Disclaimer is on chapter one

Note: Some speech in this will be backwards- just a heads sdaeh a tsuj -sdrawkcab eb lliw siht ni hceeps emoS :etoN

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Reflection

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"Scouts report a mountain close to Mount Arondight has collapsed into a sea of lava, Mother. And that a portentous castle has risen up in its midst" Anlace explained as he returned to the throne room after venturing out to see what had happened in the wake of the earthquake they had felt during their descent of the tower.

Returning to Avalonia soon after the quake had struck, Her Majesty and her rescue party arrived to see the people of her Kingdom running around in panic while groups of soldiers were either attempting to calm the masses or preparing for what was sure to be a resumption of the great war against the Deathbringer as there was no doubt in anyone's heart of hearts that that castle belonged to Xiphos himself.

"So, Xiphos has been waiting to pounce all this time" Claymore cursed the knuckles of his remaining hand pure white from the anger he put into his balled fist. "And now he's surrounded himself with a moat of lava, so we can't even go and show the wretch what we think of him"

"You imply that Xiphos is now invulnerable?!" Anlace admonished the hero. "Never, sir! We shall prevail! If you will not confront him, by Goddess, I will!"

"How?"

There are some who say that words hold more strength in them than a blow from any weapon regardless of size or form. This one word from Sabre, spoken clearly yet quietly simultaneously, had Anlace by the throat as the prince failed to pick up the proverbial gauntlet. Despite his morale bolstering speech, he knew of no way across the burning red sea as much as anyone else in the room.

"I know you speak in earnest, Anlace, but you must calm yourself. As Claymore rightly says, any attempt to challenge Xiphos at this point would be futile" Queen Curtana chastised him. "Without the Rorrim Mask, we cannot hope to contain the Deathbringer's evil"

"Then what are we to do, Mama? Watch time dull our impotent blades while our enemy prepares to attack?" Anlace inquired finding his voice again.

"Is there nothing that can be done?" Fleurette spoke up having remained sitting quietly on the steps leading to the Queen's throne ever since their return staring at the mask Sabre had cleanly cut in twain down its centre.

As if answering her plea, the two pieces of the mask shone a blinding white causing her to exclaim in shock as she jumped to her feet leaving the two pieces on the floor shining like a second sun for a brief moment before dulling and disappearing leaving the pieces as they were moments before.

"It seems the spirit of the mask is not so easily broken" A jolly voice rang out from the entrance to the throne room.

Despite the shock of seeing the Rorrim Mask suddenly react out of the blue, all heads turned as one to see the hunched form of the Kingdom's greatest swordsman slowly hobble towards them.

"The Rorrim Mask was fashioned by our ancestors long ago, when Xiphos first threatened the peace. It is a product of their knowledge of the Mirror World, and remains the only weapon in existence capable of subduing the Deathbringer" Dao explained once reaching the group. "It is said that to create the mask, the light of the sun was harvested in the Tower of Mirrors over a period of many centuries"

"Swordmaster Dao! How do you know this?" Anlace demanded of the old man. While he now knew that he was not ready yet to be inducted into the history of the tower and his family's lineage and connection with it, only those within his royal bloodline should know of this not outsiders even if they were valued allies.

"Walls have ears, my unenlightened friend, and doorways, eyes. I was nearby when the young Queen Curtana was inducted into the circle of knowledge" Dao chortled in explanation.

Anlace could only sniff disdainfully. What was it with the elderly being so nosey into things privy to others? Was privacy a concept taboo to royalty or something?

"I was so young when I learnt about the Tower of Mirrors that I had quite forgotten about its importance until…until all of this began" Curtana sighed regretfully. Had she not forgotten all her forbearers had taught her about the Tower, could all of this been prevented?

"With respect, this is all by the bye. We should be thinking about the Tower of Mirrors now, not what's done and gone" Claymore interrupted them a plan forming in his mind. "Someone there might know how to fix the mask"

It was a faint hope at best. According both to legends and Swordmaster Dao, the Rorrim Mask had been forged over a great length of time centuries, even millennia ago. Who was to say that, despite still standing and containing the entrance to the World of Mirrors, there lay naught but emptiness there now who could help them? Even then, how long would it take to repair if just making it took many a millennium?

"If there's even a chance that Claymore's right, we must make for the Mirror World at once!" Anlace declared undaunted by the facts and fate that could be lying in wait for them should they make it something which Fleurette was quick to point out.

"But it could be dangerous! You might never return!" She told him.

"If that is my fate, so be it!" Anlace replied curtly his mind and heart set.

Seeing the determination in his eyes, Fleurette turned her attention to the silent swordsman evidently curious how he would answer her inquiry only for the lad to intercept her yet to be spoken question with a slight nod of his head. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the healer could not help but smile slightly at his gesture as if knowing he was going to answer like that.

"It seems your minds are made up. The door to the Mirror World stands open already, awaiting you. You need only to return to the room where you found me to gain admission to the Mirror World" Curtana told them knowing that to deter them at this point in time would be nigh impossible.

Rising from her throne, the queen gracefully walked over to where the two halves of the mask lay and picked them up. With the item in hand she moved towards the group holding them out for Sabre to claim.

"Before you depart, I must entrust the broken mask to you" She told him knowing that the young man understood the importance of her words without further explanation.

Accepting the two halves, Sabre carefully stored them away in his pouch while Curtana turned to the swordsman's father her face suddenly morphing into one of sorrow and regret.

"Forgive me, Claymore, for forcing you into battle again" She apologised. It was bad enough the former swordsman now mage had lost his arm and best friend in what they had hoped to have been the last war only to now be, as she put it, forced into battle once again.

Not surprised by her words, Claymore merely shrugged them off. True, he was no longer a swordsman despite having a replacement arm, but he believed that there was no better place for him than a battlefield. It was in his bloodline and his son, who was becoming more of a man and swordsman in his own right as the day progressed, was ample proof of that.

"Time is of the essence! Come, let us depart at once!" Anlace declared impatiently already making for the door behind the throne that leads to the Tower of Mirrors and, Goddess willing, the path to victory against the return of Xiphos.

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A quick trip back up the passageway they had just came down, the very one Queen Curtana had used to reach the top unlike the harrowing route they used to transcend the tower the first time, the group of four found themselves back in front of the portal to the World of Mirrors still open from the chant Her Majesty had cast not that long ago.

Unsure of what was to be expected, the group, led by the still optimistic and perhaps slightly impatient and foolish Anlace, bravely stepped forth through the portal letting the pull of the magic swirling around transport them to their destination providing they could survive whatever may come at them.

It was unsure how long they were tossed and turned in the swirling storm of chaos and magic. They were not even sure when they arrived. As if out of nowhere, they went from floating through the middle of nothing to suddenly find themselves standing in the middle of some sort of stone corridor with naught in sight save a path dotted with pillars and a single statue of a giant man.

"The heart of the Mirror World!" Anlace whispered in awe and relief.

"I dunno about that, lad" Claymore remarked as he looked around the sparse features of said world. To him, it looked more like the desolate remains of a realm long gone.

"Bonjooour! Is anybody there?" Fleurette called out hoping to coax out a soul in the area with her innocent voice. "We are here to have repaired the Rorrim Mask!"

"You talk to the breeze, lady. There is nothing here but this curious statue" Anlace sighed when her words fell, it seemed, upon deaf ears.

It looked as if their journey to the Mirror World had been for naught. Had this world's populace gone extinct or wiped out by some unknown plague? Or was it just that the wizened old swordsman's imagination now finally controlling him unchecked?

"Emoclew, visitors from beyond the ssalg…"

Bodies tensed and weapons were drawn as four sets of eyes turned as one to the statue that now appeared to be staring them down which, considering its height, was an easy task to accomplish.

"I am Draug, Guardian of the Dlrow Rorrim…" The statue announced his voice sounding clear yet distorted at the same time.

"But surely it is not the statue who will repair for us the mask?" Fleutette asked finding it absurd and, if the situation not so serious, humorous.

Sadly, Draug appeared to have heard her and much to the shock of the group suddenly stepped forward his eyes literally aglow with white fury.

"I ees. Uoy are the snamuh suorehcaert who clove the ksam dercas in niawt!" He growled angrily as he stomped closer. Even if they could not understand him, it was rather clear what had made him become so agitated.

"Non, non, non! We are not responsible. Not all of us!" Fleurette blurted out perhaps the terror of literally being squashed underfoot making her tongue run loose. "It was him! Only him!"

As if returning to her senses after being put under some curse Fleurette's eyes blinked once, twice then widened in horror as she stared at Sabre whom she was still pointing at. Sabre himself was staring at Fleurette although he was looking more confused than betrayed by Fleurette's actions.

At least, he was until instincts yelled at him to bring up his shield just in time to take the brunt of a mighty stone kick that sent him hurtling down the corridor and between two pillars.

"Tnelosni boy! Ekam proof of your htgnerts or elbmurc before my might!" Druag snarled as he stomped after Sabre easily swatting aside one of the pillars Sabre had been flung passed with ease.

Recovering from the shock of seeing their friend getting swatted clean off his feet, both Anlace and Fleurette made to give chase after the stone behemoth and lend Sabre their support only to be stopped by Claymore blocking the way.

"What are you playing at, Claymore?! Stand aside!" Anlace demanded heatedly as sounds of a fierce battle echoed up ahead.

"This ain't our battle, lad. You heard the statue: this is between him an me boy" Claymore growled readying his staff in case he had to fight off the two should they not heed his words.

"By the Goddess, man, are you insane?!" Anlace snarled pointing his rapier at Claymore. "Stand aside or I shall be forced to go cut you down, hero or not!"

"You can try, lad" Claymore challenged undaunted by the weapon pointing at his throat instead grabbing Fleurette's arm as she made to slip by while the two men were staring each other down. "And jus' where d'you think you're going, lass?"

Fleurette did not bother replying as she tried her hardest to pull her arm free of the man's grip not caring if doing so cost her her very arm so long as she could reach Sabre and aid him in his fight even if he did not wish to speak to her again after the trouble she had caused. To her dismay, Claymore, with little effort, sent her stumbling backwards to the ground along with Anlace who had foolishly took his eyes off the man as he attempted to catch Fleurette from falling down only to receive a boot to the chest.

"That is your son over there fighting for our sake!" Anlace shouted as he pulled himself to his feet.

"Aye, that he is, lad. And we've all seen him in action before now" Claymore pointed out proudly knowing the two kids before him had witnessed the feats his child could perform with a sword during their respective ventures with him over the course of the day. "The least you two can do is have a little faith in him. There's no chance an offspring of mine will fall to some walking lump of stone without a fight"

As if in response to his words, a mighty crash was heard followed by the pillars exploding as Draug was knocked clean through and back the way he came narrowly missing the trio as he skidded across the ground.

Jumping through the large gap between pillars, Sabre was practically a blur as he dashed passed the trio and vaulted off a large piece of rubble towards Draug who brought up his arms in a horizontal guard. Undaunted, Sabre unleashed a flurry of sword strikes that, to the amazement of his foe and spectators, lined a single arc that perfectly cut through the small gap between the giant's stone arms and destroying his defence.

Seeing his chance, Sabre thrust his blade skywards, the keen edged steel magically extending to the heavens, before bringing it down in upon Draug's head sending the stone giant crashing into several more pillars where he lay half buried and defeated.

With the duel looking to have reached its climax, Fleurette made to dash over to where Sabre landed only to feel herself get pulled away from him again by Claymore. The reason became quickly apparent when a piece of metal suddenly stabbed itself point first mere inches from where she had been previously standing.

After all the constant use on this day alone against fiends and foes and regardless of the numerous times getting repaired at the blacksmith's inbetween, Sabre's trusty sword had finally gave out and now lay in pieces across the ground leaving the young swordsman with just the handle and few inches of sharp, broken steel in hand.

Ignoring the bruising and the gash above one eye he had gained in his battle against Draug, Sabre stared sadly at the remains of the weapon he had received from his father prior to his tenth birthday, right before the supposed final battle against the Deathbringer, before finally returning to its sheath for what likely seemed for the last time.

With the click of the hilt against the sheath, so too did the adrenaline of the battle leave him to be replaced with a powerful wave of fatigue that nearly toppled him had pair slender arms not suddenly caught him and helped him slowly to the ground before seeing to his wounds.

"I'm sorry, Blade" Fleurette whispered as she healed the worst of his injuries trying her hardest not to cry at the sight of what her actions had caused. "I did not mean to put you in harm's way. I just panicked and, before I could realise what I was doing-"

A single finger against her lips was all it took to stop her from ranting, long enough for her to finally notice not a trace of anger or ill will within Sabre's eyes. It was enough to send Fleurette crying into his shoulder had the sudden reappearance of Draug from the rubble not grabbed their attention as he stood up.

"I am deifsitas, visitors from beyond the ssalg! You have made foorp of your htgnerts. I shall tsissa you" He commended bringing hope to the fours' hearts. "The Rorrim Ksam is imbued with the rewop of the Tower of Mirrors. It was detaerc for the sole esoprup of gninosirpmi Xiphos"

With but a gesture of his giant hand, the two pieces of the mask floated out of Sabre's satchel towards his outstretched hand.

"Tnarongi of this, uoy clove it in twain!" He continued his words causing Fleurette to grasp Sabre's arm subconsciously in support for their blunder. "And now, snamuh elbillaf, you require my pleh, for it has ever neeb my sacred ytud to repair the ksam"

Cupping the broken object between its giant hands, a brief glow of blinding light forced the four to shield their eyes. When the light receded, four sets of eyes could only stare in disbelief at what they were seeing float towards them.

"It is whole once more!" Fleurette whispered in awe as she stared at the repaired mask Sabre now held in his hands as if it had never been cut in the first place. "I used to think that it was such a horrible, ugly mask, but now…I think, perhaps, it is un peu chic, n'est-ce pas?"

"Deedni! I fashioned it with great care!" Draug boomed proudly causing the healer to jump in fright at being overheard again. "For the gift of you good noinipo, I shall grant you a gift in turn"

Suddenly appearing before Sabre in an expanding globe of light, a sword of immeasurable craftsmanship took shape hovering in front of the silent swordsman who could only stare at it in awe. It was once Fleurette nudged him, did he finally reach out to clasp it firmly by the handle feeling the power coursing through it.

"That is Rednusadner, the Rorrim Sword. It has the rewop to defeat a great live" Draug explained. "Learn how to wield that blade, and you lliw be ydaer to face Xiphos"

With his words, the four suddenly realised that their feet had already left the ground and were now being pulled back the way they came.

"Lleweraf, visitors from beyond the ssalg" Draug's words echoing in their ears as they began to pick up speed only able to do naught but watch as the Mirror World became an increasingly small speck on the horizon to them. "May the Sseddog grant you yrotciv in elttab…"

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Review if possible & until next time

Tuo ecaep & ecaps siht hctaw!