Bloody Raven in the Shadow

Don't look in the mirror...

Branches hit my face. Tears blurred my vision and my whole body ached. I didn't know how long I had been running. I didn't even know what happened, everything happened so fast.Arrows hissed at the ground, mages threw balls of ice and earth at us, and Rin's voice echoed loud and shrill to me. "FLEE! THEY FOUND US! THE SOLDIERS FOUND US!" Without waiting for her or Harvey, I ran away from the pond, deep into the forest.

My heart was beating so fast and I could hardly breathe because of the cold. My throat and lungs literally burned. My steps slowed and I looked back. Nobody had followed me, but I didn't know where I was. I wiped the tears from my face with my hand. Nothing around me looked familiar, I was clearly lost. I had lost my blindfold during the escape, I had to be careful, I didn't want to hurt anyone.

For a brief moment, I remembered my father's stony, fear-filled face. Of the thunderstorm that had raged that day and of the candle that had flickered faintly to glow on his face. Something I will never forget.

I shook my head hastily, I didn't have time for something like that. I might still be in danger. I closed my eyes automatically and let my senses flow through the earth into my surroundings. A little squirrel cracks a nut for a late-night snack. A wild boar family ran around in the area and a little further away a fox was chasing a mouse. The familiar vibrations made my heart beating slower, all my senses focused on what was around me, I calmed down. No danger in sight. Over the millennia I had learned to perfect this skill. I had often heard that it was unnecessary to be able to do something like that when you could see with your eyes and hear with your ears. But you couldn't see through walls and hear creeping people. Much more important now was where Harvey and the others were! I increased the radius and searched for my friend's familiar aura. On and on. In all directions. Along the water, through trees and bushes. No matter how long I searched, I couldn't find him. At some point I reached my limit, nothing was infinite. Although I didn't know where he was, I felt like I knew which direction he was headed. Maybe my gut didn't disappoint and I will find him soon.

I ran through the forest at a fast pace. My limbs still ached from the escape and the cold of the night. I hadn't slept yet, but the others needed me, I was sure of that. It must have been a while since I started my search. Light was already breaking behind the treetops and the moon was disappearing. Hunger and tiredness weakened me, giving up was not an option. The feeling of being very close to my friend spread through me, even though I couldn't see him. Was he up a tree? Was he in a river? Why couldn't I find him?I heard footsteps through the floor. A group of soldiers were pacing the area. They were dangerously close.Suddenly one fell down on me from above. I cried out in horror and jumped back. But before the man could do anything, he was frozen to stone. My heart was pounding in my chest again. I hated that feeling. Whenever someone, whether enemy or friend, human or animal, turned to stone through my eyes, this special strength flowed through me. As if I had absorbed her life force. But I'm not happy. No matter how old I was, I hated killing and I knew that's why my life was so long. People like Harvey could extend their lives through magic and research, but I was stealing other people's time and I couldn't stop it. I didn't have enough courage to die. Despite everything, I saw a purpose in my existence. The footsteps of my opponents came in my direction now, maybe they had heard my scream. I hastened away from them, as quietly as possible so that I would not be betrayed.

After a while I came to a clearing. It was weird. Magic was floating in the air, a small river was running down the middle and an object was leaning against a stone. It looked like a beautifully ornate golden mirror with snakes and blue gem stones. Curious, I approached the object. I peered in cautiously, the reflection clear, when suddenly something tugged at me. It wasn't a human, it was a force. Terrified, I tried to step back, to escape from this train, but it was already too late. My body went limp. Everything rotated. I tried to scream. To ask for help or to stop whatever happened with my magic. But in vain, my voice failed and I could not move. Soon everything went black.

I jumped up. Everything was a light shade of gray around me. Was I dead? But then I noticed movements. Shapes. They resembled then soldiers of our enemy, but they were only ghosts. She was floating around. Expressionless faces, a shadow of themselves. Barely visible. I looked around nervously, I was sitting in an empty room, behind me was a window. I went there, it was the size of a mirror.

"Hello?" I asked anxiously, knocking on the desk.

"HELLO IS SOMEONE THERE!" my voice panicked. Nobody answered. Nobody heard me.

"PLEASE! I AM TRAPPED HERE! HELLO??" I screamed even louder and pounded on the glass with all my power. I tried to break it, but all the punches and kicks didn't help.

"HELP!" I yelled again, sinking to the ground in despair. Tears dripped down my cheeks. I couldn't even use my powers in that place. I realized one thing. I was in the mirror. Trapped in a jar.

"Mary?" As if torn out of a trance, I jerked my head up.

"Harvey? HARVEY?! I'M HERE! I'M IN THE MIRROR!" I screamed.

"Sorry..." his voice echoed around the room. "But I believe that I am the mirror."I stared through the glass, frozen. After some time I put my hand on it.

"You are the mirror?" I whispered, stunned.

"I would nod if I could... they got me and that bastard big brother figured it would be a good idea to turn me into a mirror. A mirror that casts a spell over all who look in it and holds captive. Just like you"

"I see... at least I'm trapped in you... after a thousand years of friendship, I'll be fine." I sat on the floor and leaned my back against the glass.

"It was really your brother?" I asked interested and images of the man popped into my head. I've known him almost as long as Harvey, but he's changed. At some point the contact was lost.

"Yes, it was him. I think he has Scout too...she didn't show up anymore..." My heart sank at the thought of the dog.

"It will be fine..."

Days passed, maybe weeks. Neither of us knew how much time passed. Two other soldiers were trapped in my friend, but they too were just ghosts. I didn't know why I wasn't like them. Maybe because I was older and stronger. Or because Harvey wanted to protect me. We talked like we always did. Days and nights, I quickly realized that I didn't feel hungry or lack of sleep. I didn't take my bags with me the day we were attacked. I didn't have a job. No book to study or anything like that. When Harvey wasn't talking to me because we didn't have a topic or because he was caught up in one of his never-ending thoughts, I felt like the gray walls were moving and there were patterns on them. I knew it was just imagination.

A loud noise snapped me out of my trance. A girl ran into the clearing where Harvey and I were standing. There was a striking resemblance to Alice. Two more people followed shortly after.