by Tom Larcombe
The SS wizard had taken the bait and his awareness was trying to grapple with the illusion. Merlin wasn't sure why he was trying to grapple with it instead of just trying to destroy it some other way, but he'd work with the situation. He made the illusion slick and hard to hold, then sent it dancing around the bunker.
While the illusion occupied the guard, Merlin created his connection point and brought the crystal through. As soon as it was there, he called for the artillery. When the guard saw the crystal he tried to return to his body. Merlin let his real awareness become visible to the SS wizard just long enough to distract him. That stopped him for a critical moment. When Merlin heard the incoming artillery he stepped back into the wall and sank into the earth.
He sent his awareness back to his body, then looked around and noted that Gary still wasn't back yet, his body lay uninhabited on the ground beside Merlin. A minute later Gary's body started twitching and convulsing. Merlin quickly threw his awareness out again. He raced to the strong point Gary was working on and found that the SS wizard had Gary's awareness locked in a spell cage of some sort.
He slid up into the strong point and sent an attack at the SS wizard's body. Flames ate at the pant legs of the wizard guard. The guard immediately started to beat them out. Merlin was watching Gary and noticed that the bars of the cage flickered in and out as the guard's attention was focused elsewhere. Merlin sent another attack, trying to distract the guard from holding Gary's cage. When the airtight shield around the guard's head flashed into being, Merlin sucked all the air out from within it. The guard was gasping in seconds and the cage flickered out of existence.
{Can you still apport the crystal?} Merlin sent to Gary.
His answer was a flood of sunlight assaulting the larger, purple crystal that powered the shield on the strong point.
Merlin kept his attention on the shield around the guard's head. The guard was trying to remove it but Merlin kept it there, their wills fighting over the existence of the shield. When Merlin heard the artillery shells coming, he glanced up and found that Gary was gone. He released his hold on the airtight shield and quickly sank into the ground. Once again, he was buffeted by the dirt around him reacting to the explosive shells, but he quickly recovered and returned to his body.
One more, Merlin thought. One more of these things and I'm done for now. Perhaps I ought to wait a few minutes though, recover some and maybe catch them off guard if they're expecting the last one right away.
He breathed heavily, his physical body mirroring the exhaustion of his magic.
“I'm done,” Gary said. “I can't do that again. My head is spinning so badly that I can barely stand right now.”
“That's alright. I'll take the last one after I have a few minutes to recover. I'm getting tired myself,” Merlin answered.
Gunter handed Merlin a canteen of water and some crackers.
“Eat and drink,” he said. “You know you'll recover faster if you do.”
Merlin mechanically ate the crackers, taking sips of water between each bite. After a few minutes, he exhaled loudly.
“I don't think I'll be in any better shape unless I wait until after I sleep so I'd better take care of this last one now.”
Merlin reached into his satchel and pulled out two crystals, one charged with energy and the second glowing with sunlight.
There's only two fully charged crystals left, he thought. I'll need to take care of that somehow.
He closed his eyes and separated his awareness. The last strong point was still only using a hemisphere shield and he slid beneath it. As he raised his awareness up into the interior he scanned for the wizard he was sure would be there. He flinched when he was successful.
Demon shit! That tears it, he thought. That's no ordinary wizard, he's being ridden by someone and unless I miss my guess...
Merlin sent his awareness fleeing towards the bottom of the hemisphere only to find that the shield was now a full sphere and wouldn't allow him to leave. He headed back up towards the interior.
If I can't get out of here without a fight maybe I can at least drop the shield and have a chance to flee, he thought.
Instead of confronting the wizard guard straight off, Merlin burst into the open and, using the entire charge of the storage crystal plus some of his own power, apported the sun crystal through the shield. With nearly the last of his energy he sent the command to fire on the strong point to Anthony. Then he turned to face the wizard.
Merlin saw the wizard guard through a shimmering set of silver bars that he knew he'd not be breaking through in his current condition. The eyes of the guard were familiar to Merlin. The centuries of experience, and madness, he saw in them told him that Ave was riding his opponent.
{I should have known.} Ave sent.
{Ave.} Merlin replied, heaping scorn into the name.
{I'm sure I can leverage this to my advantage and if not, I'll be rid of you at the very least. Anything to say for yourself?}
Merlin heard the whistle of artillery shells and the reply he sent to Ave arrived with a background of him chuckling.
{Why yes, I do. Incoming!}
Merlin tried to sink into the soil but there was a bottom to the cage. When the shells exploded into the strong point the magic of the purple crystal reinforced the explosion. His awareness was buffeted and the link to his physical body nearly shredded. He saw the body of the wizard guard destroyed by the explosions. The cage surrounding him afforded him a minute amount of protection, enough to keep his awareness from being obliterated by the destruction of the purple crystal and the release of its energies.
His awareness, battered and wounded by the energies released, slowly faded out. But he didn't feel the link to his body drawing him back in as it should have.
Either the cage is preventing it or my tether was too badly damaged to draw me back, he thought as blackness claimed him.
* * *
Chapter 8
Merlin woke with a cool hand on his forehead.
Nimue beamed at him.
“You're awake,” she said.
Merlin shook his head groggily.
“Are you alright dear?” Nimue asked. “Were you having more of those dreams about the war?”
“What?” Merlin said, “Where am I? The last thing I remember was being caught in an explosion.”
“You are having those dreams again. The doctor warned us that you might. You're home dear. Where else would you be?”
Merlin looked around the unfamiliar room and shook his head. He looked at Nimue, who appeared wan and frail.
“I don't remember this place.”
“Oh no, I'll have to call the doctor again in the morning. It sounds like you're getting worse.”
Merlin slid out of bed and nearly tumbled to the floor. His body was exhausted.
“What's wrong with me, why am I so tired?” he asked.
“You've been having these dreams for months now. I can't remember the last time you got a full night's sleep. Of course you're exhausted. Go back to bed and try to sleep some more,” Nimue said.
After a peek through the window that revealed only darkness, Merlin complied with her request. He crawled back into bed and went to sleep.
His dreams were enough to keep anyone from resting. In them he kept hearing Gunter calling his name, asking him what was wrong. There were other voices as well, all of them telling him to wake up, over and over again. His torso contracted at irregular intervals, as though someone were giving him bear hugs.
When he finally did wake in the morning, he felt even less rested than he had in the middle of the night. He had no idea how long he'd slept. In his dreams it felt like days. He assumed it was a single night though, surely Nimue would have woken him if he tried to sleep the clock around.
He managed to get out of bed and dressed with a great deal of difficulty. When he walked to the window and looked outside there were heavy clouds in the sky. Although it was light out there was no actual sunshine to be seen. The s
mell of coffee brewing drew him out of the bedroom.
Merlin walked down the hallway of the small home. At the end of the hallway he found a kitchen that contained Nimue and the breakfast she was making. She smiled at him, her skin tone looking less pale and closer to what he remembered.
“Sit down dear, I'll have your breakfast ready for you shortly,” she said.
Merlin sank into a chair, trying to make sense of things.
I can't remember a thing after we started taking out those magically shielded strong points back during the war, he thought. Was I injured while doing that or something? Should I ask Nimue? She seems worried about me but still cheerful. I don't understand.
Nimue slid a plate in front of him containing an egg dish with potatoes and ham cooked into it.
“Here you are dear,” Nimue said.
“Aren't you going to have any?” Merlin asked.
“Oh, I ate hours ago. I wanted to let you sleep though since you've been getting so little rest recently.”
Merlin ate his food mechanically. It tasted bland and even the bland flavor was weak. He sat and waited after he finished, but the energy he'd expected to obtain from the food just wasn't there. He forced himself to stand again.
“So what am I supposed to be doing today?” he asked.
“Well, I called the doctor. He can't fit you in for two more days. But you have an appointment then. I don't know what you were planning on doing today though, you didn't tell me.”
“Well, what are you doing then? Perhaps I can help.”
“You wouldn't want to help me. I have laundry to do and I need to tend the chickens, the garden, and a few other things. I don't think you'd be helpful with any of it. If you're still tired, and you do look that way, then perhaps you could lie down and take a nap? Maybe sleeping during the day will help you avoid the dreams.”
Merlin blinked eyes that were gumming up.
“Perhaps I should. My body doesn't seem to want to be awake,” he said.
Merlin went and laid down for a nap. As he slept the voices continued calling to him.
“We need you Merlin, come back.”
His torso constricted
“Merlin, wake up!”
“Merlin, we're bringing in more wizards to help, hold on.”
His torso constricted again.
“Merlin, wake up!”
“Merlin, wake up...”
The last call was punctuated by a gentle shake of his shoulders and when he opened his eyes Nimue hovered over him. Her skin was its normal tone and she seemed brimming with energy, but with a worried look on her face.
“Were you having that dream during the day even? I heard you calling out and thrashing in your sleep.”
Merlin nodded, which took most of his remaining energy.
“Well, I've made lunch for you. Would you like it here in bed?”
“Please,” Merlin said.
“I'll bring it right up for you. I have to run into town this afternoon. Will you be alright on your own for a while?”
“I'll probably just try to get some rest,” he replied.
“Perhaps you should try to stay awake. You seem to be getting worse each time you sleep.”
“If I can find something to occupy me I'll try to stay awake then and see if it helps.”
Nimue brought up a tray of food. Merlin didn't even look to see what it was, he just started eating.
“I'll be back in a few minutes to take away the tray,” she said.
He looked at the food after she left. Some sort of sausage that he wasn't familiar with and a small loaf of dark bread. Whatever it was tasted good, not the slightest bit bland this time, so he ate it all. When he finished he found himself nodding off again. Nimue came to recover the tray and caught him just as he was falling asleep.
“Maybe you should spend some time outside while I'm gone,” she said. “Would you like to work on your herb garden?”
Merlin smiled weakly.
“That sounds wonderful. Something to do might help.”
Nimue assisted him to the kitchen and out the back door. A small, tidy garden filled with familiar herbs greeted him as he stepped outside. She took him to the edge of the garden and then turned.
“I should be back in a couple of hours. Are you sure you'll be okay dear?” she asked.
Merlin nodded.
“Good, I'll be back as soon as I can.”
Nimue entered the house with a spring in her step. Merlin sank to his knees at the edge of the garden, exhausted from the short walk. He heard an automobile start somewhere out in front of the house. The sound faded as Nimue drove away.
So, he thought, what do I have for herbs.
He noted what types of herbs were growing in his garden but something about them was odd. When he plucked a mint leaf to chew on, it had no taste. When he sniffed the leaf, there was no scent to it either. He shook his head wearily and sat on the ground.
What's wrong with me? he thought. I'm so tired and everything's so strange.
He drifted off to sleep. This time his dreams had him bathed in sunlight. He also felt a tiny stab in his arm. There were no voices calling to him this time at least and he began to feel better in his dream. He woke and sat up. A single beam of sunlight speared down through the heavy cloud cover, surrounding him in its brilliance.
Merlin stood and stretched his back. He pressed his weary eyes closed and when he opened them again his herb garden was a tangle of weeds pushing its way up through uneven soil. The ground looked tossed and turned, like a giant child had taken a shovel and dug at random. He closed his eyes again but the weeds were still there when he opened them. He turned to the house, which was still in the overcast from the clouds, and it was normal. He started for the kitchen before realizing that he was walking easily and felt better. His steps were light and he could feel his energy replenishing itself.
As soon as he left the beam of sunlight, he felt his strength draining away again. Slowly but inexorably something was draining him, leaving him weak. A step back into the sunlight stopped him from being drained.
Alright, something is attacking me, he thought. The key to whatever it is must be back in the war and that's why my mind keeps trying to force me to remember things from it.
He sat in the sun, replenishing his energy and thinking.
If I shield myself so I can't be drained then whatever is attacking me will know that I'm aware of the attack. I wonder if I can create a shield that will allow only a trickle to be drained from me at a time and keep the rest of my strength hidden. Then if I discover what's happening I can do something about it.
Merlin took some time to modify a shield he knew so it would work the way he wanted. When he stepped out of the sun once again he could feel himself being drained, but only a tiny bit. He was losing about the same amount of power the spell could have drained from his lower energy levels earlier in the day.
That should give me an edge, he thought. Nimue will be happy when I tell her what I discovered. She's so worried about me.
Merlin turned before entering the house again and saw that the sun was gone, the weeds once again an herb garden.
I wish I knew what my subconscious was trying to tell me, he thought. I'm sure it has to do with the war. I think when I sleep tonight, I'll encourage those dreams. Perhaps I can learn more that way.
Merlin sat in the kitchen, thinking and waiting for Nimue to return. His worry grew as he waited.
No, oh no... It can't be, he thought. Every time I got weaker, she looked better. Has Nimue betrayed me? Maybe I shouldn't tell her that I'm feeling better, just wait and see what happens.
A few minutes later he heard the sound of an automobile in the distance. The sound grew louder until it was coming from the front of the house. Then it stopped.
Merlin assumed the same posture he was in before she left. His head drooped with exhaustion and his limbs hung limply. When he moved, he made his limbs appear clumsy and uncooperative.
Nimue
walked into the house and once again she looked wan and frail. Merlin felt the drain on him intensify as much as his new shield would allow and he let his head sag even more.
“How are you feeling Merlin?” she asked.
“Still tired, but working outside helped some. I think I'll do that again tomorrow.”
“If you're feeling better after dinner then perhaps you could pay some attention to me?” she asked. “It's been far too long while you've been sleeping poorly. Maybe that will make you feel better or sleep better?”
Wait, Merlin thought, she's propositioning me while she thinks I'm still exhausted? What's going on?
“Maybe, but you'd probably have to do most of the work. I haven't gotten that much energy back.”
“That's okay, I don't mind. I'm just looking forward to it since it's been such a long time.”
The color was already returning to Nimue's face and as she bustled about starting dinner, Merlin felt the higher drain on his energy continue. After dinner, Nimue took his hand and led him to their bedroom. The two of them undressed and Merlin, continuing his act, collapsed onto the bed.
From the very start he clamped down tightly on the shield protecting his energy. As soon as she touched him, he felt the draw on his energy increase even more. Mid-way through the act he was sure.
That's not Nimue, he thought. Nimue always worries about pleasuring both of us. This one is only worrying about her own pleasure and draining me at the same time.
Merlin had a hard time continuing the sexual act with an unknown partner but he was sure she'd just attribute it to his weakened state. When she finally finished, he committed what would've been the ultimate sin with Nimue; he rolled over and went to sleep. At least he pretended to sleep. He wanted to wait until the female with him wasn't paying attention and get a look at her with his Sight.
A crazed chuckle caught his attention. It was followed by a quiet mutter.
“Poor fool, but he deserves all that and more.”
He heard the door close immediately after that and when he rolled over, he was alone in the room. He got up and used some of his carefully hoarded energy on a cloaking shield. He wandered the entire house but found no-one else there. When he heard the automobile start and drive off he gave up and returned to bed.
