A Prince from Another World Chp10
Chapter Ten: The Calm before the storm
Arthur moved from the window and sat on the bed. He stared at Merlin and watched the markings disappear. The Manticore was dead and Merlin was saved. He ran a hand across the young warlock’s face and quickly retreat it when Merlin started to stir.
“Balinor,” Merlin called out to Arthur confusing him for the older man. His sight improved and he looked around his room. “Where is he?”
“Balinor went after the Manticore.” Arthur told him.
“But he will be killed.” Merlin cried out. He got to his feet and moved to the door.
Arthur stepped in front of him blocking his way. “Wait Merlin Balinor is fine.”
“How could you let him go by himself?”
“I really didn’t have a choice. When the Manticore attacked you the first time it injected a deadly poison into your body. It had to be killed within four days or the poison would have killed you.” Arthur explained, pulling Merlin into his arms. “I wanted to help but I don’t have magic like you both. All I got is my sword and so far that hasn’t been of much use.”
Merlin tensed at the mention of magic. He pulled out of his embrace. “You know about my magic.”
“Balinor told me when we were at Geoffrey’s place. It kind of slipped out in a moment of anger.” Arthur said rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s not a big deal Merlin. It still hasn’t completely sunk in, but I can deal with it in my own time. Right now I am glad you’re ok.”
Before Merlin could say anything, Will walked in. “Hey you left your door unlocked so I let myself in.”
“Hey what’s going on here? Your yard is a mess, well at least half of it.”
Merlin moved back to his bed, suddenly in need of it. So many things were happening and it was getting hard for him to process them. He was worried about Balinor, he hadn’t seen his lizard for a while now, Arthur knew about his magic, and Will had just picked the worst time to come for a visit. He sighed and looked at his friend with no clue how to begin his weird and unbelievable tale.
Kilgharrah slips in-between Will’s legs making him jumped back and bump right into Balinor. The lizard continues his climb up the bed to lie on Merlin’s lab. Its eyes change from yellow green to pure gold for a split second its shadow transforms into one of a huge dragon. Everyone except Balinor stare at the shadow with mouths gaped open.
Arthur turns around to look at Balinor.
“Now you know what happened to the last dragon. He got pulled into this world with me and has been trapped here for the last eighteen years.” Balinor said. “This world is void of magic and Kilgharrah is pure magic being here is slowly draining him of his magic. Pretty soon he will stop to exist. That is the true reason I send him to you Merlin. For some reason your magic doesn’t drain, this world has the opposite effect on you. You’re able to spread your magic to others of magic, keeping them alive.”
Merlin reached for Kilgharrah and raised him to his eyes. “A dragon, who would have thought I would have a dragon as a pet.” He smiled when Kilgharrah stuck his tongue out, his way of protesting being called a pet, and set him down on his bed.
Balinor stumbled against the doorframe, his wounds reopening. “I didn’t have enough magic to finish the spell properly.” He dropped down to the carpet, some of his blood soaking into the carpet. Merlin rushed over to him and tried to heal him. He was having a hard time with the spell, but in the third try he managed to pronounce the words correctly. Balinor’s wounds healed and he could feel a small hint of magic coursing through his body.
“Wait a minute if you both are wizards or something of the sort and the lizard is really a dragon, what does that make you?” Will asked Arthur making the prince frown even more.
“I’m the prince of Camelot.” Arthur replied walking past him and heading downstairs. He was in no mood to deal with Merlin’s strange and over protective friend. Balinor was enough of both things.
“He is a prince?” Will asked pointing at the now empty doorway. “A real prince, like royalty and all that?”
“Of everything you just heard, you ask about that?” Merlin says.
“He doesn’t look like a prince. Where’s his armor and sword?”
“Will,”
“What? You having magic, it’s cool. You really aren’t going crazy and now you don’t have to take those horrible pills. I’m happy for you, but I can’t say I like him even if he is a prince.”
“He isn’t that bad, once you get used to him.” Merlin said between strained lips. Will was being a real jerk and that was a rarity for him at least when it came to Merlin and his points of interest.
“I don’t want to get to know him. So what they hunted you down so you could help them return home or something?” Will said hitting the nail right on its head.
Merlin jerked up. “The book,” He rubbed at the corners of his forehead trying to remember something about it. “I think I found it.”
“Where? When” Balinor leaned on the wall and carefully stood back up.
“It was sitting on a table near the entrance. At first I had found it at the back of the first floor, but I dropped it when the Manticore attacked me.” Merlin explained. “It had a thick spine and a brown cover.”
“We need to go back.” Balinor said.
“I can take you I brought my mother’s car.” Will offered jiggling the keys in his fingers.
Geoffrey was still in his shop and it didn’t take them long to find the book Merlin was referring to. It still lay in the same spot he had left it. The book was very thick and large, it contained many spells, images, and information on just about anything magic related.
“How will you know which spell it is?” Will asked.
Merlin closed his eyes and let the book reach out to him. He opened his eyes and they flashed gold. The book opened and flipped over to a section.
“That is wicked, can you do that again?” Will said in excitement.
“Now is not the time Will. We are on borrowed time.” Balinor said. Arthur just rolled his eyes at Will’s comment, a small part of him agreeing with him.
Merlin handed the book to Balinor and he and will stared over the opposite end of the book. The section the book had opened to talked about the alignment of the moon, full moon, and the two types of eclipses. Balinor skim read through it and stopped at a paragraph.
“If a full moon has already passed, a total Solar Eclipse could be used with a few modifications to the spell.”
“The full moon happens once a month, a Lunar Eclipse every 6 months, and a solar eclipse follows it shortly after.” Will stated. “The Lunar Eclipse passed a few days ago so that means you guys only have a few days before the solar eclipse passes. If you miss it you will have to wait half a year to a year and that is if you’re lucky it happens to be a total eclipse at all.
Merlin, Arthur, and Balinor stared at Will. “What? My dad has tons of books on these things at home.”
“You read?” Merlin mocked giving his friend a friendly push.
“Ha-ha very funny Merlin.”
With book in hand they made their way back to Merlin’s house. Will got a call from his dad and had to leave, which also meant they lost their means of transportation. Merlin found enough cab fare for a ride several blocks down, cutting their walking time almost in half.
As the house got into view, Merlin could make out a figure standing at the bottom of the steps. He quickly picked up the pace and stopped at the entryway.
“Mom?” Merlin asked, staring aback at Arthur and Balinor.
“Hi sweetie I was halfway through the contract discussion when I found out I had left some very important documents behind.” His mother said. “I still managed to seal the deal as long as I faxed them those sheets in the next 5 days.
Balinor and Arthur stop next to Merlin and Laura’s face fills with undiluted anger. “Balinor”
The sorcerer was too late and found himself trapped. “Laura”
Merlin looked from his mother to Balinor. “You two know each other?” He asks thinking they must have met when Balinor had let his mother take Kilgharrah.
“No”
“Yes”
“Mom?”
“Merlin, don’t ask questions. Just get inside and let me talk with him.” She said, the tone in her voice telling him that she was really pissed. He shot Balinor a final “good luck” glance and went inside with Arthur.
“Why are you here Balinor?” Laura said. “You gave up that right when you let me keep Merlin.”
“I came to take him back, he needs to come home.” Balinor told her, grabbing her arm and taking her further up the walkway. “You don’t understand the whole situation. Back then I didn’t tell you the whole story.”
“No I don’t want to hear it, Merlin is your son but he is mine too. I won’t let you take him from me.” Laura shook his hand off her arm and turned to go back into the house. She froze; Merlin stood in the doorway a broken glass near his feet.
“Merlin” Laura cried out to him, tears filling her eyes and streaming down her face at the realization that she had just blown her only secret she had kept from him.
Merlin tuned around and caught the look Arthur gave him, the same look people gave him when they felt sorry for him. “You knew.” He ran past Arthur and up the stairs. He locked himself in his room and threw himself on the bed. His mother’s words banged at the back of his head, Balinor was his father. All this time he had lied to him, kept that from him.
Laura knocked on the door. “Merlin, please open the door let me explain.”
Merlin didn’t budge; he hid his head under his pillow and let his magic loose. His bookshelf shook, books fell to the ground, and the rumbling spread throughout the entire room rattling the window.
“Merlin, you have to let me explain.” She said again. Balinor moved behind her and set a hand on her shoulder. She stepped away and let him give it a try.
“Son,” Merlin tensed at the word. “Nimueh took you from me and your mother Hunith and brought you to this world. I followed in hopes to get you back.” Balinor waited to see if Merlin would say anything.
He looked at Laura and then back to the door. “By the time I got to you, we were trapped here. Laura found you and took you in. I tried to convince myself that I was doing what was best for you. I had no idea how to raise you and she had agreed to let me take you back when you turned eighteen.”
Merlin removed his pillow from over his head and sat up on the bed. He looked at the door and then at his room. “Why did you let me believe I was going insane? Why did you let them make me take all those pills? You knew I had magic and yet you stood by and did nothing.” His anger made his lose control on his magic and the door shook violently.
“I don’t want to see you or Arthur, leave me alone.” Merlin yelled causing the door to rattle again this time with more force. It cracked straight down the middle but not deep enough to split the door in half.
Merlin lay back on his bed and curled on his side hugging his pillow. Kilgharrah moved towards him and stared at him. “You can go with him if you want; you probably were using me too huh?”
“Never was my intention to do so young warlock, I only didn’t want to see the last of my race die in a magic less world like this.” His small eyes shinned brightly as if they held a secret bigger and more life changing than the one he had just found out about. He scurried off across the room and under the door.
Balinor leaves with Arthur with the promise of coming back the next day. Merlin continued to ignore him, letting his hurt fill him up and drown out the rest of his emotions. Hours later and he was still in the same position he had been. A soft knock snaps him from his thoughts and he waits.
“I know you’re mad at me too and you have every reason to be but I had no idea about your magic or of what was really happening to you. I never once told Balinor about it. I kind of stayed away from him and refused to see him when he would stop by the house.” Laura sighed and shifted her feet resting her head against the door. “I don’t want you to think everyone is out to get you Merlin, I’ve made some very bad mistakes, selfish mistakes, and I didn’t want to lose you.”
Laura sniffed and moved away from the door. “Balinor told me all about your home world and,” She breathed trying to fight back the tears. “I think helping Arthur and Balinor return home is the reason why you got those gifts and you should do what makes you feel more like yourself.”
Merlin wiped at his tears and moved to the door. He opened it and caught his mother in a hug. She broke down as soon as his arms wrapped around her small frame. “Oh Merlin, I am so sorry I caused you so much pain.”
Balinor knocked over the alarm clock threatening to bust his eardrums. He opened his eyes and moved to his guest room. He pulled the blankets off Arthur leaving him on a bare bed cushion and then moved to the window and pulled the curtains apart letting in an immense amount of sunlight. Arthur moaned and turned over, his back to the window.
“Get up Arthur before I decide your no good for my son and transport you to a forgotten city somewhere.” Balinor threatened; letting the prince still think he had all of his magic. He could only do a few healing spells with the help of herbs and a several minor spells. Even with Merlin’s healing spell it had not been enough to spike his magic back up. Unless he returned to Camelot in the next few days his entire magic would be taken away.
Arthur moaned and moved further to the edge to fall off it. He quickly rose to his feet and looked around. He groggily moved to the bathroom to take a shower. Balinor went to his own bathroom to do the same thing. A short breakfast of slightly burned toast and a cup of milk, which Arthur completely refused to eat, had Balinor and Arthur in a cab traveling to Merlin’s house.
Laura greeted them and let them in. “Merlin will be down in a minute. Are you hungry?”
“No I am fine, had breakfast, Arthur just moped the whole night and the whole morning. Refuses to do anything really, even pick up after himself.” Arthur shot him a death glare and politely rejected Laura’s offer for food.
“That is Arthur alright.” Merlin said from the stairs. He moved into the living room. “Ready?”
“Merlin you know you will get pulled in right along with us. You won’t be able to come back. Not unless we get our hands on another amulet like the one Nimueh used.” Balinor explained as he and Arthur got up and made their way outside.
“Yes I know mother and I talked about it last night before I called you up.”
The park was secluded due to construction on an additional bridge. The city had put in a request after the great success the park had gotten on opening day. The time of the solar eclipse arrived and Merlin moved to the lake, Balinor had insisted that the spell be cast there because that is where the area between both worlds was the thinnest.
Will came running towards them. “Wait, I’m not late am I?” He stated failing to see the point of his question with Merlin, Arthur, and Balinor standing in front of him.
The sun got blocked out; it appears almost like a dark black ring with hints of red and yellow shooting out against its edge. Merlin moved up the bridge, his companions close behind him. It was so dark, their voices the only thing telling them where the other was.
“Portes glídan árásae!” Merlin chanted. His eyes turned gold and great amounts of water splashed upwards and surrounded them on either side of the bridge. Everything started to feel light, the bridge melted away and soft ground replaced it.
Merlin felt something pull him back and found himself back in the park. He was thrown off the bridge. His body hits solid ground and Merlin stared at the sky as it regained its normal daylight.
“No!”
He was back at the park, his mother and Will rushed to get him up. Merlin glanced around the park but Arthur, Balinor, and Kilgharrah were gone. In their place stood a woman wearing a green cloak, her hood was pulled back showing her face.
“Emrys, why the rush to leave?”
“Nimueh” Merlin moved back keeping himself between his mother and the sorcerers.
Nimueh’s lips curled up in an evil smirk. “You should have taken my offer.” She looked at him with golden eyes. “Now I have no choice but to kill you and everything you love. I think I will have the most fun killing the prince. But for now I think your fake mother and friend will suffice.”
Laura let out a scream; she was tossed into the air and landed hard on the ground a few feet from where she had been standing. Will fell to his knees and clung to his neck unable to breath. He gasped desperately for air, his lungs ached as they expanded and contracted.
“Stop it” Merlin shouted, his own eyes turning gold and sending Nimueh to the other end of the bridge. She lost her concentration and her enchantment broke.
Will breathed in a huge gulp of air and rested his forehead on the grass to stop the spinning in his head. Merlin rushed to Will’s side and helped him to his feet. His eyes traveled to where his mother lay unmoving and his heart sank. Tears ran down his cheeks.
“Don’t worry, I haven’t killed her yet. Don’t want to ruin the fun just yet.” Nimueh teased making her way back over the bridge and to their side of the lake.
Merlin brought his hand up. “Forbærne! Ácwele!” A fire balls shot from his hand towards Nimueh. She caught it in her hand and deflected it.
“It will take more than a little fire to beat me.” She cast the same spell and sent a fire ball towards Will. Merlin pushed him away from it and it hit him in the arm. He fell to the ground from the impact.
“Merlin” Will screamed getting on his feet and running back to the young warlock. He was sent flying in the same direction as Laura and was unconscious before he even hit the ground.