The girl pauses and nibbles on the end of her pen. She reads back over what she’s written and smiles. Then she picks up a fresh sheet and begins again.

“They had not returned to Mysteria. They had instead reached a mirror world, where each of them might find themselves in a might have been, an alternate version of each Clan member.

“This next story interests me a great deal because in a way my parent’s visit to the mirror world is what led to my birth. Of course I don’t enter the picture until many years later, but had they never gone to that other world, never met Saint Drago, they never would have returned to it.

“After the trials of Spectoria coming to the mirror Mysteria at first was a relief, but they weren’t there long before things took a turn for the worse. Drago held their friends hostage, along with several of the crystal shards. Both Clan members and shards had to be retrieved. And my parents were about to get some surprising news that would change the way the felt about their adventuring forever.”

They made their way through the trees, around the corner of the castle, and into the middle of a battle. All seven of them simply gaped for a moment. Standing opposite the familiar spire of the queen’s tower was a craggy castle of dark stone. Out of its gates poured a veritable army of zombies and vampire, with the familiar form of Lord Drago at their head. But defending the gates of the tower was a second minor army of guardsmen, and leading the squads were some very familiar faces. Wearing the white armor of a paladin and leading a squad of royal guards was an exact carbon copy of Lavasida, with a duplicate Lon who seemed to be a warrior rather than a cleric by his side. An unfamiliar black man seemed to be in charge of the defenders. But the duplicate Clan members weren’t the most surprising thing. The real shocker was the man in white cleric’s robes who was fighting alongside the defenders. His skin wasn’t as pale, and the white robes were far different from the dark cape favored by his opposite, but the tall, slender man was also Drago.

“Right, this is weird,” said Flame. “Drago and Drago and us and us… well, some of us. I don’t see myself or Aidan out there.”

“This is some kind of alternate reality,” said Aidan.

“No time to talk, the battle’s coming this way!” said Brianna.

The Drago they knew had spotted them and was directing his troops after them. The Clan drew weapons and dived into the fight. Flame Song leaped in with enthusiasm, literally; blurring into her firecat form in mid-jump. Aidan took to the air, as usual, picking his targets from above. He watched with interest as the cleric Drago dropped undead in their tracks simply by touching them. Huh, thought Aidan. He must be as good of a cleric as our Drago is bad. I do wonder how Drago keeps getting ahead of us when he’s supposed to have to follow us.

With a shrug he picked out a zombie and executed his favorite diving attack. With both daggers leading the way he slammed into the creature and it went down. Unfortunately it didn’t stay down. He’d wounded the thing severely, but being undead it didn’t die easily. It moved slowly and Aidan was easily able to dodge the clumsy attacks, but though he cut it a dozen times, nothing seemed to slow it down. Then there was a puff of smoke and the Vampire Lord himself was standing next to the startled aerian.

Drago grinned at Aidan, who instantly spread his wings to take to the air and escape. Before he could even get off the ground the vampire’s hand touched his shoulder. He felt an instant chill, so cold it almost burned. The cold crept through him, numbing as it went and he dropped to the ground. The chill crept up his spine and as it reached the top everything faded away.

He awoke in pitch darkness. “Ugh,” he groaned. He had a splitting headache and felt generally achy all over. He sat up and looked around. There was a very dim glow coming from somewhere and gradually his eyes adjusted to the dark. He was in a cell. The solid door had a tiny barred window and a very heavy lock.

Heh… no trouble there. Just a few minutes with my lock picks. Aidan checked his pockets, and sure enough the set he kept there was gone. But the hidden ones in his boots were still there. He was working on the lock when a noise behind him made him jump. He spun around, pulling out a hidden dagger from the small of his back and crouching. A shadowy form on the irregular floor of the cell rose up. Aidan breathed a sigh of relief. It was the goblin Seymore.

“Seymore. You just about scared the life out of me. Where are we?”

“We caught by Drago. In shadow castle.”

“What about the others?”

“People Drago already caught still here. He no catch any more this time, just you and me.”

“Well, let’s us get out of here and see what we can do about the others, eh?”

“You get us out?”

“Yep!” And with a click the lock opened.

The pair moved cautiously out into the dark hall. There were cells all along the hall, but they all were open and empty. At the end of the corridor was a little room, with a second corridor on the other side and a set of stairs leading up. “There,” said Aidan. “The other prisoners must be in the other hall.”

“Perhaps they are,” said a voice from the top of the stairs, “and perhaps I’ve already killed them all.”

“Drago!” snarled Aidan, drawing his little dagger.

“Yes, it’s me. And now you need to go back to sleep.” And with a leap the vampire knocked Aidan down again. Aidan felt his dagger hit solid flesh, but the vampire didn’t even flinch and yet again the chill of his touch spread through Aidan’s body, sending him back into the dark.

He awoke again, back in the cell. A quick check showed that somebody had relived him of all his lock picks and, of course, his weapons. They’d even managed to find all of the hidden ones.

“Why? Why couldn’t something go right? All I would need is just one dagger, just one lock-pick.” He sighed.

“It okay Aidan. Me no have way out either.”

Aidan looked up at the little goblin, who was back in the cell with him and sighed. “Great. Just like always. I’m a liability in need of rescue. Some great hero I am.”

“It okay.” The little goblin sat down next to the dispirited aerian and patted his arm. “Not everyone be big hero. Some people need to be little heroes, do small good things, not big.”

“Yeah, but I don’t even manage that most of the time.”

“Seymore know what you say. Seymore not exactly hero either. But Clan come save us, everything be all good.”

“I know, they’ll rescue us, or at least try their best. I just am sick of being so useless.” He put his head in his hands and sighed again.

“Look, Seymore have thing to tell you. Me know me sound stupid, but me no stupid. Me think smart thoughts, thy just come out not smart. Is good sometimes, people not know me smart, me get underestimated. But is sometimes not good, friends forget me not stupid. But me tell you. Long time ago me no goblin, me no talk stupid. Me great warrior. You see big black man leading fight? You see other Lavasida, other Lon fighting? Big man fighting is other Seymore. Me know, me see, me remember what me used to look like.”

“I don’t understand,” said Aidan. “You used to be human?”

“Yes. Long time ago, me human. Like you human long time ago, yes?”

“Yeah, I used to be human.”

“So, me come here, me see Prudy. You remember me Prudy? She so wonderful. Maybe not pretty like humans pretty, but she pretty to me. She pretty inside. So me make big choice. Me say ‘make me goblin so I be with Prudy.’ So there big spell, make me into goblin. I give up being hero. Goblins no are heroes. But you see other me fighting? He hero. I hear, they say he king. This place no Tara Queen. Seymore King instead. That kind of hero me give up being, and me lose Prudy too. Drago kill her. So now me nothing. But is okay. Me choose, me live with choice. You no hero either, but you have Flame, she pretty, love you very much, all is good. She need to save you, is okay too. Prudy do lots for me that me no do myself.” He stopped and shook his head. “Mo no say it very good. I just trying to say that you no need to be sad for needing Flame come rescue you. You still have Flame come rescue you, so you still better off than lots.”

“I understand, Seymore. And I’m sorry for throwing such a pity party. You’re right. I’ve got more than a lot of people. I just wonder what I’m doing in the Clan. I never seem to accomplish much.”

“Me know. Me not do much big good either. But me still want to help friends when me can.”

“So I guess we just sit here and wait.”

“Maybe. Maybe we find something to do too. Maybe Drago come talk to us, maybe we get chance rescue ourselves, yes?”

“Maybe.”

For a long time it was silent in the dark, and then Seymore began to snore. Aidan smiled. How can he sleep in here? I’m entirely too nervous to rest at all. But to his own surprise he found himself yawning. He stretched out on the cold floor and even though it was hard and uncomfortable he was soon asleep.

There was no way to tell time in the dark cell, so Aidan didn’t know if it was day or night when he awoke. It was pitch black and perfectly silent. Aidan wondered if there really was anybody else down in the dank dungeon.

“Do you think they’re all… dead?” asked Aidan. “I mean Drago’s had the others for a couple of weeks now if that gypsy lady was right.”

“It possible, but me no think so. If gypsy right then we have chance to save some of others, she say that. And she say that this place have allies for us. This true, there whole other Clan here. Maybe your Flame come save you with other Flame with her. Then you have two Flames.”

“Heh. That would be interesting.”

If Flame Song was on her way to rescue Aidan with her double by her side, however, they were taking their time, for Aidan slept and woke again several times with no sign of rescue. He examined every inch of the little cell in that time. He couldn’t even fully spread his wings inside of the cell without touching diagonally opposite corners. It was claustrophobic. The walls and ceiling were solid stone, and the floor was stone too, under a layer of dirt and grime. The door was iron, thick and heavy. The lock was fairly crude, designed for strength rather than sophistication. He had opened it in five minutes with one of his picks, with a slender dagger or long pin it might have taken half an hour. But lacking any of these things he was trapped.

He paced the length of the cell a thousand times, scarce able to take three full steps in a line. Seymore didn’t mind the close darkness, but Aidan was meant for the sky. There were moments when the walls seemed to be pressing in on him and he could hardly stand it. He was very grateful for Seymore. If the little goblin hadn’t been there to distract him from his claustrophobia he didn’t know what he would have done. Gone nuts, probably, he thought. I hate not being able to fly.

“Aidan, you hear?”

“Huh?”

“Shhh… listen, hear!”

Aidan listened. “Voices. And… fighting! It must be the Clan!”

“Yes, yes, come to save us after all.”

The commotion drew closer and then suddenly stopped. And then a familiar voice shouted, “Anybody in there?” It was Lavasida.

“Yes!” yelled Aidan.

“Hang on, we’re getting the key.”

A moment later the door swing open, but what Aidan saw wasn’t quite what he expected. Instead of the Dark Lord, a paladin was standing there. The mirror Lavasida gestured for them to come out. “Hurry. We’ve gotten everyone out, but we still have to find the shards. And we don’t know where this vampire Drago has gotten to. He could turn up at any moment.”

They hurried down the hall and up the stairs. At the top a landing and a doorway led out into a great hall. There were dismembered zombies strewn across the floor, ample evidence of the battle that had been fought there. A cluster of mostly familiar faces was at one end of the hall. Brianna and Belak were there, and Lon and Lavasida were there in duplicate. There were also four more Clan members, the prisoners that Drago had held. Aidan quickly spotted Flame among the group and ran to meet her. They hugged enthusiastically and Flame said, “I’ve got some good news for you, tell you later.”

Aidan was curious, but there was no time for questions. Brianna, or at least Aidan assumed it was Brianna, with duplicates everywhere there was no way to be sure if it was the woman he knew, was giving orders. “Everyone, follow me. We need to explore the upper levels. The shards have to be here somewhere.”

Aidan followed as Brianna dashed up the wide stairs. Maybe now I can be of some use, he thought. “Hey Flame,” he said as they ran, “What’s going on?”

“We hooked up with this other Clan right after the battle. Our side won, but Drago caught you two. Drago kept attacking us, but a day or two ago he vanished. We decided to mount a rescue, since Drago left the castle sitting there by the king’s tower. We don’t know where he’s gone, but we’re taking advantage of the opportunity while its here.”

At the top of the stairs a long hall led off to the left and right. The group divided into two, half a dozen going on way, and about the same number going the other. Aidan stuck by Flame Song, taking a left. They quickly searched room after room. Most of them were nothing but barren stone, looking like they’d never been occupied. There were no signs of life, and no sign of the shards either. They made their way up through more levels, meeting up with the others at a huge room that sat on top of the largest central tower.

“There!” Flame Song pointed to a pedestal with five crystal shards sitting on it. “The shards!”

“Careful,” cautioned Aidan. “This might be a trap.”

“Bravo,” said a voice from nowhere. “It is indeed a trap. And I’m afraid you’re all already in it.” A patch of shadow in the center of the gloomy room swelled upward and resolved itself into the Vampire Lord Drago. The Clan rushed to attack, swords coming from sheaths, and Flame Song blurring into firecat form for battle, but suddenly they all stopped in their tracks. They were frozen, utterly immobile. Aidan struggled with all the strength he had, but he couldn’t budge an inch. The Vampire Lord gestured and weapons dropped from suddenly limp fingers, clattering to the stone floor.

“You are so predictable. Though this time I suppose you had no choice. After all, here,” he gestured at the shards, “lies the hope for your world. And now you’ll never reclaim these. What’s more, I’ve been using my time profitably. While you were plotting ways to get inside my castle’s defenses, I’ve been out looking for the shard that landed here. And now I have it.” He pulled a foot-long piece of crystal from out of thin air and set it with the others. “And now I shall be made king or your world will die. And here I’ve found somewhere else to go if Mysteria is destroyed. This alternate version suits me nicely.”

While Drago was talking, Aidan noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Flame Song was only a few yards away from him, suspended in mid leap by Drago’s spell. She was off to the side of the Vampire Lord and not in his direct line of sight. And she wasn’t simply hanging there. The faint blur of shapeshifting was moving over her. It grew and faded, grew and faded, and Aidan could sense the effort Flame was making, struggling to shift shape in spite of her enforced immobility. Suddenly the blurring grew stronger and then Flame was human and in motion, diving for a dropped sword and rolling to her feet with the blade in hand. She didn’t pause but continued her momentum, straight at the Vampire Lord.

It almost worked. But Flame Song wasn’t trained with swords, and though her natural dexterity helped guide her hand, her aim wasn’t quite true. The blade drew a gash along Drago’s side, and then dropped from Flame’s fingers as the Vampire Lord spun around and grabbed her by the throat. She choked and struggled, but Drago’s strength was greater than human and she couldn’t break free.

“Clever little cat,” he said with venom dripping from every word, “but not clever enough. You’ve cost me some blood and so you’ll have to repay it.”

Aidan renewed his struggles. He thought he’d strained with all his might before, but now he truly put forth every ounce of strength that was in him. He had to do something! He couldn’t just let Drago drain his wife dry! But it was to no avail. No matter how hard he fought, he remained immobile. He couldn’t even turn his head away as Drago dragged Flame to her feet and put his arms around her, holding her from behind in an unbreakable embrace. The vampire lowered his mouth to her bared neck and drew back his lips to show the sharp fangs. Flame Song shrieked and struggled as Drago’s teeth broke through her skin, and Aidan felt as though the sound of her scream pierced him through. He gave up his futile fight, unable to battle the horror any longer. It was too late.

“Drago!”

A sudden light illuminated the room. It seemed to come from everywhere, shining so brilliantly that Aidan was temporarily blinded. Then the light began to gather around one point and a moment later it had coalesced into a white-robed figure, standing a few yards in front of the Vampire Lord. When the light faded away Aidan blinked in surprise, for it this other figure was also Drago. But no vampire this, the man robed in white was the cleric he’d seen on the battlefield.

“Release her, Drago,” said the cleric. The vampire snarled, but he let Flame go. She collapsed to the floor and Aidan wanted to go to her side, but he was still held immobile.

“What business is it of yours what I do, cleric? Let me deal with my own enemies and return to my own world.”

“Evil is always my business, vampire, and all the more so because of the evils you’ve done in my world and in my name. Now by all the gods of good I banish you. Go back to your shadow realm alone, Drago, and never return here again.”

And just like that Drago vanished. The paralyzing spell broke the instant he was gone. No sooner was Aidan free than he rushed to Flame’s side. Drago hadn’t been gentle, and her neck was a bloody mess, but she was still breathing. “Flame, Flame, wake up!”

“Fear not, she shall live,” said a gentle voice. Aidan looked up to see the cleric Drago kneeling next to him. The cleric placed his hands on Flame Song’s head. There was a faint glow that spread down from the long-fingered hands and made its way through Flame’s body. The glow gradually faded away, leaving no trace of the wounds that had been there. The cleric removed his hands and Flame opened her eyes.

“Aidan?”

“Thank heavens, you’re all right.”

“Did we win?”

Aidan helped Flame to her feet, saying, “I guess so.”

“Aidan, Flame,” Brianna beckoned them over. “It’s time for us to leave.” Turning to where Drago stood with the mirror versions of Lon and Lavasida by his side Brianna gave a little bow. “Thank you, all of you, for helping us. We owe you the existence of our world.”

“Our pleasure,” said Lavasida, looking to Aidan’s eyes very odd in his shining paladin’s armor. “It has been interesting, to say the least. It’s quite odd to see someone who looks so much like my own dear wife and yet is so different.” Woah, Lavasida and Brianna married? That’s just weird. Aidan looked over at the Lavasida he knew. The Dark Lord had a strange expression on his face, something like… longing? Regret? I wonder if my other self is married to Flame, or if he’s with somebody else?

But Aidan’s mental meanderings were cut short as Brianna stepped up to the pedestal and gathered up the shards lying there. The familiar shifting, swirling, blurring sensation came over Aidan and when it cleared he was back in the courtyard of the queen’s tower. Just like that they were home and the adventure was over.

Yurik was there to greet them. “Did you get the shards?”

“We got them,” said Brianna. “Now lets put things right.”

The sun was rising above the distant hills as Aidan stood outside Queen Tara’s tower. Above him the sky was once again whole. He sighed heavily as he looked up.

“Something wrong, Aidan?”

“Oh hi Brianna.”

“You don’t look too happy.”

“I just… I’m tired of being rescued. I’m tired of never being able to help. I’m tired of standing by and watching while those I care for are hurt. I couldn’t help Flame Song, Brianna. I couldn’t do anything.”

“None of us could, Aidan.”

“But this sort of thing seems to happen to me all the time. What good was I while we were looking for the shards? You didn’t need me.”

“Aidan…”

“No. I just can’t do it anymore, Brianna. I’m not cut out to be a hero. Seymore told me that some people are meant to be little heroes, do good but small things. I think that’s me. I’m not meant to change the world. I don’t belong in the Clan.”

“Aidan, the Clan isn’t just for heroes. We need all kinds of people to do many things. My Lon isn’t a fighter either, he’s a healer. That’s his part. There’s times when we need somebody who’s good with locks.”

Aidan shook his head. “It’s not just that.” Then he smiled. “You’ve heard our good news, I’m sure.”

“Yes. Congratulations.”

“Thank you. Flame and I have wanted a child for a long time. But that’s another straw added, Brianna. I want to be a father. I’m not saying I couldn’t be a good parent and stay in the Clan, your wonderful kids are evidence enough that its possible, but… I just worry so much about Flame. You know she almost lost the baby when Drago attacked her? If that Saint Drago hadn’t been there, who knows? And… what if one of us is killed? Or both? I don’t want to leave this child an orphan. I just feel like I have to leave the Clan.”

Brianna put her hand on Aidan’s shoulder and smiled down at the much shorter aerian. “If you feel you need to leave active adventuring, then that’s what you should do. But you can never leave the Clan. There’s a reason why it’s called a Clan instead of a company or fellowship or any of the other things we might have called it. It’s a Clan because we’re a family, and family is forever. We’ll always be there for you.”

“Thanks Brianna. And thanks for understanding.”