The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Disclaimer: This story contains male/male sex, s/m role-play, and hypnofetishism. If you are not of legal age, (eg.18+) or offended by such subjects, then stop reading, you pervert! Perhaps you are living in a backwater community that frowns on such explicit materials. In such a case, stops reading, FEEL MY HUG, and know that I feel genuinely sorry for you. This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to real events or people, living or dead is entirely coincidental

THE APPRENTICE’S REVENGE

PART 3: Morrkon’s Revenge

By

Exactly 30 minutes after Roger and Luke had vanished in a puff of green smoke, the green bands of light surrounding Morrkon’s body, leaving him bound and helpless, flickered and vanished.

That half-hour, bound and alone with his thoughts had been very enlightening for Morrkon.

He never realized until now, how vibrant and colorful Luke had made life. Without his presence, the cottage was as barren and silent as a jail cell.

Morrkon got up and hobbled over to his (their) bed on shaky, numb legs. He overturned the feather mattress and found what he was looking for. A wand with an unremarkable white stone attached to one end lay there. Morrkon picked it up.

This?! This is what had enslaved him? Impossible! And yet… this past year had been awfully foggy, full of blackouts and compulsions to do things that Morrkon could now see he would never usually do. The last thing he could remember clearly was trying to force-feed Luke a thick yellow potion that would turn him into a stone statue. And then…and then…

And then it went hazy. And all he could think of was Luke. Luke naked. Luke bent over. Luke supine with his hands clasped behind his head with that sexy gleam in his blue, blue eyes…

Morrkon gave his head a little shake. AAARRRGGGHHHH! He was doing it again!

But this time he was awake. And he knew. Knew beyond a shadow of a doubt. He knew that even though Luke had deceived and betrayed him, he was still in lust and in love with him. And he knew that he would do, had to do whatever it took to get him back.

* * *

Deep in a dark and evil forest, in a huge black castle, lived Roger and now Luke as his prisoner and hypnoslave

Inside the castle, in a central chamber, Roger was seated on a large obsidian throne.

On the floor, in the center of the room, was a square of moonlight let in by a skylight above. Luke stood in that square, naked and shivering.

He was awake and aware for now, but Roger had him set up with enough post-hypnotics to keep him under his thumb forever. He could keep Luke awake and watch him struggle and beg for freedom, or make him his zombie slave with a word. Roger couldn’t decide which persona was more erotic.

Right now, he had Luke in an invisible cage. Luke battered his fists in despair against invisible walls within the confines of the moonlit square.

“No, Roger, no! Let me out, please! Let me go back to Morrkon! I miss…I…I…AAAHHHHH!!! NOOOOO!!! NOOOOO!!! OWWWW!!! AHHHHH!!!”

Luke’s body bent backward and then fell to his knees, and then onto his side, his body bent, conforming to the confines of his imagined prison.

He broke into a cold sweat, coating his fair, toned, muscular frame in a fine sheen. His short, blond, curly hair became matted with moisture.

Roger looked on at the show with an enormous erection. He showed no surprise at Luke’s pain. After all, he had programmed it. Whenever Luke said or heard Morrkon’s name, he would feel a red-hot poker dildo being inserted into his asshole for one minute.

After the minute was over, Luke’s tensed, tortured body relaxed and collapsed on the floor where he lay, exhausted. He began to cry.

The black stone was bitterly cold but Luke’s body shook with his quiet sobs instead. Tears streamed out of the blue eyes and down his cheeks as he realized the hopelessness of his situation. Only five minutes had passed since he had awoken naked, unable to move from this spot in an empty room but it seemed like an eternity. And now the pain! Luke knew he must have been here much longer, in a trance with Roger programming him into his puppet all the while.

Roger claimed that he loved him. But if this was his love, what was his hate? Luke shuddered to think and realized he was in Hell.

Roger stood and walked slowly over to Luke, his black, lightweight cloak streaming out behind him.

He reached the moonlit square and nudged Luke with the toe of one tall, black leather boot.

“Get up!” he said softly, dangerously.

Luke managed to rise to his knees.

“Please, Roger!” he begged, “If you truly love me, stop this madness. Send me back to…to Him. Please!”

“Stop it!? My dear boy, I’ve only just begun!”

Roger grabbed Luke’s nipple and pulled him upwards. Gasping at the pain, Luke responded quickly and stood up. But there was pleasure too and Roger could see Luke’s cock begin to stiffen. He grabbed the other nipple and twisted viciously.

Luke cried out but then almost immediately his body grew slack. The chest play was a suggestion to grow limp and heavy but not go completely into trance. It was a pacifying move that left Luke in a helpless limbo state, unable to do anything but follow orders.

“There we go… Just drift down now, slipping back into your deep sleep state, as I count back from 10. You will be ready to obey when I finish counting. 10, slipping down and away, 9, deep sleep, getting ready to obey, 8…

As Roger counted, Luke’s terror-filled face emptied of any expression, his eyes closed, and his body grew so limp that the only thing holding him up from the floor was Roger, still holding on by both nips.

Roger deftly turned Luke around so that they spooned each other. Holding him upright around the chest, Roger began to whisper into Luke’s ear as his head lolled against Roger’s shoulder. “Now Luke, in a few seconds, you will feel me enter you. When I do, you will feel as if the dick inside you is growing. Growing to 12 inches. To 18 inches. To 24 inches, a full 60 cm. long and 10 inches wide. Do you understand?”

“Yes Master, I understand,” Luke answered, giving Roger an instant hard-on.

“Good. Then WAKE UP, boy!” Roger yelled.

Luke blinked and came to in a startling different position than he had been a few seconds ago. He tried to struggle out of Roger’s grasp but before he really knew what was going on, he felt Roger enter him with one thrust, without lube, to the hilt. The pain was incredible.

Roger began to move in and out. Luke’s eyes widened.

With every thrust, the monster inside his anus grew longer and thicker than Luke could imagine.

“What fresh hell is this?” he gasped.

“Hell? Surely you can’t mean my big, thick dick that’s growing by the second in your hot little hole? I thought this was every gay boy’s dream come true.”

Outside the dark castle, in the dark and evil forest, a strange, white owl with one eye that was larger than the other was sitting on a twisted, gnarled branch of a dead oak tree. It was scanning the ground for prey when it flew off, startled by two sounds that broke the spooky silence. One was Luke’s heartbreaking screams followed by Roger’s maniacal laughter as he ruthlessly raped him.

* * *

Morrkon went out into the front yard and over to the fountain.

The fountain stood in the center of the yard surrounded by a horseshoe hedge. It was made of white marble and was in the shape of three basins, one on top of each other, each bowl being a little smaller than the one below it. The basins were levitating and rotating slowly, each freely standing in the air. Out of the topmost bowl, shot a single stream of creamy white water 3 feet high. It fell back into the bowls, creating a fabulous waterfall effect and churning the water in the lowest bowl. However, no matter how much the lowest bowl filled, it never over spilled.

“Stand still and deliver your secrets to me!” commanded Morrkon.

Instantly, the bowls stopped moving and the stream of water fell away and vanished, leaving a clear, smooth surface.

“Show me where Luke is.”

The clear water in the top bowl turned instantly black, as if Morrkon had thrown a bottle of ink into the water. Morrkon was appalled. He bent forward, for a closer look.

The darkness formed other darker shapes within itself. Morrkon could now see the twisted trees, the black castle. The image moved forward through a skylight.

In a square of light, in the center of dark, Luke was being fucked from behind by Roger.

Morrkon’s face clouded with rage. He saw red. Literally. The black image grew pink and then red as his anger and jealousy grew.

“Make a portal for me to cross into this place!” he commanded.

A wide stream of water shot out of the center of the fountain at a 45 degree angle, creating a waterfall in the air. The throne room was displayed in the shimmering water.

Roger had finished with Luke and was walking back to his throne.

With the Wand as his only possession, Morrkon stepped through the waterfall and vanished. The water returned to its clear state and normal vertical stream.

* * *

Luke fell forward onto his knees with a sob of relief as what seemed like a bull – no, elephant’s cock was removed from his bum.

His rectum was torn and bleeding. He could not restrain a groan of agony. The pain was unbearable. He fell forward again, conforming to the confines of the shrinking moonlit cage.

“Now, now,” Roger said, “There’s no need to fret. Remember the first time we were together? The first time we made love?”

Roger slid an index finger lightly down Luke’s butt crack and healed the wound. The pain disappeared.

“See Luke,” Roger said, running his fingers lightly up and down Luke’s back, “No danger of disease. No lasting pain. We’ll be able to do this over and over and over…forever.”

Luke buried his head in his hands and wept. His sanity was holding on by a shimmering, silver thread but as he contemplated a future of never-ending rape, he could feel that thread begin to fray and threaten to break.

Roger wrapped his own naked body in his cloak and strode back toward his throne.

And that s when Morrkon made his sudden appearance out of nowhere.

* * *

Roger and Morrkon’s gazes met. Their eyes narrowed.

Roger made a bolt for his throne where his staff resided. Morrkon let him reach out to grasp it before he made a come hither gesture with his hand and caused the staff to slip through Roger’s fingers, fly through the air, and into his own hand.

Roger’s smug expression turned to one of mingled fear and hate. They froze in a silent tableau for an instant, mutual hatred blazing from their eyes.

Roger bolted for cover behind his throne. He never made it.

Morrkon stretched out his hand and released a red energy bolt from his index finger. The energy beam hit Roger in the chest and flung him far across the room.

“I owe you something, you wretched bastard!” Morrkon cried.

“Oh? What’s that?” breezed Roger, flipping his hair out of his eyes and fixing his glasses.

“This!”

Morrkon blasted Roger again and red energy beams encircled him. Roger was lifted into the air and his limbs were pulled into a spread eagle position. Beams encircled his neck, chest, waist, arms around the upper arm, forearm, and wrist, and around the legs around the thigh, calf, and ankle. He hovered in mid-air, slowly turning and rotating as if in a gyroscope. He was immobile.

With Roger secure, Morrkon rushed over to Luke. He lifted Luke into his arms and cradled him in an embrace.

“Don’t worry Luke; I’m getting you out of here!”

“Luke!!!” Roger’s voice rang out, “FORGET ALL!!!”

No!” Morrkon watched in despair as Luke’s head, jerked and spasmed violently. His eyes fluttered. When they came back into focus, he asked Morrkon, “What’s going on? Who are you?”

“No! No, Luke, don’t let him do this to you! It’s me, Morrkon!”

Luke screamed and writhed in his arms. Morrkon released him and Luke scrambled away from him and cowered in a ball.

“Stay away! Stay away from me! Don’t hurt me anymore!”

“Luke, I wouldn’t hurt you! Not for the world! I love you! I’ve come to take you home.”

“I don’t live with you! I don’t even know you!”

“That’s because of HIM!” Morrkon said bitterly, jerking his thumb, “The knowledge is there deep inside you. I’m Morrkon, and I—“

Luke’s scream cut him off again.

“Bastard!” Morrkon whirled to face Roger, “What have you done to him?”

“Figure it out for yourself,” sneered Roger, “I’ll never tell.”

“Oh yes, you will.” Morrkon held up the Wand.

Roger’s eyes widened, then began to droop.

“Remember this? I see you do. Bet you thought you’d never be on this side of it, did you?”

“Nooooo…” Roger drawled drowsily.

“But I can see you are not immune to its effects,” Morrkon continued, “Continue to look deep into the crystal and tell me what you see.”

“Luke. His eyes. His big, beautiful, blue eyes.”

BASTARD!! thought Morrkon.

“Good,” continued Morrkon in a soothing voice, “Gaze deep into those eyes and relax. With every word I speak, every moment that passes, you relax deeper, gaze deeper and fall under their power. Your eyes are heavy, your body is limp and you cannot resist my words. As I count back from 10, you will continue to relax, to sleep, to succumb to the power of Luke’s eyes. Falling deeper, even now as my words penetrate your brain. 10. Deeper now, as I count back, 9, and as I do, the more willing you become to obeying Luke’s eyes. My eyes. I am Luke, and you are falling deep into my eyes, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Luke.”

Good. 8. The more willing you are to obey, the more your bonds will vanish away…7…”

The light binding Roger’s waist vanished.

“Good. 6…Deeper now, sleeping deeper, more and more open.”

The lights his wrists and ankles vanished.

5

The lights binding his arms and legs vanished.

“4…Deeper and deeper under the power of the eyes. Feeling your own will slip away into the dark.”

The beam encircling his chest vanished.

“3…Sleep deep now Roger. Sleep deep and obey. 2…Down, down, down….1…”

The beam encircling his neck vanished. Roger’s body revolved slowly and set itself on its feet. He was deep asleep and passive. He was ready.

“All right Roger, in a moment, you will open your eyes. This will be easy to do and still remain in a deeply asleep. When you do, you will see Luke standing before you and you will do whatever he asks. Doing whatever he asks makes you happy, makes you aroused, and sends you even deeper asleep. Understand?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Good. Open your eyes.”

He did, with a dreamy, glazed look in them.

“Roger, do you remember the last hypnotic command you gave me?”

“Yes. Forget all. Total amnesia.”

“But then doesn’t that mean I’ve forgotten all about you as well?”

“Oh, I suppose it does. I hadn’t thought of that,” Roger said, a little disappointedly.

“Perhaps it would be better to undo that particular command,” Morrkon said gently.

“Yes, yes,” Roger said carelessly, “Well then, Luke, Remember all!”

Morrkon whirled and raced over to catch Luke before his head cracked against the hard marble floor. His head spasmed, eyes fluttered and then stopped and slowly opened. Morrkon was overjoyed to see them widen in recognition.

Before he could speak, Morrkon gently placed a finger on Luke’s mouth.

“Hush darling, I still have to find out what causes you pain. Just lie quiet and know that I love you.”

Morrkon wrapped Luke’s battered, naked body in his thick, woolen cloak, pressed a quick kiss to his forehead, and placed an easy and temporary spell of deafness on him. Then he got up and faced Roger as Luke.

“Gee Roger, the power you have over me is a total turn on. Especially when you make me writhe around in pain.”

“It is?” Roger asked, “Really, I thought you didn’t like it.”

“I guess I must be a bit of a masochist after all,” said Morrkon/Luke.

“It’s also going to make you hate your ex,” Roger said dreamily, “Since it is his name that causes you such exquisite pain. Morrkon!”

Morrkon smiled.

“What’s the matter? Why didn’t it work? Why aren’t you writhing in pain?’

“SLEEP DEEP!” said Morrkon quickly, before Roger’s distress could pull him completely out of his trance.

Roger’s head lolled forward and he dropped down onto his knees. Morrkon watched in satisfaction as Roger slowly fell forward the rest of the way onto the floor with a thud, out cold.

“You’ll never cause anyone pain again,” Morrkon said,” Are you listening, Roger? Can you hear me?”

“Yessssss….” Roger’s voice dragged to a sexy halt.

“Good boy. Listen carefully. This is important. Here is what I want you to do…”

* * *

A few minutes later, Luke opened his eyes and shook his head to clear it. It felt like he had been asleep forever.

“Easy does it,” Morrkon said, easing Luke up to a sitting position, “I think I’ve deactivated all his evil triggers, but take it easy while your mind comes to full awareness.”

“Morrkon! I’m so glad to see you. I knew you’d rescue me. I thought I’d never – Morrkon, what’s wrong?”

Luke was puzzled at the way Morrkon smiled sadly and kept him at bay, refusing to take him fully into the well muscled, crushing bear hug that Luke loved so much.

Morrkon stepped aside and pointed across the room to where Roger stood bent forward, jackknifed with his feet and hands on the floor, naked, his ass in the air.

“Hey Roger, wake up!” Morrkon bellowed.

“Hey, what’s going on? What’s happened? Hey, I can’t move! HELP!”

As Roger continued to struggle and scream, Morrkon turned and faced Luke.

“Luke, “he said, “I won’t force you to go back with me. If you love Roger, you can stay with him now. He’ll do anything you want now; even his movements are under your control. And if it ever looks like he’s breaking free, all you have to say is COLLAR ON.”

“Anything?” Luke asked.

“Yes. Anything.”

“Good,” Luke got up and marched over to where Roger’s ass stuck straight up in the air. He lubed up a finger a bit and stuck it up Roger’s hole, moving it in and out gently. Roger began to moan softly.

Then, without warning, Luke jammed it all the way in and drew it slowly out. Roger’s moans turned to whimpers.

Morrkon moved closer to look. From the end of Luke’s finger he could see a cold, blue energy beam. Out of Roger’s ass was growing a butt plug of solid ice.

Thicker and wider and harder, the ice grew. The wider it grew, the more it stretched out Roger’s asshole. Roger’s whimpers turned to screams.

“As big as a horse, wasn’t it? As big as an elephant, wasn’t it?” Luke whispered, his voice hoarse with rage, as the ice formed to the proper dimensions.

“Now, Roger,” Luke said, lifting Roger to a standing position with a thumb to the chin, “Since the ice up your ass won’t last nearly as long enough, while it is there, let it burn like fire.”

Roger’s screams turned into one long, unbroken wail.

“And if I ever see your face again,” continued Luke furiously, “I’ll freeze you solid inside a block of ice and have Morrkon send you to the frozen north where you will never, EVER, melt.”

Roger fell to the cold floor, naked, screaming and writhing in pain.

Luke walked over to where Morrkon stood with his mouth hanging open.

“Take me home, Morrkon,” he said.

“But I don’t get it,” Morrkon said, as they walked out of the room, “I had him all set up for you. He would have done anything. Anything! Why didn’t you at least fuck him?”

“Because there’s only one man in the world I want to fuck. Be fucked by. Haven’t you figured that out by now?” Luke answered.

“But I thought you two were carrying on behind my back. Using this to control me, to pull the wool over my eyes.” Morrkon gestured with the Wand.

Luke clapped a hand over his eyes and gave a whimper.

Morrkon dropped a black handkerchief over the top and tied it round with a loose thread.

He gave Luke a gentle prod to let him know it was safe and together they limped out of the throne room and down a dark hall. Morrkon pronounced a few simple magic words. A cold light appeared at the tip of his own magic wand to light their way. Now they could see the walls and ceiling were rounded and made of black stone

“No, Morrkon. I only came here because he said he’d kill you if I didn’t. We only had sex the one time, a year ago, just before we became a couple. He brought – that – and showed me how to use it. And I only used it when it became obvious you were determined to kill me.”

“He told me the same thing,” Morrkon admitted, “But I think I needed to hear it from you too, to really believe it.”

“It’s the truth. I swear it. Since then, I’ve never been with another man. Even before, since the moment I saw you, I – “

He was interrupted by a sound coming down the passage from the direction where they had come. Faint at first, but growing louder by the second, it was the kind of sound made only by those who realize they are well and truly damned.

Half screaming, half growling, Roger came running up the passage brandishing a double headed axe in one hand and a large and heavy mace in the other. His lion-headed staff was strapped to his back in a custom made quiver. He was frothing at the mouth and his eyes were wide and bugged out like a frog’s. They rolled crazily around in their sockets.

Luke aimed and shot his ice beam but it only caught the mace, flinging it over and behind Roger. It fell to the ground, encased in a block of ice.

Roger’s insane gaze never wavered. The curved blade gleamed dully in the cold light of Morrkon’s wand.

Luke aimed again but it was too late. Roger swung the axe. The blade sliced cleanly through Luke’s wrist. The blue beam wavered and went out. His severed hand slapped wetly as it hit the floor. Luke screamed in pain and fell against Morrkon. He wrapped his stub in his tunic, trying to staunch the flow of blood. He broke out into a cold sweat and fell onto the cold stone floor He began to go into shock.

Morrkon stepped in front of Luke and raised a hand. “Stop! It doesn’t have to end like this!”

“Are you serious?! I’ve got a chunk of ice stuffed up my ass! Of course it’s got to end like this! I’m going to split you up – one way or another!”

In a lightning movement, Roger reached behind him and grabbed his staff. Once again the lion’s eyes flashed. Morrkon was thrown backward against the wall. Once again, green beams of light encircled his ankles, calves, stomach, and chest, immobilizing his arms to his sides.

“I’ll kill him and maim you and feed you both to my buzzards! You can cry your eyes out as they eat your boyfriend and watch helplessly as they turn on you! They’ll feast on you slowly while you’re still alive. You’ll feel every agony and beg for me to kill you. But I won’t. I’ll just watch them tear out your heart to eat it. A fitting end to you and a perfect revenge for me! AHHHH HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!!!!!”

Roger kept coming. He raised the blade.

“Luke! Help me!”

Roger kept coming. Weakly, Luke moved his feet, trying to move backward and away from his tormentor. He only managed to move back a few feet.

“Luke, listen to me! This is important! You’ve got to fire that blue beam at me! Aim for his green bondage lights! You can do it Luke! I love you, man!”

“Luke heard Morrkon’s words through a fog of pain and blood. They seemed to be coming from a long way away, but the last four words were clear as a bell.

He raised his remaining hand and fired weakly.

The blue beam hit the axe blade, and reflected off the shiny surface. However the spell as so weak it only gave the blade a light frosting.

“Oh, better luck next time!” Roger sneered nastily. He swung the blade and sliced cleanly through Luke’s remaining hand.

Luke screamed and passed out with the pain.

Luke’s reflected beam flashed from the axe blade across the hall and struck Morrkon directly on the waist. Light blue mixed with green and slowly it changed to yellow.

“NO!!!

The beam grew brighter and brighter, yellow as butter, yellow as the sun.

“You’re too late! Nothing will stop my revenge! You both are doomed!”

He stood over Luke’s helpless body. He raised the axe a little higher and aimed for Luke’s heart and swung downward for the final blow.

“I think not,” Morrkon said quietly. With a huge effort, he forced his right hand through the yellow beam. At once he let a large red beam go from his palm.

Roger was disintegrated. Not just burned or engulfed, but consumed. There was a red flash of power. Everything it touched was blown apart, consumed, and then vanished away until there was nothing left except for the dark hall that was there before Roger had arrived.

As soon as Roger was dead, his spells were broken. All the bondage beams faded and disappeared.

Morrkon located Luke’s hands. Making a few magical gestures, he easily healed them.

Luke regained consciousness. Together they limped down the dark hall a bit more until they finally reached the door to outside. There, Morrkon broke the Wand in half and threw the pieces into two different directions of the forest

He took off his large, black cloak and spread it down on the ground. He gestured for Luke to sit down on it. Luke did so gratefully.

“Now what?” he asked, as Morrkon joined him.

“Now all you have to do is think about what you consider home and the cloak will take us there.”

Luke started to close his eyes, then opened them again. “ Wait a minute. Now that you are free of the Wand’s effects, don’t you want to kill me again?”

“Luke! Of course not! If I did, why would I have saved you from Roger?”

Looking down, Luke mumbled out, “I dunno. Jealousy, maybe.” Then, furiously, looking up with tears in his eyes, “Or you could still just want me for that rotten old statue!”

Morrkon’s eyes turned sad and soft as he reached out a palm to stroke Luke’s cheek and brush away the tears.

“Oh Luke, my darling, forgive me for that. No, I don’t wish that any longer. For even though I’m no longer under your control, I do remember the last year. There were times when I was in control of my thinking and thought back to when I wanted you as a statue. I couldn’t believe I was going to do that. Because you were, and are, so much more than just a beautiful body to me now. I love all of you. Your kindness. Your courage. Your laugh. The way you throw yourself, heart and soul, into everything you do. Shortly after we were together, I fell in love with you. With your life. I can’t believe I almost lost that tonight. And I’d never lock that away behind stone. Never. I swear.”

Luke looked down at the cloak with a smile tugging on his cupid bow lips.

“You know, this reminds me of a certain interrupted picnic.” He looked round. “Hmmm. Can’t say much about the scenery though.” He closed his eyes.

Morrkon felt like if he didn’t kiss Luke, he would explode. So he did. Hard. Deeply.

As he did, he felt the cloak rise, felt the hard ground vanish to be replaced with a cushion of air.

Reaching down, he could feel that Luke was hard as a rock. He trailed kisses down his neck, chest, stomach, and then took his hard length in his mouth. Morrkon reached up and under Luke’s tunic and played with his sensitive nipples. He heard Luke moan in pleasure and smiled to himself. He settled down into a slow seductive rhythm and heard another moan.

He tugged at Luke’s leggings, and pulled them down, freeing his cock, balls and ass. Luke arched a bit to give him access.

Fingers splayed over Luke’s fine ass, Morrkon began to play with Luke’s hot hole. Luke moaned in pleasure and began to instinctively arch rhythmically, sending his cock down Morrkon’s eager throat.

Morrkon wet a finger with saliva and began to probe Luke’s hole, fingering him gently, deeper and deeper each time. Then he started –

HEY! Wait a minute here! This is a romance, not porn! If you want to know what happens next, pop in a video!

The cloak, with the two lovers upon it, stretched itself flat and rose into the air until it cleared the tops of the dark, gnarled branches. Then it flew away, away from the black castle, away from the twisted forest, into the light of the silvery full moon.

THE END