Tricky

"Trickery is an art. It must be performed."

Tricky

---

There is a story I bet you've never heard. It can be found in an old picture book, with yellowed pages, faded and forgotten. Maybe it was hidden for a reason. Maybe it wasn't meant to be unearthed. Maybe it's not proper for children, despite how colorful this book clearly once was, with beautiful, inked and painted illustrations, discolored slightly with age. The flowing text, clearly handwritten at some point, loops and strikes beautifully across the pages. It's probably a child's fairytale...but it's impossible to shake this feeling. Why does it seem so ominous? And yet...curiosity grows into a yearning to look into these pages, doesn't it?

The hardcover is stitched over in old, green thread -- as is common with old book bindings -- and the silhouette of a Coatl's profile decorates it. Something is stitched in flourishing, golden text above it: the book's title. It smells old, but it's in surprisingly good condition since it was found in the Forbidden Caves. How do I know this? I... Well, that is unimportant, isn't it? The point is that perhaps this wasn't such a good idea. Maybe this book is unsuitable for you after all, and I should not have mentioned it.

At this point, you won't be dissuaded, will you? But I'm beginning to feel a bit of dread about this book, despite its innocent appearance... After all, not only was it found in the Forbidden Caves, but during the week of Trickmurk as well. What if some supernatural mischief is about? Now, do you see that this ordinary yet unusual book may be dangerous? I've seen its pages myself. It tells quite the interesting tale...but no, I shouldn't trouble you any longer. What do you care about an old fairy tale anyway? Well...I suppose, if you insist, I can show it to you. You were thoroughly warned, however. If some curse falls on you or something, then it isn't my fault. I did warn you, after all, that this seemed suspicious...

Long, long ago, in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a little Mirror. His eyes were an unusual, light purple, and his wings were a beautiful violet. The little Mirror lived happily with his parents, and he played in the fields.

"Mother! Father! I am going out to play!" he would tell his parents.

And every day, they would reply, "Good! Go and play! But remember to stay in the fields. You must not ever wander into the woods, or you will be lost forever."

So, he stayed in the fields. He laughed, and he played, chasing bugs and chasing clouds. Every day, this continued.

"Mother! Father! I am going out to play!"

"Good! Go and play! But remember to stay in the fields. You must not ever wander into the woods, or you will be lost forever."

Each day, the Mirror heeded this warning. And each day, he would look at the woods and wonder what sort of evil lurked there that could take him away from his home.

His curiosity grew as he wondered and watched. Until finally, one day, the little Mirror thought to himself, "The sun is high in the sky. Surely I can just play by the roots of the first trees, right next to the fields, and nothing bad will happen."

And so, the little Mirror scampered over to the first trees and began climbing over their roots, staying right next to the field. It was such fun to feel the bark under his claws, and there were all sorts of new bugs here! He could see into the woods, which looked mysterious and welcoming, with the sunlight streaming in through the branches. But he remembered his parents' warning and ventured no further in.

The next day, the little Mirror called out as he always did to his parents. "Mother! Father! I am going out to play!"

"Good! Go and play! But remember to stay in the fields. You must not ever wander into the woods, or you will be lost forever."

The Mirror hardly heeded his parents' words as he hurried outside. The fields were fun only for a little while this time. Then, he was at the tree line again. He tested himself in climbing the trees at the edge of the woods, and laughed in accomplishment when he reached the first branch for the first time. He would climb and jump, and discover how amazing it was to be in the trees. There were so many more creatures here than in the fields, or on the ground below. The view was beautiful, and the shade was cool.

The Mirror looked deeper into the woods again. There was so much more he could explore! He said to himself, "Surely, if I can keep the fields in sight, then nothing bad will happen to me."

So, he leaped from the tree and ran further into the woods, exploring them in excitement, but always being sure to keep the fields in sight. It was even more fun than climbing had been! There were yet more beautiful things he had never seen before here. As it began to get dark, he hurried back home.

The next day, the little Mirror called his usual farewell to his parents. "Mother! Father! I am going out to play!"

"Good! Go and play!" his parents began, but he was already running off before they could finish what they usually said.

The little Mirror dashed right through the fields to the woods. There, he played for hours and hours, chasing squirrels, discovering a bird's nest, and climbing over and under a log. He had never had so much fun!

As he looked around, resting on a sun-warmed stump, the little Mirror said to himself, "There is nothing bad in these woods! Two days, now, I have come here, and both times I returned home safely! I have explored only a small part this place. I wonder what I will find deeper in!"

And so, the little Mirror ventured deeper into the woods, climbing, running, and exploring wherever he wished. After a while, it began to get dark, and the little Mirror decided that he should go home. But which way was home? The little Mirror grew afraid, realizing that he had become lost.

"Oh no!" said he, "Mother and Father were right! I have wandered into the woods, and have become lost forever!"

The little Mirror began crying, alone in the woods. He cried and he cried, and then, a voice startled him.

"Little Mirror, why do you cry?"

The Mirror turned in surprise to see another dragon standing nearby. He had glowing, purple eyes, and wore many feathers. The little one had never seen a dragon like him before.

"I am crying because I am frightened!" the little one replied. "Mother and Father warned me not to wander into the woods, but I did, and now I am lost forever!"

"Surely, you are not lost. After all, have I not found you? Come with me to my home. Eat and sleep. Surely, if your home is where you wish to be, then you can return to it tomorrow."

The little Mirror smiled at the kind stranger's offer and soothing words. It was just as the dragon with the glowing eyes had said. If he had been found, how could he be lost? He was being offered a place to sleep, and food to eat as well. Surely, the woods were not as frightful as his parents believed.

"Thank you, sir! I will gladly go with you!" the little Mirror answered.

The older dragon smiled and led the little Mirror to a cave, and entered it. The little one halted before entering. The cave was ominous, though the little Mirror did not know why.

The one with the glowing eyes peeked out. "What is the matter? Do you not like my home?"

"No, sir," the little one replied, not wanting to sadden his host.

The one with the glowing eyes smiled, watching as the little one entered the cave. Then, he withdrew into it again, himself. The following day saw no one leave the cave. Then, the next night, the dragon with the glowing eyes exited the cave into a different wood. It was a wood filled with shadows and brambles and glowing mushrooms.

As he exited the long-forgotten cave, he said to himself, "Mother. Father. I am going out to play."

There. Now, wasn't that omino- Wait... What's this? I didn't see this before: this page, after this blank one...

A short time ago, in a land nearby, there was an adventuresome soul. This person entered a forgotten cave during the week of Trickmurk on a dare, and found an old book. It was an enchanting and beautiful book, filled with pictures made from pigments and ink, and flowing, beautiful text. It told the story of a little Mirror, who was absorbed by a patient and cunning Coatl with glowing eyes, combining his consciousness with that of the lost child, as he had done many times before. One day, he was trapped inside of this book, and this foolish, adventuresome person found someone to read the story to. By reading each word aloud, the Coatl was freed, and would continue extending his immortality by feeding on the life force and absorbing the memories of his victims. The first one in this new era to be taken was the foolish -

Lore by Cryoluxa
(Written for Tricky on the Hatch-worthy stories Thread.
First Hatch of 2019

Shadow Rep

Found in the Forgotten Caves during Trickmurk 2019