The forgotten Magic had been sleeping.
It had been sleeping a long, long time awaiting to hear the voice of it's new master.
It was now very much awake.
It felt a new presence, it smelled the mortal scent of flesh and bone, all at once it saw a ribbon of fire flow through the halls.
The fire belonged to a girl, no a woman no more than 19, her hair seemed to fly behind her creating a streak of fire wherever she went.
She was a sad beauty, the tragic kind, her eyes were soaked in pain and it could tell she held onto cruelty like an old antique collector.
She'd seen much cruelty in her lifetime.
Sadness was her aura but in that sadness was great strength.
"Take this, may it remind you of your strength".
The Bard had said before he departed handing her the chunk of tree sap that hung about his neck.
Amber firmly gripped onto that nature's gold as if it was the very strength that held her together.
She could hear the hum of magic course warmly throughout the castle.
The aroma of Sunflowers and Sunshine pervaded the castle.
There was faint scent of something foul.
It was a smell she'd only come across when she was very young.
She was but a small child at the time, she was in a tavern, a strange place for a child so small.
Yet at the time the people who were raising her, cared very little for her well being and let alone for the simple innocence of a small child's mind.
She was told to serve drinks which she had briefly pouted about since she did not like mingling with the drunken rabble and boisterous clamor that the tavern provided.
There was a man with a black beard and a brow so dark that it seemed to blend in with the shadows.
His face although it was pale it had a shadow upon it that did not belong to the rest of the tavern.
He had a superior air, a attitude that only would befit a aristocrat.
His presence demanded respect but not the kind of respect you'd have for someone of such rich stature but the kind you'd have if you'd feared for your life if you didn't obey him.
"You have such unusual eyes child".
The Voice had a velvet quality but still it was intimidating and it had a edge to it that was sharp as a ravens talon.
She wanted to run from him for the intensity of his gaze made her feel vulnerable.
It was the way he had examined her, marveling over her unusual eyes that had unnerved her.
She felt not only vulnerable but suddenly she felt as if part of her was unclothed.
She felt as if her mind was unarmed and completely exposed to the world.
"Don't be afraid child.
You shall not be harmed".
This would have been comforting if he had not spoken these words without even parting his lips and the words had not even entered the air.
Those words had entered right through the gates of her mind.
Then there was that smell, the smell of evil.
Decaying Flesh, raw, rotting bone and malodorous earth.
It was not your usual death but rather the death that had been decomposing overtime for centuries.
A Evil that had been fermenting with mildew and mushroom without yet perishing to dust.
A whole evil, a complete evil, a evil not yet vanquished.
This was the day she had first encountered true evil.
Since the smell was faint within this Castle she reasoned with herself that if there not had been any Evil here for quite some time but it had been long abolished.
No doubt it was the residue of evil that remained that came up to her nostrils.
Yet whatever magic was still here she had the sense that it was watching her.
Anything with eyes had to be somehow alive even if all it was, was a dreary dreadful old castle.
Even though the thought of being watched unsettled her, her curiousity and determination outweighed the fear that was in her heart.
She grabbed onto the amber yet again and spoke words of comfort to herself.
"I am strong.
I have a future.
I shall not perish.
Remember there is no evil here.
The Evil here is gone but I'm sure whatever magic that lives here is reasonable just as I am.
I will speak with it, I will listen to this ancient magic and hear it's story.
Yes I am certain that whatever lives here holds no threat to me.
I'm in no real danger.
Why if this Castle was irked by my presence I wouldn't be here and I'd be long gone from this place.
Perhaps if I'm kind and pleasant enough to whomever lives here they'll allow me stay.
I sense a good magic.
The kind of magic that heals and helps people.
I mustn't dwell on that,
first I must follow the magic and see where it leads."
The threads of magic she could nearly trace with her fingers.
When she was focusing on magic both her eyes shone a whiteless gold.
The trail went through the entire castle it seemed,hallway after hallway; it carried to her up two swirling flights of stairs then past several pillars which lead down a grand granite corridor.
At the end of the grand corridor stood two heavy doors made of mahogany that were etched with two hearts on the left and right.
Beyond the doors was a large square room with a majestically built pillars in each corner.
There were curtain like tapestries that lined the wall with silver and gold moons interwoven into the material.
Then in the farthest part of the room between two separate pillars apart from the ones in the corners stood a huge oval mirror.
The mirror had all these strange symbols engraved into the rim of the mirror, no doubt the dark incantations of black magic.
However unbeknownst to her they were merely old Norse runes.
She had heard of this mirror but only in story and lore.
The stories usually claimed that this mirror had been either destroyed or confiscated.
How could anyone leave such a beautiful magical artifact?
It was practically a collectors item and even if it wasn't magical it would make a lovely addition to any palace home.
It was exquisitely made and she couldn't help but admire it.
There was small set of stairs that lead up to the mirror and she trembled slightly for the thought of touching a legend delighted her,it indeed thrilled her and exhilarated every bit of her being, stirring her mind with excitement.
That mirror represented the adventurer in her.
The rose gold frame was warm with magic and for a moment she felt a sort of pulse, a thrum that throbbed beneath her fingertips.
There was life in this mirror, life that had been dormant for a great long while.
Now it was alive and she could sense this mirror's anticipation.
It was waiting for something and then it occured to her that is was waiting for the magic words to be spoken.
She was well read but not in the subject of magic incantations.
She searched the room to see if there was some clue to what those magic words were.
She was hoping that she would find a scrap of paper, a note jotted down on a open page but there was nothing.
She gazed at the mirror once more, her gaze went to the strange runes on the rim of the mirror yet again.
Her vision blurred somewhat so much to that she had to turn away for a moment, her eyes twinged and tingled, slightly they stung but then her vision cleared and instead of runes she saw words written on the rim, words which she could actually read and understand.
Oh Slave in the magic mirror
Come from the farthest space,
through wind and darkness,
I summon thee.
She spoke the magic words gingerly and softly, in a awkward fashion, hindering her words, unsure if these words would work yet alone were the right ones.
A single band of lightening slashed across the surface of the mirror, there was a great eruption of fire that blossomed into plump purple pillars of billowing smoke, which swirled and curled about.
Finally amongst the smoke was, beneath the purple haze a face emerged, drifting closer and closer to the surface of the mirror.
It was a sickly green face, a sneering, leering and menacing face full of distasteful bitterness and discontent.
The face was nonetheless a tragic face despite it's a villainous appearance.
It reminded her of a pierrot character, the kind that eventually would evolve into the modern day clown.
So essentially it was the face of a sad clown that had been abused his whole life.
The face evoked something in her mind about her own life.
The life of abuse and scorn, the bitter and harsh treatment, the tragic loss of her parents, the hardship she had endured from the lack of acceptance and compassion.
This mirror had no doubt witnessed many tragedies, endured much disrespect and abuse and most likely harsh treatment of every kind.
This reflection moved her and stirred her heart with not only sympathy but empathy as well.
"What is thy wish, Oh maiden fair?"
The voice was hushed, demure and contemplative, full of thoughtfulness and tranquility.
She expected his voice to be fearsome and bellowing.
She was also taken aback by the fact he referred to her as fair.
She was a bit confused because she was not aware that mirrors could grant wishes.
Magic mirrors predicted the future, they uncovered certain unattainable truths about the past and the present.
"Your wish is my command. What is your wish?"
The mirror took on a irritated tone, it was edgy and slightly aggravated.
She still said nothing for she was unsure if what to say next.
"You summoned me and I assume you have a reason for it so what is it that you desire?"
Still she said nothing.
"You know you are really starting to vex me.
I've been around for a long time and I've been here for what feels even longer so I would greatly appreciate if you give me a simple awnser.
Although time may not be an issue for me I do not have any intention on wasting it".
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude.
It's just I've never come across a magic mirror before.
If I'm to be quite honest I desire nothing, I merely came here to seek asylum and to hopefully gather a few stories along the way, on the way of my journey of course.
I hope you don't think me dense but it struck me as rather odd that you would offer me a wish since mirrors rarely grant people wishes.
So that's why I was so silent.
I was thinking of when it was that I last heard a story regarding a mirror that you could wish upon."
"It's a figure of speech.
For instance if I was to brazenly say "What is it that you want?"
It would lack a certain touch of eloquence.
The word wish is far more polite and proper while the word want has a rather uncivilized undertone to it.
However I suppose if I felt so inclined I could very well grant a wish.
I am capable of it after all I am magic."
"Oh how interesting.
I never knew that mirrors were capable of granting wishes.
Do all magic mirrors grant wishes or are you the only one?"
"I am the only one that I know that's capable of such wonders.
I'm a very rare mirror, I'm not the kind you'd find in a dusty old antique shop and as far as I know I'm absolutely priceless.
Any other questions?"
"I suppose it's only fair since you're the only one here, if I may stay here for awhile.
I won't be here forever, I'd only be here for a few days, a week at the most.
I just don't want to disturb you.
Truly I understand if you want- I mean if you wish me to leave, I'll do so, without complaint.
I know when I'm not welcome.
I don't want- I don't wish to wear out my welcome.
So should I stay or should I go?"
"You're actually asking me what I think.
You're actually asking me how I feel.
You're actually asking me my opinion.
Never before have I been asked what it is that I wish.
The way you ask me it's as if you regard me as a person, a person of authority.
I'm not a person and I have no authority of my own.
I am a slave. Don't you know that?
I have no power unless someone wishes me use it yet you address me as if I am a independent being, a all powerful entity.
There's a word for this.
It's called respect."
His voice was accusing and sounded almost insulted.
"There's another word and it's an old forgotten virtue and I believe it's called kindness as for respect everyone deserves that even a slave.
All I know is that I understand how it feels not to be given kindness and respect especially when it is due after a lifetime of servitude. It's not a pleasant experience to be treated as if you're invisible and then when people finally see you they regard you as someone to be scorned and talked down to.
I know what it is like to be only considered a convenience for people's needs and desires.
That is why I address you with the respect and kindness that I was never given. So may I stay?"
"I must say that's mighty wight of you.
Yes, I suppose you have my permission, you may stay if that is your wish."
"So you really don't mind if I stay?"
" I have no complaints."