The year: 2023

Lastshire: The Birthplace of Magic

[Marty's POV]

No sooner had the tiny creature settled between the hollow of Merlin's palms than he slapped them together!

"The fuck did you do?" Anger bubbled inside me. Had he just killed the defenseless being and sucked its life to extend his!? 

I rose to my feet. I did not want to stay here anymore, "You killed it! You are a selfish-"

"Well, you thought about it too. The only difference is, I got to it first." He shrugged as if nothing had happened. 

"I wasn't going to kill it! I never would. I am not greedy. I don't want to live to be a thousand. Why would I? I have nothing to live for!" I poured my heart out in one go. 

"Exactly, Marty. You have nothing to go back to. At least, not yet." Merlin closed in and placed his hands on my shoulders. "I want you to know that should you choose to believe me, the coming days would be full of peril, and honestly, I don't know if I will be able to protect you every time. You will get hurt, at least physically," his hand came to rest on top of my head, "But I can promise you that if you do as I say, you will help save Albion and find a purpose in life." The man, as he spoke, oozed wisdom beyond his years. Then again, if I was to believe the conversations I had heard between him and Lady Morgana, he was over a thousand, both of them were, so the way he spoke now was probably his usual way. 

Nonetheless, I couldn't get the Melusines firefly out of my head. "Why did you do that? I thought your heart was pure. I didn't think-"

"A trick," The man smiled, "It was a trick to see how compassionate your heart is." 

"Excuse me!?"

The sorcerer chuckled, "You really are an idiot sometimes, my boy. Just because I said I did not create it, you believed me. With what we need to do, you can't trust people so easily."

"Wait a minute. Are you saying that you lied to me!?"

"Yes. That is precisely what I am telling you. A long time ago, I made a terrible mistake by believing in someone I held in great regard. It cost me something more important to me than my own life." Merlin's boyish countenance darkened; it was mirrored by the surroundings that turned gloomy. 

He seemed to notice it, and like a switch being turned on, he smiled, "But now I finally have a chance to fix it. If you help me, Marty Wyllt, we can return what my failure took from the citizens of Albion." 

Not gonna lie, but the hope and the expectation in his inky irises scared me a little. No one, not even my Mum, had ever placed so much of it on me. 

"Don't be afraid of your destiny, my boy. Embrace it. I am here to help you, aren't I?"

His admission didn't make me feel any better. "How can you help me? You are not even real."

The sorcerer pouted as if he was not a powerful, crafty sorcerer but a child scorned. 

Biting back a laugh, I said, "Come on. Don't be like that. You know what I mean. You are a part of my coffee table for the love of Albion!"

"True." Merlin nodded and left it at that. He looked at me from head to toe, then pointing at all of me, he made a disgusted face, "Marty, this won't work."

"I don't understand."

"This. What you are dressed in won't work. You need a new set of clothes. You need to look the part."

"'Look the part?" I stressed, and he nodded vigorously. 

"I have more clothes in my closet." I offered, pointing at a random place behind him. By the way, where exactly was this Lastshire located? 

"It is between realms," Merlin explained, holding his palms out like he had done earlier. His eyes took a fiery glow as he waved them in a circular motion, and a black cube appeared before us. "Space has no meaning. Neither does time if one knows how to manipulate it. Lastshire is everywhere and nowhere. The walk-in closet in your apartment falls partly in Lastshire. Thus, it's hidden from everyone but us Wyllts."

I found that hard to believe. After all, Mum was not a Wyllt by blood, and she was the one who told me about it. 

Merlin rolled his now back-to-normal eyes. "Why do you keep forgetting that I have magic. Do you really think I can manipulate a mortal woman's dreams?"

The information left me scared and impressed. 

"Now, pay attention." The sorcerer instructed, calling my attention to the cube. "Imagine that this is your home." His hands fell to his sides. "Everything that surrounds it is Lastshire."

I snored. "That sounds ridiculous; you know that, right?"

Merlin stepped towards the cube. "Does it really?" Turning towards me, he asked, "If that were so, how is a man who has seen over a thousand summers and that many winters standing and talking to you?"

The information rendered me speechless. If I was not dreaming and I had somehow magically appeared in the place, it made sense that it wasn't somewhere far from my home.

Merlin slapped my back. "Lastshire surrounds us. It can be as vast or as tiny as we want. But only a few are granted passage to it. Do you understand?"

I nodded, dumbfounded. My mind was an empty notebook blank, and I was desperate to fill the pages. 

Merlin smiled gleefully. "That means you are ready to start this journey with us."

The damn sorcerer had read my mind... again! Ignoring his infringement on my right to privacy, I asked. "Us?" 

"Of course. Didn't you say that I was a part of your coffee table? Then how could you think I was the only one who you needed? Morgana and myself, we are," he paused; contemplating for a few, he snapped his fingers and announced, "a package deal!" 

Damn it! From what I had observed, Lady Morgana was the feistier of the two. I gulped thickly. When it came to women, I was awkward at best. Mum and Meenakshi were the only exceptions.

Merlin sighed. A look of empathy settled over his features. "I can't fault you for how you feel about Morgana. Even I, after all these years, don't know how to deal with her." He shook his head. His eyes seemed to reminisce of the days past. It was similar to how Mum looked when she recalled something about my dad, a mix of something that was once a source of joy but now was a reminder of what she had lost. 

He plastered a forced smile that didn't fool me and added. "Well, there's no time like now. What do you say?"

"About what?" 

"About acquiring a new set of clothes, obviously, and more," Merlin said, and without giving me any chance to back out, started dragging me further into the thicket. 

A little while later, we were standing at the mouth of a cave. At the entrance stood two oak trees that looked at least a few centuries old. 

"They are much older than that." The sorcerer read my mind like it was the most natural thing to do and added. "Remember what I told you when we arrived here. This is where Nimueh resides. Once upon a time, she lived on an island. It wasn't very far from Camelot. The mortals addressed her as High Priestess. But she gave up on our realm soon after Arthur was born."

"Do you mean Arthur Pendragon?" I whispered, leaning in as if we were sharing a secret. 

Merlin nodded. A faraway look touched his dark eyes. "The brat was born of magic," he looked past me. "If not for The High Priestess, the Pendragon line would have ended with Uther."

Recalling history lessons that every Albion resident was taught, I asked, "Arthur's father?"

"Yes," Merlin sighed. "Long story short, Nimueh helped Uther beget an heir in exchange for his wife's life, which led to him placing a ban on magic and committing innumerable atrocities on those who had magic in their blood."

'But wasn't Nimueh to blame for all of this? After all, the bargain was unethical.' I thought and immediately felt the after-effects of it in the form of a slap on the back of my head. 

"Ouch!" I yelped, massaging the abused area. 

"Do you think a new life can be created out of thin air, Marty?" Merlin glared. 

"I don't know-"

"No, you don't!" The sorcerer snapped. "All the priestess did was what was asked of her. Uther had agreed to pay the price. Magic of any kind that creates life demands a price. Though the priestess knew the cost would be another life, she did not know who would be chosen as the sacrifice!"

I reached for Merlin's hand and held it in both of mine. "I am sorry for hurting your feelings. I promise to keep an open mind moving forward, alright? Please, continue."

My words seemed to placate him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "The priestess is the only surviving elder of this realm and the most powerful sorceress of all time."

I found it hard to believe, "I thought that title belonged to you. The all-powerful-"

"No. I am not." He waved dismissively and continued, "Listen carefully, please. Your life depends on it." When I nodded to show that I was on board, he said in all seriousness, "Don't speak unless spoken to. Reply as precisely and truthfully as you can. If she offends you in any way, let it go. And most importantly, do not stare at her. That's it." 

"Alright." I agreed but couldn't help thinking why a high and mighty sorceress would bother with me dressing a certain way.

"Aghrr!" I groaned and turned around, rubbing the area, "It's going to render me stupid if you don't stop doing that!" 

Merlin quirked his head; his brows crawled into his dark, messy fringe. As if clearing his head, he said, "Yes, we need to get you a new set of clothes, but don't forget that this is not your hometown. Just like Albion, this place has rules too. And you need to follow them as long as you are here. The first one is to seek permission from Nimueh for anything you want to do. In this place, whatever she decides, becomes a law. If we don't know the rules and break them, as a consequence, Nimueh will have every right to punish us."

"Ya. That makes sense." I bobbed my head and waited for Merlin's instructions. However, when he stayed glued to the spot, silent and lost in thought, I asked, "Merlin, what are you doing?"

The sorcerer turned towards me, "Marty, I am sorry that I used magic to manipulate your memories and that I lied about the Melusines Phoenix, but I promise you, from now on, I won't do things so recklessly. I need you to know that you are important to me, and I will do everything I can to protect you."

I didn't understand what had brought about this change in his tone; still, I shrugged. "Okay."

Merlin gave me a restrained smile, "That's why I have decided to give you back your memories. I will only keep from you what I think is dangerous for you to know right now."

So that was why he had messed up my memories; he was trying to protect me. 

"Yes. I was." Merlin confessed and lowered his eyes before closing them. Then muttering something under his breath, he touched his index finger to my temple. 

When I opened my eyes, I knew (a lot) more about gateways, dragons, and Lastshire, the birthplace of magic, than I did a second ago. I also had a better understanding of the residents of my coffee table, both insecurities and hopes. The only part that remained fuzzy was what I had seen in the magical mirror. I recalled Merlin's promise and let the stolen memory go. 

"All fixed!" Merlin informed cheerfully, then taking a deep breath, he entered the ancient-looking vined archway that would fit in seamlessly in a fantasy movie, with me following the sorcerer close behind. 

However, no sooner had we taken a few steps, we slipped. Merlin seemed to know the ordeal and hence kept calm as we landed on our backside, skied for a few seconds, and were flung into a pound of icy cold water. 

"Fucking hell!" I exclaimed, pushing myself up. Drenched from head to toe and shaking like a leaf, I swam towards dry land. Merlin fell in step with me a beat later. Quiet as a mouse, he hunched slightly with his eyes lowered and took small steps, looking nothing like he did before we entered Lastshire. 'What was he doing?' I wondered but did not voice it. He could hear my thoughts, anyway. If he wanted to tell me, he would; if not, asking would not help either. 

"Merlin!" A low-pitched female voice echoed in my ears. "Fancy seeing you here. Ummm," she hummed, "and you brought fresh meat. How very gentlemanly of you." She purred. It was a perfect mix of scary and seductive. I definitely did not pee in my pants a little bit. 

Merlin bowed, "My Lady," standing next to me with eyes still lowered, he side-eyed me, "How have you been?" He enquired formally and punched me in my side when I stood there like a beanpole. 

It definitely did not hurt, and I most certainly did not almost double over in pain. "My Lady." I mimicked the sorcerer, deciding to take his advice to heart.

"Your Lady, am I now, boy?" The invisible sorceress's voice was a whisper as it fanned the side of my face, sending a fresh bout of tremors through my already shivering body. 

"I... I am sorry, ma'am." I stuttered and fell silent. 

"Ma'am?" She laughed, low and long. "Merlin, your offering seems confused about how to address me. You didn't teach him well." She clicked her tongue. 

I still couldn't see even a shadow of her, but her presence was a different matter altogether. The air to my right swirled. "The boy is your blood. I can smell the magic of our people, but only very faintly." The temperatures in the dimly lit cave rose, and my skin finally felt more like itself than a block of ice. 

"Boy, what is your name?" The priestess was far away now. 

"Marty. Marty Wyllt, ma'am."

"That's a strange name. Merlin, what were you thinking when you gave it to him?" She demanded, closing in again, but not so much that I could sense her. 

"My apologies, My Lady. He is not my son. He is my descendant. He belongs to a time where magic has no place."

"Impossible!" The sorceress bellowed; the ground beneath us trembled, making me almost lose my footing. 

"My Lady! Please, calm down." Merlin fell to his knees. "I have told you nothing but the truth. All I ask is that you hear me out."

"Fine. I will listen, but before that, I need to know: were you responsible for the world losing magic?"

Merlin nodded. 

Silence. 

What did it mean? If I had understood correctly, Merlin had failed to protect Arthur, and he wanted to make up for his mistake. How he was planning to do that, I had no idea. All I knew was that I was somehow involved in it because of a deal we had made sometime in the past. 

Even to me, my thoughts just now did not make a lick of sense. And if Nimueh was to kill Merlin now, I would remain in the dark forever.

"Boy." The Lady's voice brought me out of my musings.

"Yes, ma'am?" I, too, went down on my knees. 

"You don't need to do everything is doing, child. Rise," she instructed fondly. A second later, a Melusines firefly appeared midair, catching me by surprise. I was reminded of the fate its predecessor had met with and reflexively backed away from it. 

"Don't be scared; they are pure creatures. They are harmless and almost useless except that they are excellent at illuminating paths." She divulged. "Follow it. I will join you when I am done with Merlin."

What the hell was she planning to do with Merlin? Was she going to feed on our flesh one by one? Or send Merlin to prison to have him flogged and skinned alive? She was powerful, Merlin had said. She certainly seemed capable of it. 

"Yes, ma'am." I nodded, and without glancing at Merlin, lest I offend Nimueh, the high priestess, I complied.