Through the mirror

  He ran a cross the fields, near the edge that signified the moment to jump on to the next floating rock. He had been going at time for as long as he could remember. As the sun was approaching the final moments of its descend, he decided to take shelter on the taiga biomed rock in front of him. Unlike the previous jumps, he would have to swing upwards. After a couple of attempts he was able to get his grappling hook between the protruding roots at the edge of the soil. As soon as he was up on the floating island, he switched to a normal walking pace to preserve energy. While searching for a good place to camp out for the night, he stumbled upon an inn with red paper lanterns hanging outside.

It was the first construction he had encountered on this land.  Cautiously, but with a glimmer of hope, he approached the establishment. The smell of food made his stomach grumble, attempting to overthrow the thought of being careful. As he entered, the inside appeared to be much larger in comparison to how one would expect it to be judging by the outside appearance. The hardwood floors looked brand-new, but with each step the sound they made would allude to being at least a couple of centuries old. Near the sides of the hall there were enough tables to hold a banquet, but all the patrons were sat at the square bar located in the middle of the floor, which also served the role of kitchen.

- Greetings, traveler, neow! said the barkeep, a tall and ferly muscular humanoid cat that resembled the highlander bread from back home. What can I get you?

- Hello! I’m sorry, but I have nothing to give in exchange, he said uneasy.

- That’s a shame. I think I can spare a glass of water, neow. What bring you here?

- Thank you for your generosity! he replied bowing his head. It’s a long and tiresome story.

- If it’s a good story I might find some leftovers as well.

- I’m looking for a mirror.

- Hue, hue, hue! disrupted the two-legged wild boar with a foam mustache from his pint of ale. Only a fool goes around these parts for a mirror, hue, hue!

- Leave the kid alone before I cut you off, neow. But he is right, for a drunken boar.

- I’m looking for a mercury mirror.

At the mention of those words, the room was silenced. Everyone stopped what they were doing.

- I’m sorry to hear that. Let me get you a bowl of grub and you can stay here tonight, free of charge.

- I apologies for laughing at you. I didn’t know and the ale spoke for me.

- What is happening?

- Kiddo, we’ve all been tricked by that darn toad, neow. The mercury mirror is a legend and we’ve all been trying to find it to go home. All have tried and failed.

- You all met the mirror merchant toad?

- Hue, that two timing excuse for a frog ain’t no merchant. He basically threw me through that zinc mirror. Hue, what I wouldn’t do to get my hands on that slime.

- I was bamboozled with a copper mirror. What about you, neow?

- I went through a silver one hopping I’ll get a better life, but when I wanted to return I was tricked into getting in an aluminum one, I had to run for my life in a gold one and ended up here.

- That’s the tricky one, the gold. They say it’s only one way because it smashes on both sides. I was fortunate enough to find this inn and maintain it, neow.

- This inn was already here? the traveler wondered. I think I read something about it before I landed here. Do you guys know what a burrok might be?

- A burrok? I think it’s what the Captain rides every couple of months. I would ask, but the Captain is sleeping, neow.

- What is it?

- Hue, it’s like a fish, but giant. Like this rock, they float in the air and green and glow at night. Wouldn’t mind tasting that a little.

- Could it go down to the surface? he said with fiery enthusiasm in his eyes.

- We wouldn’t know if there was a surface to begin with. We never did tag along with the Captain. There might be some answers there, neow.

- The inscription I found said a burrok to the surface can shed light on the mercury mirror, the door of doors. When will they pass through here again?

- You sure were lucky with that inscription. Unfortunately, you might have to stay a while here with us. Captain returned just a few days ago, neow.

- The I’ll remain at your service until the day comes!

- Hue, I like your spirit.

- Me too. It’s settled then. You’ll help out around the inn with cleaning, cooking and foraging with our dear resident wild boar.

- Hue, hue! said the boar before starting another pint of beer.

- I’ll go and prepare a room for you upstairs, neow.

- Thank you so much for your help and hospitality. Where can start?

- There’s a broom right there in the corner. A good sweep of the floors should be enough for today. But after you eat neow.

- Will do!