Room5b
Jora reaches out for the surface of the mirror; somehow this seems like the right thing to do.
As his hand touches the glass, it ripples like the water of a pond.
The mirror is cold, colder than the deepest snow he has ever experienced. He cries out in pain as the cold penetrates his fingers to the bone.
A force reaches out from the mirror and engulfs the small band. They feel themselves rushing into the mirror.
The world around them warps and twists and after a seeming eternity, they stand in the same room.
Something is subtly different. It takes a moment for realization to sink in.
“The mirrors, they’re gone,” Safir says.
“At least the doors are still here,” Conrad says.
“I think we’re inside the mirror,” Lamia says. “There’s the tapestry of the forest scene.”
“I guess we should look behind it then,” Jora says.
“Why?” Lamia says. “Let’s just go through the next door. It’s obvious where we go now.”
“I don’t think it works that way but sure. Conrad, give the door a try.”
Conrad reaches for the black door and yelps in pain.
“It bit me. It was like when there’s lightning nearby and you get a shock touching metal, but really powerful.”
“See,” Jora says. “We have to play the wizard’s game and that means following through on whatever choice we made by selecting the mirror. Conrad, I guess you better go look behind the tapestry.”
“Why me?”
“The vision, numbskull. You were shown looking behind the tapestry so you’re the one who has to do it.”
“All right,” Conrad grumbles. “But I don’t see why it has to be me. Anyone could fulfill the terms of the game.
Conrad walks to the tapestry, it is beautifully detailed. The stitches are so fine that the image almost looks like a lifelike painting.
“You can almost see the leaves move,” Conrad says.
He reaches out, hesitantly, and grasps the edge of the tapestry.
“Maybe I should find a way to do this without being so close?”
“Just lift the damn tapestry,” Lamia shouts.
Conrad cringes and closes his eyes tightly and then lifts the tapestry aside.
No monsters leap out and devour him nor do painful spikes or other implements of death impale him. After a moment he opens his eyes and looks at the wall revealed behind the tapestry.
A golden key is painted on the wall. There is no inscription or other clues as to its meaning.
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Maybe we’re supposed to find a key?” Jora looks to Lamia, she has always been better at riddles than him.
“Maybe it’s saying that a forest is the key to something?” She shrugs and walks to the black door.
“We played the game, now let’s move on.
What choice should the adventurers make?