I was 17 years old when I found myself lost in the dark forest. It was after discovering my talents were laughable and my chances of receiving a scholarship were hopeless that my emotions pushed me into the abyss without a plan of action. I ran and ran and ran—until my lungs collapsed and the fever dissipated.
The bramble consumed the straight and narrow path, so I looked around and realized that I couldn't find a way out. Fear ate away at reason and all I could do was tremble.
So, I curled into a ball and listened to the forest's natural breath. Not a sound could be heard except for my pathetic whimpers. Eventually, what pushed me was my empty stomach, which clawed at my guts and whipped my animal into movement. The hunger forced me to stand up and begin to backtrack.
I attempted to retrace my steps, but when I looked around, everything looked the same: dark and intimidating. I proceeded for an unknown length of time in eerie silence.
What shattered the dull monotony was a rustle in a nearby bush. The sound murmured at a volume that would normally be overlooked, but this rustle was a quake to my pschye, for it was the first sound I heard outside of my own ragged breath.
"Who's there?" I quavered. I wasn't sure if anyone was there, or if a branch fell from one of the many trees forming my cage.
"Who's there?" I asked again. There was no response. My feet cemented themselves and I couldn't move a muscle. I waited to see if the enigma would make another noise. I wanted It to make another noise. I needed anything to ease the oppressive silence.
Unable to restrain my curiosity, my legs began to move toward the dubious spot.
Left leg.
Right leg.
Left leg.
Right leg.
I inched towards the brush...
"Stay back."
Shock ran through spine as I was warned not to come any closer. Shock which initially gripped me was glazed by a glimmer of elation which shone through my voice, "Hello? Who's there?"
Nobody answered, so I cautiously took another step forward.
"I told you to stay away!" A raspy voice warned. "If you take another step, you are offering your flesh as tribute."
I pleaded with the voice, "please, I don't know where to go, could you tell me how to leave this accursed forest?"
The voice thought about an answer before replying, "I cannot, but my queen can. She will be able to help you—for a tribute of flesh."
Flesh. Flesh. Flesh. What's with the obsession of flesh. When I heard that word come out of its mouth, my skin tingled, and even though I felt discomforted by the offer, I accepted. I had no other choice.
When I accepted the offer, the brush rustler continued nearing until I could begin to make out the source of the voice. It was a non-descript grey wolf.
At first, I was frightened. The wolves that could be found in the dark forest were notorious for their wit and cunning. I slowly backed up and wondered if someone was playing a cruel trick on me.
The wolf swaggered up to me and jeered, "What are you doing so deep in our territory rabbit? Don't you know that this forest is filled with—danger?"
Is this wolf talking? I recognized it as the owner of the voice, but I couldn't accept what my eyes were seeing. A talking wolf? That's insane.
The wolf jested, "Never seen a talking wolf before? Classic humans. Too much ego to accept anything they deem as unnatural, but I can't say I don't miss that."
The wolf turned around and commanded, "Follow. I will take you to my queen and she will decide what to do with you."
"Decide?" I questioned, "I thought you were going to lead me out of the forest."
The wolf cackled, "I don't think you realize where you are. I cannot guide you out of this place, but she can."
I won't say that I didn't think about retracting my decision, but I found hope and comfort in another presence, even though my company was a talking wolf with unknown intentions.
I followed the wolf and traversed deeper into the forest, but unlike before, when the forest felt unchanging, I could now see a shift in the landscape.
The longer I followed, the more untame and feral the forest became, yet, the trees and bramble formed a natural pathway which the wolf expertly navigated.
Eventually, the trees became more orderly and formed a canopy tunnel. The uneven terrain smoothed, and the dark, lifeless forest populated with insect lights and melodies.
The wolf informed me that we were nearing the queen's sanctuary and that I shouldn't worry about the wandering eyes.
I wasn't sure what he meant until I looked into the gloom and caught sight of countless pairs of amber and sapphire eyes following us.
The tunnel narrowed and lead to a mysterious blue light. And as we approached the light, the atmosphere chilled and filled with the cacophony of howling wolves. The hairs on my arms rose as if being taut at attention.
At the mouth of the tunnel's entrance, I could feel the cold's razor biting into my skin. Ghostly breath escaped when I turned and asked, "will the queen truly help me escape this place?"
My guide turned and gave me a wolfish grin, "that all depends on her mood."
On the other side of the light, I bore witness to the queen's sanctuary. It was breathtaking. The hidden glade was surrounded by dark, rune-covered stones that were arranged in ritual-fashion. The ground was carpeted in emerald moss and interspersed with patches of ruby flowers. The natural beauty overwhelmed my mortal mind and humbled any shred of arrogance that may have lain hidden in my spirit.
At the heart of the sanctuary stood a marble altar covered in stars and astral bodies. And in front of the altar rest a crystal clear pool which reflected the solemn moon.
The wolf snapped me out of my daze when he barked, "don't lose sight of reality human. The moment you lose yourself, is the moment you become one of its many adornments."
I thanked him and continued following his lead along the moonlit path. As we walked, I couldn't help but take a few peeks at the many bones, weapons, and treasures which littered it's field, but what captured my eye were the many wolf statues and their many poses. Their realism was frightening. Jumping, hunting, howling, barking, each wolf was in a different pose, but the ferocity and focus in their eyes was equivalent.
As we approached the altar, a lump built in the back my throat. The chilled atmosphere intensified, and a black boulder entered my sight.
When we reached the pool, the boulder's features became more recognizable, and it was the first time I saw her—the wolf queen.
She stood tall and graceful like a limpid ballerina. Her pearl black fur was lustrous without a hair out of place, and her eyes were amber plates trained on my being. I reflexively kneeled.
The wolf queen's voice graced my ears, "Welcome to our sanctuary planefarer. We wish to know why you are here."
Planefarer? I didn't know what she meant, but I was too scared to ask, so instead, I simply reported, "I'm lost and need a way to return home. I wandered into your forest and found myself aimless until I stumbled upon your merciful retainer."
The queen held up one of her paws and gestured for me to stop. She then inquired, "You accidentally found yourself in my domain? How peculiar..."
She looked at my guide and said, "Custer, thank you for bringing this human to me. You will be rewarded for your service." Custer gave a deep bow of reverence, thanked the queen, and then made his exit, disappearing into the glade's rim.
"As for you," her eyes looked directly into mine, "We can assist you in leaving this place, but you must swear an oath of labor and form a covenant with me."
I asked what the Queen meant by that, and she responded, "Nothing comes free in this world, and to your luck, I have a task which I cannot complete on my own..."
The Queen's amber eyes pooled with hints of sapphire, "otherwise I would've rained hell upon your world for its transgressions."
Her mild temper cooled and the queen's eyes regained their solid amber hue, "But currently, that has zero relevance. If you want to leave this place, swear an oath of labor. Promise us that, and we will help you return home."
I spared no hesitation in accepting her offer. I didn't understand what it meant to form an oath of labor, but all I cared about was returning home, so I asked her, "How do I perform the oath?"
The queen explained, "to swear your oath and form a covenant, promise to fufill the oath of labor in exchange for passage home. Then, place your arm between my teeth." The queen walked on the crystal pool and placed her maw before me.
I had no other options, so I did. I swore that I would help the queen and form a covenant with her, and then I slowly placed my arm into her mouth.
*Crunch*
Aaaaaaarghh