by Tom Larcombe
Merlin winced, he was pretty sure what was coming next.
“Oh really?” Nimue said.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop by several degrees and Nimue's voice was icy cold as she continued.
“You think so, do you? I'd like to know how they're getting there then. If there's a truck to transport them and I'm prevented from getting on it, there won't be a truck remaining to transport them. I do promise to try to get any troops out of it first though.”
Nigel gritted his teeth and took a moment before replying.
“Nimue, be reasonable. I won't allow you to—”
“You won't allow me to? I've got news for you. Neither I, nor Merlin, nor his students that you want to deal with this problem are members of your army. You Brits are so uptight that you won't allow us to join. You'll still beg us to deal with your problems though. But if you try to put restrictions on top of that, you can count on having to handle this problem yourself. We'll gladly turn over the crystals we made to you so you can personally handle this. I will allow you to do that.”
Nigel paled.
“There's no need to be hasty, I just thought that you would stay here and continue to work on the sun crystals.”
“Okay then, Merlin's the best one at making those, so he can stay and I'll go, how's that for an idea,” she said.
Merlin tried to fade into the woodwork. He'd back Nimue if necessary but he was hoping she'd work this out herself.
“But Merlin is needed there, he's dealt with this before,” Nigel said.
“The two of you think that he has. You don't know for sure. But you've gotten his description from last time so you can handle it yourself, can't you? Come on Merlin, let's go make ourselves scarce until John returns. He'll be much more sensible, he understands that a woman is a person, not just a set of reproductive organs to be protected. That's one thing I'm proud of the Americans for. They have their women supporting the war, and the men are mostly okay with that.”
Nimue turned to exit the office and Merlin stepped forward to follow her. Nigel wilted visibly.
“Wait... Perhaps I was a bit hasty,” Nigel said.
“Perhaps?” Merlin said, “You seem to forget that Nimue has experienced thirteen hundred years of life, awake and alert through all of it. Her total lifetime experience is more than twice mine if you subtract the years I slept. We won't go into the multiple of your own. Do you think that maybe, since she's still alive, she knows how to handle herself in a crisis?”
Nigel's face turned bright red at the soft-spoken dressing down from Merlin.
“We don't need to explain Merlin,” Nimue said. “We can just leave him here twiddling his thumbs until John gets back. We needn't deal with his prejudice and shortsightedness. The obligation to deal with this problem is apparently his, we should allow him to deal with it himself.”
“I would agree Nimue, if the lives of soldiers weren't at stake. If we can prevent it, we should. I feel that we would be more successful at it than Nigel and I would rather that more men don't die simply because of one man's prejudice.”
This time the faces of both Nigel and Nimue reddened in shame.
“Now, you were saying Nigel? There will be a truck to transport the four of us to this location?”
“Yes, right then, the truck is waiting. It will take about an hour to get to the response area, so you should leave at least two hours before dark,” Nigel said.
“Where would we find this truck?” Merlin asked the apparently still flustered Nigel.
“At the motor pool beside the hangars.”
“Come Nimue, let's go prepare ourselves,” Merlin said.
Once they left the office, Merlin turned to Nimue.
“Obviously we have different definitions of self-assurance. I do agree that he was quite over the top though, and he obviously didn't think his statements through before speaking them.”
Nimue made a visible effort to stop fuming.
“Allow me to do something? He infuriates me. I may start treating him like John does until he grows a new set of sensibilities. As a wizard he should know that gender makes no difference to power. But as an Englishman he can't work through the prejudices he's been taught. Some Englishmen have managed it, but Nigel wants nothing more than to be a classic English gentleman and it would be unthinkable for him to throw off those prejudices.”
“Well, you'll note that he gave in. I think it's very important that we consult him on what we can, otherwise between John and us we'll leave him in a position of leadership without the authority to back it up.”
Nimue growled.
“It pains me to admit that you're right. But, don't ask me to consult him for a few days. I'll need time to get over his insult. It was unintentional I'm sure, I'd bet that he didn't even think about it first, but it still irks me.”
Merlin and Nimue returned to the barracks.
“Anselm and Ernst, you'll need gear for an overnight trip. Pack heavy on the food in case we need to use magic. William and Francis, we probably won't have any classes tomorrow. Review the sections we've been working on and practice the exercises detailed in them. We should return tomorrow but if not, you can continue your reading. Please don't try any of the later exercises until I'm back though.”
Anselm and Ernst were already packing by the time Merlin finished speaking. William and Francis acknowledged Merlin's instructions. Merlin and Nimue packed their own gear.
The four of them going to the beaches that night made it to lunch just before the mess hall stopped serving hot food. While they ate, the mess hall switched over from lunch to the things that were available all the time.
“I've heard about the rations they provide troops here, some experimental thing called a K-ration. I think I'm going to fill my pockets with a few of the things available in the mess hall now instead,” Ernst said.
Merlin looked at the offerings for between meal food.
“I think you might have a good idea there. I'll at least avail myself of some of their fresh fruit. The rations should be okay for a day but I very much doubt there's anything like fresh fruit or vegetables in them. They're rare enough here in the mess hall.”
The four of them each took a selection of foods from what was available and then returned to the barracks. Then they grabbed their gear and headed for the truck.
* * *
Chapter 2
The group arrived at the response point several hours before dark.
“Can we go and look at one of the areas that's been attacked?” Merlin asked.
The driver was experienced, having worked with some of the British wizards in the past, and he was briefed in on the mission.
“Yes, there's one a mile or so away,” he said.
The trip to the previously attacked area only took a few minutes.
“Alright, I want everyone to spread out. Use your magical senses and try to find something similar to the feeling of the death magic spirits we saw before. Nimue, you See like I do, so look for an unnatural bruised purple color,” Merlin said.
A few minutes later Anselm shouted.
“Over here Merlin.”
Merlin went to Anselm who was at the edge of the sand, looking into the field beyond it.
“Under that bush, the one with the gap in its leaves.”
Merlin looked and saw a faint purple color on the ground beneath the bush. He knelt down and peered beneath the leaves. Small shards of crystal were scattered around a fist-sized indentation in the ground.
“Well done, it looks like a crystal was shattered here and released its contents.”
Merlin studied the crystal for a few moments. He discovered that the remaining purple glow was just residual traces of the magic that once inhabited the crystal and not anything still actively dangerous. He gathered the pieces and went to Nimue.
“Nimue, this is what we'll be looking for this evening. The glow should be much brighter and possibly visible to your eyes as well as your Sight.”
“That's vile. You say it's stronger still when active? I don't think I'd be able to miss it.”
“I'm hoping that it will be visible to our eyes. It doesn't have the same effect that way. It's still unsettling but doesn't leave the oily feel in your mind,” Merlin said.
“I'll certainly be able to identify it if I see it,” she said.
“Let's get back to the response area. Any of us that can should take a nap before dark so we're better rested come the early hours of the morning.”
The four of them returned to the truck and the driver took them to the response area. With about two hours to go until dark, they took turns trying to nap. When dusk arrived Merlin made sure everyone was awake again.
“You all have at least five crystals. If we find any of these things tonight, keep one crystal on you at all times. They won't get close to you if you have one out and shining. The other four are to implement an idea of mine. There are two possibilities: they may disperse if you toss one onto the ground in the center of one of the creatures, or if that doesn't work then they should definitely disperse if you can surround one with four crystals. That will give it nowhere to hide from the light.”
Merlin glanced at the rapidly darkening sky.
“The ones I've seen before have stayed on the ground although some may have gone underground as well. I don't know for sure if they can do that, if they do you'll want to try to use your awareness to keep track of where they are. If they come up underneath you, it would probably be bad.”
Merlin looked around to make sure everyone understood him. He received nods from all three of the other wizards.
“Now comes the hard part. Now we wait.”
* * *
In the early hours of the morning, the silence was disturbed by a deep pitched 'Whump'.
“Guess they found a German ship in the channel,” the driver said.
“What was that?” Merlin asked.
“They're firing artillery at a German ship, at least that's my guess,” the driver replied.
“How far does a gun like that fire? It sounded louder than any gun I've heard before.”
“Those can range out most of the way across the channel. They've got some that can fire on the continent directly from British soil also. If you think this was loud, you should hear those fire some time.”
Merlin was silent, trapped in thought.
I half-decided that they were sending men in to smash the crystals. I wonder if they have a way to fire them from artillery. They could fire the crystals at the British shores and they'd be sure to break on impact with that kind of force behind them. I think that might be what's happening.
A second, quieter, gun firing tore him from his thoughts.
“Guess the Germans decided to return fire,” the driver said.
“Stay alert. If my guess is correct, we'll be getting the signal we're waiting for shortly,” Merlin replied.
The driver cocked his head at Merlin curiously as though waiting for him to continue. Before Merlin could explain, a burst of light lit the sky, and red stars drifted down from the initial point of the signal flare.
“That's our signal,” Merlin said, “let's go.”
The driver started the truck and drove towards the flare as quickly as he could. Within two minutes the truck stopped near a pillbox that surveyed a wide stretch of coast. Obstacles were dug into the sand to prevent the enemy from trying to drive vehicles up the beach. Merlin jumped out of the truck and climbed atop the pillbox for a better view.
He pointed.
“Down that way, there's a purple light. Looks like we get to find out tonight.”
He slid off the pillbox and was joined by the other three.
“Merlin, you're sure they're stuck on the ground?” Ernst asked.
“As far as I know, but I won't guarantee that.”
“Then how about some aerial reconnaissance?”
Ernst began to float up into the air.
“That would be just the ticket. You remember the feel these things give off, yes? You can confirm if they're the same or similar to the ones we encountered before. Just be careful you don't get shot by our own side though, alright? If they see you up there, there's no guessing how they'll react.”
“I can remain unseen. I'll use the shield you taught us.”
“Can you do that and fly at the same time?” Merlin asked.
“Not all by myself, but I can with the help of the feather.”
Ernst held a small silver feather between thumb and forefinger, flashing it at Merlin. Merlin knew the feather made levitation and flight much easier, perhaps easy enough that Ernst could hold the two spells at the same time.
“That will shield you from sight, but don't get too close to the creatures. I'm sure they have other means they use to sense people. Go and check it out but come back quickly.”
Ernst began to drift up into the air before flickering out of sight. The slight rustle of his clothes moving in the wind faded away.
Several minutes later he appeared in front of them.
“They look, and more importantly feel, like the creatures we encountered before. There's something different though. They have an almost human shape now,” Ernst said.
“Perhaps they're using people they killed and drained more recently so there's more memory and more spirit remaining. That might account for it. Whatever the difference is, we still need to disperse them. Let's go,” Merlin said.
Merlin matched actions to words and started walking towards the purple glow. Ernst followed, but stayed in the air. Nimue and Anselm walked along with Merlin. Anselm focused briefly on his owl, Rein, and sent him aloft to keep watch so nothing could surprise them while they dealt with the creatures of death magic.
“Keep your crystals covered until we're fairly close. They'll have more room to maneuver out here on the beach and we want to destroy them, not just drive them off,” Merlin said.
When they came in sight of the creatures Merlin saw that Ernst was correct. The spirits shone with a bruised, purple light. They were in the shape of people, but the facial features were blurred as though shaped from a failing memory.
The spirits saw Merlin's group and came towards them in a rush. As they approached he felt a chill. It took him a moment to realize that the air around him wasn't growing colder as it did in his previous fight with this kind of spirit. The cold came from his own stores of energy. A moment's check showed him that the spirits were draining his power. He looked up to see the lead spirit's face lose its blur, clearing until it showed a middle aged man. The spirit's body also started to solidify and lose its purple glow.
“Pull out your crystals,” Merlin called.
He pulled his own out and felt himself begin to warm. The spirits shied back out of the light, whining and cringing. Ernst gave chase, directing the light from his crystal onto them from above. They didn't react as strongly as they did to the ones on the ground so he lowered himself. Before he got close enough for them to dissipate, one of the spirits leaped into the sky. It laid a hand on Ernst's boot for a moment before losing its grip and falling back to the ground. Ernst responded by increasing his altitude.
“Merlin, what was that? It didn't touch my flesh but I'm freezing,” Ernst called.
Merlin yelled so Ernst could hear his reply.
“Shield yourself Ernst, and stay up out of their reach. These spirits will drain your power if they get too close. I just found that out myself.”
Merlin sent his thoughts to the minds of the other three wizards.
{All three of you listen to me. I don't want to say it aloud in case they have some way of hearing us. So long as the lights are out, they won't get close enough to drain us. But unless we want to spend all night like this, we need to do something. Ernst, fly towards the other side of the group, away from us. Nimue take the left of the spirits, Anselm the right. I want you all to take one of your spare crystals and throw it to the
locations I gave you. If we can get them surrounded by the sunlight I think they'll simply dissipate.}
Merlin pulled out another of his own crystals.
{Ready? After three... one, two, three...}
Merlin held his own crystal and waited for the others to land. He strode forward several paces, trying to get the spirits to retreat and make the area they needed to illuminate smaller. Once the other crystals had all landed he tossed one of his extras, trying to position it so as to give the spirits no avenue of escape.
The circle wasn't perfect, and one of the spirits darted out before Ernst dropped another of his sun crystals to complete the enclosure of light. The rest of the spirits faded away. The mouths in their blurred faces were open as though screaming in agony, but the only sound Merlin heard was that of the surf on the sand.
“One of them got out,” he said. “Be careful of these things. If they're close enough they can drain your power. If you start to feel cold just pull out a sun crystal, they'll retreat out of range and be unable to drain you while you're holding one.”
They started moving down the beach, searching for the spirit that managed to escape. Several hundred yards later they heard a loud moan.
“Careful now,” Merlin said, “It shouldn't be the spirit, we haven't heard them make any sound, but...”
“It may well be someone the spirit is feeding on,” Nimue said.
Merlin nodded and turned towards the sound. It came from a hole behind one of the obstacles implanted in the beach. A faint purple glow shimmered up out of its depth.
Merlin pointed, directing each of them to a position around the hole but far enough back that their lights weren't shining into it. Once they were all in position he motioned them forward.
As the sun crystals shone into the hole, its occupant let out a piercing scream. His eyes snapped open. The parts of his eyes that would normally be white glowed a dark, bruised, purple color.
He gave forth a throat-damaging scream as the unnatural color slowly leeched from his eyes. After the purple drained away, the whites were visible again. The man's scream gurgled to a stop and he collapsed. Merlin slid into the hole beside him.