Personally, I have always seen things a little differently. I have always thought about wizards, and about magic, as an understanding of the shape of the world. Each spell is like a secret about how something works. In the same way one can understand the forces that cause an apple to fall, one can understand how a spell creates fire or shapes earth. Though magic comes in many different forms, to me, this pursuit of its hidden mechanisms has always been what defines Wizardry in particular. 

After so many days spent traveling, seeing concrete evidence of what they had come to find was a warm and welcome sight. 

“I can’t believe it. It’s actually here.” Hadrian’s breath, already ragged from the climb, caught in his throat. 

“It may be early to be certain, but it is certainly good to see a sign of what we hoped and expected to discover.” Jacedi nodded. His tone was slightly cautious as he looked at his friend, but his eyes were ablaze with excitement.

“I was so afraid we’d find nothing the tablet mentioned. It’s not just fiction, entirely at least, that is.”

“I know. It is good to see your spirits higher.”

Hadrian was already rummaging through notes. 

“Let’s see. Our notes say ‘on the near shore, beneath Nabalkutu’s gaze.’” It seems like this is indeed Mt. Nabalkutu, so that probably means the side of the lake towards the mountain.”

Jacedi focused on the distance. “It is still a few hours away, but we should be able to make camp there today without any issue. It will take time to skirt around the lake, and we should keep our eyes open for any sign of ruins.”

They continued onwards with renewed determination. There were still miles to go through the hilly terrain, and each time the sight of the lake dipped below an obscuring hill, a slight anxiety clutched Hadrian’s chest. Each time it came back into view, it was a wash of fresh relief and reassurance. But unlike the physical hills, these peaks and valleys of apprehension gradually lessened with each passing cycle. In reality, the hills seemed to be getting larger and steeper.

“Are we really going to make it there by the end of the day?” Hadrian managed to get the words out between breaths.

“I think we can take a break for a little while. The sun is high now.”

Both of them were doubled over. The lake seemed closer now, but a dissatisfying amount so, given the time and exertion since they had first seen it. 

“How are you doing?” 

The animal looked back at Hadrian with a dopey grin, its tongue lolling out of its mouth. It swished its flat tail about.

“I think he is much less troubled than us.” 

“Well, it’s cheating to have four legs. We only have two.” 

“Krahhw.” 

The mule sounded like something between a frog and a bird. The sound trailed off at the end, making it seem almost quizzical. 

“Don’t make fun of us.”

They both sat down in the grass, admiring the view and catching their breaths. After a short respite, they continued down the hill.  By the time they reached the lake shore, the sun was low, and it was setting once they had circled around towards the mountain. There was only enough time to set up a basic camp for the night. The next morning, they began their work in earnest. 

“Did you see anything on the way here?” Hadrian asked.

“Nothing. But there was not much light to see by.”

“Neither did I. Hopefully we can find some ruins today.”

The morning hours passed all too quickly with no sign of stone or structure. They scoured the lake shore from the water to the tree line but found no evidence of any edifices that might have once stood there. 

“I suppose it was ambitious to hope that we’d find the palace right away. We’ve only got a vague description to go by, and the geography has likely changed in the last few thousand years.”

Hadrian sighed as he collapsed into a seated position, going through the motions of setting up their campfire for a meal. 

“We can start looking through the woods tomorrow. We have the provisions to spend a while here, and we can try to hunt or fish to supplement that. I am sure we will find something within that time.”

The next day, they began combing the surrounding woods methodically. Setting up a grid, they worked from north to south, searching the woods for signs of forgotten monuments. Before long, a day had become a week, and they had progressed through half their demarcated area. Their camp began to take on a grim mood. 

It was the night of their eleventh day there when Hadrian snapped. 

“You’d think there would be something! A stray bit of masonry or a moss covered chiseled stone. We have found absolutely nothing! What if this isn’t the right spot? Maybe it’s just a lake by some mountains. Maybe we read too much into it.”

Hadrian dropped his sheaf of papers with a frustrated grunt. Jacedi reached over to recover them. He looked at the translations upon them as he brushed off the dirt.

On the near shore, beneath Nabalkutu’s gaze

Stands the palace of Tarhun-gal

With walls that gleam like copper

And stones that date from ancient times

A scholar’s idol

A king’s desires

A mortal’s greed

Tarhun-gal provides

“Perhaps we are looking at this the wrong way. The later passage here, we assumed it referred to a magical seal of some kind.” 

All are barred from entry

Excepting those who know the key

Cast water upon mirror 

Reflection upon reflection 

In the shape of man

And the gates shall open for thee

“Yeah, probably a magical lock of some kind? You were carrying around that mirror for ages just in case it’s still active.”

“What if it does not refer to barring our entry? What if the ritual it suggests is intended instead to reveal?”

Hadrian’s face scrunched up in thought. “Hm, I guess that’s a possibility. Stories of invisible castles exist. We don’t have a lot to go on though, it made more sense if we were looking at a locked gate and we could see what kind of spell we’d be dealing with. As it is, we’d just be… splashing water on a mirror?”

“It does not hurt to try.” 

“It seems kind of silly… but I’m running out of ideas. I haven’t noticed any unusual magic here either, no echoes of mana that might indicate a ward, have you?”

“No. I would have mentioned it if I had.”

“Sorry, yeah, I know. I don’t know if it’s just me being frustrated or being so far out in the wild for so long, but I’m starting to feel uneasy about.. something about this. I’m not sure what. Let’s try doing something with the mirror in the lake, maybe something will activate a spell we’ve missed or not been able to detect. This is some old stuff, it might be beyond us to sense.” 

They carefully unbundled the mirror from its oilskin wrappings and leather bindings. It had been well packed for its long journey. It was a reasonably large mirror, the kind that might be hung on a wall, about as wide as a person and half the height of one. 

“This would’ve been expensive in the last places we’ve been for a while.”

Jacedi nodded in agreement. 

“It was good luck we were able to purchase it from that traveling merchant. However, I do wish they had a smaller one.” 

They carried it over to the water’s edge and set it down by the shore, holding it upright.

“Okay, I guess first we try just getting it wet, I guess?”

“That seems too simple, but it is a good first step I suppose.”

Hadrian gestured to the water, and an orb detached itself from the lake, gently floating upwards to rest above his hand.

“Here goes nothing.”

He tossed the water at the mirror. It splashed across the surface. Droplets rolled down the glass.

“This feels stupid.”

“Hm. Perhaps we should try placing the mirror under the water. ‘Reflection upon reflection,’ remember? 

Hadrian shrugged. “Worth a shot.”

Jacedi took a few steps into the lake and set the mirror down gently. It sank softly onto the pebbly lake floor under inches of water. Both wizards leaned over to look into it, standing ankle deep as gentle waves lapped against their legs. 

“See anything?”

At first, it was only a trickle. A sly tendril of magic creeping in at the edges of their awareness. It was a black and oily thing that slithered across the lake surface. It crept around the lake, splitting itself in half and then again, multiplying into a ring of writhing appendages. 

“Hadrian–”

“What is this?”

“It is unlike anything I have ever seen.”

“Should we–”

Hadrian took a step away from the mirror and looked to the shore, but the wriggling oil surrounded them now, coating the edges of the lake. The nearest tendrils reached towards them as if grasping, coiling and uncoiling with slick iridescence. 

Jacedi scowled. “I do not like this. It feels wrong. Can you freeze the water?”

“I can–”

Before the wizard could cast anything, the magic exploded outwards. It stretched and shot towards the two wizards, reaching for them like a hungry, starved thing. It coiled around them, wrapping around ankles and limbs. It was cold and sharp, and its touch whispered of ice and needles and teeth. It eagerly poured towards the mirror, dragging them along with it unbidden.

In only a moment, they disappeared beneath the surface of the shallow water.

After the ripples subsided, the lake was tranquil and still once more.