by Tom Larcombe
The illustration showed a dragon trying to take to the air with a woman beneath it. A band of mounted knights were firing strange bows, which they braced against their stomachs, at the dragon. Several arrows were shown already in the beast and blood, depicted as stylized teardrops, rained down upon the woman as she looked upwards at the dragon.
The writing on the opposing page drew Merlin's attention.
'The dragon I have been tending has agreed to try to take to the skies and awake Merlin. Every dragon that has attempted flight in the past year has been taken before it could get to this area. Our hope is that one taking off right here will make it into the sky and satisfy Merlin's conditions.'
A smear of something stained the page where the next entry was. The ink was atop the smear and still legible. A faint hint of magic radiated from the stained page as Merlin read.
'The knights were waiting. A priest with them exhorted them to slay the demon and send it back to Hell. They used a strange form of mechanical bow which strikes faster and harder than normal bows. The dragon had no chance. As soon as it cleared the trees the arrows flew. He was slain in the air above me, his blood raining down upon my face. My mouth still burns from the taste of it. The knights turned and left without saying a word to me.
I know of no other way to awaken Merlin now. I won't ask another dragon to risk itself in the attempt. How the knights know of Merlin's condition I do not know but it seems that they do. They only strike down dragons in the air if they are near this area. Elsewhere they only attack when the dragon is on the ground. Word has spread that there is sanctuary for the dragons to the north and east. I shall send any I see in that direction.'
Merlin drew his awareness back to his body. There was only a short time before his scheduled meeting. He intended to be on time despite his lack of notification.
* * *
Merlin knocked at the wooden door in front of him. A voice barked out.
“Enter”
He passed through the door and found a man sitting at a desk.
“What can I do for you?” the man asked.
“I am supposed to have an appointment with Herr Schreiber at ten.”
“You should have been escorted here. This section of the castle is off-limits.”
“No-one stopped me on my way here.”
“Well, wait here and I'll get a guard to escort you out.”
“I have an appointment,” Merlin said.
“You are impertinent.”
Merlin grabbed the man's hand as it reached for the bell pull. He stared at the man's eyes, moving a thread of awareness into his brain. Like the other functionary, this one's mind was festering. If things were not done exactly as they were supposed to be done, he would get people to repeat them until they were done precisely right.
Merlin shook his head.
What is wrong with these people? It seems everyone here is disturbed in the mind, he thought.
He used his thread of awareness in the man's mind to break several links to the compulsive behavior the man exhibited. The man blinked several times and his eyes changed, softening.
“I'm sorry. You said you have an appointment. I'll let Herr Schreiber know you're here and then I'll get a guard to escort you back out after your meeting.”
“Thank you, that would be appreciated.”
The man knocked on a door centered in the wall behind his desk.
“Herr Schreiber, your ten o'clock appointment is here.”
“Send him in please.”
The man opened the door and gestured Merlin through.
Merlin walked into a richly appointed office. The stone of the floor was hidden beneath soft carpets. The furniture in the room was made of dark hardwoods. The man behind the desk was not in keeping with the furnishings.
“Herr Schreiber I presume?” Merlin asked.
“You must be Merlin. You look young to be the man we reportedly found. He was described as a graybeard. You look to be only in your mid to late thirties.”
“I find that being awake again has invigorated me. My appearance reflects that.”
“Well, we shall see. I have some questions for you to establish your identity and skills.”
“Ask away.”
“The squad leader told me that you knew of the circumstances leading to your rather long–”
Herr Schreiber interrupted himself to laugh unpleasantly. His pale, thin body turned the laugh into a racking cough. Once he was done coughing, he continued.
“ –nap. Shall we say? Now beyond that. We know that there are two sources of magic. Please relate them to me to verify your credentials.”
“Two? There are three, or at least there were when I went to sleep. Death magic is one. Life magic, which is that based on strong emotions, is the second. Dragon magic is the third.”
“We are unable to verify any instance of dragon magic or dragons so we are discounting that one.”
Merlin knew that there was a source of dragon magic far below the room in which they currently sat.
More dissension, have they not told him for some other reason, or is he lying to me? They already know magic exists. I assume he's lying to me and knows of dragons. Now what reason do they have? They must know that I am aware dragons exist. I suppose I can play along though, he thought.
“Then death magic and life magic. The magics released on the death of a living creature and the magics generated by the feeling of strong emotions,” Merlin said.
“Correct. How can these magics be stored?”
“I store mine in crystals. I imagine there are other ways to do it but I've never investigated any. Crystals work for me so I use them.”
“There are other ways we know of but crystals are in the top three for efficiency of storage.”
“What other ways?”
“We have constructed batteries that will store magic. Depending on what materials they are made of they can be better than crystals. In a person is the other way, no loss there unless the person uses it.”
“But storing too much energy in a person can be dangerous, to both them and others,” Merlin said.
“So it may be, but it's still more efficient than a crystal. I admit that for long term storage and accumulation the crystals are the best choice. But the batteries will hold more of it for a shorter term, as can a person.”
“May I ask some questions myself?”
“Go ahead.”
“I have no idea why I'm here except Gunter said you might want to study my magic and possibly have me teach it to some others. Beyond that, I know nothing of why I'm here.”
“We're still trying to determine where you will be most useful.”
“My other question was in regards to the physical. What you see is what I have. The clothing I'm wearing, plus the crystals in my pockets. I have nothing else. Would it be possible to get some alternate clothing and maybe a brush or comb or something?”
“Oh yes, we can do that for you. I'll give you a chit for a standard issue soldier's kit. On your way out you can ask my secretary to tell you where to take it. Is there anything else?”
“No, thank you. I appreciate that.”
Merlin noticed that the man kept glancing under his desk. He sent out a thread of his awareness to see why. Underneath the desk was a small machine of some sort with a needle. As he watched, the needle swung all the way to the right.
“Tell me what magic you are doing right now,” Herr Schreiber snapped.
“A simple sense extension. I saw you glance under your desk repeatedly and wanted to know why, so I sent my Sight out. There's a small machine there with a needle. As I watched, it swung all the way to the right.”
“Then you're a curious one?”
“One can never learn more if one is not curious.”
“Understandable. Don't make a habit of it though, there are others who would take great offense at what you just did. That needle swinging to the right told me that you were capable of magic, it reacted to the magic y
ou used. Until then I didn't know if you were a wizard or not.”
“Oh, do you get many people claiming to be one that aren't?”
“Less each year as those who do never return to where they came from.”
Merlin stayed silent. He didn't know if that was a threat or a simple statement of fact. Perhaps they imprisoned the frauds but he feared that they simply killed them out of hand. It would not be out of character for what he had observed at the facility so far.
“Here is your chit. I know you've been quartered in the cottage so when I have need of you, when we've determined what you will be doing, I'll send for you.”
Merlin stood and took the chit.
“Thank you.”
“Dismissed. See the secretary on your way out.”
Merlin was relieved when the door closed behind him. It seemed that everyone in this building was disturbed in one way or another. Herr Schreiber was no exception, he was detached and emotionless. The only emotions Merlin detected as they spoke were when Herr Schreiber laughed and then when he demanded Merlin tell him what magic he used.
The secretary had an escort waiting for Merlin. He also gave him directions to where he could exchange the chit for a basic kit. The waiting soldier escorted Merlin out of the restricted area and left him to find his own way after that. He wandered a bit before finding the correct location. When he gave over the chit he expected to simply be handed a pile of items. Instead, he found himself measured, weighed, and asked what his duties were.
When the man behind the counter found that Merlin was brought in to teach he opened up and got downright chatty. Merlin discovered that he was supposed to be paid as well and where to find the paymaster. When he finally left he carried a bag of gear. He was sure it was more than what he was supposed to have received but when the man found out he was quartered in a small cottage with no electricity several more items were added to the pile.
Merlin went to the cottage and dropped off his gear. If he rushed, he would still have time to get lunch. When he finally returned and unpacked his gear after eating, he found that he was well set up.
The cottage was much more comfortable with the added items. The new clothes waiting for him made him decide it was time to get clean and get the clothes on. A bucket of water was sufficient for him to scrub down and once he was in clean clothes he felt much better.
Merlin settled in, more comfortably now, and sent his awareness out. Once again he returned to the book room. He wanted to view as much of Nimue's journals as he could. He felt the need to discover what happened to her.
He moved his awareness to the journal he examined earlier. A tiny mental effort gently turned the pages until he reached the end of the journal.
'The dragons are gone. I've neither seen nor heard of one in more than a year now. Rumor says that the sanctuary to the north and east was actually a trap, laid by one of the dragons themselves. It says that the dragons have been captured and pent up.
I wish Merlin were truly here; he would know what to do. He stays unchanging in his slumber and is no more comfort than a statue. Already the magic in the land is draining away. In less than a year I've heard others noticing the difference. People who don't even use magic have noticed. What will things be like in a decade?'
Merlin withdrew his awareness and returned it to his body.
What happened to the dragons so long ago? Who trapped them and for what reason? I wonder if it's just coincidence that they brought me to the north and east of my old cottage?
Questions plagued him as he tried to sleep. But he eventually stilled his mind enough to pass into a restless slumber.
* * *
Chapter 6
The next two days passed quickly for Merlin. He spent time working on his hand and trying to determine whatever he could about the traces of dragon magic in the basement. There was a single ward down there that was created in a style he was unfamiliar with. He could get no sense of whatever was behind it and the ward itself remained unnoticed until he tracked the traces of dragon magic as they passed through it.
On the afternoon of the following day, Merlin went to find the paymaster. The man who issued his gear also told him when and where payment was disbursed. He didn't know if he'd be on the payroll or not but was determined to get there if he wasn't. It was less that he felt a need for whatever they used for money now as it was curiosity about it.
Merlin found a line of soldiers leading out the door that belonged to the paymaster.
Well, some things never change. The common soldiers of Arthur's time were just as eager for their compensation. I'll admit that these men are more orderly about it though.
He glanced around, trying to determine how long this would take.
Is that Gunter approaching? I suppose he might draw his pay here if they kept him longer than he thought they would.
“Merlin, it's good to see you once more,” Gunter said, “I didn't think I'd run into you again before I left. Are they treating you well?”
“So far they're mostly leaving me alone. I think that, despite your superiors determining where I would be going, they still don't know quite what to do with me.”
A flash of discomfort crossed Gunter's face.
“Sometimes being left alone is the best thing that can happen,” Gunter said.
“Well, I'm going to see if they've put me on their payroll. I wasn't doing much else and some walking and limited exercise is probably a good thing for me right now.”
“If they haven't gotten you on it, we'll get them straightened out right away, I promise.”
The wait was short. Gunter and Merlin spent the time chatting. Once Merlin made it to the paymaster, he gave his name and was told that he wasn't listed. Gunter broke in.
“Check again. His name should be in the OSP file though.”
Gunter turned to Merlin.
“Next time just tell them you're part of the Occult Services Program, they'll know it as OSP, and they'll find you more quickly.”
The paymaster rummaged through a different, smaller, chest of documents.
“Oh, here you are.”
The paymaster counted out a small stack of paper slips and a handful of silver coins into Merlin's hands. Merlin signed his name, in the old runic script, and turned to leave.
“Wait a moment,” Gunter said.
He quickly claimed his own pay and he and Merlin left together.
“I'm technically on leave right now but I'm staying here until they have transportation back to my troops for me. Did they say anything about you having off-compound access?”
“I don't believe they said anything to me about that, either way.”
“Then would you care to come out of the compound with me? I'm going to the local village. They have a bar with some of the best beer I've tasted. Plus the barmaids are very friendly there.”
“That's a better offer than any I've yet received since I was awakened.”
“I'll be leaving in about fifteen minutes, do you need anything before we go?”
“No, I'll be fine with what I have. I recognize these coins as a currency but what are the slips of paper? The writing on them says they're also currency but what value do they have?”
The two walked towards Gunter's quarters as he explained the concept of paper money to Merlin.
“So, I could exchange these pieces of paper for many more pieces of silver? Do I understand that correctly?”
“Yes, but you can also use the paper money most places you could use the silver and the paper is much easier to carry.”
Merlin shook his head. He understood the concept but could not convince himself that the slip of paper he was looking at was worth twenty silver coins. He decided the idea was similar to the 'letters of credit' merchants used in his earlier life, but implemented on a more widespread scale.
“If you'll wait out here, I'll return in just a few minutes,” Gunter said.
Merlin pondered as he waited for Gunter's return.
B
eer, I wonder how that's changed over time. Perhaps sitting back and sipping a few beers will be something to anchor my two times together. I don't imagine beer can have changed that much.
The friendly barmaids might be nice but I was with Nimue only a short time ago, to me at least. She'll be dead by now though. Even the extended lives of wizards don't last for thirteen hundred years. But she still lives in my mind.
Merlin's musings were cut short by Gunter coming back out.
“Shall we go then?” Gunter asked.
“Yes.”
“The town's only a couple of kilometers away so I thought we'd walk. I'm unused to sitting around and not doing much so I need the exercise.”
“I agree, a bit of exercise would be most welcome. Especially in good company,” Merlin said.
The walk passed quickly for Merlin. Their conversation was now based entirely on living in the present time and not on the military. Pointed questions revealed more to him about the current world than he had learned in the last several days. Gunter doggedly refused to speak of the military or of what caused the flash of discomfort Merlin noticed earlier.
They reached the bar and entered. It was still early so they had their choice of tables. They claimed one and a buxom barmaid came to take their orders. Once the barmaid left Merlin turned to Gunter.
“Friendly barmaids? She was nearly brusque.”
“Perhaps I should have been more clear. Friendly in the sense that if you are willing to part with a few Reichsmarks then they are willing to go to one of the rooms upstairs and spend some time with you intimately. Although that barmaid is new, or at least I've not seen her here before.”
“Ah, you mean that you can pay them to have se–”
“Stop. Don't let them hear you say that or you'll be out on your ear. What you were about to say they do is very much frowned upon. They are simply promiscuous women who are glad for a tumble. Should you want to reimburse them for their time, they're happy to accept.”
“I'm not sure why there would be a stigma attached to such things but if that's how it is, I shall abide by it,” Merlin said.
Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea. A bit of no strings attached sex always perks me up, both in attitude and in energy levels. I could use that right now, he thought.
