by Tom Larcombe
Merlin recognized the reaction.
So, they've been feeding him energy from that crystal. I wonder if he was their test subject for it?
Merlin sensed several other people approaching.
Can this night get any worse? I don't need any more complications, he thought.
As the small group of people approached the lighted area, he recognized them as three of his current students.
“Careful, Horst is out there in the darkness. I drove him away with the light. But he has a knife that eats magic.”
“We know Merlin. Anselm is watching through his owl. Horst is currently hiding in that small stand of trees,” Dieter said, pointing.
“What are you three doing out here?”
“Well, Ernst overheard Manfred and Conrad talking. Conrad told Manfred that he was doing fine and that he didn't need to worry about you continuing to humiliate him. He said that you would be taken care of. So, once they were all asleep, we came to check on you.”
“How did you get yourselves out? There are guards on your door.”
“Ernst lowered himself to the ground through the window, and then did the same for each of us.”
“Ernst, you have that much control now?”
“I do after Dieter showed me a new technique for determining the location of my target.”
Merlin looked at Dieter.
“You didn't tell me not to show anyone the Sensing method you taught me. So I taught it to both Ernst and Anselm.”
“Anselm, how could you put that poor animal in danger. Horst was ready to shoot it,” Merlin said.
“I only asked him to distract Horst, Merlin. The owl is rather fond of you. You were the first human to ever talk directly to his mind and treat him with respect. I asked him to distract Horst, thinking he would fly over and rain droppings on him or something. The next thing I knew, since I was watching through his eyes, we were dive bombing him.”
“I'm sorry for accusing you then. Thank you all for your assistance. I might have taken him anyhow but better to have the help and not need it than the other way around. Now, we have to decide what to do with him.”
“We don't have him,” Dieter said.
“But we know where he is. That's sufficient for a wizard. Use your imagination and I'm sure you can see what I mean.”
“But you said he has a knife that eats magic,” Ernst protested.
“That he does, but do we need to affect him directly with magic?”
Merlin assumed his lecturing tone.
“We could open a pit in the ground under his feet and, once he falls into it, refill it. No magic for the knife to eat since the magic doesn't touch Horst directly.”
Merlin began to pace back and forth. He reached for his non-existent beard and ended up tugging on empty air.
“We could start the trees on fire in a circle around him, then let the fire take its course. Magic might start that but get the trees hot enough and they'll burn on their own taking him with them.”
Merlin stopped in front of Anselm.
“We could search out any large predators nearby and set them on his scent. A small knife is no good against a large predator. Unfair to the predator though.”
Merlin paced a few steps more and stopped in front of Ernst.
“We could cause him to levitate by levitating his clothes. While he could eat the magic with the knife, he'd most likely end up cutting his clothes off in the process. That would put him in an interesting predicament, no? Or perhaps we could levitate the bones within his body? The knife must penetrate what it's to eat the magic of.”
Finally Merlin turned to face Dieter.
“I'd prefer to help him though. He's spell-ridden like Herr Schreiber was, but he's in much worse condition. The location he's in will remain hidden during the daytime, so we can simply cut the link to the spell. He'll be unconscious for several hours and in no condition to do much once he comes around.”
Merlin glanced out towards the stand of trees.
“I'll admit that it's the rough way of doing it but he brought this on himself. I feel no need to handle him gently as we did with Herr Schreiber.”
“That was gentle?” Dieter asked.
“It was gentle on him which made it rougher on us,” Merlin replied.
Neither Anselm nor Ernst were willing to voice an opinion on the matter.
“That settles it. I'll remove the spell and let him recover on his own. I may add a bit of a forgetfulness spell as well so he doesn't immediately try to attack me again.”
“Do you need me to help?” Dieter asked.
“No, I've the energy for this myself and I don't need to watch his condition or be gentle this time. If you'd watch my back physically that will do. I'll be distracted for several minutes.”
Merlin sent his awareness into the ground and then in Horst's general direction.
Even experienced wizards never think to scan underground for an opponent, Merlin thought as he searched for Horst.
He sensed the inevitable shifting of weight that a stressed man is liable to make. His probe moved through the earth, coming up beneath Horst. He waited for another sound to show him the exact location and then surfaced beneath Horst's right foot.
He slid the probe through the man's shoe and up, inside Horst's body, coming at the brain from below. When he sensed the spell riding the man, he slid the probe alongside the connection between spell and man and sent a burst of power into the weakest point of the joining.
Horst dropped like a rock. Merlin retreated to his body and trotted out to where Horst lay. After a minute's worth of spell work Horst would remember nothing of this night when he woke up. Merlin retrieved the knife, holding it gingerly by its handle. Finally he returned to the students outside the cottage.
“Anselm, I've a request for your owl. If this knife isn't too heavy for him, could you ask him to fly it away from here? Leave it in an exposed place where it won't be found. It may be magical but it will eventually rust away. Just be sure the owl only grips the handle and not the blade.”
“I'll ask,” Anselm said.
The owl flew down and landed on Anselm's extended arm. After a moment, it looked at Merlin. Merlin extended the knife, hilt first, and the owl reached out a claw, wrapping it around the knife. It looked to Merlin as though the owl wanted to see if the knife were too heavy to carry.
Merlin tried to couch his request in concepts and pictures.
{If it is not too heavy for you, night hunter, would you dispose of this?}
The owl spread its wings and took off into the air. Merlin caught a response to his request and held the knife up just as it appeared in the image he received. Moments later, the owl swooped and struck the hilt as though it were taking prey. The owl, and the knife, disappeared into the night sky.
Merlin invited his students into the cottage. He picked up Horst's pistol as he followed them in.
“Well, since you're here now I guess you might as well stay until we get you equipped,” Merlin said.
The four wizards talked for a while, touching on nothing of importance by mutual consent. The sky was lightening with the approach of dawn when the owl returned.
“He says that no man should ever find it,” Anselm said.
“Thank him for me and perhaps send him to his roost if he's already eaten this night?”
“I've thanked him for you and I made sure he was fed earlier, before we came to find you.”
“Well done, both of you. My thanks again,” Merlin said
Anguis shook himself as he released his effort of the night.
{Anguis, are you well?}
An image popped into Merlin's mind of the tiny dragon, covered in muck and mud.
{Need a bath, do you?}
The feeling he experienced when hearing a child's laugh passed through Merlin's mind.
{Go ahead Anguis. By the way, these two are Anselm and Ernst.}
Anguis flew first to one of the men he didn't know and then the other. He
fluttered in front of their faces before leaving through the open window.
“That's Anguis,” Merlin said to the two gaping men, “He's a great help to me and is the one actually sending the dreams of warning.”
Anselm and Ernst turned to stare at Merlin.
“Any other surprises we ought to know about? It would be poor timing if one were to spring itself on us in the middle of the escape,” Anselm said.
“I said we'd be going south. Now I know why. My apprentice, the one I was teaching when I went to sleep, had an accident. As a result she's still alive now, or at least was twenty-five years ago. I intend to find her if she still lives. She said, in her journal, that she would be staying near the location that my cottage once stood.”
“Her journal? This wouldn't by chance be the author of the other transcripts we were given?” Ernst asked.
“Yes, it is. I think they probably found her journals and mine at the same time. I hope it doesn't mean they took them from her by force.”
“Thirteen hundred years old? And still alive?” Anselm said.
“Why is that surprising. You know that I'm from that time.”
“Yes, but you were in an enchanted sleep. You didn't actually live all those years.”
“True, but I lived through the previous six hundred years before that awake and alert. It's sometimes tedious and emotionally painful, but it can be done.”
Silence reigned in the cottage. None of the students knew what to say and Merlin wasn't going to add anything to his statement. Finally Merlin looked from face to face. Seeing their discomfort, he spoke.
“The cafeteria should be opening. Let's get breakfast and then see about getting you supplied.”
When they arrived there were fewer people, both serving and eating, than Merlin had seen yet.
Good, some of them are taking heed of the warning, he thought.
Merlin was physically exhausted but he knew food would help. He ate as much as he could at breakfast. His students stared openly as he returned with his fourth plate of food. He spared a moment for them before starting in on it.
“Magic requires energy. I didn't get much sleep last night so I've little rest to recharge with. For a brief time you can make up for that by eating more. So...”
He gestured to his food before digging in and cleaning his plate again.
Merlin led the way to the supply area.
“I'm going to make the quartermaster think we have chits for all of you to be supplied. He likes to talk though so go ahead and engage him in conversation. I will as well. It will make him happy and less inclined to be suspicious.”
“Merlin, how are you? I had a hell of a night, and so did some others. Let me tell you about this dream...”
The man went on and on as he gathered the gear for the three students. Merlin interjected here and there as seemed necessary. Finally the students were all set.
“Is there any chance of getting some more of those iron rations? I had the misfortune to need mine already.”
“Sure, I can give you a case of them if you want. Nasty stuff compared to the mess hall but it beats not eating.”
“A whole case? That wouldn't cause you difficulty?”
“Nah, we got hundreds of cases of those. We write off a few every month due to spoilage.”
The man winked.
“Nobody wants them but they always take a few just in case. Really, I think those things would still be edible, if not tasty, a century from now.”
“If it's really not a problem I'll take a case off your hands. I only need a few but more is better, no?”
“That wouldn't be a problem Merlin, I'll just write off an extra case this month. About those dreams, rumor has it you're a wizard. You know how to interpret dreams?”
“I've done a little of that. You say they all take place here in the facility?”
“They don't start here but they get nasty when they get here.”
“Maybe it means you need to be out of here for a while. When's the last time you took leave?”
“Last year some time. I'm overdue but don't really have anywhere to go.”
“If you've got a few Reichsmarks on you I'll recommend a stay at the bar in the local town. I hear the barmaids are really friendly to a man with a few Reichsmarks.”
The man's face lit up.
“That's just the ticket. I bet I can hit my superior up for a forty-eight hour pass. I'm overdue so I should be able to get it right off. Thanks for the tip Merlin.”
“My pleasure. I'll guarantee that your night will be better if you get that pass and visit the bar.”
As Merlin led the students back outside, Dieter spoke.
“Merlin, what magic did you use? I saw no trace of a spell, yet you got that man to leave the facility just like you wanted.”
“No spell Dieter. I like people, at least the ones that aren't actively evil. He's just a man, with the faults of one. Once he let me know he was selling iron rations on the black market, I knew the idea of the barmaids would hold an attraction for him.”
Merlin stopped and turned towards Dieter.
“If he's willing to do something illegal for gain, doing something frowned upon for his own pleasure is no great step. He wanted me to tell him to get away from here, you heard his reply about the dream. So, he latched onto the suggestion I gave that accommodated that. If his friends ask, he isn't going because of the dream, he heard about the barmaids instead and that's why he's going.”
“I didn't get half of that from your conversation.”
“Just remember Dieter, you too Ernst and Anselm, people have wants and needs. They express them all the time. Listen carefully and watch how they react to things that are said or done. You can learn a lot that way and frequently get people to do what you want without the use of magic. I consider using magic for that to be compelling someone. Using words is only convincing them instead. Convince someone and they'll believe it's their own idea and fight for it. Compel someone and they'll fight against it one way or another.”
“But that isn't being a wizard,” Ernst complained.
“But it does require skill, compassion, and empathy. All of those are very good qualities in a wizard, so it's good practice.”
Merlin began to walk again and shortly they were outside.
“Alright, the three of you should return to your rooms. Without the guard seeing any of you if he doesn't already know that you left. I imagine there would have been some sort of fuss if they knew, though,” Merlin said.
Dieter nodded and the three student turned towards their quarters.
“Come to my cottage after dark this evening,” Merlin reminded them.
* * *
Chapter 17
When Merlin returned to the cottage, his guard was there. He looked tired and cranky, as though he didn't sleep well the night before.
Merlin spent the rest of the morning finalizing the construct. He just needed Plamen present when he activated it with his blood. He also took a nap and tried to recoup some of his lost sleep, and energy.
When he awoke it was lunch time and he knew he'd get little rest over the next several days. After lunch, he came back and gathered the construct and his remaining crystals, charged with death magic, into his satchel. He turned to the guard.
“I need to visit the room they kept you out of again. I believe I've solved their problem.”
Assuming their problem is that they ever created that abomination, Merlin added mentally.
“Yes sir.”
The guard turned and led the way. When they arrived, Merlin recognized one of the four soldiers on duty.
“Voigt, I need to enter the chamber. I believe I can fix the problem they asked me about,” Merlin said.
“No-one enters,” one of the new guards replied.
“What? I'm on the list. I was in there recently.”
“No-one enters, by her orders.”
“Whose orders? I believe Herr Schreiber is in charge of this facility,
is he not? He requested I work on this artifact. Now I'm told I cannot discharge my duties?”
One of the other new guards took a step towards Merlin.
“Shove off boy. You heard him. No-one goes in.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said Shove Off. Leave. Go Away. If you don't I'll arrange for you to personally go away to one of our special camps.”
Merlin's blood boiled. He knew just what camps the man was talking about. His temper was rising and he needed to get inside the chamber.
“You're aware that I'm a wizard, yes?” Merlin said, his voice ice cold.
“I said, Get Out!” the guard said, reaching forward to shove Merlin.
His hand never reached Merlin's chest. Merlin was done being gentle with the SS goons. As the hand moved close, Merlin flung the memories of the crystal at the soldier. As opposed to just letting him view them, as the dreams did, Merlin placed them deeper in his mind. The guard experienced every memory the crystal subjected Merlin to, except those of Plamen, as though they were happening to him simultaneously.
The guard dropped, curling into a fetal position. Two of the other soldiers reached for Merlin and he treated each in the same fashion. He turned to the fourth guard, Voigt.
“No,” Voigt said, both hands held up, “As far as I'm concerned you're allowed entry. I didn't see you do anything to these men either. From what I saw, they just fell over when they reached for you.”
The three guards that were curled into catatonic balls didn't react at all as Merlin opened the door and entered the chamber.
Before he closed the door, Merlin overheard the two men still standing out in the hallway.
“Idiots, they wouldn't believe me. They were new here and hadn't heard the rumors,” Voigt said.
“Tell me about it. I'm supposedly his guard, but he knows better. They want me to watch him and report on what he does. Most of what he does looks like he's just sitting there, thinking. But he's doing more than that, you can tell once you get to know him. You just can't prove it to anyone else.”
The door clicked shut, gently. Darkness closed in and Merlin withdrew his sun crystal to light the way. He advanced on the crystal and its purple light drew back as the sunlight grew closer. This time he knew what to expect and his mental shield held when, despite the sun crystal, it came under attack. When the attack failed the attackers fled back to the safety of the large crystal, away from the portion exposed to the light of Merlin's crystal.