Of Dooms and Hopes

Inside the Mirror Halls

Seven black-robed and hooded riders passed through a valley their horses galloping really fast on a rural road in the night. A half-moon and the stars lighted the way of the riders who would seem quite spooky to anyone unknowing seeing them. One could even think they were the Nazgul, especially if there were two more. The horses were going in a row, the one behind the other, forming a long line. In the night light the riders saw a village they were approaching and they forced their horses to run with even more determination towards it.

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A quite crummy, as it seemed, minifigure entered the inn, which happened to be open to quite late hours. The minifigure had a dirty and unshaven face, unwashed and non-brushed hair, ragged clothes, weary and anxious eyes. He looked like a beggar. However, when he reached the bar he placed two coins there and asked for something to eat and something to drink. He sat on a table and soon he was brought a plate with some cold meat and hard bread and a cup of some drink.

The minifigure ate his late meal quickly and thanking the man, who had served him, made for the door. The man’s brows frowned as he had hoped the minifigure would rent a room, too. Yet, when the minifigure got out, he got a feeling of uneasiness, like as if he was being watched. The past few years had been quite adventurous for him, so that he had learnt to take care and had developed some instincts.

In the beginning, he had started as a simple fellow and had lived a simple life. He had a job that was not anything extreme, but he was devoted to it. Then, the Grammar War began and many were affected by it. The Knights of the Olde Speech had seemed to be the hope, as the minifigure’s job started becoming more dangerous. And then he got really into the war and even personally served the now fallen King, Matthias. His name was forbidden to be spoken, but he often came to think of him. He had developed quite a sense of devotion to him, fallen or not fallen. After thedude was victorious and the KotOS were crashed in battle, many supporters of the old Morcia or known servants of Matthias were hunted down by thedude and his army. The KotOS were the centre of this hunt, but people like him were not ignored. Then, had began his more perilous adventures, the ones who had really turned him to the man he was now, quite different to whom he was before, but still nostalgic of the past. He was no warrior, but now he had been forced to learn how to fight and he had miraculously survived.

The minifigure stayed still and silent for a bit, waiting to see if anything happened. If anything was happening, it seemed bizarre, because thedude’s servants usually did not resort to stealth; they did not need it. They were conquerors!

The man decided that it was probably his imagination and started walking towards the outside of the village. Yet, the uneasy feeling did not leave him. And indeed when he was finally out of the village he heard some rustling and he found himself surrounded by seven black-worn figures.

“Well, well, well! If it isn’t Nuncius the Messenger!” said a voice and the minifigure turned to the “shadow-man” who had talked.

It was indeed Nuncius, the messenger who had originally brought the news of the Aquilone attack during the Grammar War; the messenger who had showed the way to an army; the messenger that had developed the ability to run like a horse; the messenger who had become a legend among the Aquilones; the messenger who had saved his King from imprisonment. Nuncius had not originally intended for all that to happen. But it had happened and it had led him to being an exile to the society.

“We almost didn’t recognise you, my dear Horse-Man! You have changed a lot!” said the one in the right of the previous speaker.

Nuncius tried to find a way out of that sticky situation, but the shadow-men closed in on him, reducing his chances of an escape even more. He could proceed to consider himself screwed.

And then something completely unexpected happened. The two shadow-men who had talked lowered their hoods and revealed their faces. They were Sir Loin of Beef and Sir John Nicholas Cataclysm! At the sides of them, the other two revealed to be Lady Ruby and Sir Squid. Nuncius did not recognise the other three. Nuncius gaped. What had just happened?!

“Perhaps, we should have revealed ourselves earlier! It was kind of mean! Look at his face!” Ruby commented.

“Let’s go hide in a better place, I say!” said one of the three Nuncius did not know “We can talk later!”

Once Nuncius got over the shock, they did walk to a forest nearby and sat around a little fire. The fellowship of the seven recounted their tales of what happened to them after the defeat at the Elephanters’ lands (or should I say waters?). No one really knew what had happened to the others unless they happened to meet in their travelling. Among others, he heard of the story of the crashed spaceship and of Major’s being captured. He also learnt the other three companions were Nexus-Forcers from the spaceship. One of them had actually grown to want to join the KotOS.

“We were thinking that if we meet a Founder it could become official!” Sir Loin of Beef had said.

“Beef! There are no KotOS anymore, remember?” JohnNC had replied pessimistically “We stopped being the KotOS when thedude forced us to the four corners of this planet!”

“The KotOS will only stop being when the Knights lose their faith and hope!” Ruby had talked more optimistically, but not more happily.

“So, what story do you have to tell us?” Normm, the aforementioned unofficial Knight “What message dost thou bring?”

Nuncius smiled at the mention of messages and at the sound of the Olde Speech. No one whatsoever spoke it anymore. It was too dangerous; if someone heard you…

“Well, I have a story that you will all certainly be interested in! It is the story of the Peculiar Enchanter and what happened to him during the Downfall of Morcia!”

King Matthias had sent me as an additional spy in the castle. It was for double effect, but also because Strange Odd Shadow was not due to return soon, as far as we knew. So, I managed to enter the castle as the humble messenger I was, ignored by most. There I watched Wiz Ardon cause havoc in the palace halls. Everyone was fighting everyone and no one could bring order to that chaos. Meanwhile, I followed the enchanter, so that we could meet and I could notify him of my presence. Soon, he retreated to the Mirror Halls. That is a huge room of the castle that containing a thousand mirrors is something more than a maze. It was renowned to the whole of Morcia, for it also had great beauty and some history.

                However, as I entered the Halls I discovered I had been outrun by someone else… Lord Vladek. The magician noticed his presence, through magic or because of his reflections I don’t know. I tried to stay hidden.

                “I see I have company!” he announced his having discovered of Vladek.

                “You are that wizard that’s helping the KotOS!” Vladek spoke fiercely with a murderous look.

                “You are very clever to notice that!” the other said sarcastically “And I am an Enchanter, no wizard!”

                “Whatever! You will pay for what you have done!” Vladek was angered.

                “Really, what do you think of it? Wasn’t it artful?” the enchanter kept not taking it serious.

                “You will go down!” Vladek drew his sword “And no magic tricks this time! You will show what you are really worth!”

                “Very well then!” Wiz drew his own long sword “So, we begin!”

                And the man started running in the Halls. A pair of a thousand reflections moved towards all the directions. Vladek was trying to find which one was the real enemy and broke many mirrors in the way.

                “Seven years of bad luck!!!” mocked Shadow from somewhere in the Halls “Double it! Oh dear brick! Are you going to be unlucky for the rest of your life?”

                His bellows echoed through the halls and actually confused Vladek even more. He got madder and madder and started counting nothing in his way. He even injured himself slightly with mirror shards.

                I did not to do much to keep up with the fight as the mirrors brought the two minifigures’ images to me. Nevertheless, I had to move a little sometimes.

                Then, all of a sudden the real enchanter appeared behind the warrior-leader and landed a hit on him. Once Vladek recovered the other was already gone. He charged again one time and with the second hit damaged severely Vladek’s breastplate.

                “We agreed on no magic tricks!” Vladek yelled maddened upon his second disappearance.

                “It is no magic trick to use your brain! Some people really can do it, even though your trio of villains is not exactly an example of that!” he laughed at him.

                However, when he lunged the third time, Vladek expected it having seen the magician’s reflection and grabbed him by the neck.

                “Who’s laughing now?” Vladek started putting pressure around Wiz’s neck.

                Yet, the man brought his legs up and kicked Vladek on the chest. The former fell down while the latter flung a little further. Vladek charged against the fallen magic-user, but Shadow dodged the attack with an acrobatic swirl, which brought him on a mirror with his feet on it. Bending his knees and then unrolling them again, all in a matter of an instant, he charged against Vladek with force. He managed a hit on the leg, but was hit as well on the shoulder.

                They were now looking at each other eye on eye. They waited for a moment and then they simultaneously attacked. A series of blocks and slashes shared between the two fighters like a dance followed. They both seemed equally skillful, Wiz fighting with more style, Vladek emphasising on the use of raw force. Shadow was faster, more acrobatic, maneuvering this way or that, dodging the attacks with jumps and stuff. Vladek was more of a fixed point, but he, too, moved in order to go after the moving mage.

                For some time they fought and they barely touched each other. But they both got tired slowly. And then came a moment when Wiz found an opportunity to attack on the stomach and he achieved a hit, more serious than the others.

                “Ha!” he exclaimed, just before he realised he had received a similar stroke on his belly.

                The light on his eyes burnt out as they look down at his wound. They both fell down almost simultaneously. Neither wound was too serious, but they could become mortal if the minifigures were left unattended. At the particular conditions, I think that Vladek had more chances of receiving treatment than the Peculiar Enchanter.

                Until then, I had not engaged in the battle, because I was too afraid, I’ll admit. I always think of that day with shame. Perhaps, that’s why I remember it all so clearly, as if it was yesterday.

                However, then I thought I needed to go help the magician. I started approaching, silently, because I did not want Vladek to notice me, injured though he might have been. But then Shadow started talking.

                “Well, Vladek! The tables seem to have been turned! Today’s duel has given no victor!  Both fallen by wounds we gave to each other. Just like Polynices and Eteocles. Only we’re no brothers! Well, I did not imagine I’d end like this!”

                I stayed still hearing these words. Did the always cheerful, insane and perhaps slightly vain enchanter consider himself done for? Vladek grunted.

                “Stop filling my ears with noise! I am going to get out of here alive and you’re not, but you don’t have to break my nerves till you go!” he said angrily “And I can still make you hurt!” Vladek started trying to come nearer to Shadow.

                “Hige sceal þe heardra, heorte þe cenre,

                mod sceal þe mare, þe ure maegen lytlað”* Wiz spoke his last words with a weaker voice.

                And then suddenly he was gone, nowhere to be seen. Vladek and I were both startled. We looked around to see if he had just gone anywhere else, but he was really gone together with all his reflections. That was really the end of the Peculiar Enchanter!

 

*Meaning in Old English: “Thought shall be harder, heart the keener,

Mood the more, as our might lessens”

 

                Nuncius paused for a moment. There was a grim silence among the seven companions. The loss of the Enchanter was indeed devastating news.

It was catastrophic, I knew! However, I needed to act quickly. Vladek seemed to notice something and that might have been me or a reflection of me. I turned around and started running. I needed to escape. There was nothing I could do for Strange Odd Shadow anymore.

                I found my way out of the Mirror Halls. In the meantime, the pandemonium had stopped and as I got out some guards saw me. Perhaps Vladek could have sent them, because I wasn’t all that fast in getting out of the room of mirrors.

                Anyway, they were after me on the instant. I managed to escape out of the castle, but then my long hunt began. I have lived many adventures ever since and I may tell you some of them, but it’s getting late and we need to sleep soon!

A sad silence followed. No one wanted to believe it –well mostly the ones who had met him, but the others, too, had heard about the Peculiar Enchanter and were sorrowed as well.

“Indeed we should sleep soon!” Squid concluded, meaning more than just that with his words.

They woke up early the next day.

“Will you come with us?” Normm asked Nuncius as they were getting ready “We are heading for Britay!”

“Unfortunately, no! I want to stay here in Morcia, so I can be close to the King if he ever needs help, if at some point we are ready to strike back and save him and his kingdom from thedude!” Nuncius replied.

“We don’t even know if he’s alive!” John argued.

“In which case, I’ll be ready to fight in his memory and avenge him!”

“So be it, Nuncius! If you wish to stay here, so you shall! You did survive to this day, so I don’t doubt you will in the future, too!” Ruby told him.

“Wait! I’ll stay with you!” Beef said suddenly “Two brains and four arms are better than one and two! No one should be alone in these times! And besides I want to be near for any revolution, too! I am sorry to leave you guys, but I feel I have to!”

“Well then! I guess this is goodbye!” Sir Squid said and they hugged.

One by one, the six minifigures said their goodbyes. They did not try to change his mind, because they could see his reasons to stay behind.

And so that day the company of eight split; six and two headed for different directions not to be reunited for a long time. . .