Merlin's Target (An Untimely Error Book 3)

by Tom Larcombe

  {You're welcome. Feel free to share that with Gwyddon should you like. I'm going to try to communicate with Nimue now. She keeps pushing me away.}

  {Merlin, wait! There's a reason for that. We finally managed to speak to her mind. Ave sets nightmares running through Nimue's mind every time she's here. She keeps showing Nimue images of you, dead in different fashions. Then she takes on your form in Nimue's mind and accuses Nimue of causing your death. We told her you were still alive, but in her current state she may well have taken it for more of Ave's torture. Nimue shut us out immediately after we told her that you were alive.}

  {Well, tomorrow I'll see if I can end that once and for all.} Merlin sent.

  {You're that close?}

  {We're less than an hour out of Berlin with our new method of transportation.}

  {Good. But you need to be aware that if you try to talk to Nimue, she may not believe it's really you. If that happens she's going to react as though you're Ave.}

  {Thank you for the warning but I want to speak with her. I'll see what I can do to convince her it's truly me.}

  Merlin broke off his conversation with Brenda and shifted his awareness to Nimue. This time he waited a few minutes, simply watching, before trying to contact her. She was asleep but it wasn't a restful slumber. Nimue tossed and turned, her lips moving as though she were muttering to herself.

  Merlin slid through her shields using the channel he'd made in her ring. Once inside, her emotions were strong enough that he felt them buffet his awareness. Grief, fear, and loneliness struck him like hammer blows. Instinctively he touched her mind, trying to ease the emotions that tormented her.

  He found himself sucked into the dreams that were causing her emotion turmoil. Even in the dreams he retained enough presence of mind to note that they were caused by an outside force and not Nimue's own mind.

  Merlin watched as his body was shredded by a machine gun. He saw himself torn into pieces, his recognizable upper torso draped over the edge of a crater made by artillery shells.

  He was a brightly shining torch, burning from an incendiary grenade.

  He was surrounded by gas. His face turned purple and he vomited out his life.

  Finally the violent scenes stilled and his image walked in her dreams, speaking to her.

  “All these things are your fault. You are the cause of my death. You've taken my life, taken your daughter's father away from her and it's all your fault.”

  The dream turned violent again and Merlin watched as his body was shredded by a machine gun...

  He drew himself out of the dream and examined the spell that was causing it. It was insidiously planned and placed. Apparently Ave had attached the spell to a fragment of power from the lightning tree and when Nimue drew on the tree's power, the dream came through her shields with it.

  That's enough of that, he thought.

  Merlin created the thinnest shield against magic that he could. He willed it to be malleable and sharp as a razor on one edge. Then he slid the shield between the spell and Nimue, severing its connection to her while leaving her connection to the tree's power intact. He wrapped the malleable shield around the nightmare spell and sealed it shut. Then he set the shield to dispel when the magic of the nightmare spell finally dissipated.

  Merlin touched upon Nimue's dreams again. This time he took control over the portion that controlled what she saw and heard.

  “The nightmares are gone Nimue,” he said. “You haven't caused my death. I'm still alive and close to removing Ave forever. Things beyond my control have changed me but I still love you. You will face the same eventually and I plan on being here to help you when you do.”

  Nimue stirred slightly within her mind. The numbness caused by the dreams finally started to recede.

  “But you're dead, I've seen you die over and over in hundreds of ways,” she protested.

  “If I were dead, I could only have died one way, not hundreds. You're being tormented by Ave. She's trying to wear down your will so she can get to our daughter.”

  “I'm protecting her as best as I can.”

  “I hope that after tomorrow that will no longer be necessary. Even if I die removing Ave, it isn't your fault. It's my choice that took me where I am, there is no onus upon you.”

  At Merlin's mention of his possible death, Nimue stared at him closely.

  “You're different. You aren't Merlin, you're a dragon! Get out!”

  With that, Nimue hurled the force of her mind against Merlin's awareness. Driving him out of her mind and through her shield. When Merlin looked at her again, the shield was reinforced. He tried to enter through the channel in her ring again and found it closed to him.

  With a mental scream of anguish, Merlin fled along the tether to his body. When he was back in it he stayed still, not wanting Anguis to realize he'd returned.

  She hates dragons more than I do, he thought. She'll never want me near her again. Who knows what she'll do once the change takes her as well.

  Merlin longed for the forgetfulness of sleep but it was denied him. He couldn't even sleep if he tried. Throughout the night, his thoughts turned in a deepening spiral of depression. Finally he decided.

  I'll rid the world of Ave, he thought, make it safe for Nimue to give birth to our child. Beyond that, I don't know. It might be easiest if I just took myself out of her life. I don't think I could bear it if she looked at me with the same hatred in her eyes as I felt in her voice when she cast me out. I'll need to do everything I can to ensure my success though, which means I need to put all of this in the back of my mind and forget about it until after. I can't have it distracting me or I may fail.

  Merlin was unaware of how much control a dragon possessed over its own mind. His efforts to push Nimue's reactions out of his thoughts locked them down securely. By morning, he didn't remember them at all.

  * * *

  Merlin woke Gunter at the crack of dawn.

  “I'm off to hunt. We'll leave in just a few hours,” he said.

  With a bone-cracking yawn, Gunter dragged himself out of his bedroll.

  “I'm looking forward to it. Perhaps we can finally restore some sanity to my birth country.”

  He stared as Merlin shifted. Even after witnessing the process repeatedly, Gunter was still fascinated by it.

  Merlin took wing and headed deep into the forest. The trees were close together there so he scanned for breaks in them. Clearings were good, but watering holes and streams offered more prey.

  In just over an hour he'd taken down two animals and had sated his hunger. He returned to camp but didn't shift back to human form. He laid down, bringing his back as close to ground level as he could.

  “Get on my back. I want you confident you can hold on before I take off,” he told Gunter.

  Gunter climbed up the dragon's side, carrying all their gear. Merlin's dragon form was larger than Ollie had been but his back was nowhere near as flat as the tank's deck. Gunter tied the baggage down, then moved around. He repositioned himself several times before he was sure he could maintain his grip on Merlin as they flew.

  “I'm secure. Let's go,” he said.

  Anguis took to the air first. Once in the air he shifted his colors to match those of the sky. Merlin's takeoff was clumsier since he wasn't used to the extra weight of a rider. As he gained altitude he instinctively reached for a touch more of the magic that let him fly by lightening his body. It easily counteracted Gunter's weight and Merlin was soon moving faster than any plane that might try to intercept him. Once he was settled into the rhythm he brought up a concealment spell that covered both himself and Gunter.

  After all the time he spent getting to this point, he covered the last thirty miles to Berlin in less than five minutes.

  {Gunter, there appears to be fighting in the streets down there.} he sent.

  {It looks like the Russians have made it into Berlin.} Gunter replied.

  {Where shall we land?}

  {Do you see that park over there? Is
it large enough for you to land in?} Gunter asked.

  {Yes, it is. Hang on.}

  * * *

  Merlin came in for a landing on a brick path leading through the park. There was no-one there to witness them appear as he dropped the concealment spell and shifted back to his human form. Anguis landed alongside him and moved to his feet.

  Merlin was surprised to find that he was still fresh. His strength and endurance were both far in excess of what they had been before his change.

  I wonder what else has been enhanced, he thought.

  He was caught off-guard when Anguis took on his armored form, enveloping Merlin in an extra layer of protection.

  {Is that still necessary now?} Merlin asked.

  {We never tested if any of your armor carries over to your human form. I just thought of it as we were flying here. I'd prefer to do this if you don't mind.} Anguis answered.

  {As you wish.}

  Gunter handed Merlin his satchel and pack. He waited while Merlin donned both items and rummaged through the satchel to pull out a crystal. One tip of the crystal was glowing and as Merlin rotated it, the glow of the tip grew in intensity when the crystal was pointed roughly to the west.

  “It looks like she's here. Somewhere west of us and a little north,” Merlin said.

  “I think it's pointed towards the Reich Chancellery, or at least somewhere near there,” Gunter said.

  “I never asked if you'd been here before. It sounds as though you have?” Merlin asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Then lead the way. We'll go to this Chancellery building and check there since you say it's in the correct direction. Wait a moment and I'll conceal us. Make sure you have your crystal handy also. You may need a physical shield since I'm hearing an awful lot of gunfire.”

  Gunter grasped the crystal he wore around his neck to show Merlin he was ready. Merlin concentrated briefly and watched as Gunter faded out of sight. A second moment of concentration allowed him to conceal himself as well.

  “I'm using individual shields on each of us in case we have to separate,” Merlin said. “So you won't be able to see me and I can't see you unless I use my Sight.”

  “Grab my bag and follow me then,” Gunter said.

  Merlin reached out and took a grip on Gunter's bag after groping around for a second or two. He gave a gentle tug to let Gunter know he was holding on and they started to move out of the park and into the city.

  Merlin was irritated at how slowly they were moving, until they turned the first corner and saw a small band of Germans in a barricaded building. There were Russian soldiers in the street and bullets flew everywhere. After the first ricochet went flying past Merlin's ear, he added physical shields to the concealment shields he already had going.

  {I've got physical shields on us now but if we get separated or the concealment spell fails you'll need to use your own.} he sent to Gunter.

  Merlin thought he heard Gunter grunt in acknowledgment but with all the other noise assaulting them, he wasn't sure.

  They crept along the opposite side of the street from where the Germans were barricaded. Merlin's shield activated several times, deflecting bullets headed for him. It took a full ten minutes to get down the street and around the corner at the speed Gunter was moving.

  {Can't we move any faster?} Merlin sent.

  {We could but it's safer this way. With the shields we don't have to worry about bullets but there are plenty of other problems we could run into. A third of the city looks to be rubble and half the remaining houses are damaged. But we'll avoid most problems if we're slow, careful, and quiet.} Gunter replied.

  Merlin tried to be content with the fact that they were making any progress at all but after the length of time he'd spent getting here, and with his target so close, his impatience was showing.

  Gunter sped up a bit on the next two streets. There was damage all around them from previous fights but no-one was currently visible. They turned the next corner and found a group of Russians pinned down by two different groups of Germans. One of the German groups was directly in front of Merlin, their backs to him.

  The Russians are our allies, he thought. I should help but that will slow us down.

  Gunter reversed direction, pushing Merlin back towards the intersection they'd just come through. Merlin let himself be pushed back. When they were almost at the intersection he stopped when he saw a Russian soldier get shot and fall to the ground. Gunter tried to continue backing up and ran into him.

  {They're our allies Gunter, we can help them with only a little risk to ourselves.} Merlin sent.

  {I thought you were in a hurry. We can save time by using a different street.} Gunter replied.

  {No. If we lose some time, so be it. I can't stand by and watch them get slaughtered.}

  Merlin rearranged himself so his left hand held Gunter's bag. Then he drew his Luger. He didn't want to use his magic for this. Any spell powerful enough to wipe out the Germans in front of him would also be powerful enough to be noticed. He counted on his shield spells simply blending into the background since any wizard in the city would be using those same spells if he could.

  {Are you with me Gunter?}

  Gunter's mental voice was heavy with resignation.

  {Yes, fire when you're ready.}

  Merlin slowly slid the pistol out through his physical shield and took careful aim at the back of the German directly in front of him. He gently squeezed the trigger as Gunter had taught him. The shot came as a surprise but his aim was dead on. The German dropped to the ground and his companions turned to face whatever new threat was behind them.

  The distinct sound of Gunter's assault rifle filled the air in short bursts. Several Germans were hit before Merlin squeezed off another shot. The Russians, noticing that one of the groups attacking them was distracted, focused their fire on the remaining group.

  Another burst from Gunter's rifle and one more shot from Merlin disposed of the last of the Germans in the group closer to them. The Germans had never even pinpointed where the shots were coming from and Merlin almost felt guilty at their deaths.

  Deaths, Merlin thought. I bet I could find where she is even without a guide.

  Noticing that the Russians were gaining the upper hand against the other group of Germans, Merlin switched to his Sight and stared in the general direction Gunter had been taking them.

  Right there. That dull purple glow couldn't be anything else. She has a massive amount of death magic built up. I wonder why she isn't using it, or what she's using it on if she is, he thought.

  Gunter wasn't moving again yet and, for a moment, Merlin wondered why. Then he remembered Gunter's training and switched magazines so he had a full one in his Luger. Reloading the magazine he'd been using was his next step.

  {Ready?} Gunter sent.

  {One moment while I secure my magazine. Okay, let's go. I think I know where we're headed now. There's a massive cloud of death magic just past that tall building a few blocks to the northwest.}

  {The tall one is the Chancellery.}

  {Then she's near it. Let's go.}

  Gunter started his slow movement again. Merlin felt as though they were crawling through the streets but he trusted Gunter to know what he was doing.

  Two of the next five blocks they covered had Russian soldiers in them but they weren't currently fighting. When Gunter turned north onto the street that would lead them to the Chancellery, their luck took a turn for the worse.

  The street was blocked by a barricade, manned by Germans in SS uniforms. From this distance Merlin couldn't be sure but he thought a pair of the SS men wore the modified insignia with the Dagaz rune in the center that marked them as wizards.

  {Gunter, I think there are wizards at that barricade.} he sent.

  {I wouldn't be surprised, let me switch weapons.}

  Merlin felt several tugs on Gunter's bag. Then he heard the click of the crossbow's folding limbs snapping into position.

  {The wizards are the o
nes with the sideways hourglass between the two S's, correct?}

  {That's them.} Merlin replied.

  {Good, there are only two of them. I have three of the bolts that dispel magic remaining.}

  {If we attack here, aren't we going to draw attention to ourselves?} Merlin asked.

  {We would if we attacked by ourselves. But I have an idea.}

  Merlin listened to Gunter's idea and put it into action.

  I feel bad about using them this way, he thought, but...

  Merlin created the illusion of a small group of Germans. He walked the illusion back through the intersection and turned it towards the last group of Russians they'd seen. Then he added an audible component to make it sound as though they were firing on the Russians.

  The small portion of awareness he'd sent with the illusion showed him the Russian reaction. They turned to fire at the illusion. He caused the illusory Germans to duck back around the corner and watched. Merlin had made the illusion appear to have only half as many men as the group of Russians so it was only a few seconds before they decided to give chase.

  {Come on, we need to be closer if I'm going to make these shots.} Gunter sent.

  Merlin followed along behind Gunter as they covered half the distance to the barricade. The Russians came around the corner behind them slowly and cautiously, half expecting an ambush from the Germans they thought they were chasing. When they saw the barricade they stopped entirely, discussing something among themselves.

  Merlin sent a small fragment of awareness back to the corner. A single Russian soldier was divesting himself of all his gear except his rifle and ammunition. He went prone and edged around the corner. After a moment's targeting, the rifle barked. Merlin saw, through his physical body's eyes, a German at the barricade drop. His awareness watched the Russian soldier chamber another round and target another German. When the rifle barked this time, Merlin's eyes saw a flash of purple as the round was deflected from its intended target.

  His awareness saw the Russian, apparently cursing, chamber another round.

  {Now would be good. The Russians have a decent sniper that can help us.} he sent to Gunter.