Meet the Landers: A Mirror

After the Palace Lands forces were driven out of Yamato, Kaydon had found himself with a need to make something to commemorate it. In the process he had managed to garner a bit of a reputation as a weaponsmith, and the weapons he presented to the leaders of the four Dukedoms were second to none.

But that wasn't good enough anymore. With the tournament fast approaching, Kaydon had gotten it in his head to use it to his advantage. He would put on an exhibition and show off some spectacular new weapon he had made, and coincide it with the opening of his weapon's shop and forge. It would be perfect.

Except he had no idea what to make.

That's how he found himself back at the vine covered cave entrance that lead to the ancient Alv forge. He had found just the part he needed to finish making his masterpiece, the Jaeger, but he needed new inspiration. Something that would really show the people of Yamato that his weapons were the best you could get, something to always be proud of. So he was back, pushing the vines out of the way to get inside, as he held up a small torch to light his path. He'd kept up his agreement with Miho and not told anyone about this place, though he had made sure he wasn't followed on his way here.

There's this subtle 'rumble' constantly echoeing through the chambers. The wind outside within the Dun Loireag highlands playing at the mouth of the cave, creating the feeling like a beast is constantly growling outside. But the deeper Kaydon steps into the hidden smithy, the quieter this effect gets. Eventually, he has to light up a torch or cast some kind of spell to be able to see a bit better.

For the most part, this place looks the same. The ruined weapons that were left in attempting to create the perfect result, the forge gathering dust, and that beautiful painting of that Alv remains hanging from the walls.

Everything here seems quiet.

Forgotten.

There's a lot of wrecked weapons here, Kaydon finds, as he sets the torch off to the side to cast light over a wider area. A rack of rusted weapons had fallen over, and Kaydon knelt next to the pile, starting to search through it.

Nothing is jumping out at him, and he starts to get a bit frustrated, and then makes a mistake, bringing one blade too far up his arm and then bringing the rusted edge along his arm. He yelps in surprise and drops the pile of weapons in his hands, making a clattering of metal as it spills back all over the floor.

When the debuff pops up in his HUD, he grumbles a little bit, "Fuck." He pulls a bandage out of his inventory to wrap around his arm, at least stopping the bleeding for now, even though the debuff will continue to drain his HP. Not something he can deal with now. "What the hell am I even doing."

As the stack slowly comes tumbling down, a glimmer catches from his torch. The warm flare of light coming from it running across what looks like a mirror. And when he lifts his torch close enough to the mirror itself, it begins to shift and warp.

Followed by movement. A shimmer beyond it. Making it look like the mirror goes deeper than it does. Showing what looks like some kind of laboratory behind it made out of metals of sorts. A workbench. And someone notably is working behind it. Wings upon their back, dancing as they appear to be singing something at a workbench of sorts.

"What the hell?" Kaydon says, as he reaches out and grabs his torch, turning to head towards that mirror. It was a mirror right? He holds the torch up close, tilting his head a little bit as he sees someone on the other side.

He reaches out his left hand and touches at the mirror. He has seen The Matrix, after all...Maybe it'll work like that. That or he'll knock the mirror over and break it before he gets any answers, which is definitely on his mind as he reaches out.

Bump.

Nope, his fingers end up just touching the mirror. It looks like it's a mirror, or at least some kind of window. The mirror ends up falling back a bit and drops into the mess of rusted swords. The noise of which seems to startle the person on the other side.

Turning around... they honestly look breathtaking. A kind of celestial kind of beauty. The winged figure steps forward and touches at the mirror from the other side and then... speaks. But they're words Kaydon simply cannot understand. It sounds like the songs he's heard so many times. Their words singing. Their eyes focused on him.

Kaydon has heard stories of what an Alv looks like, but he never thought he'd actually see one. He looks just as surprised when the figure turns around and looks at him. It's some kind of magical mirror, but how does it work?

When the figure speaks he pauses, and his head tilts again. The were fang was still in his transformed state as he almost always was. He can't understand a word that they're saying, "I'm sorry, I don't understand." He says, taking to his training for how to communicate with people who don't speak the same language, pointing at his ear with a finger before shrugging his shoulders.

The Alv on the other side looks surprised when Kaydon answers her. There's a pause, touching her chin, thinking for a moment. Then, she notes; "It's been a long time since I've spoken to someone of the lesser races." There's breakage in her voice. Like, the language she is speaking is actually a bit garbled. Uncertain. As if the Babel Tower might not be able to help translate this - or at least not as easily.

"What are you doing in one of my labs?" She then wants to know. Pushing her face close to the 'glass' of the mirror and looking around, hands on the mirror. Trying to get a better look. "Dun Loireag, right?"

Kaydon blinks in surprise when she speaks in a way he understands, even if it still feels kind of strange somehow. He picks up the mirror again now that he's not surprised, and turns it around so she can get a better look, "I'm sorry, I didn't know this was your's."

He turns the mirror back around to look at her, "Yes we're near Dun Loireag. I was looking for, hm..Inspiration." He responds, "I was here before, a while ago. I found something that helped me create a weapon that this world had never seen before. I am trying to do it again, I suppose."

The woman looks at him when he picks up the mirror and leans back a bit. "It's not as if one of your monkeys or other animals could create this kind of thing." She points out, when Kaydon mentions not knowing this was hers.

At the mention of looking for inspiration, she crosses her arms and humfs. A haughty humf, staring at him with bemusement. "Your kind, coming up with something never seen before. I doubt it. What'd you make? A sword that is actually just two swords stuck together?" She asks him in disbelief. "You lesser races could barely create a club when we came here. I think that's the first thing we taught your poor little brains. I guess it was at least an upgrade from a stick."

Okay, rude. But Kaydon has been insulted plenty in his life, he was in the Marines after all. He moves over and puts the mirror on a table, before reaching behind his back and pulling out the Jaeger, turning it around and holding it up in front of the mirror, "Here, take a look."

A sword that is two swords stuck together is actually a good idea. Something a Twin Blade could use while hiding the fact they had two weapons. Kaydon files that idea away for later, though. It's not exactly what he's looking for.

The woman looks at the weapon as he pulls it forward. Leaning in a bit, squinting. "You do realize this is a communication device right? I can't really reach through this thing and be able to tell what nonsense you attached to a weapon." She notes, as he holds it up. "But I assume based on the bulkiness and the strengthened metal that you applied some kind of output for magic onto it? It's a magic sword with some limited simple enchantment, isn't it?" She remarks to him with utter disinterest.

Like a child offering a roughly scribbled drawing to a parent that just does not care.

"Yeah. Okay, so that doesn't impress you much." Kaydon knows how to get at people like this, "What WOULD impress you then? Maybe I can show off how good I am if you give me some kind of challenge."

The woman gives him a look. "I am not looking for you to impress me." The woman answers him. "It's just curious to see that someone like you has managed to find my lab after all this time. I guess your kind has continued to spread." There's a dangerous tone to her voice for a moment. As if his existence is somehow an afront to her. Assuming they're a her.

"If you want to make a good weapon, start at the basics. It's what your kind is best at. Copying what is already there." She remarks, dismissively waving at him, before the mirror suddenly goes dark. Showing just his reflection.

"No wonder everyone kicked their asses." Kaydon says, as he hmms a little bit, muttering to himself, "Start with the basics." He hmms faintly, putting his gunblade back onto his back, before he looks down at the pile of rusted blades. He bends down, carefully this time, and takes one by the handle, pulling it out of the pile. If it's fully intact, and he can take it, he will. Copy what's already there? He can do that at least.