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Greyylene
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re: Mirror, Mirror on the Door Part I

As most of you may know, I am a Pirate by trade. I have had many adventures, some were even a bit dangerous. If you’d care to hear a harrowing fish tale, pull up a seat and have an ale… leave my Rum alone!

Some of you may remember me tellin about the raid on a certain bath house. If’n ya don’t remember, I can tell ya again another time. For the moment, however, let me share the other side o’ that evenin’.

Ya see, mirrors are not to be trifled with, I promise ya. Some may see’m just as a shiny thin’ what hangs on the wall, but I know different. Evil, foul things those mirrors and that don’t even mention them what lives in their shimmery depths.
There is vile trickery in a mirror. I know to be careful around the shiny things, they are worse than a Siren, and full of wiles. One never knows when they’ll find themselves lookin innocently into their reflection just to discover something rather sinister had happened. I went in to wash … well you know… bath room. I shut the door and looked up. What a horrible thing to do!

A single moment, a flash of lightning and the world turned into a wavy blur. Blinkin a few times and rubbin me eye, it took a bit to clear the spots from my vision. Finally able to see clearly I noticed the worst thing Ever!
Everyone knows Not to place a mirror face to face with another mirror! It opens portals to dimensions and spaces one don’t wanna go! So now Who in their ever blessed mind thought it a grand plan to put Another mirror in the damn bath house? And not just Any mirror, a Black Mirror, right across from the full length one on the bleedin Door! If I e’er got outta this, I was gonna wring their neck!

“Well this is a fine spot ya’r in now, Capt’n”, I says to myself.

There was no denying it. The folds of space got shook and I was stuck in the creases. It was only a matter of time before my existence would take on a dangerous twist. I stood as far out of the reflection as I could and stared into the endless tunnel of mirror to mirror.

Its not too often I find myself lost in folds of time and space, so I had really no idea what to expect. It was just a mirror, right? There is an edge to it, right? I should be able to jump off the edge and back into my own time… Right?

Wrong!

Walking off the edge is like falling off a cliff. The layers fold and twist, moving around items in the reflections and drawing them into much different entities all together. A shift in the original portal of any kind allowed the creatures in lower layers access to whatever was caught, like a spider to a fly. Oddly enough, I found myself to be the fly!
So if the edges were not the way out, what was? What would happen if I simply turned and walked back into the “other space”? Which way was the Original space anyway? These are all good questions, and I tried quite a few things. The only thing it got me was deeper in the world of Mirror and further from a place for rescue.

I found myself in a layer of semi darkness and in need of a fire. The ground was cold and felt as if light was being swallowed. Collecting twigs and other items I tried not to think how all that was possible. I started to pile some good sized stones and place them in a circle. As I worked the pit area grew and shifted. On one side of the campsite trees, under brush, the fire pit were all facing the right direction. The Other side, everything was backwards. When I poked the fire, my stick shrunk and grew with each jab.
I was at a thresh hold.

A rustling brought a deep chill down my spine. Slowly picking up a larger log I prepared for an attack. A pair of dark orbs peered from under a bush at the very edge of the firelight. The waddling steps of a turtle made me laugh out loud. He regarded me with little trepidation, in fact it seemed as though he was more concerned with the fire.
Ideally fire is meant to keep predators away from the campsite. Apparently in this world, fire is a target. The ground began to shake and the turtle vanished, turning itself into a stone. A rumbling roar and an explosion of claws and fur burst through the forest. I had no idea what the creature was that wanted to make me its meal, it never touched the ground. Mid flight it simply vanished!

Intrigued by what happened, there was more investigating required. Tossing a rock at the place where the beast disappeared proved only one thing, there was a definite edge. The new turtle friend poked out his head and just stared. Turning he wobbled back into the forest. It had become obvious there was one path, that of the turtle.

Things of magic are not trivial and should not be meddled with. There are consequences to one’s actions, sometimes they are dire. This truth was solidified as soon as Turtle and I stepped into a clearing. An entire village had been displaced into the Mirror lands, frozen in time bound to remain indefinitely. Their dull existence shattered with the new face.
The welcome to Turtle was as an old friend, but for me was another thing entirely. Some were paralyzed in fear, others approached with caution. The medicine woman of the tribe stomped a long staff on the ground sending a wave of sound that was visible. Her fury was that of a hurricane and her desire was to see me destroyed.

Having no idea what I had done to so greatly offend her, I stood my ground. The simple act of showing no fear seemed to be the proper response. Her sound wave rippled back to her knocking her off balance. She did not fall, however, it was sufficient cause to pause.

“What are you wanting here?”

The question was simple enough, the answer was a bit more complicated.

“I want nothing more than to get out of here.”

The thundering laughter that ensued was less than reassuring. When the amusement passed I was informed that in no way would they help me. If I were serious then I would need to venture to the “mountain” on my own. Looking around the terrain, I saw no mountains.

“You get one to guide you to the line and no more. Be gone from us foul stranger. We want you not at all.”

I’ve had some pretty chilly welcomes before, but nothing as bold as this. The whole tribe was visibly shaken by my presence and I could not be dismissed fast enough. Being lead to the docks I was surprised to see an ocean.

The boat they used was not what would qualify as ‘sea faring vessels’ they were hardly suited as fishing boats. As promised there was one guide, a young girl who seemed fascinated by my ears. In exchange for allowing her to touch them she told me why there was so much fear.

“The Line eats all that comes near. None are safe, we do not go to the Line unless to make others go away to the Mountain.”

“So why are you allowed to go near?” I asked.

“I am the one who trapped us here. If I get lost in the Line, they will not miss me, but celebrate my loss.”

“What did you do?”

“I trained with the medicine woman, but wanted to know more of magic. She forbade me, but I found a spell and tried it anyway. It was a reflection conjure, and I did it almost perfectly. When I threw the metal shavings into the air a bolt of lightning caught it and covered the entire village. An evil witch had been watching me and used my mistake to trap us in her own container. From time to time we see her eye in the clouds and can hear her laugh on the tides.”

“What is the mountain then?”

“That is the one place there is a rift in the container. She knows its there, but finds it funny when we try to go there.”

After a long moment the girl leaned over to me and whispered.

“There is another who lives in the Mountain who has ventured from one container to another. She will help you get out of this world, If you can find her.”

Riding the tides in silence we finally arrived at what was called the Mountain. To my eyes, it seemed a frame for the mirror in the bath house. Fortunately it was wooden and somewhat easy to climb. At the top corner was an abrupt jagged break. There was no other choice than to drop off the broken end and hope for the best.

After an intense free fall, I landed on something hard. It was unclear if this was pitch black or complete oblivion. I tried to move but was allowed only a few steps in any direction before meeting a barrier. Suddenly the hairs on my spine stood on edge. There was another presence. My ears twitched listening into the darkness.

A soft shuffle came closer ignoring boundaries and edges. The bent figure stood in front of me as if studying for something. Her milky white eyes peered into me without seeing. Turning she shuffled a few steps. When I did not follow she paused with a grunt. I took it as instruction to follow.

She was the only thing I was able to see. There was only a void around us. She knew the path well and I could feel it, but saw nothing. Suddenly a sliver of gray broke the black. When we approached, it was clear that nothing was going to fit through it. Despite knowing this, I reached out to touch it. Before I could say anything, the hag shoved me and I found myself falling into the gray.

It was a beach. I had landed on a beach.
Loeci
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re: Mirror, Mirror on the Door Part I

Thank 'ee for the story Cap'n! Can't wait for the rest!


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LMB alts: Isranayr, Estelmiriel, Illystar, Silmairien, Cyrce, Snapdragonn, Wyldbyrd, Jaznah, and Wyldbeary

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The Byrd and Berri Inn: Wyldbyrd, Wyldberri

other games: SWTOR (Loeci, Gil'raen and many others), ESO @wolfsong66 (Loeci, Shaolinn, Illystar, White'heart, Drak'moor, etc)

 

“Above all shadows rides the Sun
and Stars for ever dwell:
I will not say the Day is done,
nor bid the Stars farewell.”

Greyylene
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re: Mirror, Mirror on the Door Part I

Loeci wrote:
Thank 'ee for the story Cap'n! Can't wait for the rest!


me too!!!
Greyylene
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re: Mirror, Mirror on the Door Part I

The beach was nothing like I know. Coarse sand felt more like tiny shards of broken glass than the silky grain of my home. The reflections of light were angry and malicious as it reached to trip my bare feet. It is inconvenient to be caught in a strange world without shoes and proper weapons.

“Greyy, next time you fall through an enchanted mirror, bring shoes!” I scolded myself with each step.

Gazing out at the current surroundings several things struck me as odd. At the edge of the horizon looked to be a partial vertical wooden fence. There seemed to be a breeze without a breeze. Things moved as if being blown, but there was no air moving. One other peculiar thing was the image of a person shimmering in the clouds.

Someone was in the bath house and looking in the Mirror!

Waving frantically and yelling at the image I was hoping to get their attention. What actions would be taken, I had no idea. There was the desperate need to try, none the less. To my delight, they noticed me!

“Capt’n is that you?” The clouds yelled back.

This next bit was told me by the ones who rescued me, so I’ll try to get their version right. Can’t promise too much, you know how sailors are. We like to make a grand tale … grander! Anyway, here’s what they said.

Tempest Hawke, the first mate, had come to find me. He was worried I’d drowned in the tub. Maybe that was what he was hopin’ anyway. Seeing the door opened he got a bit worried. Thinking someone had tried to invade my bath he figured he would come help whoever the poor sod was and see what manner of mess needed cleaning.

When the door opened it shifted the mirrors enough to cause a wee bend in the reflections. That was just enough to allow one end to be thinner than the others. He heard me holler, and I could see him! Thankfully he was bright enough to not completely lose the connection and left the door closed enough to keep the consistent worlds.

I was suddenly thankful to be fully clothed, minus my shoes. It seemed my rescue was imminent. How silly of me.
Turning he ran to fetch any others he could find, wise thinking on his part actually. On return he had in tow Flint, Kegan the Mad and Bash. I love my crew, I really do, but sometimes they can be such idiots! When they entered, Bash lived up to his nickname. He threw open the door with such force it hit the wall sending my world into upheaval and darkness.

I could make out the frantic muffles of the men. They must have figured it out, shortly there was light again, but the surroundings were different. I heard them calling my name and felt jarring thuds as if someone were pounding on the door.

“Ugh, I will never get out of here,” I said to myself giving a bit of an eye roll.

Tempest seemed to be the only one with an ounce of sense and tried to put the door back in the exact position he remembered it. My beach returned, and the revelation of water gave a glimmer of hope. However, the distant splashes made me groan and hope to shatter.
One by one the crew who found me, joined me. What were they Thinking? Now instead of just me needing rescued there was four of us!

“I certainly hope you told someone what was happening?”

I honestly was afraid of the answer.

“Welp, Tempest is still out der,” Bash informed. His nodding head looked like it would fall off if he continued.

“Oh, I hope he doesn’t follow you fools.”

“Na’ah, he be one smart feller. Purty sure he done fetched the Monk ‘n ye’r frien’ bard.”

Well that would be a mercy, Sir Gil and my beard boy. Between the two there should be some reasonable way to break free of the mirror And then be able to destroy it.

We didn’t have to wait terribly long, also a good thing. Leaving pirates to run amuck in an enchanted mirror was a recipe for disaster, but made some good stories for later. Just know, if you ever get caught in a mirror, don’t drink the water.

Anyway.

I could hear the muffles of voices, even over the din of my crew.

Now this is where the story gets a bit tricky, so try to keep up.

Sir Gilead is a monk, of what order I never did know. He is a wise man, old as dirt yet young. There was also an air that surrounded him where things just ‘happen’. It almost seemed as if he could bend the elements to do his bidding. I never quite understood it, but I’d be damned if I questioned it.

He pulled from his pocket a small reflective stone, can’t rightly call it a mirror. Polished smooth it was one of the more useful pieces of stone I’d ever seen. It could pick up metal that was dropped, felt like a lead weight and had a highly reflective surface. All in all, it was a pretty nifty stone.

I don’t honestly know where items within the enchanted world fell, but the fact there was a boat made me smile. It was an odd li’l vessel of the most garish yellow and red hues ever to be inflicted on an item. Even the material was one completely unreal. Regardless, we had a vessel and could all fit on it.

It’s a good thing the three crewmen are normally on a ship, otherwise they’d all be lost constantly. Trying to round them up was like trying to herd cats. They were curious children in adult bodies. Finally we were back on task, getting the floating thing into the water.

As we were about our task, those on the outside had cooked up a rather clever plan. Sir Gil had noticed that when the bathroom door was opened the twist in the reflections grew short. His plan was to hold the door open just enough for the reflection to be thin, use his stone to pierce through with a bright light and to have the Bard play as low of a note as he could to cause the mirrors to rattle. All these things had to work together in perfect time. Then, of course, we had to be in the proper line in which to catch the portal out. What could possibly go wrong?

How did I know what to do, you ask? Like I said, I could hear their voices. They had to be shouting, the winds on the beach were pretty hefty and smelled of rum! There would be hell to pay for that last bit.

Flint, Kegan, Bash and I loaded on the raft, it was much more a raft than a boat we could only sit on top of it, and headed to the horizon. We watched as the shore grew small and the sky melted to the sea. It really would not matter how far we floated, the real work was for the ones in the Other world.

Back in the bath house Beard Boy, Sir Gil and Tempest had set themselves to do the impossible, well maybe more like the improbable. Tempest held the door, Beard Boy practiced the lowest note he had on the theorbo, and Sir Gil was lining up the stone and the sun in the perfect location. As all the pieces fell into place we prepared for one of our more interesting voyages.

We first heard the deep thundering bass, then we saw the ripples touch the tide. Waves that had been somewhat calm began to grow in size and ferocity. Kegan was the first to notice the sky shrink. It was known that would happen, but to witness it set us all in a panic.

The real terror hit when the sky began to squeeze the raft we were on. Like fingers squishing a bug, the clouds mauled the boat forcing us in the water. It was a good thing sailors can swim.

“We’re All Gonna DIE!!”

The frantic scream of Tempest did nothing to help ease the fear. The fact his voice had gone from a burly, rough and tumble sailor to the equivalent of a young girl would have been fodder for immense amounts of ribbing. And any other circumstance the teasing would have begun immediately. Sadly his sentiment was felt by all of us.

As the edges folded in on us, and the waves grew higher my hope turned to the light. We could almost touch the sides of the “sky” when the flash hit the waves. There is no real way of knowing how things happened the way they did, we just know it worked. Opening our eyes we were on the floor sputtering for air.

Before I could say anything I saw Sir Gilead take his stone and ram it through the black mirror. Splintered shards flew everywhere. A glimmer caught my eye as I picked up one of the pieces and gazed in, careful not to look directly into the reflection. What I saw took my breath away.

At first I thought it was merely a piece of dust that floated past. Then I saw the pattern as it moved. It was as if a tiny village was moving about their day, completely oblivious of the destruction about to befall them.

Reaching out his hand for the shard, Sir Gilead collected the last piece. Muttering a few words, I assume were some incantation or some such, he threw them into the air. As they reached the apex of their flight there was an explosion. The bath house was leveled and we were all left sprawled on the ground hoping we were still in our real world.

Sometimes I wonder how long those other worlds would have gone had we not interfered.
Then again, which world is the real one?
Will we ever really know?
Tulenn
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re: Mirror, Mirror on the Door Part I

This was awesome, Greyy! Really enjoyed it! :)


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Molly Bayberry
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re: Mirror, Mirror on the Door Part I

I like the part with the crew the best. They sound very... um... well-meaning? lol


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Byrcha
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re: Mirror, Mirror on the Door Part I

A wonderful story, Greyy. (The first place I worked had two wall-sized mirrors opposite each other, and I did indeed feel trapped there.)

But so unlike this world!
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...Beard Boy practiced the lowest note he had on the theorbo...


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