Chapter 42: ~Survival of the smartest.~ (1/2)

***Mislow Kingdom, City of Mirrors –  Capital***

“... Sagittarius do this. Sagittarius do that. We need your help with the fortification spells. Please help us with the new spell. Nobody else but you can go on this diplomatic mission …” I shake my head while looking down from my carriage.

The streets of the City of Mirrors are neat and clean. There is nobody who looks like he belongs to a lower class. Everyone is dressed in fancy clothes. This is the capital of the Mislow Kingdom.

I realize that there aren't any old people like me or children. Well, maybe there are a few elderly people, but their numbers may be a hundredth of the entire population.

The reason is the unbelievable pressure on your body and mind in this place. You can feel that this city is dangerous. There is a rumour that someone who crosses the whole city from one end to the other turns insane.

There are mirrors all around me. No place, where you don't have to look into a twisted image of yourself.

Everything is for the purpose of honing your mind. The mind magicians created this city to train their skills. Only the smart and strong willed people manage it. If someone has a weak will, he can easily lose himself in this place.

The streets are arranged like a maze. The mirrors have the purpose to confuse and distract. If you don't pay attention for a single moment, you might end up running into a mirror, where you believed a long and wide road to be.

There are also confusion spells embedded in most of these hellish items. Some may show you reality, others display horrible visions of a future self. I guess the whole city can be seen as an artefact. A growing and changing one, because every generation of magicians adds their own unique touch to the city.

Survival of the fittest has a warped meaning here. It's Survival of the smartest. Everyone cares just for himself, people who aren't able to cope with this place are expelled and discarded. Useless material.

That's why there are no children or elderly here. Most of them are put into special facilities to prepare them for Mislow's harsh nature, or to get rid of them.

“Could you stop mumbling like that, geezer? Are you sure that you are in the right place?” The carriage driver interrupts my train of thought and I look and him.

Even the commoners are impudent in this place. “Don't get cheeky with me! I'll morph you into a mouse if you talk to me like that a second time! And I talk to myself as much as I want! After all I am paying you, so shut up and drive!”

The driver still looks at me like I would be a mad old man, but he doesn't talk back and concentrates on the streets once again.

I change my mind and concentrate on my goal here. It's just a small visit to the house of Arenzien. That stupid Norent Grant persuaded me to use my status and come here and gather information.

Normally I wouldn't follow a request by him. But since Jazira, the Empress has shown interest in this Ascathon, it would be very unwise of me to leave the matter as it is.

“We are here old man. The house of Arenzien.” The driver stops and points at one of the bigger buildings at the side of the road. It has seven floors and towers over its neighbours. There are no gardens in the City of Mirrors, so one building is neatly joined to the next.

I take my time to get down from the carriage. Jumping is only for the young. When I am finally on the ground, I grab into my pocket and hand one silver coin to the driver. Then I hold out my hand, expecting the appropriate change.

But the man snorts and spurs his horses. I barely avoid to be pulled to the ground by the carriage. Did I just get cheated? Several seconds go by until I finally make up my mind.

My finger points at the carriage and a wind gust hits it from the side, tilting it over and breaking the two left wheels. The driver falls off and slithers over the ground until a wall stops him.

Ho! Watch out. I may be old, but my finger is still deadly! The driver is wriggling on the ground in pain, so I guess he isn't dead. Maybe he will learn something for the future.

So I turn and walk slowly to the big entrance of the Arenzien's house. On the big double door is a luxurious golden door knocker. It's a stylized dragon with a chain around its neck. There are two long claws on each leg and the mouth has very sharp teeth.

A fine piece of art, but to place it on a door which is open to the public is stupid. Won't someone steal it? There has to be more to this thing than what is visible to the naked eye.

I reach for the chains, which are obviously used to alarm the owner of the house. Suddenly the golden door knocker starts to move and the dragon snaps for my fingers. It misses just by an inch because it's attached to the door.

Reaching for it slowly and cautiously saved my fingers!

“HiissssSSSS”

The fucking thing hissed at me!? “I will teach you! Nobody hisses at Sagittarius, the great Archmage and Headmaster of the Academy!” I grab my cane with both hands and start beating the dragon with all my might.