Mirror Mirror

[None So Blind]

CLOSED
We have decided to leave any text in the Drow language untranslated. We feel that it's like watching a foreign movie without the subtitles and truest to the feeling that the reader is stepping into a situation that they are very much not welcome to seeing. We all have skeletons in our closets, and some of them don't speak English/Common.



Mirror, mirror, where's the crystal palace?
But I only can see the myself...
Skating around the truth - who I am
But I know dad, the ice is getting thin.

Tori Amos - Winter



A man crouched in a tree along the border of Raiaera and Alerar. He was tall and muscled, a fit body filled with the tension of a stalking animal. A small bird settled down on his shoulder, gripping onto his naked midnight skin a hair harder than she might have had to. She picked at his long silver hair for a moment before turning her attention to the horizon that he’d been watching intently for an hour now.

What do you see?

“Naubol nindel dos orn'la kyorl, Queen,” he answered her with a shaking voice. “Fridj mzil tajon nindel xun naut wund'akh ulu nindol khel.”

Do you miss your homeland?

“Naut llaar,” the Drow admitted. “Ussta fuma zhahus elggen vel'drav usstan zhahus waelin a l' quar'valsharess udos 'che, ussta mrannd'ssinss chi'us uns'aa. Ji mzilt alus xusst wun Alerar.”

I’m sorry. He waved a hand at her when her apology came, shooing her to higher branches. His contemplative scowl turned into a disdainful smirk in a moment’s notice before he slipped off the branch onto the ground below.

“Xun naut brou uns'aa, Queen. L' draeval p'los zhahus dubo ulu uns'aa, drill ol orn tlu endar nindol draeval bauth.“ He paused, scrambling back up into the tree as he peered across the line of brush. Queen flew through the higher reaches of the branches and spiraled back down.

Do you see friend or foe?

“D'anthe, wun nindol k'lar ol 'udtila naut selg'tarn….”

[Mage Hunter]

“Faer zhah whol l' yibin.”

Those were the words she was living by as she moved through the edge of the Twilight Mountains. Before she would have been happy to rush across the border with nothing more than a knife and her skills, to gut and destroy every elf in sight. She would have brought carnage down upon her foes, but that was no longer possible, because of a half-breed who was lucky she had not killed him for desecrating her sight.

As she moved through the mountain pass she spotted a few trees, she was now near the border of Alerar and Raiaera. This was always a spot of constant turmoil and she would have to move swiftly, her head start as they called it only allowed her until the sun set before they would kill her for her sacrilege. She snorted as she muttered, “L' rath'argh zhahus dosib xuil nindyn l'thi rivven.”

As she moved about the area her eyes scanned. She was possibly well ahead of the patrols, but it was better safe than sorry. While she was a hunter, it would only help her so far before a patrol decided to turn her into a plaything. As good as she was there was no more protection for her, no backing she could call upon to make her worries go away. She was the traitor now, and she would do penance for her sins, by not allowing her transgressions to stop her form the hunt, the only true thrill she had remaining.

Reaching the border she sighed as she shouldered her pack. Her hair was pulled back, the midnight locks allowing her to see the area about her easily. Her loose shirt hid her figure from those that would look, as obviously feminine as she was. Her pants were tight and form fitting if only to allow her greater freedom and worry less about the drag. Her bow was strapped with her quiver to her back and the sword that was normally sheathed at the small of her back was drawn. She knew not what would happen if she ran into a Raiaeran patrol.

Actually, she knew what would happen; she just refused to let such thoughts excite her.

As she stopped she felt something stirring in her. Regret or grief she didn’t know, but she knew one thing, she didn’t like the feeling one bit. As she looked about the area she tightened the grip on her sword as she narrowed her eyes glaring about the area before her. The single tree in the area was thick with foliage, and the only form of true growth on the pass. Rocks formed formidable walls about her as she sighed. Her lips were pursed in a frown as she tried to find something, anything to help her vent some of her frustrations. Deciding a rest was in order she stopped sheathing her blade as she muttered, “Usstan gumash elgg jalbol ditronw nin ulu xxizz l' nrunnkel.”

[None So Blind]

Kor watched with interest as the figure grew nearer to reveal a Drow woman. While he was briefly dissappointed that it wasn't a Raiaeran guardsman of the proper height and build, it was none-the-less something that perhaps he could use. One of his first concerns - aside from the aquisition of a good pair of pants - was the current events of Alerar. In a matriarchy, women were often overlooked unless they were special. Plotting had thwarted Ghauntyrr'Stra's rise to the top in her life, but now there was a chance to start anew. Who better to be in a Queen's good graces than a strong male? Kor's smile grew wicked when he thought of seducing Valsharess, but as the woman grew closer, something seemed wrong. A familiar air of panic hung in the air, and he scrambled back into the tree, laying in wait.

The woman stopped under him, looking over her shoulder as she caught her breath, her dark hair falling free in places of the loose tie she had fastened it with. His eyes sparked as he studied her form. She hid it well beneath her flowing tunic, but the strap of her bow quiver pulled it in the right places to let the male imagination run free, and she made no attempt to hide the shape of her muscular legs. A hunter, as he had been in the last life.

Holy Lights, you're giving off more pheremones right now than a Moontae army, Queen commented dryly, fluttering softly in the tree. If Kor heard her, he made no mention of it, leaning closer as the light tones of a female's voice drifted up towards him. Her comment made him smirk. He knew boredom, and he had more than an adequate list of it's cures. Carefully, he hopped back, landing easily on the ground in a crouch, leaving the trunk of the tree between them. She carried her blade like someone who was apt to attack first and then ask questions later. As he stood, he held his hands up to show he was unarmed. Unclothed, even , except for a small bag of gold tied around his left wrist.

"Fridj lu'oh ver'n zhah nindol nrunnkel?" he asked, his voice a low growl of attraction. He leaned towards her, his shoulders hips facing towards her directly, every part of his body language straining in her direction.

[Mage Hunter]

She froze in place as she saw the figure drop before her. Sword drawn and held confidently as the beast before her seemed to assess her. Once she had identified it as a Drow male, and a nude one at that the pride and haughtiness flooded into her as the male made a rather crude remark. Baring her teeth in a hostile snarl she spat, "Ver'n z'lonzic whol uns'aa ulu dajakk dos ulu k'lararl ol."

The man was nude, an accost to her surely. As he seemed so enthralled by her she sneered as she drew the second sword. She wanted to feel the blades cut through skin so she could get some relief for her frustrations. This may not be a Raiaeran patrol, but if a drow male was stupid enough to wander the border nude, she would be more than happy to use it to cure her boredom.

She glared into the eyes of the defiant male as she felt her temper simmer. She wanted so badly to rip him apart. To dominate him with her will, to make him beg and plead for his life. She wanted to hunt this boastful male, who refused his place at the bottom of the heap of trash he attempted to climb. While the tree was between them that could be remedied with a simple sidestep and counter. She however waited as she looked at the male, refusing to look down at his nether regions. This was certainly more exciting than she had hoped for, but it would not get her back in the border. Nude males were of no concern to the Queen.

It was then she recalled the other reason for her departure, the Queen was dead. The Kyorl were running free without a master to restrain their leash. For now Alerar was in turmoil. She would have to be careful and take care of this quickly before the guards, who were master less did something foolish. As much as she knew she could last against a single guard, two or more could mean her being used as a puppet. The last thing she wanted was to be the plaything of the Kyorl, or worse, used as a bargaining chip with the priestesses. As she glared at the male she dropped into a defensive stance as she said curtly, "Usstan xuat zhaun ele Usstan rath'argh usstan xuil xa'huuli saph dos, Usstan zhal'la inbau aluin ori'gato l' kyorl xun ussta emp'poss whol uns'aa."

With that she carefully stepped back. The man had nothing more than the hanging gold purse and as good a sap as that could be, it was not enough to stun the woman. She knew if it came she could cut the man down. So, she got moving, as it was afternoon and she had precious time to try and rush for the docks of Raiaera before she could reach Corone and decide her next move.

[None So Blind]

His eyebrows raised for a moment at her comments, wonder exploding in his mind, firing along synapses at lightning speeds. This was everything a Drow female should be, unrelenting as a winter storm, refreshing as a cold river's waters in the dead heat of the summer desert. He wanted to penetrate her, to dominate her and change places in their heirarchy with her. His longing went beyond just sex - he wanted to rip her open and bathe himself in all that was her.

As her blades came to play, his smile too was slid out from the sheath of curiousity it had been masked in. It wasn't the leer of a few moments before, and it had nothing to do with amusement at her words. His lips portrayed his elation at finally meeting someone who felt as he did - the need to destroy. It didn't matter that it was at that point they changed paths. She moved to destroying for a bored hatred, a dark fire that burned hot and quick. His midnight light was lower, yes, but less basal. Long after she was gone, mere smoke on the wind, he would still be alight with the need to destroy the Temple for the sheer love of it. She was the Church; and he was a mad artist standing before her with a match and bottle of kerosene. She was too beautiful to live, too harmful to take in any more followers.

He stepped towards her, daring her to strike, his eyes never needing to move. As he had crouched in the tree, he had taken stock of every shadow that lay around them. As the sun moved across the sky, the shadows would stretch, allowing him more movement, and when dark came, her ship would sail, and he would have full range out here, where no lights danced in the wilderness.

"Atsar uns'aa ka dos shlu'ta." he whispered, before stepping around the tree and dancing backwards to put space between them, but clear the tree out of the way.

[Mage Hunter]

"Vith," Drusilia muttered as she drew her bow quickly stabbing the swords point first into the ground. Pulling an arrow she knocked it quickly before she shouted out, "Natha inlul sarn', uss mzild unboi lu' dos orn tlu uss xuil l' lorulm d' biu b'luth'ol."

The game had changed. She knew not why she even bothered with the piece of filth before her, but something in her, the indomitable pride within her demanded her attention called to this matter. As she glared down the length of the arrow she looked carefully at the man, her mind racing as she tried to match trajectory amongst other things. However she knew better than to just follow someone who taunted her like that. So she slowly stepped sideways to bring herself into view bow drawn.

The hunt had begun. It may not have been a magical warrior like she so craved to destroy, but he had awoken the battle protocols of the hunter. Perhaps it was the strange nature of the man, but she hated to think that he was here by normal means. It was her subconscious slowly asking the questions she refused to voice aloud, for fear the answers would mean more work for her. Perhaps it was this that kept her bow in hand aiming at that naked filthy man.

Keeping her breathing easy she muttered, "Faer zhah whol l' yibin." The old mantra her instructors had told her to take faith in. Many would have resorted to magical means in order to apprehend their foe. She was remaining true to her natural roots. So, as she remained stationary bow knocked and ready to fire she said aloud, "Pholor l' eairthin dos tonaik jaluk, rahi pholor l' rath d' dosst karliik."

[None So Blind]

Kor’s grin danced across his face as she uttered her demands. On the ground? How dare she? Did she know who she’d been speaking to? Kor had the feeling that if he were a woman, with her lips stitched closed and strange colorless eyes, this woman would know her place. The huntress was an unknown, her name not worthy of drawing attention. And yet, she dared to stand before the one who had been Ghauntyrr’Stra Do’afin. So, this body so full of power and purpose did indeed have it’s drawbacks. He had been wondering that, but there was no use crying over spilled poisons.

“Dos kat telanth qualla.” he said, a chuckle moving from his lips. “Vel'klar ph' dosst mala? Xunus dos sevir mina rath wun l'ssrigg'tul qu'ellar?”

Before she could react to his insult, he stepped sideways, slipping into the shadow of a tree. He felt the darkness grab at his skin, pulling him into the place where only the velvet True Night wrapped around him. Here, not even the glittering of stardust could reach him. The world was like a ghost, his sight opening to see the scene in deep grays. The shadows were the only place where colors came through, and he saw with relish that she was standing at the edge of one. He moved quickly, slipping through that strange half world until he stood behind her and allowed the shades to let go of him.

Just behind Drusilia, Kor appeared. His body solidified against her back in a split second as his hands wrapped around her waist. One hand lay against the flat, toned plane of her stomach, the other reached down lower, his fingertips brushing against places warm and wet with the desire to destroy. He could feel her sickness inside her, and it was beautiful to him. The evidence of his attraction rubbed against her backside and he chuckled into her ear, the voice low and growling as it came with a tickle of his warm breath.

“Kev dosst sarolen lu'Dorn belbau dos l'mayar whol nindol tlu dosst orn. Ser malarin, lu'Dorn inbal dos nau selg'tarn ka dos ssinssrin ol xor naut.”

[Mage Hunter]

"Inbau dosst rahi tir uns'aa dos tonaik fuer'yon!" She spat as she leaned her head forward. Anger filled her slender frame as she focused it into the force of her head going back, right towards the face off her oppressor. Dropping her bow she slipped carefully out of his hands before she gripped the swords and brought them about as she spun waiting to see what he would do next.

She was a shadow walker. She had only heard of them, priests of darkness that wove that darkness into the very weapons they used to murder and kill. With the sun gradually setting, she had to be careful, lest the darkness increase, and give him more power. Already the glowing globe was on the tips of the mountains giving her at best maybe ten more minutes until her opponent could finish his threat.

Still, it was shocking that a man of all people would be doing this. She realized her folly in letting her pride get the best of her, but she could still almost feel his hands on her groin, over her stomach. The caress of a lover she didn't want. It was enough to focus her despite indignation and the surprise at the forward act. He was crass rude, and messing with a hunter. She had never once checked if she could hunt a priest as effectively as a mage, but she knew that today she would be putting her theory to the test, if the gods themselves were nothing more than ritualistic magic.

As she waited for him to come at her, she waited with baited breath, hoping she could defeat this foe before she was ravaged.