ORIGIN

Sharp was baffled.

Incredibly, incredibly baffled. This entire day? Pure bafflement.

Imagine you're in her shoes. You're a tiny little lizard taking a break from your kids to go to Polaris. Something was happening there, they said. And you know what was happening? Absolute kaiju warfare. Creatures thousands of times your size, one made of pure stone, battling it out as you desperately try not to get stepped on. Fire and magic flying through the air, dragons-- even the dragons were there! Some leviathan nightmare so large you can't even begin to comprehend it joins the fray, and you frantically slip to the tunnel it left behind in a gamble for safety.

And then the tunnels filled with clones.

Okay, not clones. But it took her a embarrassingly long time to realize the mirages all around her were just reflections. It was a short, cool tunnel, a far cry from the shouting and wind going on just behind her. The walls were made out of perfectly faceted gemstone, reflecting her image infinitely in every direction. The only non-shiny thing were the long, large planks beneath her talons and a collapsed sheet of rubble on the far side.

For the first time in seemingly hours, Sharp let out a sigh. Whatever chaotic mess was happening in Polaris didn't reach here. Her heart still thrummed high in her throat, and the confusing mirrors made her eyes sore like nothing other, but at least she was warmer and, well, not getting crushed to death. Plus, the shininess of the walls were really enticing. Sharp was still Sharp, after all, and "reflective" was not all that far away from "glowing". Perhaps she could stay a bit until the fighting died down, you know? See what this place was all about?

Nothing much here, huh?

It was just reflections of herself, stretching endlessly from corner to corner. Every step she took mirrored, every breath she took copied.

... It wasn't too bad, honestly. Nice and sparkly, just the way she likes things. And it was certainly better than being in the warzone out there. Even here she could hear the shouting, and the grinding, and the screeches of magic being unleashed. Not very fun for a small prey animal. Perhaps she could camp out here until the noise died down.

Of course, the shiny crystals coating the walls took presedence over anything else in Sharp's mind. It was simply the aphorism defining Sharp's life: collect shiny things, trade for more shinies. As gently as she could, the lizard crawled to the near wall, pried off a few loose shards of crystal, and clutched them in her mouth for safekeeping. She'd definitely have to show this to Aerie back home.

Sharp lingered in the crystal tunnel for quite a while, and the shouting outside still didn't cease.

It was nice here. Calming, even. Perfect mirrors all around her as she laid on the wooden planks. But also lonely. Sharp was the only one here, after all. There wasn't terribly much to do but rest and play with the reflective shards she pried off. But hey, it was better than being in the midst of a battleground.

Eventually the outside world calmed down, but Sharp had long since curled up in a comfortable nook in the planks. The gentle drip of water from the mirrors lulled her softly to sleep, and she didn't wake until long after the chaos had receded.