The Skalawags

3. Changes

They collapse through the doorway into a corridor. 

Aehorn walks quickly away from the others to sit by a doorway at the far end, as far as she can get from her companions. "Stay away from me. I know not what I will do if you come close, but I fear it will be bad." She closes her eyes and places her hands palm down on the cool stones of the floor, visibly trying to calm herself.

The Mole suggests they all take a rest and assess their wounds. He shakes off the horrors of the room they were in and insists he will keep watch whilst the others plan, organise and recover. All find it hard to ignore the sounds of muffled screaming and laughter coming through the doorway.

A while later, Aehorn stands up and wanders over. "I do not know what came over me, but it is passed. How are you Doug?"

"I not seen anything like dat afore. Dis place I do not like. Perhaps through one of dees doors we find villagers and escape before bad stuff happen."

They all turn at the sound of Verigars voice, "I have been studying these doors. Although they are from the same mould the decorations are all different, perhaps a clue as to what lies beyond. You will notice that both the doors on that side of the corridor have slightly metallic paint on the noses, you can see your reflection if you look closely. The door we came through is your standard red nosed clown except for the single tear running down its cheek, perhaps a sign of the pain of that room. At the end of the corridor, where Aehorn was sitting, the clown appears to be made in parts, a red upper lip with black lower one, one eye painted blue whilst the other is green. I suggest that both the doors with the metallic noses lead to the same room. The choice of door we go through I leave to you."

Chester moves to the clown door to the right of where they entered the corridor and on the opposite wall. He studies his own reflection for a moment moving backwards and forwards, side to side. "It distorts your shape in weird ways, one moment I'm short and fat, the next tall and thinner than The Mole." He smiles to his companions. "We should try this one." He steps through the doorway.

The others quickly follow, not wanting to be alone with the strange noises of torture and mirth.

Beyond the portal the companions find themselves in a mirrored corridor. The reflections they see are of themselves but not. They move exactly how a reflection should but show different versions of themselves. The way the mirrors are aligned makes it hard to tell exactly what is mirror and what is open space, the whole effect is disorientating and gives a sense of nausea.

"Stand exactly where you are. No one move. Let me take a good look at these mirrors." Verigar steps close to his own reflection which in turn steps close to him. It is him, except the reflection is taller somehow, its bearing more regal. The back is straighter, the beard though just as long as his own shows less grey and is braided into two with ornate golden beads at the ends. Where Verigar carries the tools of his trade his reflection holds in its fist a mighty flail and strapped across its other arm is a shield with an ornate crest painted upon it. "Hmm, this appears to be me as I always dreamt of being when I was a boy. A strong dwarven warrior, worthy of my position in the clan. A very clever illusion perhaps. The lips even move as I speak."

The others of the party all peer at their reflections, marvelling at the differences and similarities to themselves.

"We should move, this place is making me feel a little sick. I find it disorienting to see so many reflections. How will we find the pathway through?" Aehorn asks.

"I have string. I always find the best way with mazes is to always turn left. If we go wrong, we just follow the string back to the last junction and try a different way." Verigar quickly ties his string off on the doorway and signals for the others to move off.