Woven Magic

Chapter 5

The Great Dragon swooped low over our heads and made U-turn in the sky before landing before us. He looked at Merlin with obedience then his eyes widened upon settling on me. I smiled and ran to my old friend, throwing my arms around his elongated neck. He jerked with surprise and then lowered his head across my back and hugged my tightly in return.

“Young Sorceress, I see you’ve found your path to your destiny?” Kilgharrah spoke in an ancient voice.

“Yes, my friend. However, my so called ‘destiny’ is skeptical to believe me.” I told him. Kilgharrah turned a chastened eye on merlin he scoffed.

“Young Warlock, is this true that I am hearing?” Kilgharrah roared, stomping his front foot. Merlin jumped slightly and then took a step toward him, spreading out his arms toward him.

“Well, how was I supposed to know if she was telling the truth? A girl shows up asking me to teach her the ways of the old religion and then calls me Emrys supposedly by mistake and tries to cover it up, or avoid talking about it. Am I supposed to just trust her immediately? Not that I distrusted her all together, but you get the idea.” He exclaimed, letting his arms fall to his side. Kilgharrah threw his draconic head back and let out a sequence of laughs, rolling his lizard-like eyes.

“Well yes, I suppose you have a point there young Warlock. However, she is telling the truth. Merlin, you must teach Mystra the way of the old religion. She must learn nearly everything you know if she is to aid you in watching over Arthur and helping you build Albion, she needs the skills to do so. You need to be careful about the techniques you use to tutor her, young Sorcerer. Your partner hold great power and it is now your responsibility to keep it under control. You both need each other to grant the future that is written in the fabrics of the earth. Neither one nor the other can do this alone; you must work together from this day forward. Is that understood my mages?” Kilgharrah told the both us, glancing between one and the other.

“Understood Kilgharrah. Merlin?” I cast my eyes on him and he just seemed to be taken over the shock of the prophecy. I was at first as well. But since I had met Merlin, I had made peace with my destiny.

“Wait, wait…wait a minute. So, you’re telling me that Mystra, is my life long partner?” Merlin questioned, backing the conversation up just a tad.

“That is correct, young Warlock.” Kilgharrah answered. Merlin’s expression seemed gravely concerned and I began to worry if he was upset that he was stuck with me for the rest of our existence. I cast my eyes to ground and it felt almost as if my heart had fallen out on the grass and someone had strode by and stomped it into the dirt.

“And she’s going to be helping me keep tabs on Arthur and all of the duties I am responsible for in building the new world?” Merlin questioned Kilgharrah once again. Just what was he trying to get at? If he didn’t want my help all he had to do was say so. He could have fun trying to build the future of Albion, and protect King Arthur while doing all of his dirty work all by his powerful self.

“That’s right, Merlin. So many questions, is everything alright?” Kilgharrah asked him, tilting his great metallic gold and bronze scaled head. Merlin just stared at him for a few silent moments.

“Young Warlock?” Kilgharrah badgered after he did not answer. I shifted me weight, looking back over at Merlin who stood there lost in deep thought. Suddenly he jumped up, punching his fist in the air in a victory fashion, excitement overflowing the field we stood on.

“Yes!” he shouted, throwing his arms around me and spinning me around, jumping up and down repeatedly while Merlin let out a fit of laughter. “Yes, yes, yes, yes! Hallelujah, praise be to the gods!” He pulled away and looked at me for a moment then he pulled up my hand to his mouth and gently placed a chaste kiss on the top of it. I could feel my face heating up from embarrassment. Then he turned to Kilgharrah and rushed him, throwing himself around him in an sincere embrace.

“My, such excitement Merlin! Are you pleased to have a partner I presume?” he asked him.

“You have absolutely no idea as to the amount of happiness I feel right now at this moment. Thank you, thank you so much, old friend. What a beautiful gift!” Merlin gushed before pulling away from Kilgharrah. Suddenly someone had just picked up my heart and dusted it off, returning back to my chest as beat wildly, content in its cavity once more. Kilgharrah threw his head back laughed once more at Merlin. Did he just call me beautiful gift? Was I truly considered as such in his eyes? Not that I cared.

“Well it is written in the prophecies for the new world. I had little to do with it Merlin. But enjoy. She’s yours to keep. Be kind to her and protect her, as she will do the same for you.” Kilgharrah told him. I scoffed slightly and rolled me eyes. I felt as though I were Merlin’s new pet instead of his partner now. It was like of those scenes where a young boy gets a new puppy dog for the first time in his life. It was a silly notion because I was certain I would not be treated as such, but I was standing right there. As if I couldn’t take care of myself, ha!

“I will thank you. I believe we do have…much to learn from each other.” Merlin replied, turning his gaze on me, flashing me a brilliant smile. I had hoped he would feel this way. Yet, his statement almost seemed to hold a certain sense of mystery that sent a sequence of chills rippling down my back. I wasn’t sure why, but I felt a connection with Merlin that I could not quite explain. I knew were connected largely by our intertwining destinies alone, but this felt different. There was another aspect of us that connected on a deeper level than even our combined fate.

“So Merlin is the last Dragon Lord. That’s how he called you?” I made sure to confirm Merlin’s declaration of such a large title from before. Kilgharrah simply lowered his head in acknowledgement. I drew in a breath, my right hand flying up to cover my mouth. Merlin’s crystal blue eyes met my own hazel ones and then he cast his gaze down in humble humility.

“That… that’s amazing!” I said to him simply. He grin shyly, but in a proud manner. Kilgharrah shifted and stretched out his rather large wings.

“Thank you Kilgharrah, a great help you’ve been!” I shouted to him, my hand in the air as he spread out his wings and in one giant flap, he had taken to sky.

“Take care my mages!” he called back and before long only the distant sound of flapping remained of our old friend. Merlin turned toward me, the largest, most goofy grin I had ever seen spread across his face and I tried to hold in my laugh.

“What?” I stifled a giggle.

“I am just excited to spend the rest of my life with you…I mean, I can’t wait to share my work with you.” He said and then quickly corrected himself. I chuckled.

“I too am excited to see what future holds for us, Merlin.” I spoke in hopes that he would pick up on the double meaning. Perhaps it was not healthy to gain such a fondness for the boy, but I just could not help to do anything but.

Merlin clasped his hands together and began to back up. “Great! Then let get started with some wizard training, shall we?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow at me and wiggling it up and down. I let out a laugh and he smiled at me. “Ooooh, this is going to be so much fun.” He stated.

I jogged over to him and he placed both hands on my shoulders and manipulated my position so that I was facing outwards towards the forest. “Now, focus Mystra.” He whispered over my shoulder into my ear. A shiver surged through my body upon feeling his warm breath on my neck. I drew in a deep breath, closing my hazel eyes for a matter of moments. “That’s it. Now repeat exactly after me. Every syllable and every pronunciation must match in a spell in order for it to work. It may take several tries, but patience is required for the use of magic.” He told me as I held my eyes shut, clearing my mind of all other things. I shook my head to show him I had acknowledged what he has said. He leaned in closer and recited an incantation, “Bene læg gesweorc!” he exclaimed. I opened my eyes to witness a blanket of thick mist pass through the trees and cover the land before me. He had used a simple air spell. Though I did not know how to use my magic quite yet, I was still able to identify the types of spells other sorcerers used. Though I had grown up a druid, I was forbidden to use my magical abilities in fear that Uther, Arthur’s father and kind before him would find me and deem me an enemy of Camelot, or worse execute me. My group of druid people practiced magic very seldom in fear of Uther, so I was forbidden from using my natural born gift. But I had waited my entire life for this moment.

Merlin spun me around before I could open my mouth to recite the spell. Once I had chanted the words of the spell and felt a powerful surge flow through me and my eyes tingled for a split second, I was facing the opposite side of the field, surrounded my more forest land in the distance. As soon as I the words left my mouth, a thin layer of fog slowly began to surface from the trees. I had successfully recited the spell, however it was quite weak.

I hear Merlin stifle a laugh and I wisped around to face him. “What’s so funny?” I exclaimed, beginning feel offended.

“No, nothing! It’s just… it’s so… thin. But I am impressed you got in on the first try.” He tried to spare my feelings and I thought that was actually rather sweet of him. At least I was able to materialize something on the first try. “Though, it was reeeeally thin.” Merlin said taking a few steps away from me, mocking my inability to do it perfectly. I took a few paces towards him, in a fit of irritation in order to slap him on the arm for making fun of me. He may have been my teacher but that did not mean he was allowed to pick on me so. Merlin looked over to notice the look in my eyes.

“Gehæftan,” Merlin chanted quickly right before I got to him. A thin vine sprouted out of the ground and wrapped around my ankle, forcing me to stumble over myself and I could feel myself taking a nice ugly trip to the earth’s surface. But just as I thought all was lost and I was about to see my life flash before my eyes, Merlin’s arm shot out and he caught me so that I was looking up at him. He looked into my eyes and without skipping another beat he chanted one more spell.

“Blóstmá,” he chanted in a low, soothing voice. He pulled his other arm out from behind his back and presented a rose as pure, sweet, and redder than the capes the Knights of Camelot wore. It was the beauty of essence, I thought.

“Mmm, the essence of you Mystra.” Merlin told me as I took hold of the flower. That nest of butterflies rustled in my belly once again and I was unsure of just how I was supposed to feel.

I grinned slyly, and gained my balance once more. I slapped Merlin on the arm that hadn’t been wounded in practice and faced away from him. “You’re such a sap Merlin.” I commented, taking a few steps away, truly smiling and breathing in the sweet scent of his rose.