Graven Island had a tradition that ran for many decades of having wealthy and ambitious pirates as kings of their land. If you visited it, you would see the impact they had on it and the crazy stories of pirate ships and treasure islands that were fixed in the hearts of the citizens.
Barbagon’s father, Captain Reagan was the best of them all. He brought so much wealth to his people that they all loved him and were ever loyal to his kingship. However, times were tough in Graven Island, a lot of wealth had been stolen from pirates of another land, and Captain Reagan had just died. Barbagon was the heir to the throne and a lot was expected from him, people wanted their wealth back.
One day, Barbagon was searching through the old items that his father left behind. Maps and scrolls, compasses, old coins, chests, but one stood out to him. A mirror, on which these words were written, “Look into the future, look into this mirror!” Barbagon stood in front of the mirror for a few seconds. He expected himself to be covered in Fancy clothes and gold, but the mirror showed him to be poor. He saw in his reflection himself, but looking rough, deprived and scrubby.
Even though he was not as rich as before, when his father was king. He was not so poor either, he still had enough means to run the affairs of the island. Seeing a poor reflection of him in the mirror made him angry, so he took an oath to leave Graven island, and come back only with chests full of coins and wealth, in hopes to prove the mirror wrong.
He returned to Graven island with more wealth than ever seen before! Chests and chests full of precious jewels and silver and gold, stolen from the neighbouring islands treasury without them even noticing! The people were very happy, and gave Barbagon and his crew a grand welcome.
The next day, Barbagon decided to look into the mirror again, perhaps to see what it had to say now that it had been proved wrong miserably, but he was shocked to see that nothing had changed. He stood there agazed, staring intently at his poor reflection. How dare this lifeless old mirror curse the destiny of such a rich and ambitious king! The mirror's reflection troubled Barbagon for many days, but as time passed, he got busy with kingly affairs and he stopped thinking about it.
A few months later, Graven island was at its highest peak. Barbagon proved himself to be an amazing king. He remembered the mirror, and decided to look into it again, just to see that the mirror still claimed that Barbagon was going to be poor, though that seemed impossible now.
Frustrated and wanting to prove it wrong, Barbagon brought the mirror to the public’s attention. He put the mirror in the centre of the island where his statue stood tall and glamorous. People gathered around in curiosity. Barbagon announced to the people, “Fellow countrymen, take a look at this mirror. It will show you a reflection of yourself some time in the future.”
Turn by turn, people looked into the mirror and saw their respective reflections. One man said, “This mirror shows that I will have sold more grains than ever before! Oh, thank God!”
A woman exclaimed, “I will be living as a queen! Oh, good fate!”
This made Barbagon even more angry. How could his people be happy with their futures, but he would be as poor as the labourers!
News spread quickly about the magical mirror, and Barbagon saw more and more of his people see that their future holds happiness and prosperity.
Therefore, Barbagon decided to take it away. He couldn’t bear looking at people that should be as slaves to him be happier than him.
Curiosity spread quick as to why Barbagon took away the mirror. Once again, he wanted to prove the mirror wrong, so the next day, he publicly announced that twenty percent of the earnings of the people of Graven island would be taken by the throne. Soon that became thirty percent. The public opinion on Barbagon changed quickly. It was very clear that he was getting greedy and complacent. He did not want to see his people prosper and him suffer, so he deprived them of as much of their wealth as he could. After a few months of this, almost every man, woman and child scorned Barbagon and his rule. They wanted Graven island to be rid of him and his cruel policies. They protested against him in the streets all day long.
In response to this, Barbagon made a public proclamation that those who defy his rule would be imprisoned and highly punished. However as this was going on, hundreds of people rushed towards his palace door where he was standing, avoiding the guards, to attack Barbagon. He shouted at his guards, “Do something, you fools! Stop these crazy men!” But they did not, they had turned against him, as Barbagon did not do much right to them either.
So now, everyone in Graven island was against him. He fled from the island and went into hiding. He had nowhere to go. He escaped through a boat to a neighbouring island where he lived as a homeless, poor man.
News had spread to this island as well that Graven island was rid of Barbagon, and he was infamous now.
One day while walking on the street, he saw his reflection on a window of a Baker’s shop.
It was the very same reflection he had seen earlier many times in the mirror.
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