Swan Lake

The mystery of the forest caves

The red-haired witch walked quickly forward. Her journey was long, but she did not feel tired. The last turn, and she was on target. A bright glow hit her eyes. The steep and curved stone staircase shone with dazzling light. Its first steps had long ago crumbled, and between them a small crevice gaped, from which a blinding fiery radiance emanated. It hurt the eyes to look at him, but Violetta boldly looked ahead, at the stairs. and did not take her cunning and sinister eyes off her.

The staircase twisted and twisted into rings. It led to a huge crimson gate, carved with strange gold patterns and letters, like satanic rituals. A lion's head, made entirely of gold, crowned them in the middle. A huge ring instead of a doorknob protruded from the nostrils of this golden creature of darkness.

Violetta stopped next to the stairs and looked at the gate. They were powerful and precious, like the gold that richly adorned them. Their strength was not in gold. It was a hellish gate that released demons from hell to destroy and conquer the human world, but this was impossible as long as there was a place for good on earth.

“I found,” Violetta whispered in one breath, “I found the gates of hell.”

“That’s not all,” as if from the very emptiness a ringing voice, accustomed to commanding everyone around him, rang out.

“Show yourself to me, keeper of the gates,” said Violetta, but it was more an order than a request.

At that very moment, quiet music resounded on the stairs, as if a magic spinning wheel was spinning silver yarn.

The entire staircase flashed, and a radiant spinning wheel appeared right in the middle of the steps. Behind her sat a girl with long matted hair of an incomprehensible color, in a gray dress, like a witch who is being taken to execution. A gold medallion burned on her neck, but small streams of blood trickled down the snow-white skin. The girl raised her head, and horror was ready to pierce even the heart of Violetta. The girl had no eyes, only streams of blood flowed down her face, straight from the bloody eye sockets, but she saw everything that was happening around. She didn't need eyes to kill anyone who came before her.

“If you want to enter here, then say goodbye to life forever,” came the quiet voice of the gatekeeper.

At that very moment, right from the void, a clawed paw touched the golden key in the hole of the gate. Violetta boldly straightened up and stepped to the stairs. She walked quickly up the steps of the stairs and found herself right in front of the gate. There was a golden key in the keyhole.

“Come in, Violetta,” the voice of the keeper of the keys sounded, “come in, but remember, you were also a man, the power of witchcraft cannot save you, open the hellish gates, and what will happen then, you yourself know.”

Violetta stood at the gate, and her hand was trembling.

“Open the gate,” whispered their keeper, “turn the golden key, you yourself know what it means for both of us.”

Violetta trembled, no, she could not make up her mind, which means she had to force someone to turn this key instead of herself.

“No,” said Violetta, “no, I will not do it, I will find a girl in love who will do it for me.”

“But you have to pay with a drop of your blood,” said the girl’s thin voice, “pay!” she ordered and handed Violetta her silver spindle.

It sparkled in her hands and shone in a way that dazzled her eyes. It was an instrument of death in the hands of the gatekeeper, and Violetta knew what she had to do.

She twirled the spindle in her hands and looked for the last time into the empty eyes of the girl. The spindle dug into her finger, so that a drop of scarlet blood rolled off her hand and fell on the key. He immediately absorbed it. The wicked witch was tough. The key remained in the keyhole of the gates of hell, and someone had to turn it and release all the hellish forces to the surface in order to destroy forever the kingdom of Prince Charming Etienne and the life of his brother.

Dawn was breaking when Christian and Ruiz returned to the waterfall. The water refreshed not only the body, but also the heart. However, Christian was now not up to the beauties of nature. He thought about what he had managed to scout out in the castle. Someone wanted Odile dead and his death too. Christian was not afraid for himself, but the princess was his life. It was his duty to protect his beloved, even if she no longer loved him.

His entire kingdom was also in danger. She came from mysterious forest caves. Rothbert was almost celebrating his victory. It was necessary to get to the forest caves before Rotbert and eliminate the danger.

Christian sat down on a rock next to the waterfall and traced the flight of some indistinguishable in height, but very similar to a black swan bird.

Ruiz sat down beside him.

“You probably want me to tell you everything?” asked Ruiz, but he already knew the answer to this question, he read it in the eyes of Christian.

“Did you have a bride?” said Christian, but his voice was calm, “Rothbert killed her. I understand how hard it is to lose a loved one.”

“I can hardly call her that.”

“You didn't love her?”

“I don’t even know how to start and what to tell you, but I have to explain everything,” Ruiz shook his blonde head sadly. He was sad, he remembered his past.

“She was sweet and beautiful,” Ruiz began, his voice trembling, “but I ...”

“Notes?” Christian broke his silence.

“I loved another,” he said the long-awaited truth.

“Whom?”

“I can't tell you that.”

“Why?”

“You’ll hate me when you find out,” Ruiz finally decided, “but I don’t want to be your rival.”

“You will never be him,” Christian replied favorably, “so who is she?”

“Do you really want to know?”

“Yes,” Christian answered.

Ruiz stepped away from him and squeezed trembling hands. He could not make up his mind, he did not want to lose his friend, the only person he admired. But he had to tell the truth. This was the essence of his friendship with the prince. He could no longer lie to him and hide the truth from him.

“And who is your favorite?” Christian asked quietly.

“Princess Odile,” Ruiz said plucking up courage.

Christian's head went cloudy. He jumped up from the stone and turned the young man towards him, although they both seemed equally young, but Christian was more persistent and stronger.

“It's true?” he asked sternly.

“Yes,” Ruiz said.

Christian pulled his hand away from his shoulder and turned away.

“I know that she loves you, not me,” Ruiz said, “I’m ready to put up with it and I’m ready to die for her.”

“You're wrong,” Christian said, “she no longer loves me, now she is a black swan, and not that little beauty that I loved so much, for which I was ready to give my life.”

“No, I read it in her eyes, you must fight for her with all the powers of darkness, and only then will you win. I have seen her only once in my life, but she ruined my brother's life, although I cannot blame her for it.”

“What happened to you?” was the first question of Christian. “What happened to your brother and why the king wanted to execute you, the most noble person in his kingdom, tell me the truth!”

“Okay,” Ruiz replied, “I'll tell you everything.”

He looked at the seething stream and his eyes filled with sadness.

“It all started a year ago,” he began his story, “I was the second son in the richest and noblest family of the kingdom, Rotbert did not care about us, but then his opinion about the noble people of our country changed, and he decided to get rid of us ... Odile was to lure us, lure and destroy.

Our childhood was spent in games and fun, but we grew up. They found me a bride, a beautiful dark-haired Shannon. She was an attractive but strange girl. As a child, we spent long days by the sea or in the forest, she had a wonderful voice. She sang long drawn-out songs that touched the soul, her song was carried through the waves or forests, we returned cheerful and joyful, but soon my brother stopped spending time with us. He became sad and brooding.

Shannon asked me to find out where he spends so long. I obeyed her to my misfortune. At night he left the house, got on his horse and rushed away. I made up my mind, I followed him. We raced for a long time past the rocks, then across the plain. Although I was not driving that far from him, he did not notice me. He seemed bewitched to me. He was bewitched, hypnotized.

I followed him, and so we stopped at an old cemetery. He got off the horse, and I hid behind the trees. He did not see me, and I could calmly watch everything that happened.

My brother stopped at a high tombstone, and then a black swan flew right over his head in the darkness of the night. It was not an ordinary swan, a small golden crown shone on its head, and its eyes glowed with green fire. His wings were like down, and around him stood a golden glow. I had never seen such a beautiful bird, but then the swan hit the ground, and in front of my brother was no longer a bird, but a wonderful black-haired girl with a crown on her head. She looked like a fairy, like a nymph from forest lakes, and I could not resist, she seduced me with her one look, I fell in love with her, fell in love with the princess of black swans, and I will never forget this love in my life.

Her black dress sparkled, dark hair fell over her shoulders, a golden crown shone in it. She clapped her hands and music played in the distance. Princess Odile took my brother's hand and began to dance with him right in the cemetery, among the crosses and graves.

“What am I to do, Odile,” he said, “I am in your power, princess of black swans. I can't live without you, don't leave me.

“I feel sorry for you,” she replied, “I should have ruined you, but a man’s pity awoke in me. You have to run away from here and forget me, because I love another.”

“I can't,” I heard his quivering voice, but Odile just ran her snow-white hand over his face, with such sincerity and sadness. The soul of a person also woke up in her, she did not want to kill anyone, but she had to.

I stood behind the trees and saw how the black knights appeared out of the darkness and took him from there to the dungeon. The next day he was executed. It hurt like never before, but at night something happened that no one expected.

I woke up to a harsh sound and saw Shannon's face bending over me. It was pale, something inhuman and terrible appeared in it. For a minute I could not utter a word or take my eyes off the chiseled features of her face. All her beauty seemed to evaporate, she was just a nightmare. Her hair was loose, her lips bloody, and bloody, pin-thin fingers reached out to my throat. I threw it off me and rushed to the door, but the door was locked. Shannon, holding out her bloody fingers, moved towards me.

“You promised to be faithful to me all my life,” said her voice, “but you fell in love with the one with whose consent I must put you to death and become a black swan. You hear, in order to take revenge on you, I will become one of the black swans.”

I could not understand anything, and the door was locked and did not give in to me. My efforts to escape from the hands of death remained in vain, I wanted to rush away, but there was nowhere to run, and suddenly I remembered the window, it was open, this was my last chance to escape, and I accepted it as it was.

On one side of my estate was a river, on the other was a flowering garden. Without hesitation, I jumped out the window on the side where the river was located, and a minute later, finding myself in the icy water, I lost consciousness.

I woke up, not remembering how long I spent in oblivion. I was no longer in the water, but in some dark dungeon. In the faint light, I saw Shannon standing over a strange altar, bowing in a witchcraft prayer. She wore a black dress, her neck and arms were studded with precious stones, her shoulders were bare and sparkled with snow-white skin. She approached the man in black. His face was covered, but the hood moved slightly, and I recognized him as the gloomy King Rothbert. Shannon bowed low before him, and he put a wreath of black swan down on her head.

But this was not the whole ritual of the mysterious initiation. With his long, clawed hand, Rothbert will touch Shannon's shoulder, and there is a trail burned out by fire, the seal of a devilish kiss. I gazed at the mysterious ritual and myself could barely understand that I was noticed by them. I rushed away, got out of the underground and ran away from the estate, to where I could seek refuge, but I heard a black horse galloping in my footsteps, and a princess in a golden crown was riding it. The one I fell in love with and who was supposed to put me to death.

My path was long and dangerous, I did not dare to stop for a minute, although I myself did not understand how it was possible to escape from my own death. I hardly noticed anything around me, not even the terrain in which I run. I felt and heard the sounds of the chase, they were about to catch up with me, but, probably, a miracle happened, and I broke away from my pursuers. I had almost no strength left. I had to rest, but could not stay on the way, although later I still had to stop at the very cemetery where I saw Odile.

I walked past the graves and, barely catching my breath, stopped. I was no longer able to fight death, but I did not know that she was approaching me with every minute even closer than I could even expect.

Before I even had time to look back, Shannon stood in front of me, even more terrible than before. Suddenly her hair shone with black gold, her gray eyes turned marvelous green, her dress was luxurious and Odile stood in front of me. The ghost of the princess stretched out her arms to me, and I rushed into her arms, but a minute later, as soon as I knelt down exhausted, laughter escaped from her chest. It was again my bride, laughing, wild, inhuman, impersonal to the suffering of people.

“The princess ruined you,” she said, and squeezed my neck with her steel claws. I pushed her away, she seemed insane to me, but she was only under the power of witchcraft. Then the Knights of Rothbert grabbed me.

“You must perish,” Shannon said. “King Rothbert condemns you to death for loving his daughter. But only we know about this, and for everyone else you are a murderer and a traitor to your country. Take him away, ”she ordered.

My traitorous bride did not live long. Rothbert sacrificed her during the witchcraft ritual. After that, you know everything, I was sentenced to death, and you saved me.”

Christian did not know what to say to him, this story seemed too strange to him.

“Are you going to the forest caves?” Ruiz asked suddenly.

“I don’t know myself,” Christian shook his head, “but I have to do it.”

“It will be dangerous.”

“I'm not afraid,” the prince raised his head proudly.

"Then we'll go together," suggested his friend.

“No,” he snapped, “I have to go there alone. You have become my friend, but now this is only my business, and I cannot interfere with anyone else, and especially you, you must understand, I can perish, but I do not want anyone else to die with me.”

“And if I want to go with you.”

“It's impossible,” Christian took up the hilt of the sword, she was his most faithful friend and reliable assistant.

“Goodbye Ruiz. Be happy.”

Ruiz, after seeing the prince, decided to follow him to the forest caves. He was the first to reach the stone staircase and wanted to climb it up. Suddenly a hand, white as snow, fell on his shoulder. He turned around, afraid to see some devil or monster, but no, his surprise knew no bounds. Before him stood a girl of wondrous beauty. Her dress was luxurious, almost royal, jewelry adorned her intricate corset, as if from another century. She had long red hair, but Ruiz did not understand that, in the guise of a girl, a red-haired witch stood before him, ready at any moment to put her enemy to death.

She put her finger to her lips in silence.

“Just don’t speak out loud,” she warned. “We will wake up the gatekeeper.”

“The keeper of the gates,” Ruiz repeated in a dream.

“Of course, the gates are guarded,” the beauty explained to him, “all hellish forces are guarding their way into the mortal world, but this barrier can be broken.”

“This gate,” Ruiz whispered.

“The entrance to the underworld,” she added.

Violetta walked around him, all the time, not taking her eyes off him.

“You dared to come here,” she said, looking at him appraisingly. “Many mortals died here, and no one could help them.”

“I'm not afraid,” Ruiz replied boldly.

“I knew it,” she said, “the most beautiful thing in life to be a daredevil is a worthy end for any aristocrat.”

“Do you know who I am?” he asked in surprise.

She smiled mysteriously back, and her long eyelashes fluttered like flower petals in the wind.

“Would you like to go there?” she asked, smiling. like a predator that tastes its prey.

“I don’t know,” he replied, “but ...”

“We could go there together, the knight must always go first, but I would not advise you to go there.”

“Why?”

“It is worth turning the golden key, and all hellish forces will burst to the ground. Good luck will be with those who can subjugate them.”

“I don’t need it.”

“It is not so, it is useless to lie.”

“And why do I need such power?”

“To get the hand and heart of Princess Odile,” she smiled slyly.

“She loves another,” Ruiz replied.

“And if she stops loving him and loves you, because this is human happiness, to get the love of a black swan, isn't it?”

“But I don’t want to take this happiness away from another, from someone who, perhaps, is worthier than me.”

“Don't say that, Ruiz,” said the stranger and, touching his face with her hands, gave him a magic kiss. A moment, and next to Ruiz was no longer a girl, but a red-haired witch. Enraged by his refusal to open the door, the witch with her clawed hand tore the heart out of his chest.

Christian drove to the caves and entered the first of them. In front of him, as if out of the ground, the stranger rose. Christian immediately recognized him, it was his sworn enemy Edwin. The latter did not recognize him. After several years away from home, Christian did change, but he felt suspicion in the gaze of his enemy.

“A wonderful walk in the enchanted forest, because that's what they call it,” Edwin said as if nothing had happened.

“You guessed it,” Christian replies mockingly.

“You are one of the guests at the ball?” he asked mockingly.

“And you are one of those whom, as they say, the king sheltered in his kingdom,” Christian said arrogantly, but Edwin only smiled maliciously.

“So we met,” he said, “would you like to drink with me for our friendship?” Edwin asked.

“Here, in the caves, do you live here?”

“Not really, but you have to have refuge everywhere,” Edwin replied, and escorted Christian into a small cave furnished like the rooms of a royal palace. It contained everything: carved wardrobes, a table and luxurious chairs around it, armchairs and paintings. Edwin sat down at the table and handed Christian the goblet of wine. Before he could have a drink, Edwin pulled out a huge transparent jug, where the head of a man lay in wine, dead but not yet decayed, it was the head of Ruiz. Christian almost flinched when he saw Ruiz's head in the jug.

“How do you like my wine?” Edwin asked, “a special taste, isn't it? It tastes like human blood.”

Christian put his goblet on the table and looked Edwin straight in the eye.

“You taste like a golden dragon,” Christian said.

“And if I were a golden dragon in reality, then you would be scared.”

“I don’t think,” snapped the prince, “they are afraid of worthy opponents, and not every little thing.”

He saw Edwin's face turn purple at his words with impotent rage and anger.

“You dance beautifully,” he remarked, “but Princess Odile is not a couple for you, only a prince can deserve her.”

“Thanks for the kind clarification,” Christian snapped and left the cave.

He felt sorry for poor Ruiz, but there was nothing he could do.

Alone, Edwin snapped his fingers. Of course, there was no Ruiz's head in the jug of wine. Okay, a little trick to annoy Christian. Ruiz was killed by a red-haired witch who feared Edwin like fire. Edwin himself did not do such trifles. Edwin could read the minds of anyone, and silly Christian hoped to deceive him. Edwin was waiting for the power over the magic empire. He himself no longer knew whether he needed the insidious Odile. He was also a prince, the son of a powerful king. Rothbert destroyed his kingdom and turned him into a golden dragon. Edwin had his own score with Rothbert. Of course, Odile was lovely. Now Rothbert literally imposed his daughter on him, wishing through her to seize power in the magic empire. Was Odile worth giving up his power over the empire for her sake? Edwin doubted this very much.

There were many caves, Christian was already desperate to find the one he needed. A gap appeared in the distance, and Christian rushed to him. He ran for a long time through the cave, and finally, in amazement, stopped at a high staircase and a devil's gate.

Christian found what he was looking for, but did not know what to do next. He found the gates of hell and saw a golden key in the keyhole. He took the first step towards the stairs, and suddenly soft singing was heard.

The prince saw on the steps of the stairs a girl sitting at a spinning wheel. The girl quickly, quickly spun and sang.

Christian was as if fascinated by her song, he slowly walked up to the girl and stopped next to her. She spun and spun everything, as if she did not notice him and did not hear his steps. Then Christian put his hand on her shoulder and she raised her face. Christian retreated in horror, no eyes on her face, only blood flowing from empty eye sockets.

Then a green troll with a sword in his hands attacked Christian from behind. He guarded the hellish caves, he was just ugly. Christian managed to dodge the sword and grab his sword. His opponent's arms were prohibitively long and clawed, but so slender that a man could not easily deal with him.

The girl with bloody eye sockets laughed, as only the keeper of the gates could laugh, with an evil and insidious laugh. She gripped the silver spindle in her hand and laughed even louder and deafening.

The fight was cruel and bloody. One of the opponents could stay alive, the other had to die. Christian understood that death was approaching him, but he was a daredevil and was ready to fight anyone, even the devil himself.

The spindle in the girl's hands became bloody, she no longer laughed. She foresaw the victory of a mortal over the forces of evil. This has never happened before.

Victory was already in the hands of Christian, the forces of darkness were weakening, and the prince managed to thrust his sword into the heart of his enemy. The troll fell to the ground, and a terrible hiss echoed over the caves.

“You have won,” said the gatekeeper, “but this is not a complete victory yet, brave prince. Your death is even closer than you think. It is in your love, but you can turn the golden key if you want.

The Gatekeeper went down the stairs and stopped next to the prince. At that moment, her fallen spinning wheel began to spin by itself, and a silver spindle spun in the air, enveloped in some strange magical radiance. The girl held out her hand to Christian, but he staggered back in horror. He did not succumb to the forces of evil that tried to lure him into a trap and kill.

An angry hiss escaped from the devil's chest, She darted towards Christian, who was stumbling back, but at that very moment Christian cut the thread of silver yarn with his sharp sword, which itself was wound on a spindle. Blood spurted from the spinning wheel. Christian struck her with his sword, and the blood mixed with fire. The Gatekeeper also fell to the ground, bleeding.

Her body burst into flames, and a minute later turned to ash. Christian won, the golden key was waiting for him like a legitimate trophy, but he was not going to turn it. He was completely exhausted and was looking for a place to rest.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard of Rotbert's castle, Odile was approaching the golden carriage sent by her father. What did he want from her that night, where was she to go?

“His majesty awaits you, he ordered me to take you to him,” the coachman, whom she had never before, bowed before her.

“Okay,” Odile agreed, “but drive faster, I have to be in the castle at midnight.”

She got into a carriage lined with red velvet from the inside, and the coachman drove the horses.

They reached the place when the moon was already high in the sky. Odile got out of the carriage and entered the dark caves. She knew the way and soon came to the stairs leading to the gate.

Suddenly someone put a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Rothbert standing in front of her.

“Father,” she whispered, but he motioned for her to be silent.

“The time has come, Odile,” he said sternly, “the time has come to destroy the kingdom of Prince Etienne and subdue the whole world to us.”

“But how can this be done?” she asked.

Rothbert did not answer, he just silently showed her with his long hand at the gate.

“This is the very gate that you told me about,” Odile said.

“Yes,” Rothbert replied, “and now only you can help us, you must turn the golden key in the keyhole of this gate, and everything will turn out as we decided.”

“As you decided, but I do not want to do this.”

“You must, think, Odile, we must avenge everyone for the death of your mother. You want to help me, make up your mind!”