“It’s just a bird,” he stated, confused by the protective posture of the people in front of him. What was with the overreaction?
“We had eyes on us,” the boy offered over his shoulder, the arrow shaft in hand and the corpse hanging off the end as if being inspected.
Merlin’s eyes never left the two of them and the lack of surprise reflected that he understood the cryptic words of the blind boy.
Well, good for you, that makes one of us!
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone emerging from the tree line and broke from the other man’s stare to follow the movement. A female elf trotted their way, a very large wolf keeping pace at her side.
His eyes widened, and he had begun to draw his sword, when the cloaked figure before him spoke up. “She’s with us.”
Talking from the side of his mouth, he sneered, “us? Really? You mean she’s with you.”
The white-haired albino came to a halt upon reaching them, her eyes darting between them, unsure at first what she had been missing and obviously curious about what was going on. She was dressed like a ranger, her bow in hand, an arrow notched and ready to fly at a moment’s notice. The wolf beside her glared in the direction of the blindfolded youth and a menacing rumble emerged from his exposed fangs.
His hand tightened on his sword and his anger began to rise. Just how many of these people had the Guardians allowed through?
Jared was using his foot to pin the crow to the ground and with a yank pulled the arrow free of its prey. He tossed it in their direction and the elf snatched it out of the air with a swift motion. She was inspecting it for damage before his mind caught up to what he was seeing.
Was this kid truly blind? How did he know where to toss it?
“Sorry I was late. Took longer to get around them than I planned,” the newcomer reported, seemingly satisfied with the condition of her arrow and wiping it clean of gore. “They’re good.”
He knew instinctively that she was referring to their assigned Guardians patrolling the forest. The reality of their vulnerability sapped his strength and increased the misery within. That these people had bypassed a highly-trained group of elite protectors with such ease made him realize how much danger they might be in.
“Jared,” the man finally spoke, “I need you to make sure there aren’t any more of them. Alert Kylee if they come into range. Reyna check on the horses, she might go after them if she can’t get to us,” he told the black armored figure moving to stand beside the blind boy.
After a harsh whisper to Jared, Reyna slowly turned to face them. It was obvious by the distaste on her face that she was less than a willing participant and hated taking orders from anybody. Her mouth was pinched, head tilted down, eyes glaring, her hand on the hilt of her sword. What could drive such a person to be here against her will? Did it have to do with the youth she was obviously trying to protect? With a grunt, she broke away and stomped towards the lone path beyond.
Jared appeared to be watching her leave, then shook his head and walked to the edge of the nearby pond. His smirk slowly faded, and a look of peace came over the young face. He took a seat on the muddy embankment, his staff slowly circling in the water. The posture and lax look made it seem like no one was home, like he’d drifted off to sleep while sitting up.
Kylee moved to his side with her bow held ready, eyes scanning the forest and sky.
Darkness fell upon him and his eyes were drawn towards the towering hulk that had drawn closer during the distraction. Even at this range, he could not penetrate the shadows of the man’s cowl. The red eyes were analyzing Willow and he once again placed himself before her.
“I can take care of myself,” Willow muttered under her breath.
He knew that, but it was an instinctual reaction that he found hard to resist. He looked upon the armored behemoth before him and wondered what possible defense she’d have against the gigantic monstrosity.
“Kore give us some space. You’re making the natives restless,” Merlin teased, his gaze trained on them.
The large man chuckled, but remained where he was, bouncing the shaft of his axe in his large plated hand.
Finally, Merlin’s eyes broke away and he glared at the towering man.
He boiled over, “you want to calm the natives? Why not begin with what the hell is going on? Who are you? What do you want with us? What’s up with that bird and why does a crow shake you all up so much?” he began, not able to voice all of it but unable to hold out any longer. “And is that kid truly blind?”
Willow put her hands on his shoulders and physically shoved him aside. He stumbled and almost ended up flat on his back. She gave him an “I told you so” look, then faced the shorter of the cloaked figures before them. “You are not Merlin, you can’t be.”
“Mind if we sit?” the man inquired, sudden weariness drenching his voice. His eyes had closed, and his mouth was set as if the man was in sudden pain. He held that pose for a few seconds before finally relaxing. Fingers gripped his staff hard enough to make them white and his other hand rose to hold the side of his head.
“You feel that?” Jared groaned.
“Feel what?” he blurted out. “Would someone tell me what the fuck is going on?”
Merlin had a pained look on his face, a hand massaging his temple, then a smile broke out upon his strained face. “Damn, she’s pissed,” the mage chuckled, clearly happy about something.
“Who’s pissed? What the hell are you two going on about?” he thundered, his patience slipping. “Reyna? I think it’s quite obvious she’s barely putting up with your shit. Maybe she had the right idea by leaving.”
“Tristan,” Willow tried to soothe.
“No! I’m tired of the riddles. If someone doesn’t start giving it to me straight, I’m done. You can strike me down, but not before I cry out for my guards. There must have been a reason you avoided drawing their attention. I may fall, but I’m confident they’ll make you pay for it,” he spat. He fumed for over a minute, his vision edging with the red of his fury. Willow remained silent by his side, waiting for him to calm down. He shrugged her hand off his shoulder, preparing to draw his ineffective sword, and end this farce one way or another.
“Are you done?” Merlin sighed.
“Are you?” he snarked.
“Let’s take a seat, take a deep breath, and try to calm down. Then I’ll try to bring you up to speed,” Merlin responded. He then bent down and sat on the edge of their blanket, with total disregard as to whether they were doing the same.
He looked at Willow and saw the same frustration mirrored in her eyes. How could she stay so composed? Why wasn’t she helping to force the issue? Her eyes diverted to the white-haired elf standing next to Jared and he saw a faint look of recognition cross her features. Did they know each other? Is that why she was so willing to hear this man out? Their eyes met, and she shook her head, then shrugged. What choice did they really have?
He sighed, letting his anger go. As his features softened he felt her hand take his and squeeze gently.
The man at their feet had reached into their basket and his hands came back with a few of their remaining biscuits. He let out the breath he wasn’t aware of holding and resigned himself to sitting back down. He dropped with a thud and leaned against the tree. A heart had recently been carved there with the initials W & T. It was perfectly spaced between them as Willow plopped down at his side. Such a beautiful moment it had been earlier; now it had been shattered. Would they ever get it back?
“I am Merlin,” the older man told them when they finally got settled. His hands were breaking apart a biscuit and he was eating it slowly.
“But—,” Willow began, but the man across from them raised his hand to cut her off.
“Do you want answers or a debate?” Merlin snapped with exasperation. It was the first time the man had broken from his cool exterior and he felt relieved that there were emotions in that secretive shell after all.
The towering shadow
had lifted off them; Kore had moved to stand next to the other members of his party. “He’s not human,” he found himself blurting without thought. That seemed to be a bad habit of his; one he really needed to work on fixing as it constantly got him into trouble.
“Does that bother you?” their visitor inquired, watching him with curiosity.
He grunted, “not as long as we’re not on the business end of that axe.” It occurred to him that he might have come close to that very thing just minutes before and he let out another sigh of resignation.
Merlin shook his head, “then let it be for now. As I said, we don’t mean you any harm. Now, as to your questions. The woman we were talking about is the Phoenix.”
His heart leapt in his chest.
That isn’t possible.
“Bullshit.”
The older man gave him a grim smile, another piece of biscuit disappearing from view. “I assure you, it is possible. And yes, I read your mind.”
What the hell?
He felt violated. He was about to say so when the man continued on.
“It’s only surface thoughts; they are hard not to hear. You will have to learn how to shelter them if you are to continue on with us. Wait, hold your questions,” Merlin insisted, and the words that had been forming died in a croak. “The Phoenix has risen once more, and her armies are on the move. There is still time, if we move fast, to counteract her evil and possibly end her existence once and for all. To do that, we have to be on the road, and soon.” The man then looked into the sky, as if expecting it to open up and rain fire on them any second.
“Now, one of her powers is astral projection. She can move her spirit out of her body and travel about the world unnoticed. She tends to possess the lesser intelligent species and use them as spies. That crow was one such creature. After the connection was lost, she went into a fury and tried a more direct approach of watching us. I am currently shielding us from her view, but it takes tremendous effort to do so. A by product is, I get hungry.” The man was tearing apart another biscuit as he spoke, “she can sense the anger and hate in a person’s soul, so you really must calm down. You are a beacon that she can easily notice and latch onto.”
“Maybe a more direct approach with less cryptic talk would have garnered a more proper response,” he snapped back. He knew that he was slowly losing it, but it seemed to be beyond his control to stop.
“Granted,” Merlin nodded, conceding the point. “I have been cut off from civilization for so long that sometimes I forget how to speak to people. You’ll have to forgive me; I was encased in a block of ice for a very long time. Makes you kind of frigid when you meet new people, no pun intended.”
“Encased in ice?” Willow probed curiously.
“There’s no time for that right now. I am here for a reason. I have spent years bringing this unlikely group together because their unique skills are essential to the quest at hand. But we’re not ready to set out, our group is incomplete. And for that, I need the both of you,” Merlin stated, watching their reactions.
“What could we possibly have to offer you?” Willow pushed further, her fingers playing with the magical amulet around her neck.
He scoffed, “you mean you believe this shit about the Phoenix? She’s dead! She’s been dead for a thousand years! This is such bullshit!” He had tried to keep quiet as requested, but the lack of sleep was making him extremely incapable of putting up with this crap. “What are you really after?”
Unfazed by his anger, Merlin simply took it in stride before continuing, “merchants have come from the north with news of raids on outlying settlements. The ravings of a mad dwarf screaming of demons and vast armies has been forever silenced. The building of tension in the air like the world is about to break out into chaos. Do not tell me that these events have passed your notice. That you yourself haven’t put to question the source of this madness?”
“How do you know?” Willow demanded.
“You know how,” the man stated, eyeing her carefully.
“You can’t be the same Merlin. That would make you—,” she began.
“Over four hundred years old?” Merlin laughed. “Oh yes, I am that and much more.”
His mind was racing, what were they talking about? He had never heard the man’s name before today, but it was clear that his fiancé obviously had. His mind traced over the conversation, looking for hints that would lead him to understanding, a key to unlock some hidden knowledge. He came up empty.
Wait, what was that about the dwarf being silenced?
“Your father had him executed last night. His burnt and beaten body is lying at the bottom of the moat behind the keep,” Merlin answered, gnawing on another biscuit.
“Could you not do that?” he snapped in irritation. “My father would never give such an order. We were waiting on word from the dwarves. He was going to be sent home.”
Merlin shook his head and rolled his eyes, “you don’t think they want him any more than your people did, did you? They gave leave for your father to deal with it, and he has.”
He felt like he got punched in the gut. How could his father condone the murder of an innocent man? The dwarf might have been insane, but he had not hurt anyone, had not committed a crime worthy of execution. He hadn’t thought his father capable of doing something like that. Is that the kind of thing that came with being king? Could he do the same in his father’s place?
No, there had to have been another way.
“Seriously, do not get stirred up so much over the dwarf. He was truly mad. The poor man was tortured vigorously, long past breaking. There was no coming back from that. Nothing remained of the person he had been before. Old Constantine did him a favor putting him out of his misery; it was an act of mercy,” Merlin told him, as if to comfort.
It was useless. He could not reconcile the image he had of his father with the portrait being painted by the dwarf’s murder. He felt defeated inside.
Willow pressed forward, trying to divert the conversation back to the former topic. “You look to be in your thirties, how is this possible? Are you immortal?”
“That, my dear, is a story for another day as we are pressed for time. She knows the general area that we are in and could have her servants on her way even now. You will have to trust that I am who I say,” Merlin stated flatly. He was brushing his hands of crumbs and looking at them expectantly.
“What do you want from us?” he asked, exhausted.
Merlin leaned forward, “before I tell you that, I need to speak to your father. We’re old friends and I owe him the courtesy of talking to him first.”
“Then why follow us here? Why not walk up to the castle and ask for an audience?” Willow cut in for him.
The cryptic cloaked man said, “her servants are everywhere; I can’t take the chance of being noticed. I need to get in and out quietly, and I’ve foreseen that the two of you can make that happen.”
He sighed, “is that all you need?”
“No, but it’s a start,” Merlin replied.
“Then let’s get this over with,” he growled, getting to his feet. He needed time to sort through everything that happened; to try and make sense of things. It all sounded unbelievable and he wasn’t sure he wanted to be involved any more than he had to.
If this man wanted to meet his father, fine. The old man had his failings, some recently discovered, but his experience and wisdom would likely cut through the bullshit. Maybe he could get to the truth of things.
He bent over to help Willow pack up their things and begin their journey home.
II
There had been a heated debate before hitting the road. Merlin had insisted that only four of them go on to the castle. Being that Jared was one of them did not sit well with Reyna, who turned out to be his twin sister. She was strongly against them being separated and insisted upon accompanying them. Finally, it had been Jared who had to settle her down and with open hostility, she rode south towards Crystal Cove. Merlin gave a fe
w quick instructions to the other two and they followed after; giving the fuming black knight some space. They watched them go, then turned their horses west and began the ride back to the castle.
They were in the lead and didn’t have much in the way of privacy. Breaking from the trees, the Guardians came into view, showing no sign that anything was out of the ordinary. The fact that they were being followed by two strangers did not seem to matter at all.
He gave Merlin a questioning look, but the blank stare did little to answer his questions. He turned to Willow, “do you know this guy or what?”
“If he is who he says he is,” she started, glancing behind her. “I’m surprised you don’t as well. Aren’t your tutors teaching you anything of elven history?”
She was referring to the three elves that had been sent by Bordin to school him in the elven culture and traditions. It was supposed to make the transition easier on him. “Yes, they are, but I don’t remember Merlin’s name ever being mentioned.”
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “My ancestors met resistance when they tried to break away from the forest and move into the lands of Man. Their views were not accepted within the elven community, that a shared destiny was preferable to a solitary one. Harsh words were exchanged, and tensions mounted. Civil war almost broke out. Then a man came into the Council chambers and spoke to the leaders involved. No one knows what was said, the records were forever sealed, but from that meeting came the proclamation that my people were allowed to leave without threat of permanent exile or war. The name of that man was Merlin.”
He had no recollection of the history she spoke about, but her words at least gave him an understanding of how she knew the name. “And you think it’s the same guy?”
“I have no idea, but the description fits. And you know that generally those that practice magic can sense it in others. What I feel from him is nothing like I’ve ever encountered before. Magic is neither good nor dark, it’s the person’s intent. So far, I have not detected any malice, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there. We’ll have to wait and see,” she told him slowly, hesitant to say too much with the target of their conversation so close behind.
The New Age Saga Box Set Page 10