The frigid mountain wind invaded my nose. With no tissues, I continued wiping the snot on my sleeve, a disgusting method I was not thrilled about using. My poor hair had been blown into knots and tangles forming small nests for any wayward bird to make its home. Had I known that morning I'd be trekking against an icy breeze in an unknown land, I might have dressed for the occasion. For the moment my soggy jeans and ripped school coat did little to keep out the cold. My tennis shoes caked in mud sloshed about making for an uncomfortable mushy hike. If one of my classmates could see my sorry state, they might not recognize me. I appeared to have just made it through a natural disaster, or in this unusual case, fallen into another world. Needless to say, I was starting to believe that all this was real.

Owen walked in front of me. He was no more than ten steps ahead at any given time, watching and listening for creatures that might attack from the shadows. The plains may have held simple wheat and grasses as well as the occasional outcrop of rocks and shrubs, but the plains also held dangers, dangers I imagined lurking, waiting for us to drop our guard. No matter which way we turned or how many times I fell behind, Owen never let me leave his sight even as the evening shifted to dim twilight and the monstrous moon spied upon us.

As time went on, I struggled more and more. My sore hamstrings cried out in exhaustion, a clear example of how out of shape I really was. In middle school my mom had made me take up gymnastics but with the stress of high school, I stopped going. Oh how I regretted it now.

The Snowfell Mountains with their silvery peaks outlined the night sky and stabbed at the clouds that drifted by. Even as we veered northward, they seemed to play with us by turning towards our path threatening to block our way and then sinking back showing it was all a ruse. In the moonlight the mountain glaciers glittered like thousands of misplaced stars cradled in stone hammocks. I reveled in their splendor wishing to dance in their haunting snow. Never had I seen mountains in person. Texas was not known for them. Seeing them now towering over the landscape like giant stone guardians gave me an overwhelming sense of protection and peace.

It had been hours since we escaped the Half-Life, Desire, and scryed out of the water puddle. It must have been close to seven o'clock by now. My eyes widened. I suddenly remembered my date with Marcus.

"Oh no!" I thought while frantically pulling out my cell phone half believing I could text him and tell him where I was and that I was sorry for ghosting him, but like Owen had said, this was Tartarus. The no service indicator reminded me of how far from Texas I had traveled and revealed to me at last the truth I had been denying myself. I was lost in another world. This was no dream. Sadly I shoved my phone back into my pocket trying hard not to cry. Instead I focused on the pain in my legs, the hunger in my belly, and how good it would feel to rest in a warm inn.

"How much further is this town?" I asked, breathing out a puff of condensation. The terrain had begun to change, getting less grassy and more hilly. Owen hiked swiftly up the nearest hill.

"It is over the next ridge...I think."

"You think?" At this point I wanted to scream. The day had turned out to be both one of the worst and most exciting in my life. Yet I understood that complaining would not help the situation. So I did the only reasonable thing I could do and say. "Let's keep walking then."

By now Owen had fallen back to walk shoulder to shoulder with me. He seemed as tired as myself though he was doing well not to make it obvious. My belly grumbled loud.

"Hey, I think I have a small loaf of bread in my satchel," he said twisting his bag around. "If you would like to split it with me? I know it's not a feast, but it may hold us over for a little while. Give us some energy."

"Sure," I said as we stopped walking. At this point, I would not dare turn down the offer of food.

Owen reached into his satchel pushing and pulling items out of the way. My eyes eagerly watched waiting for the reward. For a brief moment I spied something inside the satchel flash a bright iridescent light then disappear. I wondered what it could be, but Owen noticed my staring and turned away. Before long he had in his hand a small loaf of bread and a smile on his face. He broke it in half.

"Here. Eat up. I'll be sure to get us some food soon, even if I have to hunt for it."

"Mmm," I moaned as the bread touched my tongue. It was dry and flavorless, but to fill my stomach with anything was a blessing. After having swallowed nearly the entire piece in one bite, I looked again at Owen picking away at his half. "Out of curiosity, how would you hunt?" I asked. "I don't see any sort of weapon on you."

"I have these," said Owen, raising his gloves. The small crystal glistened in the moonlight. "We call them WEAKs."

"Well a weak weapon is no good to have," I stated as I swallowed another piece of bread.

"No not weak as in frail. Weak as in W E A K. It stands for Weapon Emitting Arm Keepers." Owen twisted his wrist. A yellow light popped in the air and a small dagger materialized in his hand. "The design is simple. A core crystal is placed in the groove above the hand which holds a person's stored weapons."

"I'm guessing the crystal is magic." I moved closer to see the amazing device. I tapped it with my finger. Owen smiled at my intrigue.

"Yeah. The sages forge them and implant certain traits within the stone. Some stones are stronger and more powerful than others, but it all depends on what you're willing to pay and control. Not all sages have the same methods and abilities to characterize crystals. Some of the better ones on the market can add fire or poison to a weapon or even hold more than one at a time. Each of mine holds one small dagger. Not much for fighting battles but perfect for—"

"A thief," I interrupted quickly stepping away. Owen bowed his head in shame. I hastily stuffed the last of my bread into my mouth and swallowed. "That is what Desire said. You are a thief, aren't you?"

"I was going to say self defense." Owen flicked his wrist and the blade disappeared in a pop. "But if you must know, yes, I am a professional thief."

"You are not going to rob me or leave me for dead are you or...or sell me? Do they sell people here?"

"Don't be silly," said Owen plainly. "Why would I do that?"

"Because I am valuable. I'm a Mirrorbender, the first in almost three centuries. You said so yourself. And that Half-Life, Desire, referred to me as a treasure. Like something to be coveted, to be bought and sold. You said Tartarus was in a state of fighting, and I assume a unique power like myself would be a mighty tool worth a king's ransom."

"Aren't we humble," mocked Owen. He sighed seeing I had not enjoyed his joke. A conflicted look appeared on my face. "Hope." said Owen, placing his hands into his pockets. "It's not like that at all. I said before, you saved my life. I am indebted to you."

"And what happens to me after you repay that debt? You'll sell me to those monsters? How do I know you are not leading me to my doom." I felt a sudden wave of sadness come over me. "What will you do to me when I am discovered?"

"Well, I am kinda starting to like you," said Owen. That statement caught me off guard. I quickly turned around so that Owen would not see me blushing. "You were annoying and complaining at first, but I guess you were scared and confused. I would be too if I fell into a world I wasn't used to. You seem like a nice girl. I think by the time I repay you, we will be good friends if nothing else. I also hear those who travel with Mirrorbenders always find the greatest adventures."

"But even with all those kind words, it does not change the fact that you are a thief." I shivered. "Please don't tell me you are a killer as well. You are so young." Owen paused for a moment before he spoke.

"Tartarus is a rough world. I do what I can to survive." Owen could sense my distrust. "Perhaps if I share with you a secret of mine you will trust me a little more."

"Perhaps. What sort of secret?" I asked twisting back around.

"Well," said Owen stretching his arms in the air, "while I may be a thief by trade, I am also part of an underground group of fighters seeking ways of destroying the Half-Lives. We pride ourselves in counteracting the scum which has infected our governments and society. We consider the Half-Lives to be the source of all the nations' miseries and not this silly name-calling and petty battle for resources that many have come to believe. We think that this fighting is part of a more insidious plot. Something the Half-Lives have been planning for centuries and one that we have now come to partially realize."

"Is that why Desire was chasing you? You stole something that can possibly stop the Half-Lives."

"In theory, yes, but seeing that no one has succeeded I'm doubtful. She was my mission, but then you showed up." Owen kicked the mud off his shoes. "To answer your question, I tricked Desire into believing I was a Nightstalker looking for romance. Then I knocked her out and stole from her vault. She woke up quicker than I expected and started chasing me."

"A Nightstalker?" I said puzzled. "What's that?"

"A Nightstalker is sort of a person who chooses to help the Half-Lives hunt and murder people for the sake of gaining favors such as riches, power, or fame. Trust me, Nightstalkers are never kind hearted people. Not the sort of folk you want to meet in a dark alley or have running your city."

"Well I'm glad you're not one then."

I pointed to Owen's satchel. "I know you won't tell me what it is you took, but why go through so much trouble on a hunch? You put your life in danger."

"I do it out of a hope not a hunch. This item was mentioned in a prophecy, a song more likely, so it must be important. Then you mysteriously show up just when I acquire it. Now I believe that such an item fails in comparison to a Mirrorbender. Like Desire said. You are the real prize everyone has been waiting for. Maybe the myths are true, and that's what scares me."

"You mentioned a prophecy. What is it about?"

"Eh," said Owen. "I can't recall the exact words. Just that it speaks of a child being born, a darkness, a blight, and some stuff about a Mirrorbender. Like most prophecies and tavern songs, it makes little sense."

"Oh I see." I glanced down at my feet wondering if the prophecy was talking about me. "Seems rather cliché don't you think," I joked trying to laugh it off. "I mean come on. A prophecy."

"Well, the stories say that Mirrorbender's can see into the future. This one was supposedly left by your predecessor, Mirrorbender Ewan. I'd keep it in mind if I were you." Owen laughed. "Then perhaps you're right. Probably just some mumbo jumbo made up by some mad bard. Who knows."

I could suddenly see a more human side to Owen as he stood in the moonlight. A part of me was starting to like him and trust him.

"That magic you used against Desire, did it come from the WEAK as well?"

"Yes and no," said Owen, raising his wrists again. "Anyone can harness a WEAK for weapon use, but only a few can use it to call forth magic. The limitation of one's magic exists in balance to one's connection to nature and the strength of one's will. The crystal acts to harness and direct this power. So no WEAK, no magic. I only know a few spells such as the deconstruct, reconstruct, blockage, and light. For some people it takes years to harness and even longer to use them silently without words. Many sages tend to be born with a natural affinity and don't need WEAKs. Magic comes to them easier. I use mine for sneaking around though I must be honest, I haven't completely mastered conceal yet."

"So it's like a magic wand. Can I try?" I excitedly reached out my hands.

"Here." Owen removed one of his WEAKs, handed it to me, and helped me lace it around my wrist.

"It's lighter than I expected." I raised and lowered my arm. "Almost like there is nothing there. How do I get the weapon?"

"Just imagine the blade you saw me wield in your mind and then when you're ready, flick the wrist."

I did just that. Nothing happened. I tried again. Still nothing.

"Why isn't it working for me?"

"Weird." Owen took back the WEAK. "Maybe Mirrorbenders can't use magic."

"But I used magic before with the mirror. Unless that wasn't magic." I huffed and puffed disappointingly. "Awe, that sucks. I was looking forward to it."

"Well, we will get you a proper weapon in no time." Owen glanced around at the empty landscape. "I think it best we set up camp here for the night. I don't think we will find that town anytime soon."

"Sure," I said as I sat down. The anticipation of my muscles relaxing made me happy. At least until the painful grunt of my stomach reminded me of my hunger.

"That doesn't sound pleasant," remarked Owen referring to my growling stomach. "If you would like to stay here, I can go catch something to eat."

As much as the sound of more food intrigued my insides, the fear of being alone was a far greater concern. "No," I said lying down using my coat hood as a pillow. "I'd much rather you stay here. I can hold out until the morning."

"As you wish, Mirrorbender."

Owen started collecting wood and grass to light a small fire. I shut my eyes and waited for sleep to take me. I shivered in the chilly wind and tucked my arms close to my chest. Owen noticed my discomfort and silently removed his jacket and shirt. He draped them over me and then went back to collecting more wood. He spent the night bare-chested by the fire tending the flames with his magic. Even as I fell asleep I felt him watching over me so I would not be alone or in danger.