56 Mirror Mirror

Logan cast an illusion to allow them to jump the gate undetected. Easy enough, he and Leira patrolled ahead to take out the patrolling snowmen.

They hid behind large fixtures such as fountains, bushes, and garden statues. Logan laid traps so Leira could kill the victims with fire arrows. The plan was executed flawlessly to get everyone across.

They reach the well-carved wall and climbed up to a balcony on the third floor. Logan's illusion kept anything from seeing them while Andres' jokes about being fancy would've alerted anything that flew by. At least he made sure climbed up safely whereas Logan took care of Dani.

They jumped to the balcony. Leira took in the view. She admired the frozen water from the fountains which were perfect for skating. Snowman patrolled through un-ventured areas of the courtyard.

Andres being smashed a few feet from her brought Leira's attention back.

He rose his shield in time as giant bold pincers continuously stabbed at him. Her legs trembled as she shot at it.

Once the hairy attacker came out, she screamed herself into a corner.

The nasty thing smashed Andres into the floor. It stood tall with its human torso. Green eyes wrapped around it with no visible mouth. The legs were like a spider's body and the pincers felt like missiles.

It aimed for his legs. Luckily, Andres wasn't gonna give it that privilege.

Leira was now crying harder than Mina ever did. Her face was between her legs, kissing her ass goodbye while tears spilled on the floor. Andres yelled for her not to quit. Luckily for him, Leira had no will to make any decision on her own at the moment.

Springing to his feet to dodge a pincer strike, Andres tossed his shield into the creature's eyes.

Andres swung his sword before rolling to his shield. He grabbed it just in time to take a full pincer strike.

Once slammed into the wall, Dani shot the creature off the balcony. She was firing at multiple creatures while Logan finished them off with his sword. Andres ran to help, leaving Leira in the corner.

After a short bit and alarming the castle, the three had defeated their ugly foes. Logan dragged Leira by her arm while Andres led them through the halls.

They launched surprise attacks in each room on the crystal decorated floor. They looted many points from treasure chests. They even found a bow for Leira and an axe for Andres.

But they couldn't find anywhere new. The hallway simply led them in circles to the same rooms. Logan looked up into the white and blue crystals, taking note of their reflection.

He motioned his hand, realizing one mirror reflected its movement slightly different than the others.

"What's up Logan?" asked Andres as Logan himself faced the mirror with a slightly different reflection.

"Let's smash it," he said.

Dani shot the mirror. The crystallized dust blew around towards the center of the room to form a scythe-wielding warrior made of glass. Its eyes were filled with sorrow.

He swung ice gusts of ice particles that froze anything they touched at Leira. Dani had already shot him multiple times before he completed his swing.

Andres shielded Leira as Logan got close enough to impale the warrior.

"Scatter!" yelled Logan, causing the warrior the shatter into tiny glass pieces.

His smirk wasn't from mere victory. Rather from defeating a challenge. After all, what sense does it make to challenge a guy who could freeze things in melee combat? Combined with Dani's scolding left Leira lost on their motives.

Dani shook her head, "We need to take this seriously. So get it together".

"I don't know what you want from us," smirked Andres, "You know we love this".

She was agitated, "Well there's nothing behind the mirror. So we need to go find more to smash I guess".

Logan laughed, "Obviously".

She held her anger back to lead them through the floor again. Logan couldn't help but notice that one of the giant mirrors in the hallway had a tint of red. They stopped to investigate it. Yet couldn't find any abnormalities.

Thus the four continued smashing the odd mirror in each room and subsequently defeating the scythe-wielding warriors from each mirror. This left them roaming about looking for the next piece to the puzzle. Coming across the giant mirror in the hallway again, the team realized it was no longer tinted, but rather red.

Dani positioned her team behind a fixture, ready for combat. She shot out a well charged magical bullet that blew up the mirror. Leira felt the shockwave of glass brush through them. Her skin felt as though sandpaper was yanking her hairs off her body.

Her heart was about to burst until Andres called "clear".

Dani gasped as she looked towards the shattered mirror. Leira took a peak witnessing a giant hidden room now accessible. Unlike the rest of the third floor, this hidden room was made of a dark stone with bloodstains on the walls.

The air from this room blew out a stank that was foreign to Leira but strong enough to make her not want to go in. What's worse, there was a circular platform in the wall with two chained 10-foot tall giants next to it.

"They're dead," said Logan as he sauntered towards the platform.

Andres looked at the two dead giants realizing that despite being dead, they were still conscious. Unlike Logan who was eager to ride the platform with Dani, Andres approached the two lifeless giants.

Chains were attached to their spine and joints, bounding them to the wall. "Please help us," begged the giant on the left. A black venom spewed from his mouth.

"What happened to you guys?" asked Andres, observing the scarless bodies of the giants.

The giant on the right began shaking as he stretched his arms, "We're prisoners of Eisheth Zenunim. She has captured our souls and imprisoned us here in the Tower of Envy".

The left giant continued, "Please if it's not too much. Release us from the belly of the hungry bride. You must rip her stomach open to free the souls of her many victims".

"Where can we find her?" asked Andres.

The right giant answered, "In the far castle with her husband, The King of The Fifth Realm. Free our souls and return to this forest. And we will show our gratitude by granting you our power".

The giants believed the sincerity in not only Andres' eyes but also in his words, "I accept your quest. I will venture to the tombs of Samael himself. Find this wicked witch by the name of Eisheth and drive my blade through her stomach".

The two giants held their hands out as a way to give thanks for Andres' generosity as he continued, "And when I am done, I will be back to claim my reward and have a good solid quest defeating demons with my two new friends".

Andres nodded his head at the two giants as he walked onto the platform. Black venom tears rolled the cheeks of the two imprisoned giants as they turned their heads. Everybody stared back at the giants in question of what they were about to do.

"We're sorry," said the two giants, "You do not have access to use this elevator. We must send you all to the beast for consumption".

The platform closed itself to not allow anybody off.

"Assholes," responded Dani.

The giants continued, "Only by defeating the demon in the keep to which we send and stealing the jewel from its collar will thou be allowed to travel to all floors".

Andres gave a smile that cheered the cold hearts of the giants, "Then so be it".

Symbols on the walls surrounding the platform glowed. It began lowering itself to the dungeon at the bottom of the castle.

Logan patiently stood with his hands clasped, "You're full of shit".

Dani nodded her head to Logan's truthful words.