The intrepid adventurer Dervish Sanders and his love Ayla stood in the grand cathedral, three stories of balconies rising above them. No worshipers present at the time, though there was space for several hundred, at least. In his estimation. This appeared to be relic of the past. Perhaps built to honor a long-lost deity. Dervish doubted that the Cult of the Wise One had that many members, though it was possible in a city as populous as Fes that they were numerous.
The current resident of this sanatorium, an odd looking eye tyrant, descended lower.
"Of course", Dervish replied in answer to the declaration TWO had just made. "Two people equals double the price".
The eye tyrant was now level with Dervish and Ayla. "I meant double the price for you", TWO clarified.
Dervish looked at Ayla. She seemed calm even though Dervish was quite uneasy.
"I will pay the tribute", Ayla declared, breaking the tension. She dug in her belt pouch and produced some items for TWO to examine.
One eyestalk extended and peered closely at whatever Ayla held in her outstretched palm. Some light filtered down from above and caused an item in Ayla's hand to sparkle.
"Pathetic", the beholder kin announced after a few moments passed. "I sense you possess objects imbued with greater magicks".
"We do", Ayla conceded. "But those are personal items we require for our journey".
The Beholder mulled Ayla's offer. "I find these tributes to be inadequate. A diamond broach which causes haste with but one charge remaining. Also a Ring of Resistance. The beholder blinked. Was it angry? Dervish could not tell.
Several uncomfortable moments passed. While they waited, Dervish continued to scan the room. Looking behind him, he saw a glint in a dark corner. Another large eye peering at them. And he heard breathing. Perhaps also the quite gnashing of teeth.
TWO took note. "I see you have detected my companion, Sanders".
"Are your kin not solitary?" Dervish inquired.
"Yes", TWO agreed. "Usually".
This had to be the being Hasan had cautioned him about, Don The Old. A larger beholder glided out of the shadows, levitating above the stone floor. The creature, which was strangely devoid of eyestalks, growled.
Then it spoke. "Jayiey", Don gutturally grumbled.
"I am a magnanimous deity", TWO proclaimed. "I will accept your baubles. You should depart now. It is almost time for my mentally impaired friend to feed. Xe believes you are here for that purpose".
Indeed, this appeared to be the case. Copious quantities of drool ran from Don's slightly open maw, pooling on the floor.
"Once in a great while a human sacrifice is made. For the benefit of Don. Xe hungers for human flesh. Or a goat, which is the meal xe will be receiving today".
"Adimi lahm?" Don whined, looking quite disappointed it would not be fed human meat. Not at this time, at least. Unless the encounter went south.
"There is no need for you to worry, Sanders. Don obeys me". Don levitated back into the shadows, as if to prove this point.
"Luein zalim", (damn unfair) Don murmured.
A small mouth that had not been previously noticeable opened below TWO's central eye.
"Proffer your tribute", xe instructed Ayla. The magic user tossed the broach and ring into the open orifice, which closed promptly. "Your ring of resistance is bitter", TWO complained, spitting it out. "Do you have any gold?".
They agreed upon 200 gold and Dervish placed it in the offertory box, along with the ring which TWO said xe would consume later. "If you wish passage in the future I expect finer tributes. Or I might decide to inform my worshipers of your secret door".
TWO reascended to the ceiling, allowing Dervish and Ayla to pass. Later Ayla assured Dervish that TWO had been bluffing. "As long as TWO gets the magical items xe desires, xe will continue to allow passage".
They walked the length of the cathedral. At the rear was an alcove. A full length mirror was firmly attached to the niche's rear wall. Dervish touched a fingertip to the surface of the mirror. It appeared quite ordinary.
Ayla spoke a command word and, after grasping Dervish by the hand, the two stepped through the now active portal. Instantly the couple found themselves transported to the Hall of Mirrors. Though it was a location within it Dervish was unfamiliar with.
"This is the East Hall. You first encountered me in the West Hall. The travel mirror we want is at the far end of the Hall of Mirrors complex. In the North West Hall".
"How far?" Dervish inquired. It seemed that it might be quite far.
Alya informed him it was approximately 40 miles. He had no idea the Hall of Mirrors was so massive. The way was lit by a glow emanating from the tiles. Dervish caught his distorted reflection on the mirrored surface of the columns as they traveled. The place had an incredibly eerie vibe to it. "Once we make the halfway point, we can make camp in the Garden of Respite. It's a safe place to rest and recover before the final leg of the journey".
An hour later they came to a junction, where, unbelievably, the corridor widened. Dervish looked up, but the ceiling was too far above to see. He assumed there was a ceiling. Every footstep produced an echo that reverberated and was amplified. They surely were not traveling with any degree of stealth. The pair continued along the same trajectory, going straight instead of right or left.
"Right is the ascending staircase and Left is the descending staircase. Though I've never traveled either" Ayla informed him as they paused briefly, drinking some water from their canteens before they pressed on.
Rows and rows of mirrors filled the corridor, their glassy surfaces reflecting an infinity of corridors. As Dervish walked past a grand, ornate mirror, a flicker of movement caught his eye. He paused, heart racing, and glanced back at his reflection. For a brief, unsettling moment, he could have sworn his own image had winked at him -- a mischievous, knowing glint in its eye sent a shiver down his spine. He shook his head, trying to dismiss it as a trick of the light or a fragment of his overactive imagination.
"The mirrors play tricks", Ayla explained, her voice echoing softly.
Some time later, Dervish was certain he heard laughter. "Do the mirrors also play auditory tricks?" he asked.
"Possibly", Ayla answered, her voice tinged with uncertainty. She confirmed that she also heard the laughter. "Sometimes creatures enter the hall from outside. Either from the labyrinth, from above or below via the staircases, or even through the mirrors. Some mirrors are portals to other planes of existence".
"Really?" Dervish asked. "Which ones?"
Ayla shook her head. "I don't know. The portals are likely temporary or one-way only. That's how I arrived here", she reminded Dervish. Though he didn't need reminding -- he remembered the moment vividly, the way she had seemed to step out of a dream, her celestial grace and beauty captivating him instantly.
They walked and walked, but their surroundings seemed to stay the same. They passed tens of thousands of mirrors. Their footsteps continued to echo though the massive chamber, yet Dervish kept his guard up, despite the growing monotony. Some mirrors were freestanding and could be moved, while others were firmly affixed to the floor. He checked. Some were large full length mirrors, while others were massive. They rose from the floor and towered stories above them. "Hassan could be a mirror merchant instead of a carpet merchant" Dervish joked.
Still they journeyed on, passing though another junction. Ayla informed him that this was the last leg of the journey before they exited the East Hall Complex.
"Then what?" Dervish asked. He anticipated that next would be the Garden of Respite, but he was wrong. After ascending the East staircase, they would need to trek through the Hadbat Hadi'a forest.
swtd-437. dsa-17. Previous. Next.
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