Hills and Vallies
Word Count -- 774
Something had called Acubens here, to this mirror. To this place. To this moment. In her hands were the two crystals that she had been given by Mirrorspace, their weight a comfort and an anchor. She turned them over in her hands, inspecting the facets and edges before turning her attention to the mirror on the floor of the citadel she had never explored. Ready to go to a place she had never seen. To build a home she had never dreamed.a
The reflective surface of the mirrored floor rippled as she stepped on it, afraid for one moment that she was going to crack the surface. She did not. Instead the ripples turned to waves around her and she sank into the cool clear surface. She fought the natural instinct to struggle against the sensation of it, like quicksand curling up her legs and dragging her under. Up and up the mirror rose, or rather down and down she sank into it. The sensation was not unpleasant, like a cool shower just like how it felt to mirrorwalk. But that wasn’t the point. The point was that when Acubens mirrorwalked, she could halt the process and back out if she needed to. She was in control. This was different. She held her breath for the first time since she’d corrupted as the mirror rose to her chin and finally took her mouth and nostrils.
The exit process was much quicker, and when Acubens opened her eyes again she was situated in the middle of a large, flat disk of what seemed to be white dirt. She kicked at it and watched as clouds of pale dust billowed up before settling back into the land from whence it had risen. In her hands, the crystals had transformed. The green one was budding with life, stems and leaves covering the whole thing. Her grey sister was endlessly shedding dust, and when Acubens pressed on the surface, larger rubble fell from the surface.
Curious…
But now what to do?
Acubens walked from one end to the other, peering over the edges at other islands both above and below her. Some were still blank canvases like hers. Others were in the process of being built on. She saw the beginnings of shelters and facilities. Off in the distance were two islands bigger than all the rest. Leto and Remarque’s most likely. Biggest because of their rank and Acubens could not help but feel a small p***k of jealousy.
Not at their stations, never at their stations. But rather at the size of the canvas that they were given to work with. What would she do with all that land?
Hell, what would she do with all this land?
Acubens turned from the edge and paced back to the center of the disk, turning the gems over and over in her hands. What to do… what… to… do… she tossed the gems from hand to hand, pseudo-juggling as she paced back and forth across the center of the disk wondering what she could do to make this place feel a little more like… home…
Acubens heard something whisper to her. A strange voice, but one that she knew. She called it instinct, but she knew that it had another name. Still, she listened to it and looked down at the gems in her hands. Strange things they were, but she knew that they were connected to this land. This place. Her hands moved without the knowledge or consent of her mind and pressed the crystals together in one fist. Green and grey glitter poured from her fingers and onto the pale dust where it vanishes and for just a moment Acubens wondered if she hadn’t made a huge mistake.
Then came the sound of earth moving. Just a sound at first, and then the motion. Like a tremor before an earthquake just under Acubens’ feet. She braced herself for more, but instead of increasing in severity and splitting the earth beneath her in two, the earth began to rise. Slowly and steadily, ro rose beneath her, lifting her into the air as it did so. When everything settled, Acubens stood on a small hill, about a foot high and six feet around and covered in greenery and flora. It stood out sorely against the white dust of the rest of the Realm, but Acubens couldn’t say that she minded.
So that was how to make changes…
Acubens stood still for a long moment before she left the small rise and bounded for the mirror at the edge of her Realm.
She needed more crystals.
Word Count -- 774
Something had called Acubens here, to this mirror. To this place. To this moment. In her hands were the two crystals that she had been given by Mirrorspace, their weight a comfort and an anchor. She turned them over in her hands, inspecting the facets and edges before turning her attention to the mirror on the floor of the citadel she had never explored. Ready to go to a place she had never seen. To build a home she had never dreamed.a
The reflective surface of the mirrored floor rippled as she stepped on it, afraid for one moment that she was going to crack the surface. She did not. Instead the ripples turned to waves around her and she sank into the cool clear surface. She fought the natural instinct to struggle against the sensation of it, like quicksand curling up her legs and dragging her under. Up and up the mirror rose, or rather down and down she sank into it. The sensation was not unpleasant, like a cool shower just like how it felt to mirrorwalk. But that wasn’t the point. The point was that when Acubens mirrorwalked, she could halt the process and back out if she needed to. She was in control. This was different. She held her breath for the first time since she’d corrupted as the mirror rose to her chin and finally took her mouth and nostrils.
The exit process was much quicker, and when Acubens opened her eyes again she was situated in the middle of a large, flat disk of what seemed to be white dirt. She kicked at it and watched as clouds of pale dust billowed up before settling back into the land from whence it had risen. In her hands, the crystals had transformed. The green one was budding with life, stems and leaves covering the whole thing. Her grey sister was endlessly shedding dust, and when Acubens pressed on the surface, larger rubble fell from the surface.
Curious…
But now what to do?
Acubens walked from one end to the other, peering over the edges at other islands both above and below her. Some were still blank canvases like hers. Others were in the process of being built on. She saw the beginnings of shelters and facilities. Off in the distance were two islands bigger than all the rest. Leto and Remarque’s most likely. Biggest because of their rank and Acubens could not help but feel a small p***k of jealousy.
Not at their stations, never at their stations. But rather at the size of the canvas that they were given to work with. What would she do with all that land?
Hell, what would she do with all this land?
Acubens turned from the edge and paced back to the center of the disk, turning the gems over and over in her hands. What to do… what… to… do… she tossed the gems from hand to hand, pseudo-juggling as she paced back and forth across the center of the disk wondering what she could do to make this place feel a little more like… home…
Acubens heard something whisper to her. A strange voice, but one that she knew. She called it instinct, but she knew that it had another name. Still, she listened to it and looked down at the gems in her hands. Strange things they were, but she knew that they were connected to this land. This place. Her hands moved without the knowledge or consent of her mind and pressed the crystals together in one fist. Green and grey glitter poured from her fingers and onto the pale dust where it vanishes and for just a moment Acubens wondered if she hadn’t made a huge mistake.
Then came the sound of earth moving. Just a sound at first, and then the motion. Like a tremor before an earthquake just under Acubens’ feet. She braced herself for more, but instead of increasing in severity and splitting the earth beneath her in two, the earth began to rise. Slowly and steadily, ro rose beneath her, lifting her into the air as it did so. When everything settled, Acubens stood on a small hill, about a foot high and six feet around and covered in greenery and flora. It stood out sorely against the white dust of the rest of the Realm, but Acubens couldn’t say that she minded.
So that was how to make changes…
Acubens stood still for a long moment before she left the small rise and bounded for the mirror at the edge of her Realm.
She needed more crystals.
