“Let me ask you something first,” Merlin said.
“All right.”
“If you succeed in retrieving both orbs, you will have all the power I had so stupidly given to Romulus and Remus, and you saw the kind of… men… they were. So what will you do with it?”
I leaned back in my stool in complete surprise. “Wow… I actually hadn’t thought about that.”
Merlin nodded and patted my knee. “That is exactly why I feel comfortable giving you this power. For all your faults, you are an admirable man. You may not always have all the right answers, you place far too much responsibility on your own shoulders, and you are often quick to anger and judgment, but you always try to do the right thing, often at the expense of what you want for yourself. Sometimes it is misguided, but at least you always have the best intentions at heart.”
“But didn’t you think the same of Romulus and Remus? I mean… they were like gods.”
“Were that even true, you know mythology. ‘Gods’ are hardly perfect. You, on the other hand, have been through an experience they had not. Real gods or not, they were certainly gods among men, and while you are simply a man, you are a man who knows better. It is because of that fact alone that I think you will do the right thing.”
I took comfort in his confidence, surprised at how much it meant to me. “But what did you mean about going home only being an option?”
“Think on it, Jacob,” he said happily as he glanced at the TV behind me. “Looks like your game is over.”
I didn’t bother looking. “Who won?”
“Couldn’t care less,” Merlin said. “I find American football to be quite dull.”
I smiled slyly. “You really have gone native, you redcoat, you.”
He shrugged and stood from his stool. He stretched his arms over his head and twisted at the waist and I heard bones pop. When he was finished, he reached into his fanny pack and removed five hundred dollars and plopped it on the bar.
“That should cover us,” he said and moved toward the restaurant’s exit.
“I’ll say,” I said and once again looked for Foxtrot Alpha, but she was still in the back somewhere. I frowned, upset I wouldn’t be able to say goodbye. As much as I’d lusted over her back in high school, she really had been the sweetest person here, and I’d often missed her during my time employed at various other jobs, wishing my other coworkers could have been more like her.
Taking a deep breath I pushed away from the bar, gave it one last melancholy look, and turned to leave as well. I walked past the few remaining booths in the bar area, a half full barrel of peanuts, and the kitchen to my left. As I approached the hostess’ station, I noticed Suzie-Lu and Victoria’s Secret dutifully manning their post. The night was still slow, so they had little to do but chat, and both perked up as I passed by. Victoria’s Secret looked at me like a woman on a mission, flicking her eyebrows at me and pouting her lips, but I simply laughed at her and turned to Suzie-Lu. Victoria’s Secret scoffed and retreated into the kitchen, leaving Suzie-Lu and me alone. She looked almost embarrassed that I’d pay her any attention at all while Victoria’s Secret had been right there, but she had always been a professional hostess, even at such a young age, and easily recovered.
“Did you enjoy everything?” She asked, only a hint of discomfort in her voice.
I nodded happily. “More than you can possibly imagine.”
“That much, huh?” She asked. “Well, good! We hope to see you back again soon.”
I laughed lightly. “I’ll do my best.”
I turned to leave but stopped as a thought came to mind, and I looked back at Suzie-Lu. “Hey, I know this isn’t any of my business, but you wouldn’t happen to be dating one of the bus boys around here, would you?”
She glanced down at her seating chart and blushed. “Umm… yeah, why?”
“Oh, no reason really,” I told her, raising my hands innocently. “I just wanted to say: be patient with him. He can be a bit of a jerk sometimes but that’s just because he’s got no idea what he’s doing. He’ll grow up some day.”
“Uhh…” she said with an odd look on her face, “…okay? Thanks I guess.”
“No sweat, Suzie-Lu. Take care of yourself.”
I turned and made my way to the double set of large doors that acted as the entrance and exit to the restaurant. They showed me nothing of interest, just a reflection of the restaurant behind me, but I was confident in my decision to simply push through them and see what happened next.
***
I was back in the empty, dark room with no walls, the same one that offered me no evidence that I was actually in a physical space, but unlike before, I wasn’t disoriented by its emptiness as I looked around for the door that would allow me to leave. I found it almost immediately to my right, and I moved toward it. The only difference in the door now was that I couldn’t see anyone outside through its cracks, but the terrain looked exactly the same, and I figured Agrippina and my friends must have moved away to find a more comfortable place to await my return. Without another thought, I placed my hand against the door and prepared to leave.
“It was a real pleasure meeting you, Jacob Hunter,” Merlin said from behind me.
I removed my hand and turned to face him. He was back in his dull red wizard robes with the half-moons on them, looking just like my mother’s chess pieces. I smiled, generally happy to see him, almost nostalgic that it was already time to leave.
“Come to see me off?” I asked.
“I couldn’t just let you go without saying goodbye.”
I chuckled. “Was all this really real, Merlin?” I asked, still unsure even now. “It all just seems so convenient.”
“It was more than real,” he assured me. “And this was most certainly not forced on you. You brought yourself here of your own volition.”
I shook my head and took a step toward him. “It’s just that I never expected such a deus ex machina moment in all this, Merlin, but I guess I should just take it! I never thought I’d be given any help at all, let alone how much you showed me. I… I really don’t know what to say. You’ve shown me so much and given me so much to think on, things actually worth thinking. Things I feel really special just knowing. But more importantly, you’ve given me direction, which I think I needed more than anything else.”
Merlin smiled. “I am glad, Jacob, and I must be honest that you have given me much to think on as well. More than you can possibly imagine.”
I nodded. “Good. I suppose I should be proud of myself for teaching an old dog a few new tricks then.”
His smile widened. “You should be.”
I lifted my arms and let them fall to slap against my thighs. “So what are you going to do now? I have to imagine your meeting me has changed your perspective on life at least a little.”
“It has, but all that’s in the cards for me now is to wait.”
“For King Arthur and his valiant Knights of the Round Table?” I asked, striking a heroic poise with my right hand clenched in a fist against my heart.
He chuckled. “Yes, actually.”
“Amazing,” I muttered, still in disbelief, collapsing the pose. “Just amazing! The next thing you’ll tell me is that you’re waiting for them just so you can use Arthur to find the Holy Grail for you, because it…”
I trailed off as my own words caused new thoughts to pop into my head.
“Wait, you said earlier that Romulus and Remus were very nearly the last of a generation. Not the last. Does that mean… no way… are you telling me that King Arthur was just like them? ‘Advanced’ or whatever you called them? Are you…” And then another thought popped into my mind, “…and are you going to send him and his knights out in search of the Holy Grail because it’s… it’s… nothing more than the blue orb itself!?”
Merlin shook his head and sighed. “You really are a very perceptive man, Jacob. Your mother was not wrong about many things, but she certainly was when she thought all that television wo
uld rot your brain.”
“But…” I started, “…I… You… Arthur…”
“Try not to think about it, Jacob. Remember what we talked about.”
“I… I guess you’re right, but Jesus Christ, Merlin! You really are Merlin! It’s just that you were also so much more before historians ever thought you even existed. And they don’t have any idea. What other historical figures were you as well?”
“Oh, I’m sure one or two of them do,” Merlin said, once again ignoring the more important question. “There’s always a fringe historian here or there who accidentally guesses right from time to time.”
“I guess that’s true,” I said.
I was too shocked to really know what I was saying, but as my mind cleared, the two of us found ourselves standing there in companionable silence. I’m sure Merlin could have found something meaningful to say, but I, for one, was speechless. Words simply couldn’t describe everything I felt in this moment. I looked at him awkwardly again and shrugged, my feet planted, unable to bring myself to do much of anything.
Merlin nodded comfortingly and opened his arms. “Let’s just hug it out and send you on your way.”
I nodded vigorously and stepped in to give him hug. I hadn’t hugged many men in my time, but somehow this one felt right. It was how I’d always thought it would feel to hug my father, and I swore in that moment that if I ever found my way home again, that I’d do everything I could to repair our broken relationship.
Merlin held me there tightly, but after a quick moment, let me go. We looked at each other and he smiled again, giving my shoulders a quick pat. “Take care of yourself, Jacob Hunter. Just remember this: while your journey may seem like it’s coming to an end, I assure you, it is only just beginning.”
“What does that mean?”
“All in good time.”
Unable to think of a response, I pulled away and headed toward the door. I held out my hand and made contact with it, ready to push it open, but then turned for one last question. I half expected Merlin to have vanished by the time I’d fully turned around, but he was still there.
“How can I ever thank you for all this?” I asked.
“Just make me proud.”
Which was all he needed to say, exactly like my mom.
I ground my teeth together. “I’ll try, Merlin. I promise.”
“I know you will, Jacob,” he said, but then his tone grew playful. “But, hey, if you don’t, you could always just name your first born son after me instead.”
I barked out a laugh. “Name him Merlin? Yeah right. Have you even met Helena? She’ll never go for that.”
“Probably not,” Merlin admitted, “but after all this, I’m sure you’ll be able to convince her.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“You always do, Jacob,” he said, and then winked out of existence.
My smile slowly disappeared and I wasted half a second wondering if all of this had in fact been nothing more than a nightmare, but I just as quickly dismissed it and kicked myself for even entertaining the notion.
This was everything but a nightmare.
This was a dream come true.
And I couldn’t be happier.
I pushed open the door and stepped out into the snow covered field I’d left no more than a few hours ago.
***
I felt groggy. I felt cold. I felt wet. And I felt like I was lying on my back.
I wasn’t sure why exactly, as I didn’t remember falling after leaving the cottage, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was in fact lying in the cold, wet snow. Nor could I explain why I felt so horrible, like I’d only had an hour of sleep after a night of heavy drinking, made worse because I couldn’t feel my limbs or extremities. They felt stiff and unresponsive, and every little movement I attempted took a serious force of will, even just to wiggle my toes.
“Jacob!”
The voice sounded intense but distance, like I was being called to from very far away. Since I’d never find out who had called out to me if I didn’t open my eyes, I decided now would be a good time to do just that. When I did, I found my vision to be fuzzy, but I could still make out what appeared to be a man kneeling above me. He called my name again, which sounded clearer and less distant now. I struggled to lift my head, failing at the attempt, but I felt him snake a hand beneath my neck and lift me into a sitting position, a movement that both hurt and felt damn good at the same time.
Once I was up, I struggled to keep myself upright. Much like a very young baby just learning to support himself, I almost fell over, but the man’s strong hands kept me steady. I heard him call out again, but it was clearly not my name this time. I squeezed my eyes shut and flicked my head to the side, trying to dislodge my grogginess. Feeling slightly better, I opened my eyes again and while my vision remained unclear, I could now identify the man helping me as Bordeaux.
“Wh…” I tried to say, but my throat was dry and crackly from a lack of use. I gulped and tried to find my words. “Wh-where’ve you been, big guy? I feel like I haven’t seen you in months.”
The large Frenchman looked confused at my words as he shook his head. “Are you all right, mon ami?”
“It’s good to hear you call me that, Jeanne…” I trailed off, my mind wandering and unfocused, “… Jeanne… Hey, isn’t Jeanne a girl’s name?”
Bordeaux looked cross at the suggestion. “Most people who remind me don’t stay conscious long. Would you like to go back to sleep then?”
“No, I think I’ve slept long enough,” I said quickly, feeling elated at once again being in the presence of one of my friends. “How long was I gone, anyway? Two hours? Three?”
Bordeaux opened his mouth again, but then a pair of new faces ran into view. Santino and Boudicca rushed over and knelt beside me, and I felt elated at seeing them, like I hadn’t seen them in years.
“I had just the strangest dream…” I said in my best Judy Garland impersonation. “You weren’t there and you weren’t there either,” I said, pointing at Santino and Bordeaux, but then I dropped my hand and shuddered when my finger landed on Boudicca. “But you were there… in a thong bikini.”
Santino and Bordeaux exchanged glances before looking at Boudicca, who simply knelt there in confusion. Both men looked down at me, clearly concerned for my mental state.
“Just what kind of dream did you have, Hunter?” Santino asked.
“A fantastic one,” I said. “Well, besides that part. I’ve got so much to tell you guys, and you’re not going to believe any of it, but…”
I cut myself off when a burst of pain resonated from within my stomach. I tried to move a hand to hold my abdomen, but I could barely lift it.
“Damn, I’m fucking hungry!” I nearly shouted, realizing that was my problem. “I feel like I haven’t eaten in days!”
Bordeaux and Santino traded glances again, but this time Boudicca joined in with the awkward looks as well.
“What?” I asked, noticing their odd behavior.
Bordeaux looked down at me first. “How long do you think you were gone again, Jacob?”
“I don’t know. A couple hours? Feels like a lot longer though…”
Bordeaux looked up at Santino, but Santino didn’t look away from me.
“Jacob,” he said, “you’ve been gone thirty seven days. That’s with a three and then a seven, buddy. That’s over a month!”
XII
Decisions
Northern Britannia
March, 44 A.D.
The four of us hadn’t spent long in the clearing after Santino’s surprising announcement. I’d sat there quite shocked for a few seconds as realization for why I was so hungry and stiff started making sense. It was no wonder that Merlin felt so pressed for time there at the end. Two hours with him had been a month in the real world. It was a long time to be out of the loop and my first thoughts were of how my friends had interacted in such close proximity with Agrippina for all that time.
I cou
ld have spent another month wondering why and how such a time differentiation could have occurred, but if I’d learned anything from my time with Merlin, it was that sometimes it was best just to ignore the less important questions, which would have been easier to do had my friends given me some information of their own to mull on.
All they’d confirmed to me was that Helena hadn’t yet given birth, but hadn’t elaborated much more than that as Bordeaux and Boudicca picked me up, set me on a random horse, and helped me stay in the saddle as we rode back to camp. Santino joined us, but a fourth presence in the clearing, Minicius, lingered under orders to wait until he was certain we were back at camp before returning with the blue orb, but making sure he kept it as far away from me as possible.
It was with that order from Santino that I’d finally taken notice of the cottage’s disappearance, replaced with nothing more than a very real looking dead log that simply sat in the snow. There was nothing there to indicate anything unnatural had been there at all. After asking my companions about this, Santino had some interesting things to say on it.
“We all watched you go inside, Jacob,” he’d said as Bordeaux and Boudicca had lifted me atop the horse. “We watched the door close behind you, heard the sound of it clinking shut and everything, but then it just disappeared! Artie thought it had simply gone invisible, but Archer walked his horse right through the area. There was nothing there. Even the snow looked completely untouched. All we saw were your footprints leading to the door, and then… nothing.”
I could tell my disappearance had affected him deeply, because his explanation had been as straight forward and devoid of stupidity as I’d ever heard from him. He’d gone on to explain that the initial contingent had waited for six hours before they’d decided to go home, sending shifts of two to four individuals to keep watch over the location and await my return. He’d also said that both the legionnaires and Praetorians had wanted to leave a month ago, but only at the insistence of both Helena and Agrippina had they stayed. Apparently, both women – for what I was sure were completely different reasons – had demanded that they remain indefinitely.
Praetorian Series [3] A Hunter and His Legion Page 46
