Prophecy

by Gregory Cholmondeley

  “The short answers to some of your questions are that both Artie and Camelot certainly existed, although Camelot was not a kingdom, and Artie never claimed to be a king. Camelot was, however, magnificent with tall, pure white, alabaster walls which gleamed so brightly in the sunlight that any attacking armies would be blinded. Of course, that would have been more useful had we lived in a part of the world where the sun shone regularly. But it was still pretty.

  “Yes, we did use a round table for our meetings, but the people sitting at it were the seven major Briton kings at the time and, of course, Artie. There were no knights nor shiny armor. The kings provided Artie with a defensive army, but the soldiers wore heavy leather and, occasionally, chain mail.

  “Artie did yank out a sword jammed in a large rock. That’s another great story I could tell you over a pint. Hey, I wonder if I can still enjoy a tasty brew as a ghost.” He sighed when he realized the answer to his question.

  “There was obviously magic on, what do you call Albion now? Oh yes, there was magic on Earth and many who practiced it. But Morgana, Anna, Vivian, and I were the only true sorcerers of the time. And I was far more than Artie’s court magician!” Merlin concluded with a snort.

  The old wizard glared at Stavius for a few moments before his face softened, and he said, “And, I can explain about the misunderstanding concerning my age.”

  Merlin looked guilty but sighed and said, “It’s no big deal. So, I shaved a few years off my age. It’s not a crime. Everybody does it. You see, there was a woman involved. Well, there were several, but that’s not important.”

  His audience gaped in silence until Saturn finally asked, “How old were you?”

  Merlin closed his eyes and calculated for a moment before replying, “I suppose I must have died shortly after my last visit to Avalon, which was in 1134. I hadn’t been feeling well for quite some time and had this nasty flu I couldn’t shake.

  “Let me see, my host, Myrddin Wilt, was born in 468, so I suppose I would have been 666 years old, which is a rather inauspicious age, is it not? Now, to be precise, Merlin didn’t really exist before I jumped through that air hole. I didn’t go through the opening to Earth and become Merlin until 507. So, you could say that Merlin was only 627. Still, either way, makes me seem awfully old, doesn’t it? I never really felt over 200 until that last cold. It just sucked the energy right out of me.”

  Merlin looked sad as though his last comments had reminded him that he was dead. Terra felt terrible for the old man and would have put her arm around him if he had a physical form. Instead, she looked at him and nodded in understanding. Although there was no way, she could possibly empathize with what he must be feeling.

  The old wizard brightened a bit and said, “But enough about me. You want to know how we captured the seven talismans and built the magical engine. Those are fun stories. But first, you mentioned something about a quest for a grail. What is that?”

  Stavius quickly answered. He felt as though he needed to redeem himself after calling his hero, “Arthur’s court magician.”

  He confidently said, “The Arthurian legend speaks of Arthur’s quest to find the chalice Jesus used at his last supper. It is supposed to grant eternal life and is known as the holy grail.”

  Merlin’s face was frozen in shock for what seemed like several minutes. Then a grin appeared, and he began laughing. He sat down, rolled on his back, and was almost having a seizure from laughing so hard. The old man finally calmed enough to sit up after two or three minutes. Then he saw Stavius’ concerned expression and collapsed in another laughing fit.

  The people in the room kept glancing at each other, wondering whether anyone knew what was so funny. It became evident that no one did, so they sat back to wait for this strange old man to finish.

  Merlin managed to get himself under control and to retain his composure, even after seeing Stavius again. The contortions on his face indicated that this was apparently a struggle for him. Still, he was ready to speak after a few minutes of silence and several hard swallows.

  “Young man,” he hoarsely croaked out, “you are, indeed, correct that Artie sent many of his personal guards to search for something throughout all of Briton. You correctly surmised that he believed that this object would bring him infinite power and eternal life. However, I assure you that the Lord Jesus Christ’s lips never touched this vessel.”

  Merlin paused to swallow a chuckle that threatened to escape from his mouth. The wild look in his eyes indicated that he knew he would be in the throes of another laughing fit if a giggle escaped his lips. He held his breath for a few more moments until the urge had entirely passed.

  He held up a finger and said, “I promise I will explain Artie’s quest at a later time. But I should discuss the talismans before the stern young lady over there chastises me again.

  “First, I have a request. You now know about me. May I please request the honor of making your acquaintance before I begin?”

  Chapter 13

  Merlin’s Tale

  Each of the seven people introduced themselves to Merlin, who had become most gracious. He had overcome his wake-up confusion and subsequent motion sickness. The old wizard bowed deeply to the men and pantomimed, taking the women’s hands to kiss them. It was apparent to all that he was still struggling with not having any physical form.

  The group settled into comfortable positions as Merlin described how he captured all seven talismans at once. Although he warned that his trick would not work for their group.

  Merlin had arrived here on his thirteenth birthday to become his team’s Mars. His group trained as all traveler heroes did and cheerfully set off to fulfill The Prophecy. They were early in The Prophecy cycle, so there had not yet been very many attempts to steal the objects. This meant that the talismans were not as heavily guarded as they would be later in the cycle. But they were still securely stored, and some were protected more than others.

  One talisman appeared to be particularly vulnerable, and Luna wanted to target that one first as an “easy first victory.” Mars warned her that it seemed too easy and could be a trap, but he was overruled. The girls decided that, since he was nervous, he should provide the diversion while they stole the talisman. Mars shouldered this insult and staged the illusion of another robbery to draw the guards away.

  Mars snuck into the king’s bedchamber and stole a great deal of precious jewelry. He quietly packed everything into a cloth sack, but left the empty jewelry box open and carefully placed a necklace with a large pendant on the floor near the bedchamber door. He silently tiptoed down the hall and illuded himself to appear to be a statue in a corner.

  The guard made her round precisely on time and sounded the alarm when she saw the necklace and empty box. Events were proceeding exactly when and how the group had planned. Mars then jumped out of his hiding place and ran into the crowded marketplace with the king’s royal guard in close pursuit. Midway through the crowd, he tore open the bag, and precious jewels spilled out as he ran. The crowd swarmed the glittering litter, and mayhem broke out.

  Mars quickly shed his illuded disguise and promptly, but casually, left the marketplace carrying a basket of potatoes he had stashed earlier. The plan was for everyone to meet in the forest outside of town, but Mars had plenty of time and chose not to go directly there. Instead, he traveled to a neighboring castle to observe the way they were protecting their talisman.

  The girls had selected their first target because it was primarily protected by a very secure room. The altar was securely located, so there were only two guards. The girls had a plan to get in and out quickly and were skilled enough in fighting to dispatch the two guards rapidly. The talisman in the castle Mars was visiting was more public but was mounted in an impenetrable crystal case with a magical shield.

  News of the bandit and the royal robbery arrived at the next castle before Mars, and there was already considerable excitement and confusion in the streets. There were also rumors of an attempt at terr
orists trying to steal the other king’s talisman, even though the perpetrators were apprehended. So, the guards were doubled around their talisman as they prepared to remove it from public view.

  Mars hoped that the rumors about his friends were wrong but saw an opportunity to steal this talisman and took it. He hadn’t dropped all the jewelry and had stashed several pieces in his basket disguised as potatoes. Mars discarded his basket beside a tall fence at the end of a quiet alley, scattering the jewelry around. Then he snuck near the castle entrance and ran out, shouting, “Our king has been robbed! Our king has been robbed! The royal jewels have been stolen! There goes the thief!”

  He pointed to an illusion of a figure racing toward the alley carrying a basket of potatoes. The guards had just removed the talisman from the crystal case to prepare it for transport but only hesitated for a moment before sending someone to investigate. They placed the talisman into a carrying case while their friend ran down the alley. He reappeared a moment later, holding a glittering bracelet and shouting, “He jumped the fence but dropped this. Quick, go around both sides and catch him before he gets away!”

  Mars’ illusion had, of course, vanished upon entering the alley, but the jewels were still where Mars had placed them. All but two of the talisman guards charged around the building, hoping to surround the thief before he could climb out the other side of the alley. Mars illuded himself to appear to be the captain of the guard on the far end of the courtyard and shouted, “Hurry, you fools! Get the talisman to safety!” as he waved them to follow.

  He was not leading them where they expected to go. However, the confused guards were trained not to question orders, and dutifully followed their captain around the corner. Mars was waiting and clubbed them both with a heavy board. He then grabbed the talisman and ran off.

  ✽✽✽

  The girls never arrived at the meeting place, and Mars later learned that they had fallen into a trap. The stone floor surrounding the pedestal was rigged to transform into water when the talisman was removed. Hence, all three girls fell through the sheet of water into a deep pit and were captured.

  Mars returned to the cave where he and Janus were granted access to the room behind the cave wall. They decided to hide the talisman by burying it in the woods and were soon glad they did. The king’s soldiers arrived at the training camp early the next morning. They arrested everyone except Mars, who happened to be in the hidden room at the time.

  They somehow found the talisman and recovered it, although Mars was the only person who knew where it was hidden. Mars did not learn about being able to track objects containing persistent magic until many years later. Had he known, he would have realized the folly of merely burying his prize.

  Mars never saw Janus or the other heroes again but remained to study the talismans and past attempts to fulfill the prophecies. He used his Earth name, Myrddin, to mask his identity and eventually became an expert on talismans. Myrddin became a consultant who advised the kings how to increase and use the talismans’ power. He determined the artifacts’ essential shapes with all the embellishments removed and worked out how to assemble them into an engine.

  He helped train many future heroes and studied the Soul Reapers as well. Myrddin observed new recruits as soon as they arrived and eventually recognized traits which indicated whether someone would become a host upon their thirteenth birthday.

  Over a decade later, he discovered a child in a small, remote village who had these traits. The boy was only eight years old, yet his family and community already considered him incorrigible. The child was facing destruction-of-property charges, and the townspeople were at a loss for how to proceed. He was far too young to be jailed, but no punishment seemed to have any effect.

  Myrddin offered to take the lad away as an apprentice. The townspeople were eager to be rid of their problem, and the boy was excited to visit faraway castles and kingdoms. He was mostly causing mischief because he was bored in a village where nothing exciting happened.

  Myrddin taught the child about magic, talismans, and The Prophecy. He explained that the boy would become a hero on his thirteenth birthday and to not fear the Soul Reapers who would appear and transport him to the training camp.

  Six years later, which were exceptionally long and painful for Myrddin, the two implemented their plan to steal the talismans.

  Myrddin had convinced the seven kings that bringing their talismans together would give them all nearly limitless power. They didn’t trust each other, and none entirely trusted Myrddin. Still, they were greedy, and Myrddin gradually managed to get them to believe his plan.

  He built a substantial, windowless, round, stone building with only one small door. It was situated in a large, grassy meadow with no hiding places nearby. Inside were eight hooks holding silk robes and a round table with seven seats for the kings and one for Myrddin. Each of the kings’ positions also had a specially-built stand for their talisman. The sole entrance even had a unique, magical enchantment. Living creatures could easily pass through the doorway, but inanimate objects were slowed as if stuck in molasses. It would take nearly a minute of constant tugging to pull a sword, a belt, a shirt, or a talisman through the door. This would ensure that no one would bring in a weapon and that no one could quickly run off with a talisman.

  On the day of the meeting, each king arrived with a battalion of troops. Each sent in one, naked soldier wearing nothing but illuded armor to perform a final inspection. The talismans arrived after everyone was satisfied that no weapons were hidden inside. Each artifact was then slowly carried by a single soldier through the enchanted door.

  The process took most of the morning, and the kings held a mighty feast while the talismans were slowly brought into the tower. Myrddin had constructed the room to be so small that only eight people could fit. So, after lunch, the kings ordered their guards out of the tower and entered to begin the meeting.

  Each king put on a robe as soon as they entered because, while everyone appeared to be wearing exotic attire, they were actually naked. The wooden chairs and stone floor were quite cold.

  Myrddin explained talisman theory for hours, which bored the kings. Then he shared how their proximity to each other magnified their effect, and the kings greedily began planning on how to use these new powers. The meeting was in full swing when the temperature seemed to drop. The kings started shivering, despite being wrapped in their warm robes. Then one of them screamed as a Soul Reaper appeared on top of the table.

  Every king immediately grabbed his or her talisman and turned to leave. Myrddin, however, had already shed his robe and thrown open the door. They had insisted that he be the last one to enter and to sit there to block any king from exiting.

  He turned as he left and shouted, “Leave them and save yourselves, you fools! No one can remove anything from this room anyway!”

  The kings begrudgingly heeded Myrddin’s advice and were all soon standing outside, safe from the Soul Reapers. A few minutes later, the temperature rose, and the kings sent guards into the room only to discover that their talismans were gone!

  They turned to confront Myrddin, but he was gone as well. He had quietly slipped away in the excitement even though battalions of soldiers from each kingdom were encircling the tower. No one had ordered them to detain him when he wandered into the woods to pee.

  The kings jointly disassembled the tower and even dug deep beneath it. But they never found their talismans nor any tunnels or other indications of how they were removed. Myrddin and the Soul Reapers were blamed for the theft. However, none of them, nor the talismans, were ever seen again in the kingdoms.

  What had really happened, of course, was that Myrddin’s apprentice had been hiding in the hollow, central pedestal of the round table with a large sack. It was his thirteenth birthday, and he knew the Soul Reapers had arrived to claim him when he heard the frantic screaming. Once the room was silent, he snuck out of a trap door in the side of the pedestal. The boy quickly stuffed the talismans into his
sack before the Soul Reapers grabbed him.

  The hero and his treasure were instantly transported to the cave, where he met up with his compatriots to await Myrddin’s return. The boy’s combined name was Janus, and his Earth host’s name was Artorius.

  The tower had been constructed far from the cave or the castles so that it would require at least two days for soldiers to travel the distance. Myrddin, however, arrived just before dawn riding a unicorn stallion he had befriended years before. Janus and the heroes had removed almost all of the embellishments from the talismans by the time he arrived.

  The trainers were ready to depart in seven different directions. Each carried a talisman’s magical ornamentations with instructions to scatter them somewhere far away in two days. Myrddin saw them greedily fondle the valuable artifacts but explained that the kings’ soldiers would torture and kill anyone associated with these jewels. He delivered his warning with such force that no one doubted his words.

  Myrddin invited all the heroes into the hidden room to assist in constructing the engine after the trainers had left. The first soldiers arrived a day later, and the group remained hidden in the chamber for nearly two weeks until the last soldier left in disappointment. Myrddin’s office was small, but he had stocked it well with food, drink, and other supplies.

  They carried the completed engine into the main room once the last of the soldiers had left, and Myrddin connected the power.

  Nothing happened at first, and disappointment hit Myrddin like a Satyr’s kick in his gut. Everyone stared at him, waiting for his guidance, but he had no idea what to expect. This was the only object which could be constructed using all the pieces, but something, anything, should be happening.

  He suggested that “perhaps it just needs to warm up,” and they waited for five minutes, and then ten. Everyone began making suggestions and blaming each other until Janus walked up and kicked the engine. Myrddin tried to stop his irritating protégé, but Janus landed his kick before Myrddin could pull him back.