Read with BonusRead with Bonus

Chapter Six

Merlin suddenly appeared behind me and whacked me on the side of my head. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

I rubbed the back of my head. "You really are an abusive old man, you know that?"

"In any case how could you let them take her like that?!" I argued.

"You did just get thrown across the room, yes?" Merlin said giving me a look.

"Yeah, but you have magic couldn't you have done, I don't know anything?" I argued, Merlin shook his head.

"We have a lot of work to do, come. Follow me." Merlin said.

"I seem to be following you everywhere," I said snidely, Merlin ignoring my comment goes over to another bookcase and starts looking through books and writes down things he thinks are important.

"Do you see that caldron over in the corner, bring it over to me on this table." He pointed to a specific place on the table.

I went and picked it up, not realizing just how heavy it actually is. "This thing is like fifty pounds!" I exasperated placing it where he directed.

"Yes well, it's supposed to be." He admitted picking and choosing vials of different powders and liquids all different colours. Pouring them in one by one, with a giant puff of smoke.

"This will take some time to brew, I'm going to make a list for that elixir we were in the middle of before we were rudely interrupted," Merlin stated.

Sitting at the table he started scratching something down on a piece of parchment and folded it up into a square and slid into his pocket, and checked on the brewing liquid.

"What even is that, it smells like some kind of dead animal," I described with a disgusted look on my face.

"This disgusting-smelling brew is what we are going to be drinking when it is finished," Merlin said stirring the pot.

"Nope, no way, not happening," I refused trying not to breathe out of my nose, the stench of rotting meat and wet dog hair was in the air and got worse with every second passing by.

I think I am going to pass out or get sick again.

"Do you want to save Ariel or not? Because the only way we are going to come close is to drink this unless of course, you want to run into a massacre, which you won't last two minutes."

"Fine, what does it even do anyway?"

"Use your head boy" Merlin exclaimed If We can't beat them then we?

"Join them?" Luke asked half questionably

"Precisely!" Merlin boomed. "This potion will do just that. Drinking it will make us look like we are one of them. But the effects are only temporary. So we will have to act fast," Merlin said with a hint of urgency.

'But before we get into that. Follow me, Luke, I have something for you. I hope it will help you with what is about to come," He said.

I followed Merlin down a long corridor and into a small room covered in books and what I could only imagine were scrolls. We finally came to a halt. in front of a massive bookcase filled with books and boxes.

Merlin inhaled and blew a large cloud of dust off the shelf. Making me sneeze. Reaching up he pulled a small box wrapped in a crimson-coloured silk off the top shelf behind a book inside a hole in the wall and brought it over to a nearby table.

"Come here Luke take a seat," Merlin gestured over softly.

I scrambled my way through piles of old books to a small table where Merlin was now sitting.

Taking a seat I realized a tear on the side of Merlin's cheek. Concerned I asked Merlin," Are you okay?"

Taking a moment to catch his composer he looked up at me and said.

"It's been a long time since I've seen this," Merlin explained exasperatedly. "It belonged to a good friend of mine when he was alive."

"You mean, Arthur?" I asked trying not to interrupt.

"Yes, Arthur." Merlin smiled remembering a memory.

Unwrapping the silk covering this strange box. He slowly began opening it, and tears began filling his eyes, as they slid down like raindrops before he wiped them away. He took out a large dagger the tip of the handle had an aquamarine stone wrapped inside the plated gold as his fingers slid down the handle farther I noticed there was more than one aquamarine stone there have been multiple throughout its hilt as it has been gently engraved with black obsidian around its blade.

The blade was a work of different metal, other than obsidian it had a rich mixture of iron and carbon making the blade itself look brand new.

Merlin gestured making me hold out my hands to obtain the dagger, it was quite light for such beauty. Its leather; is rough yet smooth, the blade looks like it could cut smoothly through anything. It glinted in the candlelight making the stones reflect around the room.

"It's truly magnificent, Merlin." Fascinating I rolled the blade around in my hands testing it as I held onto it tightly.

"It has a name..." Merlin said through his breath.

"What has a name?" I asked still lost in the spender of such a dagger.

"Its name is Carnwennan..."

"Carnwennan, what does it mean?" I asked in awe.

"It means white hilt, and it has been given to him by God himself," Merlin spoke reminiscing.

Suddenly I heard a pang in my head, my eyes went wide as I felt deja vu, no a memory. A child running through a palace as a man dressed in white molded and crafted a weapon. suddenly I came back to my senses and shook my head out of shock.

"I see, so god is an actual person?" I asked with my head tilted to the side.

"Well I can't say he was or he wasn't, I personally haven't met him. But, I do have faith," He said matter of factly. He walked over to the cauldron and began one last stir before filling a flask.

"It is time to go, who knows how much time she has left," He put the silver flask into his pocket and we went on our way.

The outside looked different at night, with fireflies and the shine of the moonlight reflecting off the water below the mountains and the flowers still gave off its amazing scents. The moon was full and the stars shone brightly in the never-ending navy blue sky.

Suddenly an owl flew onto Merlin's shoulder, Merlin didn't even flinch. "Oh, Archimedes where have you been, you've missed quite a farce today." The bird had brown and black feathers and a yellow beak with yellow eyes.

"Yes well, you know I have been busy merlin, with everything that happened and all," Archimedes spoke. I just stared, I must be hallucinating, birds do not talk unless I forgot about that too.

"You must have traveled quite a long distance if you're here, how did you find me?" Merlin spoke.

"How forgetful can you be, I can see anything. Especially the future," Archimedes added.

"Ah, yes, I do seem to become more forgetful these days." Merlin agreed. "that reminds me, Archimedes, meet Lucas. I found him and his village friends lost and homeless," He explained to the bird as he turned to face me.

Suddenly the bird flew off his shoulder onto a nearby tree. "Destruction and chaos is in your future boy, but I can't see the cause of it."

"Um, right love to chat with a crazy bird but I need to go save Ariel," I said walking down the path.

"Archimedes, I know you had a long flight but I could really use your help," Merlin explained to Archimedes what happened. "So if you could fly up and see if you can find any orc encampments, it would be quite appreciated."

Archimedes sighed with exhaust and flew up into the navy night sky, he disappeared in the distance, about forty minutes later he returned and took his perch on merlins shoulder.

"They are about twenty minutes to the west, for you to it will take about an hour. Now I wish you luck on your journey, but this owl is going to go take a much-needed rest." Archimedes explained and flew off into the window of the tower.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter