• Chapter 9: The Black Mirror

    Miltiades opened the door again, and with Rouvin following, walked toward the governor’s mansion.
    The mansion was of the modern Greek islander architecture, but with a large greenhouse in the southern part, since that was the perfect spot to get sunlight for the plants.
    Miltiades whispered, “This is as close as I can get without the guards spotting me. But I have heard rumors of a secret path in the greenhouse.”
    Rouvin replied with his own whisper, “Thank you for the information. I see the door left open—I guess no one there expected anyone to go in.”
    The elf Ranger bade his friend farewell as he left. Then his attention returned to going into the greenhouse door.
    He would soon learn to his shock, however, that he WAS expected in some way. Giant man-eating plants were within the greenhouse. One of them prepared to lunge at him, but the elf reached for a sharp pole and stabbed it through the mouth. Then he started shooting at a few heads with his arrows until he could get to a rather interesting statue of a Dryad. This Dryad statue had her left hand out, as if she wanted to shake hands. Rouvin did so and a panel near the wall opened.

    Rouvin soon found himself in one of the halls of the mansion. He hid into a wardrobe closet when he heard guards coming. Once he knew the coast was clear, he continued down the hallway.
    A faint pulsing sound was heard.
    His suspicions piqued, Rouvin went into the master bedroom. It was there he found governor and his daughter—both elves themselves—turned into stone statues. And nearby was the Black Mirror. The mirror’s frame was of black crystal, the very crystal that gives the item its name, and the glass itself alternated between various hues of blue and violet.
    “The only one getting more than seven years of bad luck is Erebus,” chuckled Rouvin as he prepared an arrow. With a single shot, the mirror’s glass soon shattered. The shards then dissolved into dust, and the black crystal frame faded into nothingness.
    The stone statues soon reverted back to the governor and his daughter. The governor had pale peach skin, tan hair, and gray eyes, and was dressed in business casual clothes. The governor’s daughter had the same skin, green-yellow hair, and blue eyes, and was dressed in formal modern Grecian woman clothes, even with a cute headdress.
    “Oh… oh my!” said the governor.
    “Governor,” said Rouvin. “Are you all right?”
    “I am now, thanks to you,” chuckled the governor. “My name is Governor Blastus Firastratus. And with me is my daughter Priscilla. My dear wife passed some years ago, may she rest peacefully in the Elysian Fields.”
    “You are quite welcome, Governor Firastratus,” answered Rouvin.

    The people cheered as the governor and his daughter emerged.
    Rouvin then reunited with his three friends.
    “You have freed us from the bane of Erebus,” said the governor.
    “We’re not out of danger yet,” explained Valerius. “We have heard from the Baron of Kea Cirrus that Erebus was last seen in Straturini Volcano.”
    “Why would he want to go there?” asked Priscilla.
    “He is after the ingredients of the Forbidden Ritual,” explained Zanthe. “He had stolen the stone tablet, and has the healer Delphinia captive.”
    “That is indeed an ill omen,” said Governor Firastratus.
    “I can take you to the place,” said Priscilla. “I’ve visited the volcano many times prior to these events. Most of the time to give offerings to Hephaestus.”
    “Lead the way!” said Valerius.
    The people shouted their farewells and well-wishes as they left to head to the volcano.

    The trail to the volcano was a bit more calm than the trip to the city.
    “Straturini Volcano,” began Nauplius. “What is it like?”
    “On average,” explained Priscilla as she guided them, “it erupts every ten years. Sometimes it erupts more often, other times not as much. Very rarely, if ever, does Hephaestus get angry enough that it is a super-violent eruption.”
    “It may be just as well,” replied Nauplius, “since he is patron god to my fellow dwarves!”
    “You are a follower of Hephaestus too?” Priscilla said in astonishment.
    “Of course,” chuckled the Dwarf. “He is the instructor of my fellow metalsmiths.”
    The group spoke more to help make the trip to the volcano seem shorter, as well as explain themselves to Priscilla more.
    “So, your beloved Delphinia,” said Priscilla to Valerius, “she is the healer of Olympalantis, is she not?”
    “Yes,” answered Valerius. “One of the ingredients of the Forbidden Ritual is the blood of a pure-hearted healing woman. I guess he wants to get the other ingredients first before wounding her—at least, I hope that’s all he plans to do. In any event, by the gods of Olympus, we WILL stop this foul ritual!”
    No sooner had he said these words did the party find themselves at the foothills of the volcano itself.