Chapter 13: Apprenticeship

"Well Merlin, we have a lot to accomplish today. Better get to work," said Bernie, waking Merlin.

Merlin's wound from his battle with the Saxon dragon had been bandaged. The Saxons had fled Britain after receiving news of the dragon's death, allowing Uther more time to prepare for the war. Uther had left his remaining men stationed at Stonehenge to fend off any raids. Meanwhile, Merlin and Uther had traveled back to Caernarfon Castle, arriving only the day before, December 3, 1336. They would have been back sooner, but Bernie had told Merlin not to use magic. Besides, Merlin had figured he and Uther could help tone each other's fighting skills.

After arriving, Bernie had looked Merlin over, healing Merlin's wound as best as he could. Bernie had said that it was time for Merlin to begin learning the arts of Gramarye. Training would begin tomorrow he had said.

Now here Bernie was, waking Merlin earlier than even the earliest peasants.

"Here are some pancakes. Eat while I explain the works of magic.

"You already know the history of magic, so I'll cut to the chase. Magic is divided into three different branches, each working differently than the others. The three branches are charms, spells, and hexes. You also have alchemy, but that isn't considered magic. Anyhow, each branch has specific rules and abilities.


"Let's start with charms. Charms are the easiest of any magic you can perform. However, they can't control anything, and they can only manipulate unanimous objects or else rodent-sized creatures. To cast a charm, you merely have to think what you want, and you have it. No words or wands required.

"Spells are a little different. Spells can manipulate anything, and control relatively few things. Casting a spell is also a little different. First, you need a wand, which you use to harness the magic energy in the air around you. Then you speak what you want, using the Speech. Unfortunately, magic is not thinking, and so you have to guide it when performing spells, word for word. If you don't your spell won't turn out correctly, and may even backfire. That's why wizards have ti be careful with their wording, and it's why I didn't want you using magic to get back here.

"The third and most dangerous branch of magic is hexes. Hexes can be used to control anything, even time and space themselves. Hexes are very intricate, and require exact wording. If you don't say it exactly right, or don't gather enough energy, hexes will drain the remaining energy they need from the caster and anybody near him. This has won multiple battles, but it's something to avoid unless absolutely necessary. Fortunately, the art of hexes is an ancient one, and therefore not widely used. Now come on; while you were gone I set up a shape-shifting exercise for you."

A few minutes later, Merlin was in the courtyard, looking at an elaborate array of walls, hoops, rings, holes, and targets.

"Here's what I want you to do," said Bernie, "I want you to pass all of these obstacles by using your shape-shifting ability. You may not use magic, and you may not change back to your normal shape after you have first shifted once starting the course. Your goal is to do it in two minutes. Go!"

As soon as Bernie said go, Merlin was off, in his dragon shape. His first obstacle was a ring halfway up the castle wall, and the next obstacle was a target a few feet above the hoop. This was going to be easy!

Flying parallel to the wall before him, Merlin soared through the first hoop, and scorched the target. Shape-shifting to a lion, Merlin ran the length of the wall, jumping hurdles and ramming any targets. Done on the wall, Merlin shifted to become a spider crawling down the wall. Breezing through the rest of the course, Merlin made it back to where he started in just under a minute.

"Not good enough," said Bernie, "try again. This time under fifty seconds.

Not foreseeing what was going to happen, Merlin repeated the course. This time, everything went wrong. As he was flying up the wall, Merlin saw the wall suddenly heighten and swerve, taking the hoop with it. Still flying towards the hoop, Merlin was then attacked by a mound of earth rising up like lava spewing out of a volcano. The mound of earth hit Merlin square in the chest, pushing him up onto the wall. Inexplicably, the wall tipped, knocking Merlin onto the ground below. Wrapped in pain, Merlin heard a low rumbling coming from beneath him as the ground opened, leaving Merlin to fall fifty feet.

"Alright?" Bernie called, looking over the edge of the crack in the earth.

"How did you do that?" asked Merlin, shifting back to his normal self.

"I'm the Elemental Earth, remember? I can manipulate anything having to with the earth, including the structures above it. Come on let's try again."

It was late afternoon when Bernie called it quiting time. No matter how many times Merlin tried, he never succeeded in successfully maneuvering through the course. Every time Bernie had done somthing different, preventing Merlin from attaining victory over the course.

"What was that exercise all about?" asked Merlin.

"I wanted to help you develop your shape-shifting skills." Bernie replied calmly.

"Then why did you manipulate the course with magic?"

"It was to help develop your sense of foresight. Before we all got comfortable in Atlantis, it was a requirement that wizards successfully manuever an obstacle course like the one you did in a short time. It was one of the many vigorous training exercises they did."

"Will I be doing these exercises?"

"Of course. You may be my nephew, but you still need to hone your talents further than you possbly can. I can gurantee you, that you shan't fight with the Light until the day you master every last one of those exercises. But you did good today, so I'm letting you take the rest of the day off."

"Thanks."

"You are most welcome. Oh, onne last thing; did you bring Fanomar?"

"Yes, I always carry Fanomar, why?"

"I need to see Fanomar." Bernie replied.

Fanomar taken from its scabbard, Bernie turned it on to its flat edge, resting it on the side of Merlin's neck.

"Rise, my apprentice." said Bernie, twisting the sword away from Merlin.

Although Merlin would undoubtfully be known by many more names throughout his life and beyond, 'Apprentice' was the one name that would always stick.

Chapter 12: The First Battle

Merlin watched from a hill as Uther's army and that of the Saxons collided. He had seen this day coming more than four years ago. He had hoped he would be wrong, but he hadn't. His dream had become a reality.

After Merlin, Bernie, and Uther arrived at Caernarfon Castle, Uther had been informed that the Saxons were about to attack near Amesbury, England, and that troops had already been sent to guard the area. Not one to wait for results, Uther immediately started towards Amesbury, hoping he could get there in time. Merlin had accompanied him, and Bernie would have too if he hadn't forgotten his weapons and armor.

Any moment now, Merlin knew that two dragons would loom over the horizon, and fight each other, deciding the fate of the battle. As Merlin looked to the east and then the west, he saw only one dragon coming: the white dragon. The dragon of the Saxons. And the red dragon, the Celtic dragon, was nowhere in sight.


Why hasn't the red dragon come? thought Merlin to himself, the red dragon has to come.


Five minutes passed, and still no sign of the Celtic dragon. Gazing off into the sunset, Merlin knew what was to happen.

Merlin cleared his thoughts, until only the image of the red dragon remained. Slowly, Merlin felt scales crawl onto his skin, and felt a strange warmth in his throat. He felt his teeth lengthen to become fangs, he hair recede back into his scalp. He had become the Celtic dragon.

Testing his wings, Merlin rose from the hill he stood upon, flying to meet the Saxon dragon. Flying was like nothing Merlin had ever imagined; it felt as if he were free for the first time in his life. His instincts told him which way to move to go where. Although this would not be the last time he flew in the shape of a dragon, Merlin never forget his majestic first flight.

People of both the Saxon and British armies looked up in awe at the shape-shifted Merlin. Once the armies realized that the red dragon flying above them was going to fight for the British, the Saxons redoubled their efforts, no longer successfully penetrating the British forces. The Britons' hope had been renewed at the sight of the Celtic dragon who was Merlin. No longer fearing the Saxons, the Britons charged with all their might in a devastating, head-long assault on the Saxon front line, which was quickly broken.


Although the battle below was being won, there was still another, more challenging one coming, one Merlin, and only Merlin could accomplish. The death of the white dragon.


Merlin and the Saxon dragon clashed in an array of sparks flying off each of their claws. The white dragon lunged for Merlin's throat, which Merlin successfully blocked by twisting his head so the spines along his back met the teeth of of the white dragon. Not discouraged, the white dragon did a barrel roll to Merlin's right, twisting so he would come under Merlin and be able to overpower him. Merlin countered this move by diving towards the battle below. Frantically, the soldiers below ran from the place where Merlin would collide with the Earth. The Saxon dragon wasn't going to let his prey get away so easily. He too turned and dived towards the ground.


Knowing that if he didn't act now, Merlin would become crater two miles from Amesbury, Merlin quickly pulled up in his flight, parallelling himself to the ground five feet below him. The Saxon dragon, who was bigger and not as agile, took a serious blow to the head, but nothing fatal. Blood gushing out of his wounds, the Saxon dragon once again lunged for Merlin, this time fueled by an unforgiving rage. Merlin, not expecting the attack, was able to keep the white dragon from severing his head from his body, but not able to keep the dragon from leaving a deep gash all the way down Merlin's side. Howling in pain, the white dragon opened his mouth, releasing a torrent of fire. In agonizing pain Merlin made a last attempt to go for the white dragon's throat. The dragon, laughter in its eyes, avoided the assault effortlessly, and pinned Merlin to the ground.


He was helpless. Merlin was helpless. Not only had the first part of hs dream become a reality, but now he was going to die the death he had seen the Celtic dragon experience in his dreams. It was over. Only eleven years old and already dead.


Just a all hope seemed lost, Merlin suddenly saw something in his mind's eye. He saw Nimue. He suddenly knew that this dragon wouldn't stop with him. It would keep going, killing everything in its path, in much the same way as a hurricane. Including Nimue.


Fueled by anger, Merlin realeased a wind of fire, forcing the Saxon dragon off of him. Merlin didn't hestitate to take advantage of the oppurtuniy before him. Merlin jumped on the white dragon and sunk his fangs into the dragon's flesh. The white dragon had been killed and the Britons had won the battle.


Shape-shifting back to his normal self, Merlin saw Uther rushing towards him, apparently worried.


"Are yeh alright?" asked Uther, looking over Merlin.


"Yes."


"What were yeh thinking attacking that bloody beast!" exclaimed Uther, skipping to the next topic he wanted to discuss.


"I wasn't killed, was I? And it won us the battle, diddn't it?"


"Well, yes, but yeh should-"


"I'm still alive Uther," interrupted Merlin, "And that's all that really matters."

"Well we should get you to the medical tent. You still; have that gash that the dragon gave you."

Following Uther's gaze, Merlin saw that the right side of his shirt was soaked with blood.

"Indeed. But there's one more thing I need to do." replied Merlin

Turning towards the battlefield, Merlin said "Hasha Vajar!" Slowly, stones began to rise from the ground, each pair topped by a stone running lenght-wise. When the spell was finished, Merlin was looking at a circle of stones, two standing upright and one on top of the two. This pattern was the same all the way around.

"This will serve as a monument to the blood shed here today. It shall be called Stonehenge." said Merlin, walking towards the medical tent.

Chapter 11: Starting Anew

"Hello Merlin," said a voice, "I've been waiting for you. It's time for you to learn what you can truly do."

Merlin was in a place very familiar to him; the woods of Ala Bora. He was looking around for the source of the voice when a boy steeped into the clearing. Merlin was startled to see it was him.

"Jorma!" the other Merlin shouted, shape-shifting to become a red dragon, then a white, and then back to his normal self. The other Merlin looked over at the awestruck Merlin, and disappeared into a mist.

"Merlin, wake up! Uther shall leave without us if you don't get a move on!" shouted Bernie, walking towards the tent he and Merlin shared. Groggy, Merlin got up, stretching his long legs as he did so, and put on his traveling robe. Uther hadn't been planning on leaving for another few days, but battle had called him away. It seemed as if the Saxons had been planning their revolt for years, for everything was already in place. Merlin had to go with Uther, for he had promised that he would advise Uther.

"Ah, good, all ready! Now we can start our journey to Uther's magnificent castle! Oh, what a joy to be called upon by a king!" rambled Bernie.

"Bernie, I have a question. Do you mind if I ask it?"

"No, not at all!"

"Well, last night I had a dream. In it, I saw myself, and I said-"

"Don't say it now!" interrupted Bernie, "I know what you are talking about. The Quine. It's one of the two things that make each wizard's abilities different.

"What is the Quine?"

"It's a dream that shows you a spell that will give you special powers. These special powers can be anything from shape-shifting, to instantaneous transport, to for seeing the future or past. Mine was the Elemental Earth, which allows me to control anything having to do with the ground beneath us. Really quite useful."

"What's mine?" asked Merlin.

"Well, the part of the dream after you hear the words usually shows you what your spell will do. To activate the spell permanently, all you have to do is say it, but you never know what might happen, so it will be best to wait until we're in the forest."

Understanding his dream better, Merlin walked out of the tent with Bernie, only to be met with a chorus of voices.

"They've come to celebrate," Bernie told Merlin, "There isn't really any thing to celebrate, to tell the truth, but people want to celebrate after their lost, so we let them."

"Good to see yeh, Merlin! I thought yeh would never wake up! But then, I guess that can be expected. After all, you haven't slept since the night before your birthday," said Uther, who had been waiting outside the tent.

Presented with the white horse Merlin had ridden to Atlantis, the trio set off, Geoffrey yelling to Merlin that he would send a messenger when the time for the meeting came.

"Alright, let's see what your Quine is," said Bernie once the trio was in the forest.

"Jorma!" screamed Merlin.

Suddenly, Merlin felt his skin moving, and felt as if something were growing out of his skin. He started to see different colors, his hearing became more fine-tuned. Then it was over.

"Oh, my," said Uther, astonished.

"Amazing. You are a shape-shifter," said Bernie, "here, look at yourself," holding up a mirror.

Merlin had become a lion!


"Try thinking of somethng else," said Bernie, "you might shape-shift into it."

A few minutes later, Merlin had become a red dragon.

"Amazing. It's been so long sonce I've seen a shape-shifter. I had forgotten how majestic the changes are. Well, now go back to your normal self, so I can take us to Uther's castle," said Bernie, awestruck.

Shape-shifting back to his normal shape, Merlin couldn't help but think that he was starting his life all over again. He had lost almost everything he held dear, and was now starting anew.

Chapter 10: Aftermath of the Fall

As Merlin was walking to Uther's tent, he saw the sun peak over the horizon. Much had happened since the sun the last rose. Merlin had celebrated his birthday, received a sword, wand, and bow, met the Young One, learned the truth about Bernie's past, and had lost Shiroix and Nasuada. All in less than a day.

When Bernie had recounted his life, he had made Merlin swear not to tell anyone of anything that had been said in the tent. Reluctantly, Merlin had sworn.

As Merlin walked along the beach, he noticed he wasn't the only one on the beach. Many others were also on the beach, pondering the many questions that had risen the previous night, such as how did the Dark find the Light, why did the goblins, trolls, giants, and sirens betray the Light, and what was going to become of the Light? No one really knew; everything had been lost in the Fall except for what you had carried with you. Vast libraries had been lost, and many had given their lives so the Light could escape. More Atlantians had come to where the former residents of Ala Bora resided from where they had taken themselves through the works of a spell. After the recent tradegy, the Light's future still looked bleak.

Merlin saw many people were mourning the death of a loved one. Merlin stopped momentarily and mourned for Shiroix and Nasuada. When he had finished, he saw a small ball, glittering in the sunlight. As he came closer, Merlin was astonished to see it was the crystal ball Shiroix had given him the previous day. As Merlin suffered from the pain of knowing he could have saved Shiroix, he pocketed the ball, and continued on to Uther's tent.

"Greetings, Merlin. I see you salvaged your crystal ball. i hope you still have your sword King Envok made for you." said Geoffrey, a grim expression on his face.

"I do. How are things going with the rest of the Council?"

"Not so well. Atlantis had been our capital for millennia, and now . . . it's gone. Everything we've worked for is gone, and I'm being blamed for it! Everyone says it was my fault that the Dark got past the gate, that I didn't have enough soldiers posted to the guarding, that-"

"It wasn't your fault," Merlin interrupted, "and we didn't lose everything we've worked for."

"How did we not lose everything we worked for?"

"Because we were working for peace, and still are working towards that goal. The Fall was just a set-back. We can still win the war."

"You are most certainly right," said Geoffrey, " it was just a set-back. Thanks for helping me. Oh, and before I forget, the Council is meeting to discuss what should happen next. They want all of the most well-known and respected wizards to be there, and they've asked me to invite you. After all, your reputation as a warrior has made your name one of the most recognizable in the world of wizards. Anyhow, would you like to attend the meeting?"

"I'll be there."

"I'll tell the Council to reserve your spot."

Geoffrey's spirits heightened, Merlin continued to Uther's tent. Soon he stood at the small canvas structure.

"Come in Merlin. I've just received grave news." said Uther, noticing Merlin's shadow.

"What has happened?"

"The Saxons have revolted. I couldn't give them the land they wanted fast enough, so they betrayed me. I give them hospitality, and they turn on me."

"So it's war with the Saxons?"

"Yes. With the coming war, I have to ask yeh if would yeh would be so kind as to become my advisor. Will yeh?"

"Yes. I have no one except Bernie, who will most certainly agree to accompany me in your castle."

"Thanks Merlin. I know how tough it must be for yeh, what with losing everyone you've come to think of as family. It happened to me too."

"I know." said Merlin, finishing their conversation.

As Merlin trekked back to his tent, he saw Nimue walking down the beach.

"Hello Nimue." said Merlin as he walked past her.

"Hello to you too Merlin."

"It must be terrible."

"What must be terrible?" said Nimue, obviously surprised.

"Losing the only home you had ever known and watching it disappear, knowing you will never return there for as long as you lived."

"How do you know how it feels? It's never happened to you!" snapped Nimue, trying to keep from crying.

"It's all right. I may not know how it feels, but I do know how it feels to lose something you had never thought you would lose. For you see, my mother died in the Fall, trying to keep the Dark from discovering the secrets of Atlantis."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I really am."

"Its alright," mumbled Merlin, not wanting to be troubled by the painful emotions triggered by the memory, "I just don't like to think about it. But I can sense you want to tell someone how you feel. You can tell me anything you'd like to."

"How did you-? Never you mind. I- I do want to share what I feel, but its too painful."

"Everyone feels pain. It's what makes us human. If you don't want to share, you don't have to. Just remember, I will always be available to listen to you."

"I'll remember that. Thanks." sobbed Nimue.

"You are most welcome."

As Merlin turned away from Nimue, he saw something that he would remember for as long as he lived.

"Hello my old friend," said a cold voice that Merlin didn't recognize, "We are friends right? Or has it been too long for you to remeber?" Horrified, Merlin looked up, and he saw the handsome face of someone who looked very much like the Young One. Overcome by shock, Merlin started looking around, seeing he was alone on a forested hill with the man, a battle raging below. Slowly, the man took a sword from his belt and brought it level with Merlin's throat.

"Where has your fighting spirit gone?" chuckled the man, "Gone with the Fall? Well, no matter. You wouldn't live even if you were fighting back." With those words, the man swung his sword at Merlin's throat, slicing it clean in half, severing Merlin head from his body. Merlin felt no pain, and yet, he found he was screaming.

"Calm down Merlin," soothed Nimue, "It was only a dream."

Seeing he wasn't on a battle field, Merlin looked around the medical tent, wondering why it was so cold.

"You've been asleep all day. For some reason, you fainted when you started walking away from me this morning. What was your dream about anyhow?"

"Nothing I want to recall. It was a nightmare, and that's all you need to know."

"Alright," Nimue replied, "I was just curious. Here, I'll help you get back to Bernie's tent."

As Nimue helped Merlin up, he noticed that there was snow just under the edges of the tents. There had been no snow this morning. It must be getting close to Christmas again. After all, that was when it snowed.

"Thanks for helping me get here," said Merlin when he and Nimue had reached the end of their journey through the two feet of snow that had piled up during the day.

"It was my pleasure."

Just then, the two heard a slight whoosh sound above them, and saw a mistletoe.

"How did that get there?" asked Merlin, already knowing the answer.

"I don't know, but tradition is tradition." replied Nimue, bringing her eyes level with Merlin's as she looked down from the mistletoe.

"Yes, you're right." siad Merlin, looking straight into Nimue's ocean-blue eyes.

* * *

"It was you wasn't it!" accused Merlin as he walked in to the tent, pointing a finger at Bernie.

Bernie, it seemed, was very ammused by his use of magic, and was bursting with laughter.

Chapter 9: Bernie's Story

"You're the Prophecizer?" asked Merlin in an awed voice.

"Yes. I am." replied Bernie grimly.

"But how? The Seven lived millennia ago."

"Just listen to what I have to say. If you still have questions at the end, I'll answer them.

"The Vasillan Realm wasn't the only realm. In fact, there's seven realms: the Akanavian Realm, the Bengorian Realm, the Jakashin Realm, the Human Realm, the Vasillan Realm, the Utopian Realm, and Annwn, the Spirit Realm. Each of these realms is unique in their own way, and is named after their dominant species. The only exception is Annwn, which received its name from the Celts before we even understood it. Anyhow, the Utopian Realm was the first of the realms. All of the realms' base comes from the Utopian Realm.

"The Utopian Realm was besieged by war when I was a boy. They were a very advanced race, and had recently prospered in the Isolation, the time when every country in the Utopian Realm isolated themselves from the rest of the world. They had weapons that were unimaginable; they had found the secrets of many branches of science, mixed them with those of nuclear war-fare, and had the most powerful weapons in the world, more powerful than even a nuclear bomb. They fought one another, all the while developing new technologies, and incorporating them in their weapons.

"Then one day, something happened. I'll never forget that day. I was your age on that day. A man had come to our city to talk to us. He was in his mid-twenties, and carried with him two things had never seen or heard of: a bow and an arrow. He explained to the world that we need not fight one another meaninglessly. He explained that there was much more to life than war. Then he told us. He told the world something no one knew besides him. He told us of magic, and that our world was overflowing with it, and that we could use it to our advantage; not for war, but rather peace.

"He told us how this strange energy could be harnessed. He even demonstrated for us that we could charm the magic itself so that it would give us anything we pleased. So many secrets were found, so many lives saved, so much more food, no more war, starvation, prejudice, or unfairness. Everyone was happy. Satisfied, the man disappeared for a number of years. If he hadn't, we might have survived.

Although everyone thought they were happy, they weren't. Everything they had was false. Their joy was only mask. When they realized that, everyone became plagued by despair and disappointment and sadness. The magic noticed this, and saw only one way to make them happy: take them away from this realm. I still remember the day my mom walked home and collapsed on the floor, dead immediately. My little sister, your mother, was also shocked. It took days to calm her down. Then the man came again.

"He asked what had happened. I explained, blaming him for everything. After listening to me, he told me there was other escape, for both me and my sister. He told me he would take me to a land where the sun rose and fell. That land happened to be the Vasillan Realm.

"Over the years, he found more survivors, and tutored us all in the ways of magic. Eventually, we became the Seven. I became the Prophecizer, and Nasuada became the Sorceress. The man took the name of Ambro. Only one thing was missing: the Young One. Ambro had been keeping a secret.

"For years, Ambro had been training a boy he had found shortly after the Plague. He turned out to have been named Shiroix by his parents before they died. Ambro had been training him,

supporting him, fathering him. They had developed a close relationship that very few people ever had. Ambor, the day he told us about Shiroix, he suggested we give him a seat in what was the early version of the Council. After Shiroix proved himself, almost everyone agreed he would be a great Council member. I didn't. I had had a dream the previous night. I saw what Shiroix would become. I tried to prevent, but Ambro didn't listen; he thought Shiroix was harmless.

"As the years went by, I began to doubt whether what I had seen was really going to happen. Then it was Betrayal Day. That tragic day when Shiroix attacked with his Jakashin army, killed Ambro, and forced everyone to flee. That day; I can never forget how Ambro loved Shiroix, and ended up having to kill the person he had come to think of as his son. I just can't imagine how painful it must have been for him . . .

"Anyhow, when the war ended, the remaining five gathered together. We all decided we had still to fulfill everything fate wanted us to in our lives. The problem was, not everything that had to happen could happen then. For weeks we searched for the solution. We finally realized we could hide out in the Utopian Realm, helping the other realms when we felt it necessary. Your mother found it hard to stay in one place, and was constantly on the move, making excuses to visit other realms. Eventually, we settled here, in the Human Realm. The others of the Seven are still alive, save for Ambro and Nasuada, but prefer to stay in the Utopian Realm." finished Bernie.

"Are there any descendants of the others?" asked Merlin, curious as to how you could tell you were of Utopian blood.

"Of course! Look at yourself; you're a descendant of the Sorceress!"

"Are we marked in any special way?"

"Yes. Let me show you how to tell if one is a descendant of one of the Seven." said Bernie, taking a small feather from his robe and dusting Merlin's hand with it. What was on Merlin's hand looked something like this:

"What is it?" asked Merlin.

"It's what we call 'The Story'. Everything about us is in that mark. I saw it in one of my dreams. I knew it was our symbol, and cast a spell on all of the Seven so their descendants would have this mark. You see the v? It stands for the Vasillah. Those other symbols, I'm not quite sure of yet. But I do now that those two intersecting lines at the bottom represent Ambro and Shiroix. The bold line is Shiroix, and the thin one is Ambro. The reason the thin line ends at the bold one, is because Ambro's life was taken by Shiroix. That dark blotch behind the bold line represents the Dark. Everything of great importance is in this mark. Also, I presume your blood has turned gold?"

"Yes. How did you know?" asked Merlin, bewildered.

"It's what marks us as coming from the Utopian Realm."

Just then, several thoughts occured to Merlin.

"Is Shiroix the Young One?"

"If you mean the one whom has lived with us for a while, then no. He was just an regular boy."

"He died in the Fall, didn't he?" proposed Merlin.

"I hate to tell you, but yes, he did."

"Who was that man in the forest? And why did he call you an old friend?" asked Merlin, already knowing the answer.

"That man was the Young One."

Chapter 8: The Fall

"Merlin, what do you say we really try out that new bow?" said Shiroix, grabbing his own bow, "Let's go hunting."

"Why not."

Soon Merlin and Shiroix were in the forest on the edge of Ala Bora, searching for a Small prize to take home. It was not long before they found a hare. It was a speedy one, and it would be well after night-fall that they caught it if they ever did.

A few hours later, when the sun was setting, Shiroix and Merlin were in a tree, looking down on the hare.

"On my signal, release your bow," said Shiroix, " . . . Now!"

As the arrows whizzed out of the bow, Merlin and Shiroix saw a flash of lightning not to far a way, followed by a strong gust of wind. Merlin never saw whether or not he hit the hare, for an eerie blue light began emitting from deeper in the forest, which steadily became less intense. Curious as to what had caused the light, Merlin and Shiroix walked toward the light. The sight they saw was one they would never forget.

What used to be a forest was now a scorched clearing, the light coming from the center of the clearing. As their eyes adjusted, Merlin and Shiroix saw a man on his knees leaning over what looked to be a large cube. The man's black clothing was in ribbons, flowing around him like a black cloud. His hair was jet black and he was breathing heavily. After some time, the man stood up, revealing he had a clean shaven face, cold blue eyes, and was about the same height as Bernie.

Walking towards the two, the man began to speak for the first time. He spoke quietly, but his cold voice commanded the attention of all.

"Come now, there is no need to be afraid of me. I'm just a lost traveler, that's all. Can't we be friends?" said the man, smiling a false smile. Shiroix, as it seemed, didn't trust the man, for he took his bow and shot an arrow towards the man.

Reaching his hand out effortlessly, the man caught the arrow out of the air.

"I see we don't like each other. Well, that can be fixed, now can't it?" said the man, taking his sword from within the confines of his torn cloak.

"NO!" shouted Bernie as he ran into the clearing, bringing his sword to meet the man's neck.

Once again, the man moved his hand and effortlessly took the sword from Bernie, and threw it out into the forest along with his own.

"If we must fight, my old friend, we do it the right way." said the man, taking a wand from his tattered cloak. It was going to be a wizard's duel.

"Get back home!" shouted Bernie.

Without hesitation, Merlin and Shiroix ran, Shiroix taking the cube that the man had dropped. They ran and ran, never looking back. They encountered Nasuada along the way, who was looking for them.

"Oh, there you are! Quick, get to the Bridge! NOW! Uther, you go with them," screeched Nasuada, "Bernie will be along shortly."

When the trio reached Ala Bora, they saw a massive battle. Dragons were fighting amongst each other in the air, the merpeople were fighting sirens, goblins, trolls, giants, and minotaurs were terrorizing the streets.

"What's happening?" Merlin tried to yell over the noise.

"It's the Dark," Uther screamed, "they've found us!"

Suddenly, Merlin was somewhere else; in the forest, watching as the man fought Bernie.

"You'll never win, my old friend," screeched the man gleefully, "you'll never win!"

"Then I'll die trying!" Bernie retorted as Nasuada entered the clearing.

"Another old friend! My, isn't this a lovely reunion!" laughed the man as Nasuda told Bernie to protect Merlin.

"This is for my son, the Light, and everything they stand for!" howled Nasuda as she brought her sword over her head to come down on the head of the man.

"I thought you might have changed," said the man, sidestepping Nasuada's blow which went straight into the ground with enough force to bury the sword, "But it seems as though you haven''t. It pains me to say this, but goodbye forever." the man finished as he put his sword through Nasuada's heart.

"NO!" screamed Merlin.

"Calm down boy! We enough to worry about right now!" shouted Uther. When Merlin had seen the duel with the man, he had fallen on the ground. Uther had picked him up off the ground and sprinted for the Bridge.

"Where's Shiroix?" Merlin asked, looking around.

"I don't know, but we have to get out of here and now! The Fall is going to happen any minute, and if we're here when the Fall happens, we die!" said Bernie coming up behind them.

Without another word, the three doubled their speed to the bridge. They were only twenty feet away and the trolls were close on their heels!

"We can make it!" screamed Uther.

Then the Fall began. The ground began to rumble, cracks started to spread and widen, the sea seemed to get higher, and the three were running faster than Merlin would have thought possible. Then the trio jumped over a crack to the Bridge and not a moment too soon. A few seconds after their jump, Atlantis fell. The Third War had begun.

* * *

"Bernie, can I come in?" asked Merlin, peeking his head in Bernie's tent. After the Fall, some wizards had started to make tents. As hard as he looked, Merlin couldn't find Shiroix.

"Yes. You have questions, and you deserve to have them answered."

Merlin came in and sat on a chair.

"Go ahead. Ask anything. I will try my best to answer it." said Bernie calmly, his eyes grim.

"Who was that man, and why did he call you an old friend, and how did the Dark find us, and-"

"Enough," interrupted Bernie, "All these questions will be answered, but first let me tell you my story."

Just then, something clicked in Merlin's head. He made a connection that would forever change how he looked at his uncle.

"You're not who you say you are, are you?" asked Merlin.

"No, I'm not."

"Then who are you?"

"I am the Prophecizer."

Chapter 7: Nimue

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Merlin! Happy birthday to you!" Nasuada, Bernie, Shiroix and Uther sang.It was November 1, 1336, Merlin's eleventh birthday. Much had happened in the last four years; Uther fought with the troops the wizards had sent to help Aurelianus, earning himself the name of Pendragon for great courage, Vortigern had been overthrown, though not killed, Aurelianus had been killed by a group of traitors shortly after his coronation, leaving Uther to the throne, and Merlin had learned a great deal from Bernie's library.

" Uther, what are you doing here? I haven't seen you since you left to fight Vortigern. You must be busy with the keeping the Saxons happy."

"Well, yes, but I couldn't miss yer birthday, now could I?"

"No, I guess not. It's nice to see you again."

"Indeed it is! My, how you've grown! Oh I almost forgot. Reli wanted you to have this." Uther said, handing Merlin a longbow and a large quiver of fifty steel-tipped arrows.

"It's magnificent! Is this of Saxon make?"

"With a little changing to make it our own."

"Thank you."

One by one, the rest of the family gave Merlin their gift. Bernie gave Merlin a book titled A History of the Vasillan Races A-Z, Nasuada gave him a green robe, much like the one he had long outgrown, and Shiroix gave him a crystal ball.

"Oh crystal ball, who is the greatest of them all?" Shiroix asked the crystal ball. Thanks to a charm he had placed on the ball, it showed his face whenever the question was asked.

After Merlin had tried on the robe, breezed through the book, and divinated the future through his crystal ball, Merlin decided he would try his bow. He set off for the Archery Range as soon as he was ready.

"Mornin' Merlin!" shouted one of the sentries, " goin' to the Archery to try your bow?"

"Yes! I'll see you a little later!"

"All right!"

Since Merlin had come to Ala Bora, he had become well-known for his duel with Vortigern. Everyone knew him, and he knew everyone.

When Merlin came to the Archery Range, everyone who was practicing stood back as they watched Merlin release his arrows, three by three, each one hitting a bulls-eye, faster than the eye could track, until he had none left. Everyone applauded Merlin's excellent marksmanship. Very few people had ever accomplished such a feat.

"Well done, Merlin, well done! Only eleven years old and already better than most of my warriors with most sword and bow!" said Geoffrey, one of the Council members, as Merlin retrieved his arrows. The Council was the three wizards who lead the Light. Each one lived in a different shire of the three shires that composed Atlantis: Monmouth, Gildas, and Anthon. Geoffrey was the leader of Monmouth shire.

"Thanks. I got this bow from Uther. It was a birthday gift."

"Uther has returned? I need to pay more attention if I didn't know that! I think I should have a word with him." said Geoffrey, his eyes curiously surveying the bow.

"Why? Has he done something wrong?"

"No, not at all. But this bow, it's amazing. I want to ask him if he would be so kind as to share with us how he made such a beautiful weapon. Anyhow, Envok of the elves has a gift for you." said Geoffrey, beckoning to King Envok behind him.

The elves were a curious race; they despised war, and yet, they were the most fearsome race when it came to war. They had skin the color of that of Europeans, slightly pointed ears, and were a good few inches taller than most wizards. They wore tight silk clothing, and were very cheerful.

Except when they helped to promote war. The elves had long adopted a policy of peace. The despised war. They had seen too many of them to love wars. They knew that the war with the Dark was necessary, but if they could find another way to supply swords to the Light without having to forge them themselves, they would do it in an instant.

"I have had my smiths working on this for many years. Today, they finished it, and asked my to give it to you, the one for whom it was made." Kneeling, Envok pulled a scabbard from his belt, and held it out to Merlin. Merlin took the scabbard from Envok, and took the sword from its sheath to examine it.The sword was beautiful. Its sides were lined with a clear streak of green, the same color as the emerald in the hilt. It was nearly as long as Merlin was tall, a great deal bigger than any sword Merlin had ever handled, yet, he felt more at home with this sword than any other. On its hilt was the word Fanomar, meaning hope in the Speech.

"Thank you. I will take great care of it."

"That is all I ask," said Envok, completing the ritual.

As Merlin walked home, he swung his sword from side to side. It felt as if he were moving his arm, not the sword. Once, Merlin swung too low, and took a patch of skin off his left arm. Merlin didn't howl in pain for their was none. He watched as his skin grew over his wound, leaving only a few drops of blood on the surface. Merlin, who had expected blood to come gushing out, was appalled by how his skin had repaired itself so quickly. Even more shocking, Merlin saw that the blood was not red; it was gold.

After recovering from his initial shock, Merlin looked up to see a girl he hadn't seen before standing right in front of him. She had long, flowing black hair, blue eyes the color of the ocean, tiny, golden rings haning from her ears, and a silver tunic.

"So you're one of them," the girl muttered, looking up at a speechless Merlin, "I never thought I'd see one."

"Wh- who are -y-y-you?" stuttered Merlin.

"I'm Nimue. And you're Merlin. I was wondering when we'd meet. This is a gift for you." the girl said, handing Merlin a staff, "My mother told me to give it to you. It's a wand." continued Nimue.

"T-t-thanks," Merlin stuttered.

"You're welcome. I hope we see each other again soon. Bye!" said Nimue cheerily as she ran off.

Who is she, Merlin asked himself, and who are them?

Chapter 5: History of the Atlantians

"Oy! Merlin! Over here!" shouted a man. He had gray eyes which complimented his trimmed beard and brown hair. He was fairly tall, with a pointed nose upon which rested his half-moon glasses. He was dressed in blue robes more splendid than Merlin's. The man had a pine wand which looked inferior to the bow slung over his shoulder and sword at his side. How this man knew Merlin, Merlin didn't know. He'd never seen the man before.

"There you are Merlin! Your mother's been worried sick about you! She will have you in her arms so tightly, you will have the life squeezed out of you." said the man, reaching Merlin.

"Who are yeh?" asked Uther in a gruff voice.

"I might ask the same of you. I know everyone in this city, but I have never seen you."

"I'm Uther, son of Emperor Constantine III of the Byzantine Empire. Now who are yeh?"

"Ah, so you're of royal blood. A pleasure to meet you," said the man in a false tone of joy, "I'm Bernie, Merlin's uncle. Nasuada, Merlin's mother, came to me after finding Merlin was gone."

"Nice to meet yeh. I was wondering if Merlin had any relatives here or just wanted to come for the sight."

"He has family here. You must be tired after your long journey from Britain; would you care to join us for dinner?"

"Well actually, Merlin used magic to get us here, but Reli doesn't expect me back for a couple of months so why not?"

"Merlin used magic?" asked Bernie, obviously startled.

"Well, of course. How else would we have gotten here so soon?"

"Never you mind. I was just a bit surprised. Come, let me show you to my home."

* * *

" Tell me everything, Merlin, right from the very beginning!" said Nasuada after nearly squeezing the life out of Merlin. As soon as Merlin had stepped into Bernie's well-furnished house, he had been greeted by Nasuada. When Nasuada let go of him, he was able to see his surroundings for the first time. Bernie's home was nicely furnished, bragging an immense library. Books were wherever chairs could be found, and not a single one was dusty, a great feat considering the amount of books. As Merlin looked closely, he saw they were organized alpahbetically.

"Come on boy, even I want to know what happened to yeh," said Uther, obviously eager to know what Merlin had endured before he met Vortigern.

"All right, all right!" said Merlin, grinning as he told his tale.

"Oh, and Aurelianus says that he could use a thousand troops," finished Merlin.

"I'm not sure if the Council will grant his request, but his goals sound noble, and we' have been sitting doing nothing for millennia; I think's it is time we remind people we're still here." said Bernie as he laid the salad on the table and sat down.

"Yes, an interesting story," said Shiroix, speaking for the first time since Merlin had arrived. Merlin guessed he didn't talk much because he hadn't had to all his life.

When everyone finished with dinner, Merlin was shown to his room next to Shiroix's. He dressed himself in a night-robe Bernie had given him, but when he went back to the dining room with Shiroix, they were told to go back to their rooms while they explained to Uther.

"What do you think they're going to explain?" asked Merlin.

"I'm not sure. Perhaps they will explain to Uther everything that's going on. After all, the outside world is going through dark times and Uther must think we wizards had a part in it."

"But Mom and Bernie would have told us about anything lke that. Wouldn't they?"

"I don't know. These are secretive times. There's probably much we will never know."

As Merlin was about to reply, Shiroix turned and closed his bedroom door behind him. Merlin did the same for his own room.

After a while, curiosity got the better of Merlin. He quietly exited his room, going down the hall to hear the converstaion in the kitchen.

"WHAT!!! That man sired the boy! There is absolutely no likes between the two! That man is the most violent, terrible, wretched soul to ever walk the face of this planet! The boy wouldn't even hurt a fly! How can they be father and son? HOW!!!" boomed Uther so loudly, Merlin nearly wet his pants.

"Calm down Uther! We don't want to wake the boys. They cannot know any of this! If they knew, than the Dark would have a powerful weapon." said Bernie, trying to calm the enraged Uther.

"I'm sorry . . . But how can such a monster be the father of such a gentle person?"

"He hid who he truly was. But he never witnessed the birth of his son. If he had, he would've known that his children were twins. Right now he only has one. Someday, he will learn of the second child. And that will be the Light's darkest hour, when he realizes there are two, one who is bent to his will, the other against him. Yet, it will also be the Light's strongest hour, for it will be the first time he's felt fear in millennia." said Nasuada.

"Then why can't they know?" asked Uther impatiently.

"If we tell them, we have to tell them everything, and if we do that, they will know many secrets, all of which have been kept secrets for millennia." explained Bernie.

"Then why not just tell one?"

"At their age, we can't tell which one will go down which path, and if the knowledge that he fathered twins were to reach him, the things he could learn would ultimately destroy us. He could one by one find all of our cities, crush any resistance there, search the survivors' minds, and eventually cause the downfall of Atlantis. If we find a way to tell them without him finding out, we would do it, without hestitation. But we know of no way to do so at this point in time. Can we trust you to keep this a secret?" asked Nasuada.

"Ehhh, I guess so. But if they still don't know when I'm laying on my death bed, then I will tell them if they are near."

"Agreed." replied Bernie.

What are they talking about? Merlin asked himself, Who is him, and who are the twins, and what are the secrets? As Merlin's head swarmed with this new knowledge, he made his way to bed, and fell asleep pondering these questions.

* * *

"I know you had a late night last night, what with your story and all that excitement, but you have to wake up." Merlin woke to find Bernie on the edge of his bed.

"Today I'm to teach you Atlantian history, so we had better get a move on!"

"Alright," Merlin grumbled, "When do we start?"

"Now. You can eat your breakfast in here. It's on the table"

Merlin looked and sure enough, there was a plate of what looked to be round, flat bread.

"They are called pancakes. Here is some syrup," said Bernie, handing Merlin a bottle filled with a thick, brown liquid.

"It all began more than four thousand years ago, in the year 3023 B.C. other known in Vasillan time as 0. Back then there were the Seven, the first seven wizards. Some say they came from another world, so they are most commonly referred to as the Vasillah, after the world they lived in. The names of the Seven were the Ancient One, the Wise One, the Alchemist, the Wand Maker, the Sorceress, the Prophecizer, and the Young One. Each of these played a part in finding how magic worked.

"One day, the Young One asked for the rank of Master, and not for the first time. Over and over again he had proven himself worthy of the title, but every time he was rejected, because he was not old enough. But his time was different. It was the day that would become known as Christmas Eve. Everything seemed normal after the young One was rejected. Until night came. When night came, the City of the Seven was attacked by a race the Vasillah had never seen before, who called themselves the Jakashi. These creatures had six legs adorned with two claws each, three blood-red eyes, five rows of razor-sharp teeth, a forked tail, spines penetrating out of the back, and black scales to cover their body, thus the term the Dark. The only part exposed on these creatures was their soft underbelly, and they were protected from even that, for the Jakashi had two powers the Vasillah had previously thought only they could preform: shape shifting and twisting of the mind. And leading them was the Young One.

"The Ancient One told the remaining five to take the civilians somewhere safe. Without hestitation, they obeyed, leaving the Ancient One to fight the boy he had come to love as a son.

No one knows what happened when the Ancient One and the Young One fought, but the Young One survived, so we can assume he killed the Ancient One.

"The Young One followed the tracks left behind by the remaining five, and was lead to this world, where the war continued. For three bloody years, we fought the Dark, trying unsuccessfully to protect ourselves from the Jakashi. Eventually, the Jakashi became extinct, and that was the end of the First War. But not the end of the Dark.

"A century later, the Dark threatened the Light again. This time, the Light lost. We retreated to Atlantis and other places in the world. We've been in hiding ever since." finished Bernie, a sad look in his eyes.

"So what happened after?" asked Merlin, engrossed in the story.

"The end of the Second War lead to a Golden Age. For four-thousand, two-hundred thirty-two years we've lived in peace, all the while the Dark was conquering the outside world, one country at a time. Well, that's enough I think. Any questions?"

"What other species came from the Vasillan Realm?"

"I see you picked up on that; not many do. The other species are elves, dwarves, vampires, werewolves, dragons, phoenixes, giants, trolls, goblins, renya, merpeople, gryffins, centaurs, minotaurs, and sirens."

"Thanks for teaching me this Uncle."

"Anytime."

Chapter 4: Atlantis

"Rise 'n shine, boy. We have a long journey ahead of us, and I don't even know where we're going." said Uther, giving Merlin a gentle kick in the thigh.

Grumbling, Merlin sat up on his bed. It had been such a wonderful night compared to the long nights he'd had sleeping on a sheet on cold, hard ground. Reluctant, Merlin climbed down off the bed and dressed, Uther leaning against the door of the room with his arms crossed all the while.

"Here yeh go kid; Reli wants you dressed nicely when yeh leave. He had his weavers work on it all through the night. I don't know why he insists on making such a fuss about having a wizard in his court. I mean look at Vortigern; he has hundreds of magicians serving him and so will Reli when the fat goose takes flight." Uther kept talking about magicians and how they could help the king significantly, but Merlin heard no more, for he was gazing his eyes upon the most beautiful robe he had seen. Even Vortigern's robes were scraps in comparison. The robe was an deep emerald green, the same shade as Merlin's eyes. The edges were lined with golden silk so soft, it felt like the fleece of the sheep of the gods. The upper torso of the robe just below the neck was expertly lined with jewels, gems, and precious metals of all sorts. It even had a pocket on the left side that had a steel interior. Merlin thought it was supposed to be a sewn-in scabbard.

"It's beautiful. How do people make such beauty?"

"What, the dress? That's nothing; yeh should see them when they have weeks to work on these things. Now that's a sight to behold. Well, we ought to be going now. Reli wants to see yeh off."

Down the spiral stairs they trekked. Aurelianus was waiting.

"Ah, there you are. Tell me, do you like the robe? I had my best weavers working on it all night."
"It's magnificent! It's even better than Vortigern's! Your weavers must be very talented." praised Merlin

"Well, maybe we can't defeat Vortigern in war quite yet, but we sure can beat him at weaving. If only this war were so easy. I was up all night organizing the war effort. If ever there was a good time to strike at that fat toad, it's now. He's being corrupted from within, we have our Saxon allies on the way, and my army is ready to march. While we're on the subject of war, there's something that's been pestering me all night; you're going back to your own people, and I was wondering, could you maybe convince your people to send, say, a thousand troops my way?" asked Aurelianus hopefully.

"I'm not certain; I could ask though. You've been so very kind to me, and I'll try to repay you by sending those troops."

"Oh, thank you Merlin! Thank you! You don't know how much this will help our efforts to win the war."

"Anytime. I hope to see you soon."

"As do I. Have a safe trip."

With that being said, Merlin and Uther rode off to the forest, Merlin riding a snow white stallion, and Uther a jet-black one.

"Want me to make our travels easier?" asked Merlin.

"What do yeh mean?"

"I can use magic to get us to the Bridge."

"Why didn't yeh say so? I could've taken yeh to Atlantis and been back by now!" exclaimed Uther.

"Yes, but then you wouldn't have had time to see the beauty of Atlantis. Now you can spend some time in Atlantis. Aurelianus doesn't expect you back for a few months."

"I guess yeh right. Go ahead, say the spell. We want to be in Atlantis, right?"

"Just let me think of the right words. . . Ah, now I remember! Ensans Atlantica."

With those words, Merlin brought the pair to the coast of Gaul. Everything was quiet and peaceful. The waves were lapping at the shore. The seagulls were muttering their soft cry. The breeze carried a sense of peace. Everything was as it should be.

As Uther recovered from the shock of traveling through the works of a spell, Merlin reached behind a bush. From behind the bush, he pulled a perfectly circular disc. Etched upon it was strange symbol. Merlin took his wand and placed it in the small ditch in the center of the disc. Moments later, a white granite bridge rose out of the water.

"Well are you coming?" yelled Merlin to an awed Uther.

"Yes, yes." Uther replied, never taking his eyes off the bridge.

* * *

"Here we are: Atlantis." Merlin said, his outstretched hand pointing in the general direction of the city Ala Bora. Ala Bora was a coastal town and the only entrance to Atlantis from the outside world. Being the only entrance, giant marble towers stood watching the entrance, connected by arched walls. Each tower had at least a dozen bow men patrolling and two dozen swords men guarding. Beyond the wall was an astonishing sight. The city had three story buildings, all ornately built and detailed. The edges of the crowded streets were lined with pure gold. People were all around, some on the beach playing with the sea creatures, others in the air, flying with dragons, phoenixes and gryffins. Some even rode centaurs, or clung to the back a giant. And humans weren't the only ones living in the city; fifteen other species also took up residence in the fair city, all being armed with a weapon of some sort. The elves had bows and swords of their own make, the dwarves had their axes and hammers, and the wizards had their wands and maybe a dagger or two.

"I'm home," said Merlin, a broad grin coming across his face as he watched the glee on the faces of the people, "I'm home."