


    ¡°I made this for you, lass.¡±, the dwarf revealed a chair he crafted for me and it had my own name inscribed upon the chair. ¡°It has my name on it! Oh, thank you, Yon!¡±, I hugged the dwarf who was quite surprised and most of the dwarves seemed happy as Poll Parrot clapped his hands.


    ¡°Alright, alright, we had a good day!¡±, stated Poll Parrot. ¡°And you, little Snow White, keep pulling your weight like you did today and we just might be ahead of schedule!¡±, explained Poll Parrot and I didn¡¯t quite understand what he meant by that but he looked happy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best!¡±, I told to the dwarves that all cheered. ¡°It seems I¡¯ll have to make more chairs for little Snow White.¡±, said Yon Yonson. ¡°Well, that is if she accompanies us to all the other cottages and mines?¡±, he turned his head towards Poll Parrot and all the dwarfs did too.


    ¡°Ah, what the hell.¡±, the black dwarf shrugged. ¡°Since we¡¯re stuck with her, we might as well take her places and get her acquainted. Puss!¡±, the dwarf pointed at the cat.


    ¡°You¡¯re coming too! If we¡¯re stuck with her, so are you!¡±, the cat nodded his head happily and just picked through the food while the others talked. ¡°You bottomless pit of a cat!¡±, Poll Parrot cursed Mojo before turning to all of us around the table before he would say.


    ¡°Dig in, lads and lass, before the bloody cat eats all our food!¡±, all the dwarfs and myself did so gladly, and the Puss in Boots kept eating before his ear would then flicker.


    His head then suddenly turned and his eyes gazed through the window before he grabbed a mug, lifted it and smacked it down several times over the table that made all the dwarfs go quiet.


    ¡°What?¡±, I asked and Old MacDonald placed his hand over my mouth. ¡°We¡¯ve got company.¡±, I then heard a puddle of water move through the drains in the house and Henry Foster was gone.


    ¡°Go upstairs, lass! Robin, go with her!¡±, Robin Redbreast grabbed me. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±, I asked and the red dwarf pulled me away. ¡°Listen to me now, child, go!¡±, Old MacDonald pushed me away as he made sure we got up the stairs while Poll Parrot raised his rifle.


    Poll Parrot leaned his back against a wall close to the door while Puss in Boots leaped through a dog/cat door designed specifically for him. I ran up to the room where I saw Robin Redbreast gesture for me to come as he stood beside a window that looked outside and I walked up there only to be unable to see anything at all on the outside. I didn¡¯t know it back then, but my father was lying in his bed and the magic mirror showed him the location of where the Brangomar Guard surrounded the cottage along with the many members of the Golden Guard. My father started coughing in bed and my step-mother walked into the room where she saw the maids serve his every whim and needs while the Golden Guard stood silently in the room, watching them.


    ¡°My love, what are you¡­?¡±, my step-mother went to question my father. ¡°When were you going to tell me?¡±, he asked and then he turned to face her with his gray, pale eyes.


    ¡°Tell you what?¡±, she asked and then he yelled. ¡°Enough of your lies!¡±, he shouted at her in front of the servants that were startled by the Golden King. ¡°Guards, take her away!¡±, my father told the Golden Guard that stood there and stared at him blankly.


    ¡°Golden Guard, take her away!¡±, he repeated the order loud and clear but the androids did not listen, and then the Golden Guard showed in the mirror started to attack the Spartan Warriors.


    The Brangomar Guard was caught off guard as their own android began to attack them and besiege them, they began to cut them down and kill them as Henry Foster arose from the river of ice that he broke in pieces that caused many of the Golden Guards to fall down in the water. Poll Parrot kicked the door open and fired his rifle that ricocheted from one guard and then to another as the hunter then realized they were golems made out of pure gold. Jingleheimer started to play his tune and several mirror images of him appeared that all played the instrument as well with sound that confused many of the golems. It was then that Old MacDonald threw a totem outside that landed to the ground and it released a bright light before roots rose from the ground that entangled the feet of the Golden Guard. MacDonald then summoned a cyclone that caused many of the Golden Guard to be swept away and thrown around before his body then got surrounded in earth that served as his armor as he charged to punch one of the androids.


    ¡°Obey!¡±, shouted my father. ¡°Obey your king!¡±, but the androids would not and now he knew that the extent of my step-mother¡¯s betrayal was far worse than he could ever imagine. ¡°Any man who must remind his subordinates that he is a King is no true King.¡±, said my step-mother.


    ¡°Why, Rose, why are you doing this to me, to us?¡±, my father asked. ¡°All just because she is the fairest one of all?!¡±, he shouted at her. ¡°Grow up!¡±, even with most of his strength gone.


    ¡°Yes.¡±, she said coldly to my father who looked at her with disbelief. ¡°My sister arranged our marriage and when I married you, I barely even knew you. I had hoped that throughout the years we would have grown closer but we¡¯ve only grown apart.¡±, she described her feelings to father while the dwarves battled the Golden Guard with the help of the Brangomar Guard.


    ¡°Robin!¡±, shouted Yon. ¡°Snow White, come!¡±, the dwarf waved his hand and gestured for us to follow him downstairs, and so we did. ¡°Henry, create us a path across the river!¡±, MacDonald ordered and Henry threw himself into the river only to raise the water that froze the Golden Guard in the air while Jingleheimer pointed the handle of his guitar towards one of the golems.


    It was then that a molten flame emerged from his sitar that melted one of the androids in front of him and he made sure he holds onto that musical tune until he would entirely melt. It was then that from the forest came forth beings of nature, treants, which charged at the androids that were caught off guard as they met in combat. Peter Piper was the one who summoned them to aid us.


    ¡°Come here, girl!¡±, Poll Parrot called for me and I ran to him as he immediately lifted me over his back. ¡°Hold on!¡±, he ran over the ice bridge created by Henry Foster.


    The Golden Guard hacked through the mirror images of Jingleheimer only for them to disperse and the real musician was at the start of the bridge where he played his music that raised pieces of wood that struck several of the members of the Golden Guard. Old MacDonald summoned forth a vicious cyclone that could only now slow the Golden Guard down. Poll Parrot ran with me and the other dwarfs to the nearby mine as the icy waters then fell apart with most of the Golden Guard falling down with them.


    ¡°We were never meant to be for our marriage was a political one to keep the Twin Kingdoms of Brangomar at peace.¡±, my step-mother continued to explain. ¡°A peace planned by my own sister and your beloved brother who wanted you to move on, who wanted to help you mend a broken heart that you and Svetlana never have. I know I won¡¯t be the fairest one of all and believe me when I say that I no longer care anymore.¡±, she revealed to my father who could not believe what he was hearing while the Golden Guard followed us inside of the mine.


    Stones fell from the ceiling, mirror images of Jingleheimer attacked them that they attacked and broke through while all my father could do is watch as the mines then caved in on the guard.


    ¡°No longer will I be with you who do not love me and no longer will I allow politics to dictate my life for the good of the Kingdoms. No longer will I try to show emotions to a man who shows no emotions back to me and no longer shall I be faithful, even to a little girl who will never be able to accept me as her mother.¡±, my step-mother described as she grabbed my father¡¯s hand and when he looked down he saw his body transforming into gold due to the Midas Touch.


    ¡°Ever heard of breaking up?¡±, asked the King who would truly now be the ¡®Golden King¡¯ only for him to try and grab Rose Red until one of the Golden Guards grabbed to hold him down.


    ¡°I did, but it¡¯s easier this way.¡±, said the Queen of Roses with a smile. ¡°For with you and her gone, this kingdom shall be remade anew and from it shall arise a new order that will shake the very foundations of this world.¡±, my father¡¯s body turned to gold as my mother explained.


    ¡°Maybe I will not be the fairest one of all, but this kingdom will be. This I vow.¡±, my step-mother stated before one of the human guards stepped in, saluted his Queen frightfully so.


    ¡°My queen, the Snow Queen¡¯s army are at our very doorstep and besieging the city.¡±, my step-mother was delighted and my step-mother then emerged to the balcony where she saw war emerging right at her very doorstep for my father¡¯s family came to avenge him already.

 Chapter Five: Spirit Blossom

    The dwarfs felt uneasy after what happened. They watched the Brangomar Guard get slaughtered in front of them and were forced to destroy their own mine to imprison the Golden Guard. They knew the extent of my step-mother¡¯s madness now. There were arguments, discussions, brawls, and infighting the more we traveled with a whole animal pack by our backs for the dwarfs could not afford abandoning them, and most of the time I would be taken care of by Peter Piper and Nory MacDonald. Jingleheimer would play his sitar for me at night for a lullaby and Yon Yonson would always help me set up tent along our travels, and even instruct me to do so for myself. I would consistently learn new things on the journey. Robin Redbreast would play with me and Mojo would watch over me while Poll Parrot was consistently in thought, nervousness, while Henry Foster just stood in the open. He would start to gaze into the distance as the sun would set and he would still be in the same place when dawn came. Sometimes I thought that he was an android by how he behaved. However, Magians behave like water and that¡¯s what I took from him. His waves were unsteady and like the restless tide when he first met me, now they were calm and at reasonable pace, and I could not follow them at all.


    ¡°Snow White!¡±, Poll Parrot called for me. ¡°Come.¡±, the dwarf gestured with his rifle and I would then look at Old MacDonald, who nodded his head and suggested for me to follow the Parrot.


    I would accompany the dwarf into the forest as he used his rifle like a cane. He slowly moved through the woodlands and I feared he would abandon me out here or worse; shoot me. After the huntsman, paranoia had hit me and I couldn¡¯t think quite straight. I knew I was a liability that the dwarfs could not afford. I thought Poll Parrot would tell me this for I always felt he lead the little dwarfs. I didn¡¯t know why¡­ I just had a feeling, a gut feeling.


    ¡°I trust Old MacDonald has taught you some of his finest cuisine and that Yon Yonson has given you the basics on being a girl scout, but that won¡¯t be enough for your survival in the woodlands. In the woodlands there are two rules, you either hunt or be hunted.¡±, explained Poll Parrot and I looked down uncomfortably. ¡°Err, sorry, lass, I am not good at this.¡±, the dwarf confused me.


    ¡°Look, lass, I know I was hard on ye on the first day I met ye, but ye have to understand¡­¡±, the dwarf tried to formulate a sentence. ¡°Your father, you might never see him again. I don¡¯t know your step-mother but he might either be imprisoned or worse¡­¡±, he continued to explain to me.


    ¡°Dead.¡±, I said it flat out to the dwarf whose eyebrows rose for it was clearly unexpected for him for this to come from a seven year old girl. ¡°I know¡­¡±, I looked aside uneasily and he sighed.


    ¡°I know I might not see my father, my friends and even my Kingdom anymore. I know that I am alone, without home and what you¡¯re most likely going to say¡­¡±, I started to tear up in my eyes as the dwarf kneeled down. ¡°And what¡¯s that lass?¡±, he questioned me immediately.


    ¡°That I am a liability you cannot afford?¡±, tears started to pour from my eyes as I was scared.


    ¡°No, no, no, lass, no¡­¡±, Poll Parrot repeated repeatedly. ¡°We will not abandon ye, you have me word as a huntsman!¡±, he clued in on why I was giving him the weird eye after he said that.


    ¡°No, not that kind of a huntsman, lass!¡±, the dwarf raised his voice and I started to giggle before I let out a little laughter that made the dwarf smile. ¡°I won¡¯t take you to a forest just to shoot you and if I ever think about, I will shoot myself for you.¡±, I started to laugh even more that made the dwarf feel easier about the whole situation before he looked at me with searching eyes.


    ¡°Lass, I want you to know that from now on if I am ever hard on ye it¡¯s because I want you to grow strong and resilient. Someday, you may face adversities so preposterous that even we, the seven dwarfs, will not be able to conceive them and I want you to be prepared so that if that day comes and we are not there that you pull through and make us proud.¡±, I then smiled at the dwarf and threw myself at him, giving him a hug and for a moment he didn¡¯t know how to react.


    He placed his rifle over the ground, hugged me, and patted my back as then we both knew where we stood. They would take me in and from that day on I would be raised by the seven dwarfs. The Kingdom of Brangomar, however, appeared to be in a sorry state and my father, even in his grave, fought for it. Before my father had died, he had sent a secret letter to the West Kingdom and alerted them off Rose Red¡¯s treachery. It was for this reason that the army of the Snow Queen, Rose Red¡¯s sister, stood defiantly against her and the war waged against the city¡¯s gates. The Queen felt uneasy for some reason, as if she couldn¡¯t breathe¡­


    ¡°Magic mirror on the wall¡­¡±, my step-mother once more called for her precious gift to answer. ¡°Who has alerted my sister, the Snow Queen, off my evil schemes?¡±, she asked the mirror that would reply. ¡°Why, your deceased ex-husband, the one and only Golden King, my Queen.¡±, the mirror replied and my step-mother looked down before she exhaled deeply.


    ¡°He must of suspected my treachery for quite some time then.¡±, my step-mother stated. ¡°Yes, and he confirmed his doubts and worst fears with me, my queen.¡±, the mirror replied and the Queen of Roses then turned to face the mirror before taking a few steps forth, gasping for air¡­


    ¡°So you admit telling the Golden King of my treachery?¡±, asked the Queen. ¡°Yes.¡±, the mirror said coldly. ¡°The Golden King asked and I had answered him truly for I cannot lie, remember?¡±, the mirror then displayed an image of Elina Frostclaw herself, an image of the past.


    ¡°Magic Mirror, what do you do?¡±, asked the Golden King and then the mirror replied after transforming into the image of the Golden King, its voice turning to his to answer the Queen in the present. ¡°I tell the truth if the right questions are asked, Golden King, and yet the people often ask the wrong questions.¡±, this would resonate even more with the Queen of Roses now and the magic mirror would then take on her form again before it would speak once again.


    ¡°Fear not, my queen.¡±, the mirror assured her. ¡°I am now only bound to you and no one else.¡±, the magic mirror revealed and the Queen of Roses was astonished. ¡°Really?¡±, she asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±, replied the mirror. ¡°For I was a gift to you and the Golden King¡­¡±, the mirror looked over to the side and into the direction where the Golden King himself, now a golden statue, lied on a bed brought to the trophy room that the Queen of Roses was transforming slowly, but ever so surely, into her own personal space and throne room.


    The many rooms had a Golden Guard posted at each corner and the queen nearly fell over before the mirror itself would respond her even though she did not ask any question.


    ¡°You are laced up so tightly, my queen, perhaps you should loosen the laces?¡±, the Queen gasped for air and then fainted before she opened her eyes, surrounded by the Golden Guard and then she got up to see that she was right in front of the mirror where she had fainted before.


    The red silky laced bodice she wore was lying on the ground for the guards had to strip her to get her some air and she reached for her neck, she was thankful she was still alive.


    ¡°You¡­¡±, the queen pointed at the mirror. ¡°You have saved my life, why?¡±, asked the queen and the mirror then responded. ¡°If you die, Queen of the Thorns and the Roses, my service shall be done and I shall cease to exist, and therefore I cannot afford you dying.¡±, the mirror stated and then my step-mother realized how truly valuable the magic mirror truly is now.


    ¡°Well, if that is the case¡­¡±, said Rose Red. ¡°Tell me where Svetlana Brangomar is so that I may deal with her.¡±, said the Queen and then the mirror replied. ¡°If you pursue her, you will die.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, I have the Golden Guard at my back.¡±, the Queen explained. ¡°Very well, my queen, as you wish.¡±, the magic mirror showed where I was to the queen who looked upon the mirror before gazing at me with delight but that delight soon turned to doubt and then fear.


    ¡°Wait¡­¡±, said my step-mother. ¡°What do you mean that I will die if I pursue Snow White?¡±, my step-mother asked and then the magic mirror answered. ¡°Your sister is a cunning foe and she is not dimwitted as you think. Even now, she gathers any liquid and any spell caster she can find to smelt your golden guard with ease and collect your golden liquid created by the magic of the Hand of Midas. You shall just be aiding in boosting her arsenal, not yours. The people are not loyal to you and the Golden Guard is limited.¡±, the Queen of Roses then realized the magic mirror was right and was distraught as she felt all sorts of emotions circulating in her head.


    ¡°You are right¡­¡±, she said to the magic mirror. ¡°No wonder my laces were so tight, they tried to have me killed already.¡±, the Queen said with realization and the magic mirror¡¯s figure bowed.


    ¡°I will lose everything¡­¡±, and for the first time my step-mother was afraid until the magic mirror would respond. ¡°Not unless you seek new allies from beyond the stars.¡±, my step-mother then turned and faced the mirror, fully realizing what it was suggesting.


    ¡°You mean, seek an alliance with those who brought you to me in the first place?¡±, the queen asked and the magic mirror¡¯s figure nodded its head. ¡°Is this what you were made for?¡±, my step-mother asked. ¡°To answer questions and¡­?¡±, the mirror then interrupted her question. ¡°To answer questions, yes, but not to dictate your ways, my queen. You are having doubts, but I have already told you that without you I will not and cannot exist. Everything that has happened here and that will happen is because of your decisions and your decisions only. If you shall continue to doubt my loyalty, then I shall direct you to Snow White and pray you live another day.¡±, the mirror replied truthfully and my step-mother looked down, taking a deep breath.


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    ¡°Very well, magic mirror, then instruct me regarding these allies¡­¡±, said the Queen before she stepped closely and looked deeply into her own mere reflection. ¡°Tell me everything there is to know about them.¡±, it was then that the magic mirror would respond to the Queen¡­


    ¡°That I cannot do, my queen.¡±, it stated. ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡±, asked the Queen of Thorns. ¡°If my life means so much to your survival, why not tell me?¡±, the mirror did not answer until¡­


    ¡°Because even animated objects can feel fear.¡±, a familiar voice spoke to her and the icy chill of death crept up above my step-mother¡¯s spine, and when she turned she saw the figure that had visited her before with the several members of the Golden Guard melted¡­


    Meanwhile, further south to the Mountains of Sumeru; I would help with gathering buckets of water only for Old MacDonald to keep instructing me on how to cook. Little Robin Redbreast would climb vines and branches, often inviting me to climb up the trees and play with him and Puss in Boots. We would use the woodlands¡¯ many rivers to bathe and Poll Potter then brought me a piece of stone that he would sharpen until he made a very sharp spear with it. He would then tie it for me and approach the waters where he would teach me how to catch fishes and he would even catch them with his hand until Henry Foster stood up, glaring at him and Poll Parrot ran away as I laughed at him. Henry Foster then glared at me and I looked at him as I dropped the spear, raising my hands and walking away backwards.


    ¡°Little elf, come here.¡±, said Peter Piper and I would approach the man. ¡°This plant here is dying.¡±, the dwarf pointed towards a single red rose that reminded me off my step mother.


    ¡°My bees can pollinate, sure, but you can bring it new life.¡±, the dwarf explained and my tail reached for it, the tip of it opening and spreading wide before it released a pollen that turned the rose to black ash that fell apart before my very eyes.


    ¡°No, no, no!¡±, said Peter Piper. ¡°Why did you do that?¡±, I looked astonished myself and I hid the tail behind my back. ¡°I¡­¡±, I looked down ashamed. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±, I replied to the dwarf.


    ¡°Hmm, does a rose bring you any bad memories?¡±, the dwarf asked and I looked up to him. ¡°My step-mother¡­¡±, the dwarf leaned forth. ¡°Hmm?¡±, he looked at me with curiosity.


    ¡°Her name is Rose Brangomar and before she married my father¡­ her name was Rose Red.¡±, Peter Piper then nodded his head and stood up. ¡°That¡¯s why.¡±, said the dwarf.


    ¡°Your mother is the cause. You associate her with red roses and when you thought emotionally about her, it was so traumatizing that you took all pollen away from the red rose and therefore its essence, allowing it to die. One thing is for certain, with faith and understanding we will learn how to work around that, but for now¡­¡±, the dwarf paused and looked at me seriously. ¡°You will stay away from all my roses.¡±, Peter Piper stated and I bowed my head, agreeing with him.


    It was then that from the waters a snake emerged to attack Poll Parrot, who was caught off guard, but Henry Foster rose from the water and held the snake in his currents that hissed at Parrot. The hunter reached for his rifle until I stepped in and shouted. ¡°No!¡±, that stopped him.


    It was then that my own tail would hiss, snarl and growl towards the snake that would hiss back towards me. My tail then made more hisses then it anything else¡­


    ¡°Stand down, snake, for the dwarf means you no harm.¡±, I could hear my own tail communicate with the aquatic cobra that would hiss back. ¡°Then he should not be hunting in my part of the river! This is my territory!¡±, I then approached the dwarf and Poll Parrot looked worried.


    ¡°No, lass, that is an aquatic cobra. It is venomous!¡±, Poll Parrot warned and I dismissed his claims when my own tail hissed at him, and it was as if I was lost in a trance. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±, I apologized to Poll Parrot before I would turn to face him.


    ¡°The cobra is angered that you are hunting its river. It claims this is its territory. Now give me just a moment¡­¡±, Poll Parrot looked surprised before I turned my head in thought and the tail would hear my own thoughts that it would share with the aquatic cobra.


    ¡°The rivers are rich and plentiful for everyone, little cobra, and we are here only for a day and after that this territory will be left alone and you can hunt all alone until your heart is content.¡±, I explained to the cobra who would then respond to me in a series of hisses.


    ¡°Very well¡­¡±, said the cobra. ¡°I shall leave you and yours alone for the time being, but you better be gone soon before they come back.¡±, I didn¡¯t know who the cobra spoke off. ¡°They, who¡¯s they?¡±, I asked and the cobra replied. ¡°The very elves that protect this forest, like you, and their rezal companions. They left me behind to safe guard the river, but if they find out you¡¯ve hunted on their territory¡­¡±, I then bowed my head to the cobra. ¡°Understood.¡±, and replied.


    ¡°I will tell them to let you go now and we will be on our way.¡±, I stated and the cobra hissed back. ¡°Very well, stranger.¡±, the cobra replied and I turned to face the waters.


    ¡°Let the cobra go.¡±, I requested off Henry Foster who did so immediately and Poll Parrot held his rifle close to him for he was worried for my safety, and then he was relaxed once he saw that the cobra had slithered away and had no intention to strike me down.


    ¡°You¡­¡±, said Peter. ¡°You¡¯ve communicated with animals before?¡±, asked Peter Piper and I turned to face him. ¡°Yes.¡±, I replied. ¡°But that is unusual for an elf who has been locked in for too long within a civilized nation.¡±, Peter Piper was right and I smiled when he said that.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have many companions growing up. My father would leave me in the castle gardens to play and I climbed trees where I would come about the birds that had their nests there. One day, I saw a bird with a broken wing and approached it only to notice it was frightened. It was my tail that spoke to it and convinced it that I had best intentions for it, and before I knew it¡­¡±, I paused as those very dear memories that are dearest to my heart. ¡°All the birds began to chirp and sing in the gardens that I eventually had a whole flock.¡±, I explained to dwarfs present and Henry Foster transformed back into his ordinary form that made me realize it was good timing.


    ¡°The cobra warned me off elves, malfhi and off their rezal sisters who are quite territorial about their river. He said they would be returning soon.¡±, I explained and Poll Parrot smiled.


    ¡°We are truly blessed to have your gift then because the real ruler of the woodlands are not the dwarves but the elves themselves.¡±, Poll Parrot implied and I looked to Henry Foster who bowed his head to agree with what Poll Parrot and I had to say. ¡°We should get moving.¡±, said Henry and I couldn¡¯t have agreed more, and so we would travel further south into the mountains.


    I would converse with Peter Piper regarding my tail and even Poll Parrot was far more curious about my anatomy due to what I did back there. Henry and Jingleheimer always kept watch with Old MacDonald and Yon Yonson carrying the heaviest of supplies. As for Robin Redbreast, I always wondered how the boy had so much energy. Mojo and he just kept chasing each other, playing hide and seek, climbing trees. They just worked well off of each other. It was then that we came to a secluded grove that didn¡¯t look like much with a large creek running through it. I was in love with it from the very first moment I laid my eyes on it. I was particularly in love with this large dead tree there and the small open fields around it. Robin Redbreast pushed me forth while Old MacDonald looked at Poll Parrot that looked to the others with a smile.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to work.¡±, said Poll Parrot and so the dwarfs did.


    We set up camp there during next and the very next day we began what would be our new home. The dwarfs started to knock down the trees that were either dead or dying before they would then chop down a few good ones before cutting them into pieces. We then started to build a new barn and Peter Piper found a little secluded grove with a small cave where he would begin cultivating a new garden. Jingleheimer would play his sitar and use his arcane magic to transport lumber as well as buckets of soils into several directions. Henry Foster would water the gardens and even lift heavy lumber with the pressure of his water magic. Old Nory MacDonald would always cook for us after a very hard working day and I would help him, but one day I wanted to do something different. I then saw Poll Parrot designing blueprints and then he looked at me only to gesture for me to come and watch as he explained what it was with Yon Yonson helping him to plan out the layout. When they showed me the picture, I didn¡¯t really like it and I didn¡¯t want to offend them but I think they noticed. When I left, the dwarves wondered why I behaved so and little did I know how truly they cared for me. I would join Peter Piper in the garden and he kept his roses away from me, and I couldn¡¯t blame him for it. I would visit the barnyard animals who were always excited for me coming to feed them and I spoke to them.


    ¡°What did they say?¡±, asked Nory MacDonald. ¡°I apologized to them for everything that has happened and for the move¡­¡±, I replied and he looked at me thoughtfully.


    ¡°You know, home is where the heart is, right?¡±, stated the dwarf. ¡°I know.¡±, I replied. ¡°Because they also said the same thing.¡±, the dwarf then shook me and hugged me as we both observed our animals with Mojo throwing a snowball at my head and Robin at MacDonald¡¯s.


    Jingleheimer played his tunes every day to support us with his magic and some fine music. Old MacDonald cooked his meals and took care of the stock. Peter Piper took care of our gardens and Robin Redbreast, as well as Mojo, would help him on occasion. Poll Parrot and Yon Yonson would present a layout plan to me that I clapped excitedly to and they were both so happy before they turned only to reach for their hammer, axes, and saws. They would dig into the earth with their shovels and I would bring them food before taking a shovel myself and help them. The chickens always wandered beside us and pecked at the worms that we found in the earth while Robin Redbreast would flatten the earth with me. They would then put a level, the measuring tool, to it and check it to make sure its straight and I would learn with each passing day. Henry Foster would help raise stuff and so would Jingleheimer, but we would also use rope to reel other equipment up into the great tree we surrounded by scaffolds. We raised our heads up, lifted the high loads, we took strength from each other and those who needed it the most. We build high walls and we built strong beams for we knew a new life was waiting for us even though we knew that danger was no stranger to this land as the eyes of my step-mother were upon this land but the war she had gotten into distracted her from looking all the way down here. Over the years I learned to cook, to hunt, to do carpentry, to play instruments, to garden, to appreciative what little I had in this life and once more rekindle my love to nature as I wouldn¡¯t kill a rose anymore but rather grow them that Peter Piper was so excited about. I would even learn the arts of sorcery from Henry Foster whom I would use as my personal punching and kickboxing bag.


    ¡°Svetlana!¡±, and whenever they called, I would leave training behind and help them build our dream home, and our latest design included heavy stone.


    When it was all set in stone and done, we all moved in and had our own portions of the house for ourselves. I got up every morning and super early to eat, drink, practice yoga, go for a run, fight Henry Foster and learn how to harness arcane magic from him and primal magic with the help of Peter Piper. Every night I would pack a meal, socialize, play music, gather wood for the stove oven, cook, prepare my own meals and the next morning I would go out again. I thought about my mother and father as the years went by and the Kingdom I had left behind, but I was content with what I had and refused to return to it. I was happy here and I would not trade it for anything.

 Chapter Six: The Three Fates

    Fifteen years has passed since I left my homeland and lost my father, lost my throne¡­ I¡¯ve thought about home many times and I¡¯d try to distract my thoughts each time that I did. The war itself, however, had spread across Sumeru and little did I know how my father¡¯s lost kingdom has transformed throughout the years. It was no longer the same as it was back then. The guard itself had transformed into three types; the Black Guard, the Red Guard, and the Golden Guard. The Black Guard consisted of those whose loyalty was tested, the Red Guard were those that were human loyal to the Red Kingdom and the Golden Guard consisted of the androids that were in charge to lead them. The nation had expanded far and wide, and from the window the Queen of Thorns would gaze upon her lands as the members of the Bloodstone Tribe brought her a gift.


    ¡°Here she is, Thornbee.¡±, said Bloody Mary and Jack¡¯ron Horner smacked the back off the prisoner¡¯s head as the queen turned to face her. ¡°Zellandine Carabosse.¡±, the mirror revealed the assassin¡¯s name and Mary Bloodstone nodded her head for she was familiar with her.


    ¡°Do you know this woman?¡±, the queen questioned Mary. ¡°She¡¯s from another world called Teyvat. It was a world that the Bloodstone Tribe assisted her daughter with tormenting, a world that this widow has abandoned many, many years ago.¡±, Bloody Mary responded with delight.


    ¡°There was nothing there for me anymore, not after what my daughter had done and all of it because of you.¡±, Zellandine turned her head to face Bloody Mary that grinned at her until a familiar voice spoke to everyone. ¡°Your daughter¡¯s actions were her own choices.¡±, it was then that a dark corridor appeared out of nothingness and from it Elina Frostclaw stepped forth.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±, Zellandine asked and Elina lowered her hood to reveal her face. ¡°Don¡¯t try to change the topic, ye who have abandoned her children. And why did you that, I wonder?¡±, Elina raised her finger over her lips in thought and smiled playfully as she looked away.


    ¡°Ah, yes, that¡¯s it.¡±, Elina continued to taunt her and looked back. ¡°Oh, right, because you didn¡¯t want children and yet here you are, mentioning them. Why?¡±, Elina questioned Zellandine Carabosse who didn¡¯t look happy with how much the strange elven gorgon knew about her.


    ¡°It is not because of love, that is for certain.¡±, Zellandine implied. ¡°My son betrayed the only one that ever cared about him for wealth and power while my daughter condemned thousands of lives for the revenge she sought against him, a revenge that took the lives of men, women and children alike. She placed her own niece, a child, in a deep sleep like death to preserve her own youth and continued to torment the world for the mere fun of it. Both of my children were bad seeds and that¡¯s why I left Teyvat.¡±, Zellandine explained to the four individuals to the room.


    Zellandine Carabosse, like her deceased daughter, is a Sarku Witch with long purple hair that she tied above her head to keep safe from falling to the ground. She had a darker shade of white skin, many tattoos of her past, her ears pierced and a large collar around her neck. She had a tattoo on her forehead and one beneath her right eye with another purple line from the right side of her right eye. She always had this serious and yet fearless demeanor about her and it was something that everyone in the room noticed, but that didn¡¯t stop them from speaking up to her.


    ¡°And tried killing me by stroking my lovely hair with a poisoned comb?¡±, Zellandine looked to the Queen of Thorns and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Because you reminded me of my daughter and once I saw that you allied with these¡­¡±, Zellandine paused before looking to Bloody Mary and her ilk. ¡°Fiends.¡±, she then finished her sentence to make sure they knew what they were.


    ¡°I knew you were beyond salvation, Queen of Thorns, for Bloody Mary and her Bloodstone Tribe seek nothing more but to torment all worlds.¡±, Zellandine explained. ¡°Not all worlds.¡±, replied Mary. ¡°Just all the people within them, even the innocent.¡±, explained Bloody Mary.


    ¡°For innocence is an excuse and no one is innocent.¡±, stated Jack¡¯ron and then the chamber doors opened only for Zellandine¡¯s expression to turn to horror at what she saw.


    ¡°We¡¯ve prepared a special gift for you, my dear.¡±, said the Queen of Thorns. ¡°Sigurd was badly decomposed, but your daughter on the other hand¡­¡±, the queen continued to explain as she stepped forth towards Talia Carabosse, who had returned from the dead as a vampire herself.


    ¡°Your grand daughter had left her to die, but we made sure she returned as one of them¡­¡±, Talia then stood in front of her mother and smiled. ¡°Hello, mother.¡±, before she would greet her and then grab her own mother by the neck and Zellandine¡¯s powers were already weakened.


    The Sarku Witch tried to resist the magic that coursed through Talia¡¯s veins, but it was pointless, and the vampire queen had began to absorb the very life force of her own mother, stripping all the years she had left and the Queen of Thorns smiled as she saw Zellandine¡¯s transformation from a young woman to a very old lady in a matter of seconds before the witch¡¯s life force to be fully absorbed and she became ash in front of their very eyes. Talia¡¯s body began to change, her beauty enhanced, her lips turned purple, her tattoos shifting and new taking the place of the old ones that would become her enchanted runes. She had not only absorbed her mother¡¯s years but her beauty as well. She then shook her hand from the ash, looking to Elina, and smiled.


    ¡°That felt exhilarating.¡±, said Talia Carabosse. ¡°As I promised and now I expect you to fulfill your promise to me.¡±, Elina replied and Talia bowed her head. ¡°Of course, Lady Frostclaw, it shall be done.¡±, Talia smiled before darkness overwhelmed her and took away through a dark corridor through the realms of dreams and nightmares to return to Teyvat.


    ¡°And you, Bloody Mary, have you done your part for today?¡±, Bloody Mary then looked back and an old familiar face stepped forth, one that Jack¡¯ron had brought to his mistress before.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be back.¡±, said Naomi Pharon, who grinned for she had a new body constructed for herself and this satisfied the Frost Queen. ¡°Everything is going exactly as planned.¡±, stated Elina.


    The dwarfs and I lived in the southern woodlands of Porbor. We lived in a very secluded part of the woodlands that is far away from the war between the Brangomar Army and Red Army. The battles raged on and the war carried on for fifteen years, it was one of the longest and bloodiest wars in Sumerian history. We continued our everyday life. Peter Piper tend to the gardens, Nory MacDonald to the farm work and the kitchens, Yon Yonson became a smithy and continued his carpentry, Jingleheimer continued to play his sitar, Poll Parrot and Robin Redbreast regularly worked in the mines, and Henry Foster always kept a watchful eye over the farms. Every morning I would head out into the forest for a jog and there were times when Robin Redbreast would run along with me, which he did on this very day with Puss in Boots following behind us. It was on that particular morning that I heard chuckles and giggles throughout the forest.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±, I didn¡¯t raise my voice because I knew too well that the only ones that could hear me are elves and they are the only ones who would seek to attack me in any way. ¡°Robin, is that you?¡±, I turned to see Robin Redbreast behind me and over his shoulder was Mojo.


    ¡°We heard it too, Snow White.¡±, said Mojo and then I heard a voice call out for me. ¡°Svetlana.¡±, I turned and so did the dwarf along with my dear cat as we looked around.


    ¡°Svetlana.¡±, said Poll Parrot, who was surprised to see me return only to learn the truth quite quickly when he got stabbed in the neck by a blade. ¡°Shhh, shh¡­¡±, the figure that took on my appearance shushed him and lowered him down gently over the ground before placing her hand over his mouth too shut him up in order for him to be loud.


    Poll Parrot was the first of the seven dwarfs to die and he couldn¡¯t even reach his rifle that was close by. The figure that took on my appearance then stepped out of the mines and Henry Foster noticed her, finding something unusual as I did not say a word and just walked out of the mine. Henry would often see Parrot in the distance and now he could not, but he also felt something unusual emanating from the one that appeared like me. It was then that Henry was shot in the chest and when he looked down to his chest he saw something in the center of his body, and it was then that he looked up and in horror realized what it was; a bomb. I could hear the explosion in the distance and in that moment the malfhi elves that lingered within the trees leaped down from it in order to attack me. I swung my body around and created a mist from the rain that fell down upon the woodlands. Robin Redbreast prepared his axes and Mojo prepared his own claws in preparation to combat whoever was coming, and he leaped forth when an elf was about to jump Robin Redbreast with the both of them disappearing into the fog. There were many soldiers who emerged from all around the tree house and all of them were members of the Bloodstone Tribe that used their magic and guns to shoot towards the dwarfs. Jingleheimer played his tunes louder and his arcane magic lifted objects that struck each Bloodstonian that dared to approach. Yon Yonson reached for his saw-blade, a cybernetic sword that functioned like a chainsaw, and attacked several members of the tribe as he cut them in half with ease. Henry Foster¡¯s body was gathering together and Bloody Mary walked into the area with a smile on her face. It was then that Peter Piper emerged from his lair and called for me.


    ¡°Svetlana!¡±, the figure that was disguised as me turned and he ran towards her while one of the malfhi leaped downward from the skies only to strike me with her claw over my arm.


    She ripped a part of my white clothing and the skin underneath, causing me to bleed, and then she attacked me with her other claw as I leaned my head back only for her other claw to nearly strike my neck. It was then that her tail would emerge to bite me and my own emerged back to bite it instead that caused her to yelp in pain before I clawed her face that left a scar over her face. The elf retreated into the woods and roots entangled around my feet before another elf emerged only for Mojo to climb over my head and land on her face. Another elf would then emerge and then an axe would strike her head that would cut it from her shoulder as she fell on the ground. Robin Redbreast would emerge only to disappear as I lowered my claws and reached for the roots that would freeze them before I would break them off. The mists and fog would start clearing as I could see many elves surrounding Robin that bit onto his flesh and I screamed before raising both of my arms and opened my hands that knocked all those around me with a force of air currents. I waved my claw at another and she was slowed down by arcane magic as the elven malfhi was confused while another, a rezal, was tied by entangling roots as I countered her spell by warping the magic to my own needs, and then one attacked me as I blinked in front of the rezal only to kick her in the head that forced her to fall to the ground. I then turned and raised my claw that froze a malfhi in front of me before my tail struck through the ice and shattered her into pieces. Peter Piper would emerge to the figure that took on my appearance only to spot a lamb that was away from the rest of the cattle with a strange red bowtie tied around its neck. The lamb then raised its back legs and turned to kick the dwarf backwards into a wall before he got shot in the heart by a bullet from the figure that took on my appearance. Henry Foster¡¯s body gathered together and he saw Jack¡¯ron Horner that stood before him that tossed a pie into his face that Henry just absorbed. The dwarf then spat out a piece of plum pie and the witty Criotah Contender that was Jack¡¯ron Horner raised his right claw as a massive blade of frost and ice formed that revealed to Henry the true nature of Jack¡¯ron Horner. Jingleheimer continued to play his tune and molten lava then emerged from the forge that Yon Yonson was using that struck the tree house itself as lava fell downward. Jingleheimer leaped forth and continued to play his tune that kept most of the lava from falling and instead its projectiles were hurled at the members of the Bloodstone Tribe that would fatally die from the shots. Yon waved his saw-blade and then struck the hand of a sorceress who melted it in her grip. When he looked up, he saw Bloody Mary smile at him and she just raised her hand over his neck and raised him up as she melted his flesh in front of the horrified Jingleheimer. Nory MacDonald waved his hands above that caused healing rains that helped heal his friend and Bloody Mary watched with satisfaction before she just let out a burst of flame that incinerated Yon into ashes. She then turned to gaze at the two dwarfs that looked to each other for they knew a battle was coming. It was then that Jingleheimer saw me approach and turned his attention back to Mary.


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    ¡°No!¡±, shouted Old MacDonald who waved his arm and thrust his hand forth that sent a vicious cyclone forth that pushed the figure that appeared like me away as the tree house caught fire.


    ¡°That¡¯s not Svetlana!¡±, said the dwarf to Jingleheimer, who turned his attention to the figure that appeared like me and transformed into Naomi Pharon, the android servant of the Bloodstonians.


    Henry Foster fell down into the water and from it emerged a gigantic water elemental attacked everyone in sight as Jack¡¯ron Horner fled immediately with the blade in his claw. Bloody Mary would wave her arm to cause a flame and the red lamb would come to attack MacDonald who surrounded himself with floating stones while Naomi sought to attack Jingleheimer whose many objects just kept striking her. Deep in the woodlands, however, Robin Redbreast was bleeding to death and staring into the skies for his wounds were severe. I blinked from one area to the other; I attacked and struck whatever elf that I could while Mojo waved his little saw-blade towards whoever attempted to attack his dwarven family member. Henry Foster caused a massive rain that rain hails of ice upon many of the Bloodstonians that were cut down and the fires of the tree house got extinguished by his massive waters. Once Henry spotted that Naomi and Bloody Mary were encroaching upon the last of his family dwarfs, he emerged into the river water and Jack¡¯ron raised his icy blade that he struck into the water that caused it to freeze but that only caused for the river waters to burst upward like an explosion that pushed and washed everyone around in water as Bloody Mary disappeared in flames while Naomi leaped into the skies to use her jetpacks to fly while hundreds of Bloodstonians, including Jack¡¯ron Horner, were washed away. Old MacDonald flew off a waterfall along with Jingleheimer that dropped his sitar. They both fell down towards rocks and Jingleheimer struck a stone as he died while Old MacDonald was washed away by the river. Jack¡¯ron waved his claws and he absorbed a life essence of a soul that he stole as the water dispersed. He landed upon the ground and saw the body of the former magian, Henry Foster, which breathed heavily as he held onto his chest. There were puddles of water everywhere with one in particular hiding in plain sight.


    ¡°Thank you, haru, and damn ye as well.¡±, said Henry Foster and Jack¡¯ron raised his blade of ice as he was about to kill the dwarf. ¡°You¡¯ve released me from my curse, but who will now free you from yours?¡±, the dwarf questioned the Criotah Contender who would then step into a puddle whose waters would begin to rise and surround Jack¡¯ron Horner.


    The haru could not shake it off until Bloody Mary¡¯s flames burst forth, forcing the water elemental to fall down and get boiled away into nothing. Jack¡¯ron Horner then stood where he was and Bloody Mary saw his body slightly burnt as he growled at her before he turned his attention back to Henry Foster, who looked up at the haru and sighed. He then raised his hand only for it to be cut off and then the dwarf got impaled in the chest by the frozen blade, killed by Jack¡¯ron Horner that pulled it out of his body and watched the dwarf blood seeping into water.


    ¡°Go, Svetlana, go!¡±, shouted Mojo. ¡°I¡¯ll hold them off!¡±, the cat-like android stated only to be surrounded by many malfhi who he fled from immediately.


    It was then that one bit my neck and another bit my arm as I screamed. I blinked out of existence and they felt my scent as they ran towards me. I looked at Mojo, who looked at me terrified, and before I knew why I was taken by a whip that surrounded my neck and pulled me. I fell from a large cliff into the waters below and many rezal emerged to push me down into the water. They bit on me, their tails dug into my flesh and devoured me, and their claws scratched my whole body until blood remained. It was then that one of the elves was raised from the water and she snarled as she saw Old MacDonald wave his hand to smash her body into nearby stone. The rezal then rose from the water and attack him with their whips that he dodged. He then turned, waved his arm and one of his stones that encircled him struck one of the rezal that knocked her back into the water. The shaman manipulated the waters and causes massive riptides as well as massive tidal waves that then caused the elves to be pushed away. The dwarf forced them all against the water and he shouted as he used all his manna to do so before falling to his knees. He appeared to be so exhausted from all the power he asked off the elements and that drained his body before two scythes appeared around his neck and criss-crossed each other.


    ¡°The evil queen sent you, didn¡¯t she?¡±, Old MacDonald could not see the individual that was behind him and she leaned down, whispering to the dwarf¡¯s ear. ¡°Not exactly, even though you are off interest to her.¡±, she said delightfully before raising the scythes to slice his head off from his shoulders that fell on the ground and rolled over with many elves then running to her.


    ¡°Lady Frost!¡±, both the malfhi and rezal recognized the lady of death, whom turned to face them with a smile on her face. ¡°You did well, children, and rest assured that Mother Nature is happy with the love you¡¯ve shown her.¡±, the elven gorgon told the elves that were overjoyed with her.


    ¡°Snow White might yet live, mother, we sense her essence lingering the forest.¡±, stated one of the malfhi. ¡°The elements are trying to cling onto her, but one in particular is emanating a strange power; I smell a stench of an elemental curse upon it.¡±, stated one of the rezal.


    ¡°And we will allow her to live, my children.¡±, stated Elina Frostclaw and each elf present stared in confusion. ¡°But you told us she had to die.¡±, said one of the elves. ¡°In spirit, little malfhi, not physically.¡±, replied Elina Frostclaw. ¡°Now the truth test begins.¡±, the elven gorgon implied.


    ¡°What test?¡±, asked one of the rezal, a curious little child. ¡°For us to see just who this Snow White truly is for her innocence shall be stripped away in time¡­¡±, Elina grinned and the elves present began to chuckle and giggle for they knew I had lost all those dearest to me.


    As the river continued to carry me away, the blood poured from me and stained the river waters. Once upon a time, I felt as if I had lost everything and the dwarfs convinced me that I hadn¡¯t, and now I had lost them as well. I had lost my home, my only friends and family that I had left. I felt a strange energy emanating around me and my blood began to return to my body, the river itself practically cleansing itself and then my eyes would open as I found myself alive in the waters. I was able to breathe and it was as if this world was the surface to me. Strange how fate works, isn¡¯t it? I had fled from a kingdom I lost for a fresh start and a new life, but it was here that my life began anew. When I returned to my home, I found it practically in flames and then I realized I had failed the dwarfs, I had failed my family, and got to experience the memories of their deaths as if I was right beside them when it happened. It was then that I realized I inherited the memories of Henry Foster himself. I saw the death of Yon by Bloody Mary¡¯s hands and once I found the body of Peter Piper, I had witnessed his death in a memory by merely touching his blood and then when I happened to find the body of Poll Parrot, I saw the wound in his neck and touched to discover that it was the same assassin that killed them both. I felt cold, emotionless¡­ I felt like every part of my body is ice itself and the warmth around me, what little I felt, couldn¡¯t feel the void my body emanated behind. Another memory flashed and went away just as quick, it was one of Henry Foster and the dwarves he had knocked away while he himself died by Jack¡¯ron Horner, and for a moment I could feel pain in my chest. I found Jingleheimer lying on one of the many stones and returned to the river where I died only to see Old MacDonald¡¯s body lying down on the ground. I then returned to place of Robin Redbreast and saw a grave where he died, and right beside it was that little Puss in Boots; Mojo. He turned to face me and I stared at him before taking a few steps closer to him. I then looked down to the grave and so did he.


    ¡°They¡¯re all dead, aren¡¯t they?¡±, Mojo asked and I nodded my head, not saying a word. ¡°It is times like these that I am thankful I am not a living creature like you.¡±, he explained. ¡°And yet, you are not sad?¡±, he turned to face me with a puzzled look on his face.


    ¡°I feel the emptiness where my companions once stood. I took them for granted and now I have nothing. My emotions feel like the surge of tides and it feels like loneliness. I feel like I am faced with a terrible reality that haunts me.¡±, I described to Mojo who could only inquire about it.


    ¡°What reality do you speak off?¡±, he asked. ¡°That I shall be forever hunted by one who desires nothing more but power and I will never be able to understand why, and that as long as she lives that my life will be torment and pain.¡±, I described to the android who turned to face the grave.


    ¡°But you¡¯re not alone, you have me.¡±, I didn¡¯t know if it was the android¡¯s way of displaying love or in some matter trying to make me feel better, but I appreciated it nevertheless.


    ¡°When I think of what you¡¯ve lost, what we¡¯ve lost¡­¡±, I paused in thought. ¡°I know that I am responsible for what happened to the seven dwarfs and our lives. I know it is my fault regarding everything that has transpired.¡±, I explained and Mojo looked at me with curiosity.


    ¡°The years I have spent with the dwarfs shall forever be embedded in my memory for they were the ones I grew up with, who I spent most of my childhood with. They were my family¡­¡±, I continued to describe my feelings to the android before I raised my head. ¡°And now those tides are turning to riptides, emotions of anger, which wish to drown out all the rest to focus on one thought that keeps on coming back to my mind.¡±, I kept explaining my feelings to Mojo.


    ¡°And what is that?¡±, asked Mojo. ¡°Vengeance.¡±, I replied. ¡°You are the only family I have left, Mojo, and I cannot afford to lose you but I know you will follow me wherever I go and where I am going is to put a stop to the evil queen, the one who has killed both of my families. I am going to kill the one that brought me all this pain. Will you help me?¡±, Mojo nodded and accepted.

 Chapter Seven: Winter’s Ascension

    ¡°She lives?!¡±, my step-mother wasn¡¯t overjoyed when she found out I survived. ¡°How did she survive?!¡±, she shouted towards the magic mirror. ¡°Well, I can show you again¡­¡±, the magic mirror replied and my mother then waved her arm. ¡°No, you insolent fool!¡±, she shouted back.


    ¡°Where is that foolish criotah who has failed us?¡±, the queen questioned Bloody Mary and Naomi Pharon, who looked to each other before staring back to the Queen of Thorns.


    ¡°He is currently occupied.¡±, said Mary. ¡°Occupied how?¡±, the queen asked. ¡°You have a magic mirror, don¡¯t you?¡±, said Naomi Pharon and Bloody Mary smirked. ¡°Yea, why don¡¯t you ask it?¡±, Bloody Mary added and the queen couldn¡¯t believe how childish her allies were.


    ¡°Where is your mistress?!¡±, the queen asked in frustration. ¡°You know, the grown up off you two?¡±, the queen added and both the spell-breaker and the sorceress giggled.


    ¡°Ask the mirror?¡±, they both said at the same time and the queen looked over on the side in anger and frustration. ¡°Oh, calm down, grumpy pants. All the seven dwarfs are dead.¡±, said Naomi.


    ¡°But not Snow White!¡±, the queen raised her voice and Bloody Mary just kept the same smug expression she had on her face while Naomi leaned back with a smirk on her face. ¡°Why do you have such a bloody desire to kill her again, because she is the fairest one of all?¡±, asked Mary.


    ¡°No, because she is the only one left that could be a potential threat to the fairest kingdom of them all!¡±, the Queen of Thorns shouted back with Bloody Mary smirking at her. ¡°And whose fault is that?¡±, asked Naomi Pharon and my evil step-mother was furious at that question.


    ¡°I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong. You tried to kill her at a young age and she escaped.¡±, Naomi shared her own thoughts as she walked around Bloody Mary who just made an evil smile. ¡°She appeared almost content with leaving this life behind and living the rest of her years as a peasant within the southern woodlands of Porbor and with the seven dwarfs, with her new family. It is you that has stripped all that away from her, and because of what?¡±, Naomi stopped moving and spread her arms, for a moment it seemed she did not know the answer herself.


    ¡°It cannot be fear, could it?¡±, asked Mary. ¡°It might be. After all, it can be so overwhelming at times.¡±, Naomi replied. ¡°Can it also be doubt?¡±, asked Mary. ¡°Of course, there is always room for doubt.¡±, Naomi implied. ¡°Could it be despair, hatred, and anger?¡±, asked Mary.


    ¡°Of course, Mary, but enough with the questions because after all; our queen expects us to deal with Snow White and deal with her we shall. Farewell, my queen, for we have a dark fate to greet.¡±, both the diabolist and the spell-breaker disappeared in a dark corridor of darkness that sent them away while the furious and angered Queen of Thorns shouted in anger.


    ¡°Magic mirror on the wall, tell me everything about Snow White and her new powers.¡±, the Queen of Thorns demanded and the magic mirror would while I made my way to the kingdom.


    Once my wicked step-mother had discovered that I had survived, she sent the Bloodstone Tribe¡¯s mercenaries to deal with me. They are a group loyal to Mary Bloodstone herself and I sought out the sorceress as one of the primary four that I wanted to kill for they were responsible for the death of my family. Mary Bloodstone, Naomi Pharon, Jack¡¯ron Horner and Rose Red are the four that must die for I had seen their faces and knew they are responsible. Why Jack¡¯ron Horner though? It is because the sorceress that accompanied him, Bloody Mary, and she seemed pretty evil to my eyes. Mojo would sit on my shoulder before the blizzard would pick up and I¡¯d look to him with my cold eyes without saying a word. Mojo would then jump down from my shoulder and I stared into the distance as my body faded away, disintegrating into thousands of pieces. The Bloodstone Tribesman in the distance approached and in the air there were haru that were beset by a blizzard that blinded them during the flight.


    ¡°What are you showing me?!¡±, Rose Red questioned the mirror. ¡°Snow White, as you wished, my queen.¡±, the magic mirror replied. ¡°But all I see is snow and a blizzard.¡±, the queen described and then the mirror replied. ¡°That is because she is Snow White.¡±, this confused the queen and how could it not because it would make no sense for a mere mortal.


    The snowy blizzard then turned to that of icy hails that struck several of the flying harus. The harus felt struck by the projectiles and most of them fell downward from the skies as the queen watched in horror to what she had created only for the magic mirror to continue its explanation.


    ¡°She is a Magian¡­¡±, the magic mirror revealed and the queen didn¡¯t quite understand magic as the most of them, and all she could see is how the haru fell down over the snow.


    ¡°She is no longer the Holo¡¯kar Mage that Henry Foster trained her to become but rather she is what the dwarf was. In a essence, she carries on the memory of the seven dwarfs through her newfound power.¡±, the magic mirror explained and the queen saw the snow rise all by itself that pulled and pushed the harus deep down beneath the icy cold snow itself, drowning them.


    ¡°The water elemental that was infused with Henry latched itself upon the only living being it could find and that was Svetlana. This has caused her to become, in an essence, the living embodiment of water itself.¡±, the magic mirror described as my body started to reappear and form itself again from the many flakes of snow that lingered throughout the air.


    There was a human on the ground, a cyberpunk, who aimed his gun as they shot at me only for a bullet to straight through my body. I stepped forth, waved my hand upward and froze the target solid before my tail just turned wider and bigger that impaled through its body, breaking him into pieces. It was a magic I was familiar with when I was a holo¡¯kar. I waved my hand and opened the palm of it that would send out shards of ice that penetrate through several targets in front of me. There was then a Bloodstone Ragna¡¯rok mage who swung fireballs at me that I avoided and dodged repeatedly for it was the only thing that was a threat to me. I then grabbed his hand and the flame in his had extinguished as my own hand that began to heal itself using the snow that was all around me. I then raised my right fist that enlarged and punched him as he fell into the snow with him literally buried under a mound. Mojo did not do anything. He just sat there in his cat-like form and watched what I was doing, killing anyone that was in my way.


    ¡°She has inherited all the memories of Henry Foster and therefore the memories of the dwarfs that he watched die. Whenever she comes in contact with blood, she is able to look into their memories and therefore¡­¡±, the magic mirror explained before the queen cut in. ¡°She also saw how they died as well¡­¡±, my step-mother said in realization and continued to watch me.


    ¡°Her body is now entirely composed of concentrated energy of water and primal magic. As long as remains in the cold, it will be difficult to combat her with other forms of magic for her body will keep on regenerating.¡±, the magic mirror described as I would grow in size with the snow beneath me and the cyberpunks tried to run away only for them to be dragged by the snow itself.


    I then raised my hand and two snowy hands grabbed them as I just threw both of the cold hands away with several cyberpunks with them. I then turned and gazed into the distance. I then hurled my entire body upward and several haru yelled in terror as I struck them from the skies and dived down over the ground with them all, burying them and then emerging from the snow with a body that took on the appearance of black ice, my lips appeared pale as death and my eyes white. I opened the palm of my hand as the ice broke beneath a soldier¡¯s feet and he ended up in the cold river. I walked over the river whose surface froze underneath me and I stared at the others that kept shooting at me only to realize it was pointless. Several of the Bloodstonians threw down their guns and began to run into the opposite direction, realizing that this battle was lost.


    ¡°I must lure her into the city¡­¡±, my mother said. ¡°Yes, you do. Only the extreme flames and heating temperatures of Sineru will be able to potentially defeat her. The magic of Jack¡¯ron Horner or anyone capable of wielding frost magic will not be able to help you here for Svetlana has become the cold harshness of the winter itself. Wherever she goes, winter will follow and will ascend for she is the very element of water itself. She is now only Snow White.¡±, the magic mirror described as my body reformed with long ebony hair, lips red as the rose and skin pale as snow.


    My eyes appeared to be icy, light blue, now far more than ever. The clothing I wore was a fabric of the winter itself and consisted of primal magic that would reform whenever I would. It was a part of me as much as I was a part of it. Wherever I would go, winter followed and ascended, and when winter came it descended upon all those I wished to do harm.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡±, my mother then said as she spotted an unusual figure in the snow and then she couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. ¡°What is he doing there?!¡±, she couldn¡¯t believe her eyes and neither could I. ¡°Howdy.¡±, he casually said while eating plum pie and I coldly stared at him.


    ¡°You are the one who killed Henry Foster, one of my seven brothers.¡±, I stated to the haru.


    ¡°I am not going to deny it.¡±, he replied back coldly, typical of a holo¡¯kar mage of his caliber, and he was sitting down over a frozen seat of ice while eating his plum pie. ¡°I have killed many for my mistress and many were deserving, but you on the other hand...¡±, the warrior mage explained.


    ¡°The seven dwarfs didn¡¯t deserve to die.¡±, I said to the haru who shrugged his shoulders. ¡°So the rumors go. Anyone will say that their loved ones did not deserve to die and yet that is far from the truth. Everyone deserves to die, whether it is you or me¡­.¡±, explained the haru.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°So it doesn¡¯t matter to you, even if they are innocent?¡±, the criotah contender then raised his head and looked at me with his cold pale eyes, and I could see he didn¡¯t like hearing that.


    He got up to stand and dropped the platter that held his pie and I could see a tag that fell down to the ground attached to it that read ¡®Eat me¡¯. He then got up to stand with mist and fog that surrounded him. He looked at me before pointing his right claw towards me.


    ¡°Innocence is an excuse.¡±, he said before disappearing into the mist and fog that overwhelmed him before I saw him emerging from the mist and fog, growing in size and height.


    He rose up and I waved my hand as he did for my body once more disintegrated into nothingness to become a part of the harsh blizzard around me. Jack¡¯ron Horner grew so high that he was taller than the city of Sineru itself and he raised his head high with his arms spread apart. When he rose up, he carried with him many particles of razor sharp ice that surrounded him. He began to look around and laugh like a psychopath before placing both of his hands together that would surround themselves with frost magic in the center that spread across his hands that turned them into very razor sharp claws of ice. He then waved his arms over each other that began to get surrounded by frost magic that imbued him with a barrier of ice and I stepped out of the mist, prepared to confront him and looked to him coldly and without fear as Mojo ran for many shards of ice landed down to the ground. The entire field that surrounded Sineru City was nearly devoid of snow for we absorbed all of it to fuel our powers and the Queen of Thorns smiled.


    ¡°That criotah is not so foolish after all.¡±, she stated. ¡°Of course not, this was their plan all along.¡±, this confused my step-mother, who wondered what the magic mirror meant by that.


    Jack¡¯ron and I then looked at each other before he would raise his arms to the skies. The palm of his hands opened and radiated with arcane magic that caused several pieces of stone to be raised up into the air as he held a menacing smile on his face.


    ¡°All shall tend to my will, arcane magic is mine to control!¡±, he hurled the stones towards me and I dodged one only to be struck by another as I turned around only to fall downward.


    My hand struck the snow and began to absorb it to heal from the injury he inflicted to my body. He then ran forward and grabbed me around my neck that he twisted only for my head to turn but it couldn¡¯t break since I was a being of water. He was then disturbed by the sight he saw before I turned and waved my arm that I smacked into his face injured his right eye. He turned around and I hurled shards of ice at him before he suddenly threw what appeared to be large pies that struck the ice. In my confusion, I watched as a giant conjured plum pie destroyed the icicles and I stepped aside only to see it fly by. There were a few soldiers on the ground and they were of Bloodstone Tribe that was struck by the pie which in turn destroyed their cannons. I then looked around to realize there were Bloodstonians all around me who prepared to assist their boss with cannons of molten flame. I then turned only to get punched in the face and half of my face nearly deteriorated but quickly came back to reform my structure. I then grabbed his fist and went to punch him only for him to grab my hand and kick me backwards as I struck Sineru City with my back that shook it. My step-mother could feel the entire city shake and she couldn¡¯t believe it was all real as I watched the Bloodstonians fire their cannons. I then waved arcane magic and redirected the projectile with my magic while I kicked another projectile. Jack¡¯ron dodged one projectile but did not see the other I had redirected that struck him in his back. He then flew forward and I fell down over the ground due to my foot being injured. The criotah fell down to the ground and with his hands he raised a blade of ice from the snow. He then turned only to be met by my arm of ice that I shape-shifted like a blade and my step-mother¡¯s jaw dropped after what she had seen. I then waved my other arm that turned out to be a blade as well and cut his chest as he stepped back while he bled and my foot reformed.


    ¡°Pain is weakness leaving the body. Yours left your body when the elves threw you in that river.¡±, he said to me and I got up to stand as the cannons shifted to aim to my position. ¡°Which is why I am going to enjoy this.¡±, he then conjured a pie in his right claw while holding his icy blade with the other as I carefully listened to the sound of the cannon fuses lighting.


    He threw the pie and I shifted to my right to avoid him. He thrust his blade out and I grabbed it with my right hand. The cannons fired and I kicked him right between his legs as I could see his eyes widen in pain. I then punched him and I disintegrated in front of him as he fell forward. The several cannons then opened fire as he fell in my place and got shot from every direction. My body then re-appeared and reformed behind him as I turned both of my fists to ice that I smacked him over the head against in order for him to fall down into the snow. The warrior then got up and threw a pie into my face that blinded me only momentarily. He thrust his blade forth and I grabbed it before it froze into black ice and then he proceeded to head butt me. I nearly fell down and took a few steps back as a few tribesmen then abandoned their posts as I crushed a cannon and the platform that lied on top of it. They immediately took aim with the cannons and Jack¡¯ron kept thrusting his blade. I kept shifting left and right. I even let myself fall down as he swung it above me and I punched him right between his legs again that caused him to fall down on one knee. I could see he was clearly hurting and he shook his head as I heard the cannons fire. I immediately waved two of my hands and the arcane magic forced the projectiles away from me with one striking the city, one hitting Jack¡¯ron in his back and forced him to fall and a third struck me that broke my leg in two. Jack¡¯ron, seeing this, grabbed his blade and thrust it downward to my head and I reached for it, grabbing it with both of my hands.


    ¡°Reload, reload!¡±, the Bloodstone Tribesman saw it was somewhat affective and not affective.


    ¡°Quickly now, or the boss will have our hides!¡±, the snow and ice absorbed into my leg, and Jack¡¯ron swung his head forth to hit me that blinded me.


    He then pushed me down and kicked me forth as he channeled his blade with arcane magic. He did this in order to finally be able to strike me down and drain me of my powers just like he did Henry Foster. I was blind, but my elven tail was the surprise for I hadn¡¯t utilized it and now I finally did as its mouth thrust itself forth and bit him between his legs with my ears listening.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±, Jack¡¯ron yelled in pain and several of the Bloodstone Tribesmen clenched their teeth as they realized it must have been very painful, but then they lit the fuse in their cannons.


    I then got up while still being blind and he thrust the blade downward to strike me down only for me to grab it. My face reformed and I looked very angry into his eyes before I punched him so hard in the chest that he nearly lost all air. He dropped the blade and I disintegrated in front of him in many particles. The cannons fired and he fell slightly forth as most of the projectiles hit him from all directions. This forced him to cover himself and also feel immense pain as he dropped the blade of ice enchanted by arcane magic that I reached for. I grabbed its handle and then I thrust the blade in his chest. I held the blade steady and then let go of it as he stared at it. He then raised his head and smirked before he grabbed hold of its handle. He started to get smaller and revert slowly to his ordinary size as my step-mother was astonished but also very disappointed, concerned for his wound.  One cannon then fired and struck my shoulder as I then disintegrated yet again with the snow itself rising as my body flew forth like a snowstorm and every single Bloodstone Tribesman was shocked once they noticed this snowstorm headed for them. They immediately started to abandon their posts as they were knocked back and their cannons rolled over their platforms that they stood on. They screamed in terror as the snowstorm kept encircling the area and throwing them all over the place. There were many who were not able to escape and that got consumed by it. All that my step-mother could see was a blizzard of mist and fog that surrounded Sineru City. She gazed closely into the mirror and she could barely see the warrior that stood on his knees. I appeared before him in my ordinary size and height, and in his ordinary form he was twice as tall then I was like most haru were. He was a criotah who lost his wings a long time ago and a dragonsworn, but sworn to something else rather than his empire. I gazed upon the contender, the warrior magi of ice and frost who realized his battle was lost and I wondered if he was content with that, but at the same time I found that I did not care¡­


    ¡°That was for Henry Foster and the other dwarfs you and your kind killed.¡±, I said to Jack¡¯ron, who remained on his knees as he coughed blood from his mouth and I reached for him.


    The moment that I got in contact with his blood I received a flashback of his memories and the first memory to appear was off an alleyway where there were many dead. There was an elf there, one who was young and holding two scythes, staring at him with a grin on her face. In that memory, he held a nazirh that humans referred to as orcs, and twisted his head. The next memory showed him placing him inside of a grinder and once I saw that he was grinded the nazirh¡¯s body into pieces is when I got really disturbed. I allowed myself to view the nightmare a bit further and then he served the pie to the elf, now a grown up, that turned her head to face him. But she revealed her face; I saw eyes devoid of life with darkness seeping from her mouth. I then stepped back and gazed at the criotah, the warrior magi¡¯s life was slowly leaving his body.


    ¡°I told you; I am not going to deny it.¡±, he said to me. ¡°There is no point in lying to you about my true nature now, is there, Snow White?¡±, he looked down into the snow and his body turned icy.


    ¡°You killed all those people and baked them into pies, why?¡±, the contender smirked. ¡°You ask that, you who are practically the element of water itself?¡±, he then reached out for my hand and grabbed it before placing it over his chest, right over the blood and a new memory appeared.


    ¡°Little Jack Horner, sat in the corner, eating his little plum pie!¡±, a couple of children sang around what appeared to be Jack¡¯ron as a kid and they were haru like himself, but all had wings and they made fun out of the young dragonsworn who did not have his.


    ¡°He put in his thumb and pulled out a plumb¡­!¡±, they sang as he did exactly what the kids told him and he pulled out a plumb over his thumb before he would say: ¡°What a good boy am I!¡±, and all the haru children laughed at him and one even smacked him over his head.


    ¡°Suck on your thumb, little Jack Horner, like the little baby that you are!¡±, they made fun out of him and he did so as they commanded as the next memory appeared him in front of a mirror.


    He seemed to be crying and his thumb was purple due to the plum before he heard a knock on his door. He wiped his tears, approached the door and squeezed the handle before he opened it. When he looked forth he saw nothing and when he looked down he saw a little elf staring at him. She once again had eyes of void and mouth seeping with darkness. She carried two scythes and they were covered in blood, and in the next memory he returned to the room to find all the harus that made fun out of him dead with bloodstains seen everywhere on the walls. I then backed away again and stared at him, and I could not believe it all started out that way.


    ¡°You started to kill people because someone bullied you as a child? Oh, cry me a fucking river.¡±, I stated to the haru who chuckled. ¡°That wasn¡¯t why I started to kill people, Snow White.¡±, the haru said to me and I looked at him with confusion. ¡°I started to kill them and bake them into pies for my love, the one who always cared for me. The reason I continued to do so was because I wanted each and every one of them to have a taste of who they truly are.¡±, he explained.


    ¡°And what is that?¡±, I asked. ¡°Hypocrites.¡±, he said. ¡°And one day you shall know as well that hypocrisy is their greatest virtue, innocent or not. They all deserved to die, including me. Death has no rules.¡±, he stated before he lowered his head down and his body entirely froze in ice.


    I stood there not knowing how to feel. I knew that he was dead for when a magi dies, their bodies turn to ice and disintegrate. He, however, was half magi and half warrior. I did not wish to see more of his memories for they did not matter to me. What mattered is my vengeance¡­

 Chapter Eight: A Dance of Ice & Fire

    A storm of ice and snow encircled the city of Sineru, a storm I wrought to a kingdom that I once called home and every single citizen that day shut themselves behind their closed doors for they knew that their true heir was coming to return to claim her throne, and yet I had no interest in it at all. I shattered the many windows of the beloved city and drowned every single opening that I could find in snow. I would then emerge into the trophy room where I spent a lot of times with my father only to see that it was stripped of all of its belongings and precious possessions.


    ¡°She is no longer here, princess.¡±, said the voice of someone I only remember both hearing seeing in someone else¡¯s memory, someone who would step in front of the doors of the room.


    ¡°She waits you through the hailfire you¡¯ve left in your every waking step.¡±, she then pushed those doors open and beyond it I didn¡¯t expect to see what I did; a bridge to literal hell with rising flames on both sides and so much heat that I could feel the dry hot air coming out of it.


    ¡°If you wish to confront the evil and wicked queen step-mother, you will have to go through me, little Snow White.¡±, Bloody Mary walked across the bridge and gazed upon the chamber doors of the throne room that I sought to open. ¡°I will give you a head start, what do you say?¡±, she said to me before looking back towards me with a smile and spread her arms apart.


    ¡°You can take in as much snow with you that you could possibly want and I assure you the steaks have never been higher.¡±, she raised her hands to gesture towards soldiers dressed in snow white metal clad armor that were boiled alive from the inside with blood pouring from their eyes.


    I did exactly as she suggested for me to do and gathered with me as much snow that I brought from the outside. I took a deep breath for I knew that once I step into the hellfire that was the bridge that lead to what I was here for that it would be a long road to hell itself. Naomi Pharon walked up behind me and I leaned my head down, looking behind to see her raise her hands.


    ¡°Relax, white snow.¡±, said Naomi. ¡°This is a one on one. We are only here to ensure you don¡¯t try to come back out once you enter for the final time. It¡¯s either sink or swim for you now.¡±, she explained and I looked at her with focused eyes, doubting her words but she seemed to back off.


    ¡°It¡¯s the dance of ice and fire, the song of hail and conflagration. It¡¯s hailfire.¡±, Naomi explained with delight and I shook my arms before I chose to walk into the hallway with the doors being shut behind me by the soul that was inside of the android¡¯s body.


    She knew I was in one ¡®hell¡¯ of a fight, sort to speak, and Bloody Mary stood before the door as I could feel the water in my body boiling, and the water elemental that had merged with me began to regret what it had done once I walked in the lair of the Scarlet Sorceress.


    ¡°You know, those dwarfs truly loved you and they paid the price for it.¡±, she said with delight.


    ¡°Naomi did most of the killing.¡±, she pointed towards Naomi that stood on the inside of the room and just before the doors until suddenly all the fires ceased to be. ¡°What?¡±, asked Bloody Mary.


    ¡°Do you really think I am like you?¡±, she said with a playful smile on her face. ¡°No, no, my dear, unlike you I am fair.¡±, she implied while Naomi walked past me and walked across the bridge.


    ¡°There is no unfair advantage, no upper hand I possess. It¡¯s not the way of the Garo''shan.¡±, I didn¡¯t know what this Garo''shan meant but she did have me all ears. ¡°The Garo''shan?¡±, I asked and she opened the palm of her hands from which flames erupted along with two chakras.


    She then threw those chakras towards me and I leaped into the skies as one passed above me and the other below me before I would land on my feet. Both chakras then struck the wall and both of them ricocheted from the wall. I turned to avoid one while the other cut through my arm and left a mark of fire before they came back to her. She caught both chakras and Naomi entered into the throne room before she shut the doors behind her.


    ¡°Let battle be joined!¡±, she said to me before she threw both chakras yet again.


    I leaped into the air and spun once more as they bypassed me. She then struck me with a fireball that caused a part of me to fall to the ground and boil away into nothing. I then landed onto my feet and forced myself down on my stomach as the chakra flew over me. I rolled over with the other striking the ground and looked around to see where she was only to see her leaping into the air with the chakras returning to her hands. I threw several icicles towards her and she threw her chakras at them that easily boiled them away before both would strike me down. She then landed on top off me with her hands and knees, pushing me down into the ground as I felt my body boiling due to the extreme heat she caused to me. She then set herself on fire and laughed out loud as she repeatedly landed blows onto my arms. I then punched her in the head and she didn¡¯t even budge before she grabbed me with both of her hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been the dominant one for a while now. What say you try to be on top for a change?¡±, it was then that she flew up into the air and laughed maniacally while I looked up with confusion before realizing that the gravity itself started to shift due to the arcane magic.


    The world inside this room turned upside down and therefore I fell downwards towards the ceiling itself that was littered with spikes. I landed on one of them and she was standing on the tip of one of them laughing at me. She then tip toed on one after the other towards me like a playful and menacing psychopathic little child intent to strike me down. I got up to confront her and then suddenly I felt like I lost gravity once more as she fell back down towards the bridge, as did I, and yet I fell on the bridge while she landed on her feet.


    ¡°A memory is nothing compared to the real thing, magian. To see it through someone¡¯s eyes is one thing, to experience it with your own is another. I wish you could of have seen their faces in person when I incinerated one of them before their very eyes. I wish you could of seen the terror in their eyes when they watched him turn to ash before their very eyes and when they despaired in their last moments when they were betrayed by one whom they thought was you only to be another.¡±, the sorceress laughed as I pushed myself up to stand and gritted my teeth in anger.


    ¡°Yes, there is the one I was waiting for; no longer the innocent little Snow White we remember but that grown up monster that I have waited for.¡±, I then turned both of my arms to icy blades and ran forth towards her while she charged at me with her chakras.


    We both attacked each other with mutual destructive magic as my water extinguished her flame while her flame in turn boiled my water away into nothing. The cold, dark sheen of the water tempered the exuberance of the fires while the bright dancing flames enlivened the quiet surface of water. The world then turned upside down and this time I did not lose focus like I did last time. I clashed with her chakras repeatedly in the air and our weapons even grinded against one another as she was so delighted with our battle. We landed on the tips of the spirals of stones in the ceiling and kept fighting as we stepped on one after the other. I swung my arm at her only for her to perform a barrel roll as the world turned once more. As I was falling down, I saw that I would miss the bridge and fall down into molten lava and I turned my hands into claws-like hooks that I used to impale to the side of the bridge as Bloody Mary laughed.


    ¡°You know, I enjoyed our little fight, magian, but you¡¯re so boring!¡±, she threw both of her chakras and I lowered one hand down as the other struck my arm that cut it in two.


    She then walked up to the side of the bridge and looked down in thought for she expected a more gruesome sound coming from my death. She almost looked disappointed by how it all ended.


    ¡°She¡¯s under the bridge!¡±, my mother was angry as she watched the encounter through the eyes of the magic mirror and then I emerged from one side of the bridge as I leaped into the sky.


    Bloody Mary turned and then I saw a sinister smile on her face before I kicked her off the bridge into the molten fiery pits below. I then stared down towards the molten lava as she emerged screaming and I saw her body deteriorate as the extreme heat seemed to rapidly decimate her molten-like bony structure. She started to change shape and form, seemingly melting in front of my eyes, and her body desperately tried to adapt to the heat of molten lava. I saw what appeared to be her body melting and then I saw her face melting into the lava itself in the terror she felt. It was then that for the first time I would feel very sorry for her as she literally turned herself inside out, vomiting forth her own face from within before dissolving into nothing. Her mission was a failure and her existence ended at that very moment. However, even I wondered why she smiled before I kicked her into the molten pits below. Was there something I did not know?


    ¡°She¡¯s dead¡­¡±, my step-mother said and fell down to sit on her throne as she looked towards the throne chamber doors where I appeared to look to next. ¡°This cannot be¡­¡±, she said to herself and then looked to Naomi Pharon. ¡°All that I am left with now is you.¡±, she didn¡¯t sound happy about that and the android rolled her eyes with disbelief, shaking her head.


    I then walked over to the chamber doors and opened them only for Naomi Pharon to emerge out with her feet and legs first to kick me backwards. She then landed on her feet and on her knees as she raised her arms up that were shaped like hand cannons that fired two projectiles into me. I then raised my head up in horror as I realized what she truly did and my body exploded into vapor that spread throughout the air as the android stood up, she set her arms cannons to plasma mode this time rather than grenade launchers. The Golden Guard behind the doors closed it behind her as Naomi seemed to be waiting and my mother seemed to be overjoyed.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Do not celebrate yet, Rose Red, for Snow White¡¯s essence still lingers in the air.¡±, the magic mirror stated and my wicked step-mother turned. ¡°What do you mean?!¡±, she shouted. ¡°You mean she isn¡¯t dead?!¡±, she couldn¡¯t believe it and yet the mirror was correct.


    Naomi Pharon stood where she was and looked around with her cybernetic eyes to scan the room as it appeared she was searching for something, a sign of life that was the soul of mine. My soul was behind the android and I felt like I could barely breathe as I gasped for air. Naomi was about to turn until she heard the sound of clashing steel and metal in front of the doors that lead to the trophy room. Although there was a soul within the android¡¯s body, her expression was subtle with extreme sadism and she looked around with in depth focus on what mattered. She was a taker of life, an extinguisher of souls, and the one word that could best describe her is being a terminator that would stop at nothing to kill those she hunted. I crawled over the ground behind her and I was invisible for only the essence of my soul lingered. Naomi then turned her head and I crawled over on the side as whatever of the water elemental remained in the air began to disappear rapidly. Naomi appeared to smile for she was convinced I was either dead or that I was on the other side of that door before she heard metal smack against the doors. It was then that both of her arms reverted back to their ordinary forms and she stepped towards the doors that she forced open by pulling on them. It was then, to her surprise, that she saw many of the Red Guards and Black Guards lying on the ground as they seemed to be severely beaten. She looked around and I then saw what appeared to be a gnome of sorts standing below her. She then looked down and saw Mojo, the Puss in Boots, staring at her and her eyes scanned him only to learn that he was not any ordinary cat but an android. It was then that she raised her right arm that began to transform back into her arm cannon and I threw myself forth as I opened my mouth screaming. Mojo threw a bucket of water towards her that sprayed her and then she froze in a millisecond for I had frozen her. I used whatever water I could spare and quickly started to reform my body as I merged with whatever snow was coming through the window. In my desperation, I tried to desperately maintain the ice and made it colder so that the android¡¯s body literally became black ice. The android¡¯s eyes stared towards the form that began to appear in the window and her eyes were focused, the ice over her arm began to crack before Mojo suddenly whistled. The android then looked down and saw what appeared to be loose cannon in his little claws.


    ¡°Say hello to my little friend, bitch.¡±, said Mojo and the android¡¯s eyes widened before he fired the cannon that shattered her body into many fragments that fell all over the floor.


    My soul was both happy and horrified for what I had seen, and I immediately allowed my spirit to fall through the window, down the mountain and into the snow itself that began to reform my entire body that erupted upwards into a snowstorm. I thrust myself into the room and my body reformed, reaching for Mojo who I held in my arms and whose cheeks I felt with my hands.


    ¡°Mojo¡­¡±, I said to him and he looked up to me, his head began to shake for he was clearly damaged due to the severe blow he made towards the android and himself.


    ¡°Little Robin Redbreast¡­¡±, Mojo could barely muster up a sentence. ¡°Yeah, he was our little pride and joy.¡±, I nodded as I said to the android cat. ¡°He told me¡­ He told me¡­¡±, the android was on repeat, trying to tell me something and I wondered what it was before he said.


    ¡°To protect Snow White for she is family¡­¡±, his right claw then reached for my cheek and felt it one last time. ¡°And family always sticks together¡­¡±, it was then that his green eyes shut down and became lifeless, his body ceased to function and in that moment of losing him was the last straw that broke the camel¡¯s back or in this case broke me.


    I heard the footsteps of Cyberpunks belonging to the Red Guard, Black Guard, Golden Guard, and even those of the Bloodstone Tribe that emerged into my room. My mother watched with a smile on her face before she saw the rage forming in my eyes and a massive snow storm entering the trophy room that spun like a cyclone all around. Those that had entered the trophy room soon found themselves levitating and being raised into the air by the massive snowstorm that spun them around before I shouted in anger, spreading my arms into the air and my legs before I yelled out in anger that sent out shards of black ice in all directions that penetrated through the armored guard. I then screamed in so much anger and frustration as I waved my arms around as the snow storm carried the golden guard around in circles. My wicked step-mother and the evil queen knew it was over, her every means and chance to win was exhausted. The Snow Queen¡¯s army made its way towards the city the Bloodstone Tribe seemed to be retreating. It was a dark day for the Red Army and many of the Black Guard began to surrender their weapons while the Golden Guard was the only last line of defense that would forever keep on fighting. She reached for one last golden chest that weighed heavy and placed it on a small table fashioned out of the same throne seat where my father once sat. She opened the chest in which there was an apple, a thick golden windproof lighter and a cigar beside it. My step-mother was nearing the end of her tale and she knew it well, and this time she knew there was no happy ending for Rose Red. She heard me scream and hurl the Golden Guard from all across the other side of the bridge.


    ¡°Magic mirror on the wall¡­¡±, the Queen of Thorns called for her servant one last time that was situated just above the table where she kept her stone chest on. ¡°What fate awaits us now?¡±, she asked the mirror and then looked to the apple she held in the palm of her hand.


    The mirror was about to answer before a few androids of the Golden Guard were thrust through the chamber doors and my evil wicked step-mother leaned her head forth to take cover from the shards of broken glass and ice that blew into the throne room. There were sounds of broken glass and shards of ice hitting the walls, the floor and anything else that it came across upon. My step-mother then reached for the handle of her throne as the snow storm pulled out all the Golden Guards within the throne room. The snow storm gathered over the bridge before it hurled all of them into the depths of the molten lava below and I walked over the bridge in anger and rage.


    ¡°Death then.¡±, the Queen of Thorns stated for now she now knew the outcome of her own fate after seeing the fate of the magic mirror, which got shattered and broke, in front of her very eyes.


    She took a bite of the red apple, stepped aside and reached for her windproof lighter along with her cigar. She walked up to her throne and took her seat, crossing her legs and took another bite off the apple as she waited for me to step into the throne room. She could feel the icy chill of the cold winter¡¯s ascension at my back that followed in after me and I glared into her eyes as she appeared to be unafraid, unmoved and carefree for my arrival. I looked around in the throne room and saw that none of the items of the trophy room were present. I happened to wonder if she had back up plans for her current situation she happened to find herself in.


    ¡°Hello, Snow White, I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±, said the queen and I smiled, I couldn¡¯t help but to chuckle at her comment. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t tried to escape.¡±, I replied and then the evil queen chuckled herself that came as a surprise to me before she would step up.


    ¡°Escape?¡±, she said before she would chuckle and after that drop the apple to the ground that rolled down the stairs before the very seat of her throne. ¡°My dear Snow White¡­¡±, she added before raising the cigar to her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you got it all wrong.¡±, she then opened the cover of the windproof lighter and suddenly the center of her floor opened from which emerged a large triangular column of sorts that seemed to grow with enchanted blue runes.


    It emanated with electricity that channeled energy from within itself and then it let loose all that energy into my body once she had pressed the trigger off the lighter. I could feel my entire body being paralyzed as my entire body served as a literal conduit for the electricity that fried my entire body. I began to evaporate in front of her as she held the button on the trigger for a while before letting go off it just so that she could watch as the electricity still coursed through me.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing what can happen when electricity comes in contact with water, isn¡¯t it, especially in high doses like these.¡±, she then pressed on the trigger as the strange mechanical object began to electrocute me even more and began to evaporate most of my being in front of me.


    ¡°A magian like you is practically a conduit of electrical energy for your whole entire consists entirely of¡­ water, is it?¡±, she then pressed the trigger again and my body began to deteriorate, disintegrate, evaporate and even boil due to the extreme heat temperatures the machine applied.


    For the first time, after a long time, I felt fear unlike any other that I had at the mere thought of my mother. I did not have this fear ever since I had abandoned my home so many years ago. She had power over me, power I did not expect, and all it took was a simple engineered mechanical device installed into her throne room. I thought she would try to use some form of other magical objects and enchantments against me, but instead she just enjoyed watching me suffer. She then let loose of the trigger after she sat on her throne and laid her arm on the gold handle of her seat.


    ¡°You honestly thought that I wouldn¡¯t give you a proper good-bye, my beloved Snow White, after all you¡¯ve put me through?¡±, she questioned me while I looked into her eyes with a look of hatred, anger, fury and rage she could clearly notice resonating in my eyes.


    ¡°You¡­¡±, I barely managed to say one word but I was so angry, so filled with hatred, that I could not stop myself. ¡°You took away my kingdom!¡±, I shouted at her and she smirked at me.


    ¡°You killed my father!¡±, I shouted towards her while reaching for the red apple that I absorbed of any liquid it had within it. ¡°You tried to have me killed when I was a child, when I was only seven years old!¡±, I shouted towards her and then threw the apple as she pressed the trigger.


    The apple then struck the lighter and knocked it out of her hand as it landed upon the ground. She then began to panic and got up from her seat, looking around and searching for it as I barely got up to stand, to breathe, to catch my breath and muster up the energy to move forward.


    ¡°You killed the only friends and family I had in this world, seven little dwarfs who did not deserve the fate you brought upon them, you wicked and evil bitch!¡±, I took out all my anger and all my frustrations out on her through words, and I made sure she heard my every thought.


    It was then that she found the lighter and turned only to see me being a few steps away from her. She pressed the trigger and the mechanical construct unleashed its energy that it distributed into my body that began to course through me, evaporating and boiling me once more.


    ¡°And to top it all off¡­!¡±, I fell down on my knees after I shouted those words and then thought about everything that she had caused; every memory of my childhood she had ruined and each memory of the seven dwarfs taken from me due to her evil and wicked ways.


    I then screamed, stood up and reached for her with my own two hands as I pushed her back against the throne¡¯s seat. The energy that was moving through my body like a conduit then distributed over into hers and began to electrocute her so much that her thumb squeezed even harder over the button of the windproof lighter whose mechanical gadgets began to fry from within. In my last moments with her, I inherited the memories of what she had done to my father and all the years that went by throughout the kingdom, but then there were gaps that occurred due to her body becoming dry and fried along with mine that prevented the memories to transfer. I kept holding her until her red robe turned black and pale, her skin burnt and her body dried up like a corpse, and until her hand dropped the lighter that fell to the ground. My entire body fell apart and disintegrated into a singular puddle of water before the doors came crashing down. The Snow Queen¡¯s soldiers then emerged into the throne room and laid their eyes upon the wicked and evil queen step-mother, lying and sitting on her throne where she died as the queen she was.

 Epilogue: Familiar Faces

    The footsteps that followed after the guard were that off their King and Queen who had come to personally strike down the wicked and evil queen only for them to notice that someone beat them to it. They Snow Queen looked down in thought only to notice something unusual moving over the ground and through the very drainage of the throne room. She turned her head and nudged it forward to gesture for her guard to investigate while she would proceed to investigate the rest of the imperial chambers. As for my fate, well, after everything I¡¯ve been through? I didn¡¯t know my place in the world anymore or where I even belonged. When the Snow Queen opened one of the doors leading into the hallway, she approached the master bedroom of the imperial chambers. She then opened the doors only to stop upon noticing what appeared to be snow that gathered from the outside and a manifestation of water gathering beside my father, now a golden statue, who was lying in his bed. I took on my original form again and upon doing so no force in the world would be able to distract me in those final moments. I stared down at my father with tears pouring down from my eyes and the Snow Queen stood where she was, lowering her head down for she knew that I was grieving for the father I had lost all those years ago.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t choose to be this.¡±, I said and the Snow Queen acknowledged my statement. ¡°I know.¡±, she replied and I broke down in tears as she remained standing behind me.


    I then wiped the tears from my eyes and held them in the palm of my hand before I reached down to my father¡¯s chest, placing the frozen tears over his body. I leaned forth, lowering down and kissing his forehead before I would lean my own against his. I then patted his arms with my own hands and got up to stand as I turned to face her, and there she was. She had long white hair with the right side partially being ebony in color like mine and her lips were red as the rose. She had green eyes while her entire robe was white with black metal clad armor fabricated within it.


    ¡°Take care of him, won¡¯t you?¡±, I asked and she smiled, nodding her head. ¡°I will.¡±, she replied. ¡°And the Kingdom¡­¡±, I added and she nodded her head yet again. ¡°I promise.¡±, she replied.


    ¡°And should you one day choose to come back home, the doors to your kingdom shall always be open to and for you, dearest Svetlana.¡±, she said these words to me while I walked over to the window and gazed through them to see the Snow Queen¡¯s Army at the very gates of Sineru.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want the crown and the kingdom.¡±, I stated and the Snow Queen smiled. ¡°Then we will manage without you.¡±, she implied before taking a few steps forward. ¡°But that does not mean that the doors will not be open to you and for you whenever you wish to visit us.¡±, she explained.


    I then turned to face her and saw the smile on her face before she would approach me with her arms spread. She gave me a hug and it wasn¡¯t one of warmth but rather cold that was fitting for me. I held her in my arms and she held me in hers, and for the first time after a long time I felt love again even though it was cold, it was love she showed in her own way. She then leaned back while holding me with her hands and looking at me with love in her eyes. She smiled and then stepped back before crossing her hands together, bowing her head and I clenched my teeth together before one last tear formed in my eye that I tried to hide as my body disintegrated in front of her. My spirit and body of water moved through the air in the form of another snow storm that flew away peacefully from the kingdom that I saved. Every soldier marveled at what they saw and they looked up to the skies with pride, with hope, with appreciation for who I am. Meanwhile, on another world far, far away from our own¡­


    ¡°Oh, Big Jack Horner¡­¡±, said Elina Frostclaw, who was finishing her plum pie. ¡°How I am going to miss your plum pies¡­¡±, she seemed to be mourning in her own way.


    ¡°Oh, please¡­¡±, Bloody Mary said while eating another pie. ¡°He was a big dumb henchman who was boring and died boring. Good riddance, I say.¡±, she continued eating her pie and Elina just stared at her with a cold look in her eyes, an emotionless and lifeless one.


    Bloody Mary looked up and for the first time the sorceress felt fear. Her body felt a pain unlike any other that was worse than the molten lava she melted in when I threw in it. She stood where she was with a smile on her face but she could not move and she could barely breathe. It was then that her body started to engulf in flame and the inside of her body began to glow in flames as she was being scorched and incinerated from within while a servant walked in.


    ¡°Lady Frostclaw¡­¡±, the servant of the Bloodstone Tribe bowed while staring uncomfortably at Bloody Mary, whom he noticed was being tortured for her soul was bound to Elina¡¯s scythe that served as a phylactery, a home, to the soul of the vile and psychopathic diabolical sorceress.


    ¡°Is this a bad time?¡±, the servant asked before Bloody Mary was then released and gasped for air, and Elina Frostclaw then waved her right claw for the servant to proceed. ¡°We¡¯ve completed the new body that you¡¯ve requested to be made for Lady Pharon. Should we bring it in?¡±, the servant asked before he heard a few footsteps behind him and saw the replicated body of Naomi present.


    ¡°No need.¡±, said Naomi, who lifted her right hand only to see it was that of the Hand of Midas. ¡°It seems my soul has found its way to my new body.¡±, she smiled while staring towards Elina.


    ¡°My apologizes, Elina, I meant no disrespect.¡±, said Bloody Mary and then Elina looked at her with an angry look on her face. ¡°Yes, you did.¡±, Elina replied. ¡°Lie to my face like that again about anything and I¡¯ll make sure your soul is erased from existence.¡±, this was the first time that Bloody Mary realized just how much Elina Frostclaw cared for her subordinates.


    Most of all, Bloody Mary realized just how much the elven gorgon hates lies that she even threatened to delete Mary¡¯s existence from the world because of it. Mary had more questions than she did answers then for she wondered just how fixated the elven gorgon was with the idea of being truthful, both to her allies and her enemies for everyone was prone to lie, here and there, and keep secrets from one another to either manipulate or keep secrets from one another to make the other party feel more comfortable or inclined on doing things. As the sorceress gazed into Elina¡¯s eyes, she respected her and just bowed her head to acknowledge her threat, the meaning behind her words that she took to the very depths of her soul.


    ¡°So, um, why do I have a golden hand?¡±, asked Naomi and Elina sighed. ¡°It¡¯s the Hand of Midas, you idiot.¡±, said Bloody Mary and Naomi then clued in quickly. ¡°Oh, right.¡±, the soul within the android¡¯s body then acknowledged what the scarlet sorceress told her.


    ¡°By the way, I thought Diabolists could survive molten lava.¡±, said Naomi. ¡°We can.¡±, replied Mary. ¡°But I decided to let me melt.¡±, this reply made Naomi raise her right eyebrow for she was clearly disturbed by what Bloody Mary just said and the scarlet sorceress smiled back.


    ¡°I had to make it look authentic, didn¡¯t I?¡±, she said. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it might have been just a bit of an overkill?¡±, Naomi asked and Elina just listened to the conversation between the two.


    ¡°You know what they say? Whatever kills you just makes you stronger.¡±, said Bloody Mary. ¡°Umm, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s exactly how the saying goes, but alright¡­¡±, replied Naomi.


    It was then that a corridor of darkness appeared and disappeared in a matter of seconds with Talia Carabosse arriving in the molten lair of Mary Bloodstone. It consisted of a round circular platform with four spirals of stone encircling a large round stone table and great steps that lead to a grand molten throne of the scarlet sorceress.


    ¡°What did I miss?¡±, asked Talia, who then looked at Naomi Pharon. ¡°Why do you have a man¡¯s golden hand for your right hand?¡±, Talia questioned Naomi who rolled her eyes and sighed.


    ¡°Ladies, ladies¡­¡±, Elina Frostclaw closed her eyes and addressed them, and they turned their focus to their mistress. ¡°I promised the two of you¡­¡±, she pointed to Naomi and Bloody Mary.


    ¡°Endless chaos if you forever choose to remain loyal and truthful to me.¡±, she then lowered her claws over the table. ¡°I gave you a new body and new form that will evolve each time you get rebuilt, as promised.¡±, Naomi Pharon bowed her head. ¡°And to you, Bloody Mary, I promised eternal life for as long as you do what I tell you to do.¡±, the scarlet sorceress bowed her head.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°As for you, Talia Carabosse, I promised you new life in exchange for your soul and you¡¯ve done well thus far. Your army has grown subtly out of sight of the people of Teyvat with the exception of those annoying spriggans that know everything for they are tied to the land, which means that your niece and her beloved Jour might soon learn of your return for which you must be ready.¡±, the vampire queen smirked and just leaned back against her seat.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so worried about them. By the time she discovers that I have returned, I will be ready to strike her down and drain her of all her blood.¡±, Talia explained and Elina didn¡¯t appear to be convinced at all by what she said. ¡°I have no doubts that whatever you say won¡¯t be the case.¡±, stated Elina and Bloody Mary smirked, covering her mouth for it was the exact opposite anyone expected for the Frost Queen to say to the Queen of the Damned.


    ¡°If that is so, my queen¡­¡±, Talia was the first to address her as queen much to Bloody Mary and Naomi¡¯s surprise. ¡°What do you advise me to do?¡±, Talia questioned the Frost Queen that could only smile back at her servant. ¡°I won¡¯t give you advice, Vampire Queen, because often people are prone to blame others when they provide them with those. What I will give you is an opinion, a suggestion, and what you do afterwards is all on you. Do you understand?¡±, Bloody Mary and Naomi looked to Talia before the trio looked back to the Frost Queen expectantly.


    All three of them received orders from her before and it lead them down a successful journey that has acquired them many new magical objects, a new golden army, a new army of vampires, an army of loyal elves and new home world that they can all call their home. Deep within the forests of Teyvat, the new breed of vampires created by the Queen of the Damned preyed upon unsuspecting travelers and attacked from the shadows to get a taste of their blood to feed their endless hunger and thirst. This infection had already spread so rapidly that there were dead bodies lying nearly in every field and they did the bidding of their queen. Briar Rose and her beloved Jour gazed from a distance, realizing that this new threat has been taking away their food from them and they did not look pleased at all. One hand then lowered down to feel the lifeless body of a farmer and although she carried sorrow for the being she once sought to protect in life, she had no interest to in death for she was a servant of Mother Nature now. She then heard a few branches break and turned to aim her bow into the distance only to see a familiar figure that stood before her. She could not believe her eyes and lowered her weapon, it was her dearest brother who looked different and behind him there were three bears that growled at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±, said the spriggan. ¡°He¡¯s with me, Goldi.¡±, it was then that the human assassin lifted his head to look up into one of the trees to see the elven malfhi, Goldilocks, staring down at him.


    ¡°You positive, Kir?¡±, asked Goldilocks and the human spriggan nodded. ¡°He¡¯s my brother.¡±, this surprised the elven spriggan that then turned her attention back to the human assassin. ¡°In that case¡­¡±, said Goldi that was with a loss of words. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two alone for a while.¡±, Goldi did as she said she would and jumped down from the tree before walking away with her bears.


    ¡°So¡­¡±, the assassin said. ¡°This is home now?¡±, he looked around to the ruined Kingdom of Rosamond and the large beanstalk world tree that sprouted in the center of it, whose natural roots and branches spread all across the ruined kingdom in perpetual harmony.


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±, the spriggan confirmed and the assassin smiled. ¡°Why have you come? You clearly know now what I have become.¡±, she spoke to her brother, fearing that he would not accept her and that he was here to kill her because of that but she couldn¡¯t have been more wrong.


    ¡°To say goodbye.¡±, this surprised the human spriggan that stared at her brother in confusion. ¡°And just because you are a spriggan now doesn¡¯t mean your heart has changed.¡±, he stated.


    ¡°If anything, it means it has blossomed into something far more beautiful then we could of ever imagined.¡±, the human spriggan looked in disbelief as her brother stepped forward.


    ¡°I spent many months thinking about you, dear sister, blaming myself for your death, for what had happened to you. I let you go back to this world because I knew you would be happy here. The same look you had in your eyes is the look I had when I came to the Dragonlands so many years ago and all I ever wanted for you is to be happy, to find peace, something I was unable to do and that I am still unable to find.¡±, she stared into her brother¡¯s eyes and she wondered why he told her all of this, and for a moment she thought he was here to ask for forgiveness.


    ¡°Then¡­¡±, said Kirya. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and finally find your own peace, brother, find what makes you happy?¡±, she questioned her brother that then reached for a revolver from his pouch.


    ¡°I already found what makes me happy.¡±, he said before he suddenly turned and fired a single shot into the open air as a body fell down to the floor, that of a vampire who deteriorated and disintegrated into ashes in front of the spriggan and vampire hunter¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°And I will die protecting it.¡±, he then reached for his blades and she nodded her head as the three bears growled in the distance, snarling as they bit and chew on the body vampires.


    The rogue brother and spriggan sister stood, back to back, and fired their projectiles towards the incoming vampires that fell in numbers. They were reunited once more as opposite sides of the same coin; light and darkness, life and death, yin and yang. Meanwhile, back on my home world I still tried to come to peace with death as I gazed down at the grave of the seven dwarfs and our dear companion, Mojo, who now slept in perpetual peace. I stood alone in a blizzard, on top the highest peak off the tallest mountain, and all the cold could not numb the emotions that I felt for their loss, none of the cold could fill the void left in the depths of my very soul. My ears heard the footsteps and my entire body felt them for my spirit was tied with the element of water that lingered all around me. I didn¡¯t bother to shift or turn my head because I didn¡¯t feel imminent danger, I didn¡¯t feel any quick change in this person¡¯s heart beat when she approached me. All I felt was a very calm heart beat and pulse that made its way slowly towards me.


    ¡°For what it is worth¡­¡±, a female spoke up to me. ¡°They always saw greatness within you more than you could have ever possibly seen within yourself.¡±, she walked over to my right side and she wore a strange blackened robe decorated with what appeared to be branches and brambles from which grew Black Lotuses that blossomed in perpetual harmony and focus.


    ¡°I am sorry, but who are you?¡±, I didn¡¯t even bother to look at her when I asked her that question and she responded in the most unusual way I could of ever imagined. ¡°Your mind is like water, Snow White, for when it is agitated it becomes difficult to see. But if you allow it to settle, then the answer becomes clear.¡±, it was then that she got my attention for she knew my name and more importantly she knew what I had become, and yet she was an elf like me; a malfhi.


    ¡°How is this in any way relevant to what I just asked you?¡±, I questioned her and she chuckled before she would turn to reveal she is blind. ¡°How is it in any way not relevant would be the better question, magian?¡±, I wanted to be in denial of what she said but I couldn¡¯t help to agree.


    ¡°You have a choice, sorceress, you can remain here and mourn for months upon end in pity for what has happened to your family or you may follow me to exact retribution on those who have pulled the strings of the puppets all along and put an end to their schemes. The choice is yours. However, the path we walk will be long and perilous, full of dangers and of the unknown, of familiar faces and voices, particularly one that has been in your mind for quite some time?¡±, she had my full attention once she finished explaining why she was truly here and it sounded like she was trying to recruit me, and she had me intrigued with how much she knew.


    I did have one voice in my mind and it was on an echo, a repeat in my mind, for it was the only voice and face that I did not come across when I disposed of Mary and Naomi. It was a face I never saw but whose evil I believe that I felt and saw in the vision of Jack¡¯ron Horner. I knew she was the cause of the death of Old MacDonald and all of the events that had transpired for Jack¡¯ron¡¯s emotions were not the same when I gazed into his memories. His soul felt despair, doubt, fear, dread and horror whenever a memory of her occurred and yet he was consumed by a dark zeal of vanity that darkened his soul to the point that it echoed with malevolent fury. He directed all of his hatred, anger, fear, and violence onto others for she taught him to do so and this amalgam of corruption turned into a quintessence of pride that consumed him.


    ¡°If she was able to do this to a single individual, what could she have possibly done to one such as Bloody Mary and Naomi Pharon?¡±, I thought. ¡°She must be stopped.¡±, it was very clear to me.


    ¡°Who is she?¡±, I asked the elven malfhi who then turned to face the opposite way from me. ¡°All the answers will be revealed to you in time, young sorceress. I will be waiting until you feel that you are ready.¡±, she replied and I bowed my head respectfully as she took a few steps away.


    ¡°You already know that I have my choice, don¡¯t you?¡±, she stopped moving when I asked her this question and she leaned her head back slightly. ¡°You¡¯re just giving me some time to say goodbye, aren¡¯t you?¡±, the elf did not say a word and then just turned her head, walking away, and in that moment I turned back to the gravestones of my beloved friends and family.


    I kneeled down and placed the palm of my hand in the snow where I left them a piece of ice shaped like a star in the snow. My body then disintegrated and turned into a snow storm that followed after the mysterious elf. At that same time, however, back within Sineru City¡¯s mortuary there were many corpses but not stored and rather lying on the ground. There was a piece of a red apple on the ground and each corpse was drained of blood. The doors of the mortuary opened as the wicked and former queen of the Red Kingdom dragged a corpse along with her into a blizzard. She heard a movement in the snow and turned to smile, believing it was yet another victim she can feast upon until she flinched when the snow erupted into a storm that ascended before it descended down upon her¡­