The Champion of nature, Selena, journeying down for her divine quest and trial was met on her tracks by a distressed mother. Iphis's child had gone missing. Supposing a lion had taken her away, she brought Selena to her Farmstead where Aetia who's just six years old was left alone mending clothes. They knew something terrible had happened when they heard a loud cry from the field. Selena gazing at the Scene with an inspecting look, she saw the shattered vase on the floor that seems of great worth.
You suppose this was done by a beast asked Selena? Of Course Iphis replied swiftly without hesitating. There's a lion which is almost as big as an Ox which has been seen often in the hills. One of our sheep already has been caught. Aetia has become the next victim of that beast she said in a weeping tone. Maybe someone might have taken her as this doesn't look like what an animal could have caused, said Selena with displeasure on her face. Not at all. That's not even possible. There's no one here who could possibly have done that. We've not seen such. Not in years. There are no thieves around. I am definitely certain that the wild beast has done this.
Alright then. I will search for her.
Selena saw some fresh prints not so far away from the house. They weren't too big. Doesn't seem as what a deer could even have caused talk more a beast. She continued to follow the trails she had found up to the hills. As she arrived the hills, the prints appeared as though she took a run. Ripped bushes, crushed leaves and an abandoned sandal. All on the floor. Oh my! She sighs. Immediately she sets her bow and increased her pace. As she runs, she followed the trails meticulously. The lion really did chased the girl. All of her prints was covered by the lion's paw prints. Finally, the girl's footprints comes to a halt at an oak tree. But the lion's prints was seen around the oak tree and then out of the woods it goes. Selena raises her head up. She sees the claws of the lion all over the tree and finally she sees a little girl sitting up. She finally finds Anteia. You must be Anteia.. asked Selena. Your mother sent me to look for you. I'm Selena. The lion is gone for now. You can climb down now so we can leave immediately before it comes back here. But she was scared . Selena thinking she was being naughty and wanting to say to her Any tree you can climb up, you can climb down, took note that there wasn't any branch below her. So she said to her, Jump down I will catch you. After much reassurance, Anteia gave Selena the benefit of doubt and jumped. Selena caught her with her wide palms and firm grip. Your hands are quite big said Anteia. I'm an Archer. To pull those strings requires quite some energy and grip.
Selena held both Anteia and her bow. One on the left and the other with the right. So they began to journey back to the Farmstead. Selena and Anteia began to converse. How come you were able to climb up that tree? Asked Selena. Well, it had some light branches. I supposed the Lion's weight would cause them to break, replied Anteia. Wow, that's quite some smart move says Selena. Yeah, I'm used to climbing of trees with my brothers.. Hush Anteia was silenced by Selena before she could complete her statement. Standing before them was the beast. The lion. It wasn't as they presupposed the size would be. It wasn't as big as an Ox though, but it was huge. Anteia left Selena's hand and went to her back while Selena tried to get her balance. She picks up a bow from her quiver. Aiming at its forehead, Selena shot the beast. The beast immediately jerked back yowling in pains. Go on, get away! Yells Selena. Go back to where you belong! The lion turned back immediately roaring with much displeasure and went back to the hills away from human environs. Selena then brings Anteia down and back to the house. And as they went back, Anteia asked, Why didn't you kill it, I thought that's what these arrows are meant for? "That's true to some extent said Selena. Lions eat wild animals, Anteia. They stay away from towns. They only attack people when something’s gone wrong. When they’re too injured or sick to catch their usual prey, or when people have hunted it all. With a suspecting look, Selena stares at Anteia and continued, Or when a little girl goes running off into the hills on her own, away from all the grown-ups and oxen who could scare the lion away. Anteia is caught. You ran away because you broke your mom's vase Said Selena. You are going to tell her. Said Anteia. I won't. She still thinks you were caught by the lion from the house not knowing you went to meet the lion and she will be very happy I found you before you were eaten by the lion. Anteia was given a bit of comfort with that response. Definitely Selena continued speaking. If she thinks like that, other will become aware sooner or later. That consequently might result in them organizing an hunting down of that beast. I believe that beast will be dead within the week. We sure can't afford to keep hosting a lion in our camp. But… but it didn’t snatch me away, says Anteia. It stayed up in the hills. It was just that I—
You get it now then said Selena. You can spare that animal's life by telling your mum the truth. If not she will certainly go around telling people and that animal will be killed. Of course your mum will be delighted to have you back alive but it's up to you to decide whether or not to tell your mum the truth. Waiting for a response Selena stares at Anteia crouching.
I will said Arteia almost reluctantly. Selena stands up and takes her hand again, and leads the child home.
Selena's journey continued. She arrives at Logophon. The city is in ruins. She wondered as she walks through, what could have led to such a devastating state of the city. She walks through it stealthily. But she yet couldn't stop the faint echoes that her movement still emitted. Totally oblivious about what had happened, she pondered if this was an handiwork of the notoriously bad mage Antemion. But from the onlook of the city, nothing could come out of it. It was lifeless. It was a dead silence. Even a niddle's drop would be heard. But nothing was heard. From the sounds of birds to the whistling of the wind. Nothing entirely was making any sound. But she yet sets her bow ready to fire.
Alas! There it is. The famous Hall of Antemion. This was just the remaining building on its feet. Then affrightedly, she walks towards it. She had killed Cyclos, catoblepas, driven hydras and bulls, but this was quite more interesting. Totally oblivious of what to expect, she must at the end still passes this trial if she has to save the day.
You will enter Antemion’s Hall of Mirrors and face that which dwells within, the God of Magic had told her. Discerning its nature is part of the test. Defeat it and return safely.
Its entrance is all dark and gloomy. Nevertheless she moved in with courage. Nothing entirely was visible. The eyes lost its relevance totally. And it was freezing.. She emboldens herself and moves closer into the darkness. She tries to reach out to something if possible with one hand stretched forward. Nothing could be. The hall is definitely very wide. The distance travelled by the silent eches of her foot says that much. All of a sudden, the echoes were doubled. The second is not hers definitely. She wasn't alone in the dark. She is unsure if she's been seen or not but became more careful as she walks. Her bow ready to fire still as she pays very close attention.
Alas! There it is. Her steps weakened. She appears like an exact replica! Everything looks the same. Sad faced. Long hair. Her bow and the arrow nocked. But something exactly wasn't right. What could it be she ponders. The Famous Antemion’s Hall of Mirrors. There wasn't any glass, no mirror. What could possibly cause the reflection then? She reaches out with the other, and her reflection reaches too. She pulls back her hand and her reflection did same, but one hand was still above ready for defense.
There it is! The wrong hand..It was not a reflection this while. But she couldn't tell what exactly it is. A double. An illusion. Possibly even something worse, she thinks. Selena has always been confronting to any opponents. To anyone. But this time not to herself on the mirror. Something isn't just right. She looks at her distressed face on her double's eyes. Affrighted and disturbed. By the gods she sighs. Her replica did same and was as though they said together. Not just her. But one to her left, to her right. And Selena turned and looked, there were more Selenas. Interestingly they all looked like the real Selena. Each having a bow and arrow. Everything was same but they weren't direct reflections. They made same movements as does Selena but they weren't exactly mirrored. Each was facing every direction. She sank in herself in fear. Then she tries to reach out to the closest Selena to her. She stretches her palm to match with her double's. The linings matched. The fingers as well. But it wasn't s reflection of her. The feel was humanistic. It was fleshy. Selena extends her hand to her replica's shoulder. She (Her replica) did same. The feel of her double's hand was tangible. It wasn't an image. As she looks at the other reflections, they were all doing same thing. Each one paired and hands on shoulder. She returned her hand.
There's no one here. Nothing here. Completely alone. Elyrian had said to her; Face that which dwells within. And he also said defeat it. But in bewilderment she questioned that thought, Defeat what exactly? Staring at her was a thousand more of herself. But there has to be more. Of course not more Selena. She then observes closely the closest Selena.
— the storyteller finishes the tale of Timonax, who was lonely and wished for his reflection to become real, only to fall hopelessly in love with his duplicate. The Guard trainees drift away in twos and threes.. I'm confused about that story Selena said, as she takes a stroll with her friend Lola to the Guard Training Barracks. Lolla glows in the moonlight and Selena had this self induced limp appearance beside Lolla. No one was even there to look at them.
You don't get it really? Lola titters. Wouldn't you want to experience kissing yourself? Lola asked. That's nasty said Selena. Who would want to kiss me? Selena whirls and goes beyond the closest replica. The more-than-a-thousand replicas did same.
Okay. Selena thought. But they were too close for her comfort. Everyone of them was making similar movement as her. Each of their movement was so precise. With almost perfect timing.
Selena gave a startling look at her duplicate and then frowns. She makes a backward movement and her duplicate as well in similar manner until their both backs were set against an opposite. She makes a turn to another side and in similar manner all the duplicates albeit some footfalls feel behind the timing. She spins silently in the midst of the reflections. Finally her eyes met against another Selena. This one was a bit different from the pack. Selena then takes her bow getting ready to shoot, hoping greatly she's not aiming at the wrong one. The all look alike. But something in her doesn't just accept this particular reflection as it were. But nevertheless she aims. All the replicas in like manner did same. As well the strange replica which was aiming at her heart. Selena gazed strongly at her duplicate and it dawned in her somehow that this must be the wrong reflection. Finally Selena shoots.
Selena shoots. Same as her duplicate. The both arrows met on the air. One was shattered but the other did not. Selena's arrow flew to the false duplicate. But not just them. All other duplicates had done same. And when she looked around, she saw a thousand more Selenas on the floor in much agony with arrows pierced through their chest. Thank goodness she picked the right one. Though her arrow didn't go through her duplicate's chest. It went through the mirror's surface. The eyes of the duplicate flashed with bue-green light, and then her reflection flies apart. Same goes to the others. She's finally alone again. Assumably so.
But the foe wouldn't go just like that. She hears a sound almost crippling in its form behind her. She turns with her bow set. She's changed a bit. No more mimicking. It has revealed itself as a false replica. Though it still wears Selena as a costume. Its body was deformed. Not the brightest of radiance it has. Its limbs became unconventionally fast. It seemed as though it had no bones again in the limbs with the silky mannerism of movement. The bow became one with its body. The tendon became the strings of it. Held by two of its long fingers. It moved forward on its clawed limbs towards Selena. Selena sends a shot towards it. But it twists away from the arrow. Too slow it says. It returned a shot at Selena. Selena manages to dodge away from it but received it on her left shoulder. She groans in pains. It swirls away with much pleasure preparing for a second launch of an attack. What to do now? It moves very fast, she's slow and even worse still, injured. She spots a dark opening just behind the monster, haphazardly cut through the floor. She drops her bow and dashes towards it. She holds it by the tongue and It totters backwards a bit. Good move by Selena, but she's caught by the ankle.
Selena stares at it. Seeing her self in that monstrous thing was enough. It makes it sorer with a growling voice Sssslow. Brrrroken. Weeeeaaak.
Selena is done with this. And she kicked it on its face. Go to hell she said. She kept at it until its hold on her was loosened and falls with a great scream into the dark hole just behind it. The arrow that pierced Selena's left hand vanished away. She manages to move up a bit with that right hand. She grunts due to the pains on her left hand. With much attempt, she gets back up on the smooth floor. Finally, an exit at sight. She sits still trying to recuperate.
Up she goes with her bow, she heads towards the exit of the hall unsettled and unsteadily. She gets out of the hall. Nothing has changed outside. The city is still all in its ruins. Only that she's now found herself almost in the same state as the city. She's still in pains and so tries to make up for it. Assuming she was alone, the thought had not been fully processed in her mind and then someone stood there with her as though she's been expecting her. Aeona it is! Selena looked up from the ground and saw her blistering bright green eyes and pointed ears. Selena attempts to come up on her feet but Aeona won't allow her. You just sit and I will heal you said her. Aeona moves her hand over Selena and the wound on her shoulder covered up. The blood dried off the skin. Thank you says Selena. They both looked well over the city and Aeona sighed. A conversation is meant to ensue after that. I'm sorry you had to go through that said Aeona. It was a trial. Selena said. I wasn't expecting something lesser. Difficult, yes, says Aeona, her voice full of rage suddenly. Elyrean ought not to have gone that far, putting you up against that ancient monstrosity. I owe him payback for this. Selena was taken aback by that response. You hate him that much? Asked Selena Surprisingly. In the stories it was said you worked together. Even as siblings and as friends. Aeona gestures to the half-shattered black glass towers that slump at strange angles around them. Do you know what happened here?
Selena shakes her head. This city hasn't always been like this. It was one time a place of peace, serenity and learning. It was ruled by a Wizard-king Antemion. But Antemion was made a demigod by Elyrian. A demigod? says Selena. Antemion was Elyrian’s proxy in the Demigods’ War? Mmm, says Aeona. So you know that much, at least. Yes. Over a thousand years ago, the gods cut out a portion of our power and set it upon mortal champions. She glances over at Selena. Not merely blessed, like you, but infused with a part of our divinity. The demigods. It was our last resort to coexist with one another peacefully but the demigods themselves chose war. Was it the war that destroyed this place like this? asks Selena. In some sense, yes, replies Aeona. When the armies paraded, Antemion could not bring himself to stir up his peaceful people to battle. Rather, he used the power of Elyrian upon him, and attempted to create a new order of army. Ones that will go to the war for him.
That’s horrible,says Selena. Yes, hisses Aeona. The life he created was a joke. When he supposed what he intended to achieve had gain fruition, he sought to multiply it in his Hall of Mirrors. The result was a disaster that turned the towers to glass, trapped the abomination in an endless reflection, and killed every last one of Antemion’s beloved, peace-loving people. Aeona looks down at Selena, her eyes as wild as a winter storm.
You were correct about me and Elyrian being friends, she continues. There is magic in the natural world, in its elegance and simplicity. He was okay with that, and we created wonders together. The Goddess of Nature holds out her hand, and a rose blooms in her palm. It blossoms, thrives, withers, and dies, all in the space of moments. But those days are gone. The god of magic has become a villain, my champion. Do not trust him.
Selena nods, but says nothing.
