Evidence of Merlin

In the distance of his mind the clash of steel on steel rang like a constant beacon reminding him only too well of the last twenty years of his life. The year was 536 BC and the planet was Earth. His mind recalled the events as sharp as ever, as the smell of sulfur erupted from his fingertips, magic the locals called it.

So, too he heard the clank of sword on metal or the clunk of weapon on wooden shield. The blood curdling screams of too many men, good men, plagued his mind, tormenting his every thought.

Such were the ominous tidings of war, and such was his plight. His name was Myrddin Wyllt, but nowadays most people knew him as simply Merlin. He was the greatest wizard of his or any other time.

Most know of the plight of Merlin and King Arthur as nothing but myth a good and kindhearted story, with the good king and his wizarding companion waging war against the evil warlord Mordred and his companion dragon. Winning the war and uniting the kingdoms forming the Knights of the Round table to then govern the countries that the war liberated. This was simply not so.

The war was all too real, and it was every bit as brutal as any other war throughout the books of earth's history. It ended some twenty years after it started. King Arthur died in the battle, but so too did he manage to kill the evil warlock. With his trusty sword Excalibur, he thrust it through the heart of the wraith even as the demon stole that last beat from his heart with his demonic powers.

The battle plagued the old wizard and would likely do so for the rest of his days for you see he believed the King died due to his inability to slay the sorcerer and his dragon ally.

The old wizard was being hard on himself of course, as he, all on his own accord, managed to banish the dragon to another plane of existence, the Plane of Hate. Unfortunately, while the wizard was busy with the dragon so to was King Arthur busy with the shade. The wizard blamed himself for the tragedy that befell the king that day, even if very few did the same.

The morale of the English Kingdom was low after the death of their king but to the forefront arose a new hero. Sir Lancelot, many knew of the deeds of this mighty warrior who vanquished many a foe in the recent war.

He was the First Knight of Camelot during the last five years of battle and with his training and tutelage to the new knights, the tidings of the kingdom soon began to change. It was with Lancelot that the Knights of the Round Table were born. It was also with him that Excalibur was hidden in a stone where only he knew how to locate it.

For you see, after the King's death, Lancelot did the only thing he really could do and that was outlaw the use of magic. And although Excalibur was a sword its true power lay in its magic. Perhaps the decision would have been different if the famed sword would have allowed the First Knight to wield it but Merlin believed that Excalibur knew the heart of Lancelot though, so the blade refused him.

Once that happened the old wizard knew what the future was to become in England. What happened next was not done to spite Merlin and his power, for if truth be told Lancelot really loved the man and new more than most the benefits Merlin's magic played in the war. Lancelot could not stop asking himself but was it worth the cost of evil that always accompanied good magic.

The new king decided it was not and so a decree against magic was passed.

Many men and women in the years to come were tortured and killed under the new decree but Merlin could not stay and watch. He fled to Scotland where no such law was necessary as most did not believe in magic or the dark arts that so often accompanied it. Those that did believe were smart enough not to do so in public.

Not long after his move to Scotland the old wizard met a young woman. Her name was Isla, she was breathtakingly beautiful to Merlin and for a while a spring returned to his step almost forgetting his beleaguered past. However, as the old wizard surmised it would, his past would came back to haunt him.

Merlin was nearly eighty now and was only beginning to show signs of his age. His magic and potions had sustained him and allowed him to remain youthful in all appearances. His young bride of twenty-five could only guess his age for when she asked Merlin about it, he skirted the issue. "It matters little" he would say, "for we are truly in love". He would always add with a smile.

"But I must know" she would ask so coy. His heart would miss a beat when she batted her beautiful eyes at him. How close he had been on many occasions to telling her. Had she but known she may have persisted.

Sternly he would look at her though and shake his head. This would end the debate as he walked away.

Not long after being married Lady Isla found she was with child. Merlin was going to be a father??? Great horny toads he thought to himself.

Her name was to be Guinevere Ambrosia, she was to be named after one of the greatest women Merlin had ever known. It was King Arthur's wife. She was a strong woman, intelligent, and beautiful. She was everything the old wizard hoped his daughter would become.

He watched as his daughter grew up. She was eight now as she played in the woods not far from their home. Merlin was there sitting upon his favorite rock smoking his favorite mixture of ragweed (today's version of pot). His young and beautiful wife just off in the distance picking berries for a pie of some sorts she would soon make. His mouth watered in anticipation at the berries and to be honest probably a bit for his wife as well.

It was a subtle change in the air he sensed at first but then the animals began to quiet and scatter. He knew something was amiss. Frantically he motioned for his wife and daughter to gather at his side. "You must go run as fast as you can back to our village. Hide in the McGregor's cellar. Stay there for two days or until I come for you, do not come out until then I beg of you", the old man said with a tear that streamed down upon his cheek. He had hoped the time would be enough to dispose of the intruders and discern what reasons brought them here.

His daughter and wife did not question him but ran as fast as they could toward the village.

From all around him they came, ugly beasts with almost pig type noses and small husks protruding from their jowls. Smelly things he could tell even from this distance. Part man part pig he thought to himself how disgusting. Then he heard the scream of his daughter.

Concentrating on the area of the scream the words of an old spell flooded his mind. In seconds his body transported itself the short distance to his daughter. There were four of the thugs barring her path to the village.

Looking to the ground off to the left he saw his wife; she lay in her own pool of blood barely alive. The foul beast poked and prodded Gwen in an attempt to torment the child. The intruders now noticed their new guest. So too did young Guinevere as she bolted towards her father.

One of the beasts lunged for the girl scraping her with their rough hands and nails. She let out a yelp but kept running. As she made it over to her father's position, he gave her a brief smile, which momentarily removed any fear from her mind. It had been like that her entire life. It was if by magic her father could instantly make her feel better regardless the situation whether it was with just his smile or the touch of his hand or simply his soothing voice whispering words she could barely hear or discern.

"Calmadera situado my puppet" he said in a hush tone. A light gathered around her, and warmth entered her soul as she looked at her father. It was going to be alright she thought to herself and even as she looked toward the beast that now cautiously made their way toward them, she knew no fear.

Her father turned his attention from soothing his child back toward their uninvited guests. Angered the old man sternly gazed upon the vile beast, strangers to this land no doubt but from whence did they come? They stopped a moment and said something in a tongue the old man could not comprehend.

Then there was a commotion off to the right, through the bushes another beast entered the frey. This looked to be a large bipedal type of lizard. Merlin could tell right away that an aura of magic was about this beast so he would treat this creature with care.

Mumbling a few words to himself he quickly felt an invulnerable presence about him.

The lizard man took a step back, as he too could sense the strength within his opponent and extreme caution would need to be utilized in the procurement of this individual.

"They said that if you came with them, they would let your daughter live. A fair offer if I were you, I would take it as there are many, many others closing in on our location," the reptile man said with an almost hissing type of voice.

The old man was a bit surprised at the use of English, but his plan did not falter. Staring at the lizard man he let his gaze penetrate the deep recesses of the creature's mind. In fear the beast stood there unable to move and barely able to comprehend the goings on around him.

He heard the words "It is past time for pleasantries" the old wizard whispered as it pulled the creatures gaze toward the location of his wife's barely breathing body.

Merlin his thoughts now back to the four creatures that approached him, they were Orcs he had learned from delving into the mind of the Dylonian Seer.

It mattered little to him at this juncture. "Magija Projectilas", the wizard said sternly as he pointed toward the four orcs that were now quickly bearing down upon his position.

Quick pulses of light now shot from a staff that somehow manifested itself in the old man's hands. This was quickly followed by several thumping noises were heard followed by several pulses of light. As it where and not entirely coincidental to the pulses several thumps were then heard as the projectiles streaked at and then promptly struck their intended targets.

The two inside orcs of the four that approached the wizard, fell to their knees. As they looked down there came a quick understanding of the reasons for their sudden onset of pain, each of the orcs had three magically charged missiles sticking from their chest and throat region, the missiles still cackled with energy as the dumbfounded creatures fell to the ground.

The sleep of death quickly overtook their bodies. The remaining two orcs knowing they were overmatched called to their brethren hoping that their arrival to the situation would be in time to ensure their survival. They then looked to their lizard friend, who stood frozen place, they paused to wonder, why it was he would not help.

They could not know of the fear spell the wizard had placed upon the creature. Merlin almost laughed as the creatures were just now beginning to realize the certain peril in which they had found themselves.

Then there was a glimmer of light just off to his right. Quickly the old man looked to the source and found an amulet around the neck of the lizard man.

"Levicatus Mobulus", the old man said as he pointed toward the necklace. It floated freely in the air toward him. With a quick examination to discern the purpose of the locket, noticing nothing dangerous he put it on.

"Why have you come for me" he said to the two orcs that stood before him. Only the words that came out of his mouth were now in the Orcish language. The magic of the locket he presumed.

"It was the order of Muskavalcic". As one orc said this, his partner slowly inched his hands to his back sides in an attempt to get to a knife that was sheathed there.

A frown came upon the face of the old man as he was all too aware of that name. It was the name of the Red Dragon that partnered with Mordred in his fight over Camelot.

What would the dragon want with him now that the war was long over? He had no idea, but he was sure the plan would be vile as such was the nature of that foul beast.

"I don't think he will be pleased to find out you were not able to secure the requested package," the old wizard said with an almost evil smile. "Of course, the upside of that predicament is you won't live to see that day."

Merlin lifted his staff again pointing it at his new targets. "Frios Kon" the old man said in a deep booming voice. Pointing his staff toward the two remaining orcs, the evil things were soon coated in a thin layer of ice and frost.

He approached the two still standing orcs, knowing they were not dead and would witness his every moved he slowed his pace as much as the situation would allow.

"There are hundreds of us in these woods, and many more of them," it said as it attempted to roll its eyes up toward the lizard man. "If you let us go, I will have you and your daughter spared and we will leave and never come back."

The wizard was way smarter than the creatures could have realized, and he knew there were many flaws in that plan. The first was that Merlin was already well aware of how pathetic and pitifully stupid their race was, and the second he was sure that there were not hundreds of them in these woods. In fact, he doubted if any of them could actually count to one hundred.

And of course, the final reason and definitely the grandest of them all, was that he already had a plan of safety for his daughter so this would allow him to concentrate on what was truly important at this juncture and that was vengeance for the treatment of his love.

As he remembered this he nodded towards the nearly limp body on the ground. The most the orc could manage was a shrug as if it were to mere explain that was their nature. Merlin would have none of it, drawing his secondary weapon he proceeded to put his short sword deep through the chest wall of the paralyzed creature. "I would think not" he said to the now dead creature regarding his proposed deal request.

The other orc took the brunt of his cone of frost spell and no longer breathed with life, so the white bearded human paid him no attention and instead made his way to his daughter.

"You are safe" he said.

His daughter looked into the woods to indicate she knew there were more coming, but before she could speak her father interrupted her.

"You are safe," he reiterated. "You need to do as you are told and do not question what I am about to tell you. I am going to summon a portal in a minute, you will enter it. You will appear at the MacGregors. You will ask for sanctuary in their cellar. The walls of that cellar are much like ours in that there are spells that will keep any from scrying and finding your presence. You will be summoned when it is ok to leave. You will then exit the cellar and come above. You will then need give Dalton MacGregor this note," Merlin said as he handed her a note with the MacGregor's name written upon it.

"Regardless of what happens here you will not see me anymore child. It is far too dangerous, and I will not risk your life any longer. It was foolery for me to believe that my presence here would go undetected. Do you understand what I am saying?" he said with a voice that now was beginning to falter.

She nodded.

The wizard pointed his staff at a spot just behind the young girl. "Ostium Dimesio" he said. A bright light flashed, and a doorway of light now stood.

The old man nodded and nudged the young child toward the door. With a loud sob of tears, she threw herself around the waist of the old man.

"I will never forget you daddy," she said as she hugged him deeply and bolted toward the portal.

The figure was enveloped by the door and then both it and she disappeared.

The old figure stood a second his head bowed looking at the ground. "Nor I you child," he said as he dropped to his knees and felt the tears began to flow.

A noise off to his left and right brought him to his senses. He bolted toward Isla his loving wife. Before he knelt before her body, he already knew her outlook was very grim even if he had his stash of potions upon his person, which he did not.

He held his wife in his hands not caring that his hands and body were now covered in her blood. She looked deep into her husband's eyes. "Is my baby OK," she managed to cough.

"Our Gwen will be fine. I have ensured that these vile creatures will not be able to catch her or harm her," he said trying to reassure his wife as best he could.

She then looked at the staff held within his hands and then back at his face. Her look seemed inquisitive to him, so he answered the unasked question.

"I am or was a great wizard, the stories of King Arthur, Merlin and the Kingdom of Camelot are true. I am he and I am older a man than you deserve," he said sadly as he bowed his head.

"I have always known my love and as it turns out our ages in this relationship are more irrelevant than even, I could have ever imagined," she said with a smile that faded only ever so slightly.

"Why have they come," she coughed with what seemed would be her last breath.

"They have come for me, they are allied with an ancient evil, one that I have been at war with for more years than you have lived," was the old man's response.

A panicked look crossed upon the young mother's face. "Then how are you to guarantee the safety of our daughter if these, these things keep coming after you," she asked angrily as she gestured toward the nearest creature to her.

The mage looked deeply into her eyes. "I will vanquish all of the foes here except a few and when they run, I will follow them. I will then slay the creature that commands them, or I will die trying. Either way our daughter will be safe," Merlin said as he stroked her long blond hair.

She smiled. "And until that day", she asked already knowing her beloved had this day planned long in advance.

"She will stay with the MacGregors. It has all been arranged," he said with some finality.

"Then I guess you need only to kill these creatures. You better get to it old man. Don't bother coming back to me when you are done. I don't want you to miss out on finding that dragon," she said with a smile. This of course further proved that she had in fact known of Merlins' identity the entire time.

The old man smiled a deep smile and kissed Isla on the cheek. He left then knowing he would never see his beloved again. Tears of anger fueled the old wizard's rage. It was not a good time to be an Orc.