Reflection

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As I walked under the canopy of unfamiliar trees, I found my eyes drawn to the ruins of buildings littered about. While thick and overgrown with vegetation, the rubble that littered this part of the forest loomed over my tiny form. Tall pillars, massive monolithic stone, towering statues of kings and heroes past; all the hallmarks of a once proud civilization left in ruins. I was no longer in my part of the woods.

Walking through the snow covered causeway, wary of roots that might trip me, I found myself lost in thought. Waking up in an unfamiliar part of the forest valley was a god send on my end. Sure I was just walking around to become familiar with my new surroundings, but it kept me safe. I was in another part of the valley, which meant I had some space away from my Troll nemesis.

Given the grievous injuries I'd inflicted, and even then I was being generous as this was a troll we're talking about, I had a feeling that that troll would be after my hide. Spite could be quite the motivator, and I'd earned myself the ire of a beast that could take a beating like no other. That was going to be a problem.

Coming to a stop, I found myself in front of a still working canal, bringing in fresh water from whatever source it was connected to. Looking into the stream, I found myself looking at myself. I looked, despite everything that I had experienced, rather innocent. I was also reminded that I was still but a small welp lost in a whole new world.

With my smooth, rounded features and large doe eyes, I knew that no predator would treat me seriously. Yes, I had a goat as a rival… but that was it. Before I met Ramsy (It certainly sounded like a regal enough name for my cervine rival), I had yet to meet a proper predator and that filled me with false confidence. Then came the troll and I got my teeth kicked in, thankfully not literally.

"I really wish I could get bigger, faster," I muttered as I hopped across the canal, "But what can I do? That guy's definitely going to try and find me."

I had nothing. Aside from gorging myself and trying to force myself to grow, I had no path forward. Frustrating, but I still had time. I needed to clear my head.

I paused as I looked back down the winding path where the water flowed to. It went down deeper into the ruins, where tall pyramids still stood. Briefly, I considered just going back to the forest ahead, where food would be plentiful… but there was a ruin there…

Turning around, I found myself aimlessly following the water, just content to explore whatever ruins were left. Who knows, maybe I'll find something.

As I followed the canal, I found myself amongst ruins like no other. It was one thing to see cinematics showing the remnants of a lost civilization in fiction on a screen and it was another to be inside one. These ruins might not have been as big or impressive as modern cities, full of towers of steel and glass, but they were still awe inspiring.

Even now, probably hundreds or thousands of years after their construction, I could still make out the carvings in the walls as well as the statue. Pressing my claw against the runic inscriptions, I had this nagging feeling of familiarity.

Looking around, I found myself feeling like I'd been here before. Had my ancestors been the cause of this destruction? Scrunching my eyes closed, I tried to dig out those memories. I had visions before, so maybe I could remember? I cleared my thoughts, but my mind remained empty, aside from my own thoughts and ideas. I was about to give up when it hit me.

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The small folks with their deadly bolts are a nuisance, but they make for a fine meal.

Their screams, their cries of terror, drowned out by the cracks formed by true eyes engulfing everything.

Hateful, angry creatures, descending upon me, their sharp stone axes digging in through supposedly adamantine scales of ice.

After generations, this wretched city of invaders was finally encased in ice. The small folks are no more.

Flashes of memories, too fast to focus on, washed over me, nearly overwhelming me before I pulled back and leaned against the foot of a statue. I had to hold on for my dear life to stop myself from falling, but I soon gathered myself.

"That… was unpleasant. Never going to do that again unless my life depends on it," I told myself, but I had a feeling that I would have to do it again. At least I got to know that it was definitely my ancestors that destroyed this place, though shouldn't I feel bad about that? After all, the people that made these statues definitely did not want to die by freezing to death.

Looking up, I noticed a peculiar detail that I hadn't really picked up until now. From the moment I saw their bearded visage and armored figure, I should have known what they were. Despite the towering size, the proportions were not as tall and lanky as a man, but stockier and wider; like a small boulder with legs. Delight filled my heart as I realized, "I'm in a dwarven ruin!"

This, this was not a statue of a man but that of a dwarf! I was in a dwarven ruin and I had it all to myself. Unable to contain myself, I stood proud and tall. Puffing my chest and flaring my wings, I shouted, "From now on, all the valuables that lay within this realm are now mine. Every scrap of gold, iron or copper shall become my hoard for I declare myself, king of this kingdom!"

I stood there for a few seconds, holding the pose before I broke down laughing. It was but a silly thought, but it helped lift my spirits. Considering their apparent age, all the valuables would have either been rotten away or looted. This was simply an empty husk, but even empty husks could be made into a home. Such was the wisdom provided by the hermit crabs. Even these ruins could become my future lair. At the very least, it would help me against that pesky troll.

Pulling myself up, I stood proudly and strutted about as I walked towards the central pyramid; a massive stepped pyramid of gray and white stone. "Well, it's time for me to inspect my new kingdom!"

With gleeful laughter, I ran ahead. Bounding through the thin snow, all worries melted away as child-like wonder overtook me. What great wonders shall I discover in this new part of the forest? Will there be traps like the stories of old? Will there be gold or even monsters just lurking in the shadows? All those questions would come to a screeching halt as I stumbled upon a clearing where the ruins of tents, hides and broken weapons came into view.

Fear filled me as I walked up to this part of the ruin, my eyes straying to the shadows. Walking up to the fire pit, I reached down and wiped away at the snow before taking a pinch from the pile. Fresh ash coated my fingers as I found myself in the middle of a campsite that had just been abandoned. "Damn it, of course people are going to be around here…"