Chapter 1
It was a shock to every one of the council members. Their faith in the invasion of the Photonic Sphere was quickly washed away. It was seen as an utter failure on the council's part. The king that day ordered the destruction of all undead legions and troops. They would have to wait if they were to invade the Photonic Sphere. Many of the council members were still in a state of disbelief, to think that the Gurgamet would be defeated by a single woman from the Photonic Sphere along with its accompanying troops. It worried many but more importantly it frightened the king. To think that many more warriors such as that one could be waiting on the other side. He would have to rethink his battle plans.
Originally the plan was to capture a mythic from the Photonic Sphere and use their powers to aide in the invasion but that was not the case. They would have to start all over again and rebuild their army. The one who had caused this great tragedy was discovered after the initial fighting. She was described as a mad woman out for blood. Most are unsure of what happened after their encounter. Many of the records were burned and discarded by order of the king to erase any more humiliation.
Rumor has it that the mad woman from the Photonic Sphere is still alive and is being kept hidden in an underground chamber deep beneath the council's headquarters, where they intend to preserve her and collect new knowledge and information about her people and the world she left behind.
Most of the council members were quick to believe that such a person could exist and almost immediately dismiss the rumors of her existence. They simply blamed the incompetence of the military leadership and also criticized the king. As members of the council continued to argue and point fingers, deep underground another meeting was taking place.
Deep underground where the light of the sky could not reach, was a long passageway with a single room at the very end. It was most disconcerting to many of the inhabitants for late at night they would hear a gentle tune only being carried by the still wind itself. It scared many and yet comforted some. The area was covered from floor to ceiling in black ice and snow.
Sergeant Joffrey of the now decommissioned undead army and ex advisor of the council was walking down this corridor to meet the person on the other side. Before the incident he was an elite captain with high standings in the eyes of the council. He was promised great things if the invasion of the Photonic Sphere was a success. But after the encounter he was demoted and humiliated. His rank was taken from him and he was made a mockery by the council. There were even rumors that Joffrey had fought with the Photonic warrior and lost, others say that it was a draw. The scar on his right cheek would haunt him for the rest of his days. It would be a simple reminder of when his life was turned upside down by a string of unforeseen events. And now he was heading down to meet this person but with different intentions than that of the council. He heard of a rumor of a magical device, created long ago to balance the Umbral Sphere and the Photonic Sphere. He was after the Black Mirror. He heard that it held a power that could reverse the flow of time. All Joffrey wanted was to go back to that fight and win.
The door was guarded by two Draconian guards. They sneered at Joffrey as he approached. Joffrey hated the Draconians, more than the Dwarves or the Gnomes. He thought they all were lower than him and this was just rubbing salt on the wound.
"Oye, you know the rules, Sergeant. No weapons allowed." One of the Draconian guards said. Joffrey glared at him and removed his sword and dropped it on the ground. He didn't need it anyway.
The chamber was covered with black ice with a bed of black snow on the ground. In the center stood a large wooden cross and on the cross was the woman that ruined his life. She wasn't moving much but as he moved closer he heard her give a small laugh.
"How's the scar Joffrey?" The woman asked. Joffrey glared at her but he returned the remark with a smile.
"It's healed up by now; after all, it's been a few thousand years." Joffrey said with a smirk. Suddenly the woman's eyes widen with shock. She had been in the ice chamber for so long she lost track of time and yet if a thousand years has truly passed why it hasn't affected her she didn't know. All these questions kept spinning and yet at the same time she was too cold to care.
"Tell me, you know of my name, but what about yours? What do they call you young warrior?" Joffrey asked.
"…Ellipsis..." Ellipsis said with a shiver. The cold was getting to her. She could almost feel the air around her slow down.
"Ah yes, I see you are noticing our ice chamber; particularly reserved for the worse kind of criminals. Once inside time slows down drastically. One day in here is like two hundred years on the outside. You've been in here for some time now." Joffrey said with a smile.
"…Why am I not dead yet?" Ellipsis asked as she could feel the cold once again stretch across her.
"Honestly I have no idea. If it were up to me I would have had you executed long ago." Joffrey said with a sour look on his face. He could only dream of one day cutting this woman's throat and watching her die.
"Still bitter about that fight I see." Ellipsis said with a smile, masking the numbness that was sweeping through her body and feeling it fade away.
"It wasn't a fair fight and you know it." Joffrey said in his defense.
"All is fair in love and war." Ellipsis commented as she lowered her head in pain.
"Cute quote, but past antics aside I have been tasked at interrogating you. What do you know of the Black Mirror?" Joffrey asked. Ellipsis gave a slight stir at those words. Joffrey gave a wicked smile. She knew something. Ellipsis's eyes widen with fright. Her heart started to race despite the cold.
"Nothing…" Ellipsis said as she turned away. The smile she once had before had suddenly been stolen from her by a mere stretch of words.
"You're a terrible deceiver." Joffrey said with a grin on his face. She knew something and all he had to do was to get it out of her, no matter what.
"You're a terrible fighter." Ellipsis said with a smile. She reeled her head back a bit only to spit directly at Joffrey. Joffrey stood there as the spit landed right on his face. His smile faded. He was reminded once again of the antics of this woman. He could not stand it anymore. Joffrey gave a loud grunting noise and turned around and started to leave as he wipes the spit from his face. The chamber doors closed and the black snow wrapped around Ellipsis surrounding her in a cocoon of ice. Joffrey got more than he expected out of her. He had suspected she used the Black Mirror, how else would she have known about the Gurgamet as well as the other troops? He was determined now more than any to get his hands on the Black Mirror and claim what is rightfully his. But in order to do that he would need help; he would need to seek out the psychic that told him of the Black Mirror.
Beyond the Red forest deep within the sulking trees; a small hut rested there near the black swamp. It was in the dead of night and the marmalits were calling out into the darkness. Joffrey left his horse behind. The Marmalits would feast upon animals that are tied down. As Joffrey marched through the swamp the twisted trees looked as if they were staring back at him in wonder. As he approached the hut a voice only carried by the wind surrounded him.
"Why must one travel so far from beyond the road?" The voice called out. Joffrey did not falter.
"Do not play games with me old woman. I seek your advice once again." Joffrey said. Soon the black waters near him began to bubble. As the water started to boil a figure emerge. She was tall and slim; with long white hair that reached the floor. As she moved towards Joffrey the plants around her lifted up as if they were given life and quickly died when she left.
"Well now Joffrey. No need to be rude. Can't a girl play?" She said with a smile. Joffrey was running out of patience.
"Tell me more about the Black Mirror and the warrior from the Photonic Sphere." Joffrey demanded in a rash tone. He was even more impatient and wanted to get to the bottom of this.
"Ah yes, the highlander. Quiet a fierce warrior you fought." The woman said as she plucked a blue rose from the ground.
"Enough Zayola! I already know of the fight I had with her. I just need to know more about her." Joffrey shouted. Zayola looked back at him with a sour look.
"She often dreams of her homeland, a land full of green and light. There is great pain in her heart. I can see it. She has resentment towards you. It seems in another place you killed her and in return she killed you." Zayola said as she peered into the flower.
"But now it's different. Surrounded by dark magic she decided to fight with you again and save her friend." Zayola said as she plucked one of the rose's pedals. Joffrey listened in intensely.
"What dark magic did she use?" Joffrey asked, he already knew the answer.
"It was the Black Mirror." Zayola said as she plucked another rose pedal and ate it.
"Where is it?" Joffrey inquired. He was more eager to know the whereabouts of the Black Mirror rather than the highlander in the ice chamber.
"You'll find it soon enough my dear. You have more pressing matters at hand." Zayola said as she turned her head back towards Joffrey. Joffrey stood in silence.
"There is a war brewing. The king is on his last leg. He will soon pass. And a new leader shall take his place. And with this new leader, war is sure to swiftly follow. Join the fight and you will find the Black Mirror. But beware, for the highlander will follow you…" With those last words Zayola plucked the final pedal from the flower and she turned into a puddle of water and seeped into the ground. Joffrey stood in silence. A sense of relief had come over him. He was going to find the Black Mirror but he couldn't let the highlander get to it first, she had to die.
Joffrey raced deep into the night. He couldn't let his hands get dirty with this upcoming task. He needed to hire someone else to do the job for him. And he knew one person who would kill anyone for a hand full of gold. As he skulked around the nearby village, decorated in tattered garments, he headed for The Stingy Dragon; a well-known tavern. The patrons were mostly elves with the occasional Dwarf but they stayed so close together they were most likely off in their own corner of the tavern. The atmosphere was quiet and still. The bartender veered his attention towards Joffrey as he entered. Joffrey approached the bartender and in a quiet tone asked for "The Rogue". The bartender got nervous. He took a step back and rubbed his upper lip with his fingers. He didn't say a word; he just redirected Joffrey with a glance to an empty booth on the far right corner.
Joffrey sat nervously at the empty booth. Suddenly right before him a single card appeared. And then another and another.
"Name of the game is poker my friend." said a voice. Another set of cards was placed on the opposite end of the table where Joffrey sat. Then right in front of him appeared a man in a dark cloak. He lit a cigarette and glared at Joffrey. His beard was scraggly and his eyes looked as if they told the tale of a long journey.
"I am not interested in game sir rogue." Joffrey said as he reached for his bag but his hand was suddenly pinned to the chair with a knife.
"No tricks now." The man said with a smile. Joffrey looked at him with concern. His hand was still stuck to the chair when the man reached over and took his bag. He began to dig threw but stopped when he found the gold. The man looked back at him with a smile. He took another puff of his cigarette and put it out on the table.
"So who's the target?" The man said as he lit another cigarette.
"The woman who destroyed my life; I want you to murder the woman in the ice chamber in the basement level of the high council's building." Joffrey said with cold eyes. The man looked at Joffrey with surprise in his eyes. He took another puff of his cigarette and stared at the bag.
"Money first then murder, deal?" The man said with a grin. Joffrey didn't say anything but gave a slight nod in agreement. The deal was set and the girl was going to die that's all that he wanted.
"Make sure to leave town for a few nights okay buddy. Give yourself a nice alibi." The man said as he took the gold from Joffrey's bag. Joffrey was unclear at what had just transpired but he understood that if the highlander was to suddenly wind up dead he would be the first suspect on the list. Joffrey got up to leave. The man in the hood disappeared. Joffrey looked around and realized that he was alone. The table was clean except for the cards on the table that the man passed out. Joffrey picked up the cards out of curiosity. They were all jokers.
The council's headquarters was stationed on a high mountaintop, surrounded by ice and snow. It stretched to the highest point in the sky and had numerous caverns dug into the mountain. It was a typical night, a stormy night. Streaks of green and yellow lighting arched across the sky. The clouds had a green tint to them as they hovered in the sky ominously. The trees surrounding the area were dead and rotten. The ground was poison and the air was foul. The headquarters had a series of guards that patrolled every hour on the hour. They were heavily armed and authorized to use lethal force when deemed necessary. As the central head of government in the land, other than the king's castle, it was a well defended and secure place. Ellipsis's private quarters was stationed at the very bottom inside the mountain so there was no possible way of her escaping.
In the dead of night, there came a sound, a horrible sound, a sound that echoed through the chamber halls. The bells at the top of the tower began to ring erratically with no regularity. Panic ensued within the council's headquarters. The clouds above turned from green to red and from the heart of the clouds a bright white light shinned down on the surface. It burned everything that it touched. The headquarters itself got caught in the beam of light and slowly started to deteriorate. No one knew what was going on. For every soldier that was caught in the beam they were turned to ash. The mountaintop began to shake and rumble.
Ellipsis awoke from her slumber. She heard the roar that echoed through the halls. For a brief moment she thought she was dreaming. Then suddenly fear struck her heart. She was still tied to the cross and still very cold. She twisted the bines around her wrists in hopes of breaking loose. But the more she twisted the tighter the ropes got. The door slowly crept open. Ellipsis's eyes stayed glued to the door, not knowing what she will see.
"Oh my…" A voice called out. Ellipsis peered around but saw nothing.
"What have you done to get yourself in this sticky mess I wonder?" The voice said. The voice was defiantly coming from within the room but Ellipsis could not see who was making it. She tighten her wrist in anticipation.
"Now, now, no need to get tense here." The voice called out. Suddenly the cross Ellipsis was tied on began to swivel. Soon it toppled over onto the ground. Ellipsis quickly jerked her head around, still not seeing anything. Then came a loud roar from up above.
"That's never a good sign." The voice called out. Soon Ellipsis's bindings were cut and there before her stood a man wrapped in a dark cloth. He sported several knives and daggers from his vest. Around his belt he was equipped with a pistol and rope. He walked over to Ellipsis and held out his hand.
"Come on pup, time to check out." The man said. Ellipsis wasn't sure right now whether she was dreaming or not, for the man seemed familiar to her. Ellipsis slowly rolled herself up but quickly fell. The man reactively caught her before she fell to the floor.
"Goodness you're cold." He said as he wrapped her in his cloth. Ellipsis finally got a good look at the man. He was scraggly looking. Untrimmed beard and unkempt hair decorated his head. He was taller than her but not by much. He looked like a typical mercenary with all his weapons and tools hanging about. Ellipsis tried to speak but couldn't, she was still far too cold to say anything. Her mind was still swirling. The man started to slowly sway her out of the ice chamber. Ellipsis felt the suddenly change in temperature as soon as she stepped out of the chamber. The ground felt like it was on fire for a moment. She started to shiver more intensively.
"You've had quite an ordeal." The man said as they continued to move slowly down the long passage. Ellipsis could only nod. Ellipsis could feel her heart pump with every step. Slowly the room around her stopped spinning, she was still shivering intensely but now she could see clearer. As she continued to move she glanced around and noticed the dead bodies of all the guards. Ellipsis tried once more to form a sentence but only got a few mumbles.
"Yes…I killed them. If that's what you're wondering." The man said as they continued to walk through the hallway and up the stairs.
Halfway going up the stairs Ellipsis tugged on the man's shirt for a rest. The stone steps felt warm. The man reached into his belt and pulled out a small flask. Ellipsis's eyes widen with desire. She slowly stretched her arm out to grasp the flask out of the man's hand and slowly brought it to her. The man stood in and watched as Ellipsis took a few swigs of the flask. She sighed with relief as she felt the warm surge burn inside of her. The man took the flask back and took a drink himself. He then offered her a cigarette and she took it without hesitation and ignited it. The warm glow of the lit cigarette was enough for Ellipsis to cease her intense shivering. They both sat there in a moment of silence. After a few puffs Ellipsis turned to the man.
"…Nomen..?" was all that she could form. It wasn't English but a language she hadn't spoken for a very long time but it was the only thing that could come out of her mouth. Her hand trembled with the lit cigarette. The man looked at her with an inquisitive gaze in his eyes. He seemed to understand.
"Ridley and your 'nomen' ice lady?" Ridley said with a grin. Ellipsis sat in silence. She looked at the man. Her eyes jumped up and down, scanning every inch of the man. The resemblance was uncanny. But this one was a human and not a Draconian. She was absolutely stunned and thunderstruck by what had transpired she dropped the lit cigarette to the floor. Ellipsis's mind was spinning around. This was something unheard of. How can this man be Ridley? Is it the same Ridley, the same one in the bus? Why isn't he back on the bus? Could this be what the wizard intended by taking responsibility for possible change? What else has changed? The world began to spin again for Ellipsis but this time it was too much. Her head stared to ache and her vision went blurry. She slumped over on the steps. Ridley reached out to catch her before she tumbled down the stairs. Ellipsis was knocked out cold. Ridley gave a small sigh and hoisted her upon his shoulders and started walking up the stairs. It was time to leave.
Ridley carried Ellipsis through the strangely empty corridors. He thought there were more guards around when he entered but now it looked as if they all had fled. This raised a few concerns. All he actually had done was rang a few bells and slipped away. The loud roar was something new and the whole mountain shaking was defiantly alarming. He decided to pick up the pace and move quickly. He had to get the strange woman out of here and far away as possible. Whatever reason why that man wanted her dead was no concern to him in the slightest. This was all just a random spur of the moment rescue. Regardless if he knew the girl or not, the guy who asked Ridley to kill the girl looked like a colossal prick and sometimes that's just enough to switch everything around. He had his gold anyway. Serves the prick right, never pay a rogue in advance. Ridley was not sure what was going on with the empty corridors and dead guards but the more panic and chaos means a higher chance of escaping. Ridley hadn't thought much of what to do afterwards nor has he given much thought of his betrayal but he figured he would improvise.
