Modern Merlin

by Jason Paul Rice

  “Do you mind?” she asked and pointed to the handle.

  Mike moved in and wrapped his hand around the handle. He gave it a tug. It didn’t budge. He squatted down and pulled up on the stubborn door. It took a couple more hard yanks to jar the entrance open.

  “Follow me,” Alayna instructed and disappeared into the dark tunnel behind the door.

  Mike followed her in. It was so tight, he had to crawl on his belly at first, but soon the tunnel expanded and he could walk upright.

  “Keep on moving, Mike,” Alayna called from several feet ahead. “Weee,” she screamed.

  Mike took one more step but the ground didn’t meet his foot. Out of balance, he scrambled back to stay on firm ground. Distorted sound waves traveled up the vertical drop off he hadn’t seen in the total darkness. “Come. On. You. Wuss..”

  “Aw hell.” Mike tentatively walked to the edge and debated for a few moments. He had never been fond of heights, but what choice did he have? Besides, Alayna seemed content on keeping him alive. He decided to trust someone.

  Mike did a little bunny hop, and the free fall began. He didn’t know it but he was screaming like a scared child.

  Chapter 16

  MIKE’S DROPPED AT A tremendous velocity. His face, wrinkled and flapping from the intense wind resistance, felt as if its flesh was being torn off.

  A strong yank on Mike’s shoulders slowed his speed greatly. It were as if an invisible parachute had been pulled. He gently fell through the darkness until the bottoms of his black Nikes hit the soft ground.

  Alayna pinched Mike’s butt, making him jump. “Is that you, buddy?”

  “Don’t do that. I told you about that before.”

  “Whatever.” She planted her palm in the small of Mike’s back and guided him through the dark tunnel.

  Mike walked like a zombie, with his hands out in front of his body.

  “Turn left,” Alayna guided him.

  He slammed his head into some soft dirt, dislodging a small cascade of it that spilled down onto his chest and shoulders.

  “Duck,” Alayna warned about a second too late.

  “Little faster next time.”

  A pinprick of light grew bigger and more radiant with each step Mike took. Finally, Alayna removed her hand, and Mike stepped out of the tunnel and into paradise. He stared at a sprawling, vibrant landscape of rolling green grass, mighty oak trees, ivory castles and sapphire-colored rushing rivers.

  Mike marveled at the vividness of the colors in this utopian setting. Above their heads loomed a huge dome of interconnected tree roots that flashed with sparks of electricity. Through the large gaps, Mike could see the blue sky. Shafts of sunlight snuck through the openings, easily providing enough heat to grow crops.

  They approached a garden where a group of women tended to the produce. Mike noticed a bounty of red radishes, purple and orange carrots, cauliflower, broccoli and green cabbage spilling from the sides of a huge, rolling wooden cart. A short woman walked by with an armful of romaine lettuce heads.

  “What’s going on?” Mike asked, searching for a way to impress Alayna with his new, witty sense of humor. “Is she planning on making an enormous Caesar salad?”

  Alayna’s facial features became serious, and she waved an open hand in front of her neck. “Zezezezeze.”

  The short woman’s smile turned into a frown. She asked Alayna, “What did that jackass just say? Do I need to put these greens down and teach him a lesson?”

  Alayna smiled and waved her away. “No. No. Nothing. It’s nothing. He doesn’t know about that yet.”

  “Well, teach him before he gets his ass kicked.” The small woman with pointed ears looked him up and down with a scowl on her face before turning and walking away.

  Mike said, “Whoa. Violent society down here.”

  Alayna retorted, “Quite the opposite, actually. There are very few things that will get one of us riled up, but Julius Caesar is definitely one of them.”

  “Why?”

  “He slandered our culture, saying that we sacrificed humans. The Romans, his people, were more or less responsible for the relocation of the druids. How’d that work out for him and the Romans?”

  “Not very well, if I have learned correctly. Why did they try to eliminate the druids?”

  “Same reason people eliminate anyone different than them. Out of fear. They went the same way as the Knights Templar. Do you get that reference?”

  Mike smiled. “I do. I think.”

  “Why were the Knights Templar murdered and eliminated?”

  “Because they had become too powerful. The Pope trumped up some charges against them and they didn’t seem to last too much longer after that. Allegedly, of course.”

  “Very impressive. I like that you recognize it as theory, too. However, I can vouch for the authenticity of that story. The druids spread around the world in small factions to keep their spirit and way of life alive. We will get back to the druids soon. All right. We need to start by training you to not react recklessly. It is an exercise in tolerance. Let’s go into the woods over here.”

  A huge avian shadow appeared on the verdant grass, and a rumble of thunder came from above.

  “Is that a dragon?” Mike asked, shielding his eyes from the sunlight.

  “It’s a thunderbird,” Alayna explained.

  The enormous black bird had to be bigger than a bus. When it beat its wings, sparks of lightning jumped from the bird’s body. Two antlered deer heads with the bodies of enormous eagles streaked across the sky toward the thunderbird. They kept disappearing and reappearing behind the black bird that dwarfed them.

  “What are those things?”

  “They are called perytons. They were among the few creatures that could fly away from Atlantis before the utter destruction took place. Come on. We have to keep on moving.”

  Mike took a few steps and his eyes widened when his gaze alighted on two white foxes that paced back and forth on the green grass right in front of the woods. They both had long black tails swinging around. At their approach, the foxes stopped moving and stared at Mike and Alayna. Their tails cracked like whips, and a blaze of fire surrounded the animals.

  The fire burned out quickly, leaving a fog of lingering smoke. Two old men stepped out of the plume. They were ancient-looking and wearing burgundy robes. As they passed, the elders nodded and gestured with their arms toward the forest. Alayna bowed to them, and Mike replicated the act.

  They entered the forest, and the chirping of crickets mixed with buzzing from the locusts and cicadas. Unseen birds sung pleasant melodies from a distance, and the twigs, fallen leaves and brush crunched under Mike’s every step.

  They walked a wide red dirt path, and Mike tried to take in the landscape of mixed colors melding into each other. Burnt umber faded into mahogany before shifting to sienna, and then a rusty copper. Shades of green rushed in as Mike’s eyes darted from the moss-covered boulders to the ferns, to the leaves above.

  Mike’s steps stuttered at the sight of one of the branches of an oak tree. A strange creature hung upside down from the branch. The creature had the feet and body of a human and the face and wings of a cardinal. Mike looked around and noticed several more. He stopped.

  Alayna said, “Come on. Those are just alans. That is their singing you hear right now. They love to whistle away the day. Oohh, we can stop here for a second.”

  The path forked, and Alayna scooted off to the left with Mike right on her heels. Buzzing of bees started to get louder and then several of the insects circled Mike.

  “Don’t panic. They aren’t going to hurt you.” Alayna held out an open palm, and several of the bees rushed over to her. They moved down a narrow path with huge trees on either side. The buzzing had reached a fever pitch.

  Mike now trailed a few feet behind as Alayna walked right into a swarm of black and gold. He stopped, expecting her to get stung. Undaunted, the faerie headed straight for the swollen honeycomb dripping with amber goodness
. An enormous bee, bigger than Mike’s hand, circled the nest. The queen’s buzzing tickled Mike’s eardrum.

  Alayna said softly, “May I?” She pointed at the comb. The queen flew up to Alayna’s face, and Mike thought the bee was going to sting his mentor, but the queen appeared to give the faerie a kiss on the cheek before heading back to the nest.

  Alayna ran her finger along the bottom of the glistening golden honeycomb and hurriedly stuffed it into her mouth. “Ummm. Mike?” She looked around for the young man.

  “Over here,” Mike answered from behind a wall of buzzing bees.

  “I can teach you something before we even get officially started. Let the bees know that you aren’t going to harm them. You can’t be scared. They can sense that, and if they think that you are scared, the bees expect you to panic. They know what humans do when they panic. Humans kill bees when they get scared. Stay calm and walk right through, and they will let you pass.”

  “I don’t really like honey that much anyway.” Mike couldn’t imagine walking through the bees without getting stung.

  “Get over here right now.”

  Mike knew Alayna wouldn’t stop pestering him until he did as she instructed. He steeled his nerves and shook his arms around as if limbering up for a fight. He put one foot in front of the next. Slowly.

  I come in peace. I don’t wish to hurt you. I would never hurt you first. We can be friends.

  “Good job. Always respect nature and its inhabitants.” Alayna’s voice broke his concentration.

  Mike hadn’t realized he had made it through the storm. He swiped some of the sweet honey into his mouth, and the sticky substance danced on his tongue. Hints of lavender, fennel and citrus intertwined with the natural honey to create a multi-layered flavor.

  “All right. We need to get back to our spot.”

  They turned around to be met by five animals the likes of which Mike had never seen. The gorilla-like creatures had silver fur, four arms and two legs. The girallons, as Alayna called them, stood over seven feet tall, and they seemed to communicate with each other through a series of grunts.

  Mike grabbed Alayna and pushed her behind him. “Get out of here. I can stall these things long enough so that you can get out of here.”

  Alayna smiled. “That’s quite gentlemanly and chivalrous of you, but none of the animals around here is going to hurt us. Some might look mean, but they won’t harm us.” She walked up, and one of the animals wrapped all four arms around Alayna for a hug. “We respect the animals, and they respect us in turn. It can’t be a one-way street. I can’t believe you haven’t noticed the snotlings all around.”

  “The what?”

  “Look around. See those little green people with blinking red eyes?” She pointed to an area of thick green shrubbery.

  Mike saw about ten flashing red lights. He focused closer and noticed the shape of a body. The tiny beings were much smaller than dwarfs and didn’t have any hair on their bodies. Four floppy ears sat in a circle on top of the snotlings’ heads.

  Mike did a couple of three-sixties and noticed all the shrubs and bushes started to move. There had to be hundreds of the little people emerging into the open. They all looked so peaceful and non-threatening, that was until a few smiled at Mike and exposed sharp sets of deadly fangs.

  “Always be aware of your surroundings. If you are, no one can ever sneak up on you.” Alayna followed the girallon creatures that seemed to be guiding the way.

  The silent snotlings retreated back into their surroundings, and Mike couldn’t find a single one in the camouflage setting. The girallons suddenly took off into the woods, and a small opening appeared ahead of the couple.

  An ancient oak tree with branches touching the ground and reaching into the sky greeted them.

  Alayna said, “You are going to get a lesson on tree magic soon. For now, just remember to respect trees and plants the same you would an animal or human. They are no different.”

  Mike rubbed his overloaded eyes, trying to absorb all the sights and creatures.

  “Just wait until your next few visits when I’ll show you a karakadon.”

  “Okay, I’ll bite. What’s a karakadon?”

  Alayna walked up to the trunk of the massive tree. “It is a bull-like creature with a curved golden horn extending out of its forehead. They like to yodel in the forests and valleys. The yodeling is quite annoying actually, and their breath stinks beyond belief. They won’t take a mint leaf no matter how many you offer them.”

  Alayna circled the tree and gave the trunk a hug. She whispered, “May I borrow a switch for a short while?”

  The tree groaned, and Mike was positive it said, “O—kay.”

  Alayna walked up to a low hanging branch and snapped off a thin piece of wood about as long as a baseball bat.

  She swung the stick around and explained, “One of the worst things you can do in any conflict is panic. Had you tried to swat away those bees a little while ago, you would be in the physician’s office right now. Even in the midst of an intense battle, you must not allow revenge or anger to filter in. For this exercise, all you have to do is stand still and not get mad.”

  “This lesson shouldn’t be too hard.”

  “No. No, it shouldn’t.” Alayna smiled, slapping the branch into her palm. “You can’t foster a retaliatory attitude when using magic or it will get you and perhaps some regulars killed. Focus on bravery, courage and stamina. Trade pomposity for sagacity.”

  She casually poked him in the chest, and Mike slapped the stick away. “Uh, uh, uh. You’re not allowed to do anything except stand still and be happy. Close your eyes. Find an enjoyable place and send your mind to that location. First class ticket.” She giggled.

  Mike put his hands behind his back. She poked him a few more times in the chest, and he stood still as a stone statue. Alayna tapped Mike’s stomach a few times, and then poked his crotch. He backed away and cocked his head to the side.

  “No, no, no. Stand still.”

  Mike smiled and stood in place again. Alayna turned her back to Mike and tapped the stick against her palm a few times. In a flash, she whirled around and swatted Mike across his upper arm. Hard. He made a fist and cocked his arm back.

  “You look like you want to hit someone.”

  Mike gritted his teeth. “Nope. Not at all. Just a little misunderstanding.” He put his hands behind his back and puffed his chest out.

  A buzzing insect almost as big as his hand flew in front of Mike’s face, and he instinctively backed away, then suddenly stopped. The green creature looked like an enormous cricket with a big stinger on its backside. The insect landed on his nose, and Mike tried to remain as still as possible. He held his breath.

  The noisy insect jumped off his nose and flew away.

  Alayna didn’t give Mike any time to celebrate. She poked his crotch several times. Mike held his ground, and she seemed impressed.

  Next, Alayna walked behind him and jabbed him several times in each buttock. Mike flinched at first but took a deep breath and controlled his emotions as Alayna kept prodding his posterior.

  Alayna asked, “How do you feel about your father?”

  “Fuck that piece of shit.”

  “Ooohhh. That sounds like anger. We can’t have something like that clouding our judgment if we are going to be fighting off the evil spirits in this world. How do you feel about your father?”

  “Doesn’t matter. What’s done is done, and I can’t change it.”

  “Very good. Are you sure that’s how you feel after all the terrible things he’s done to you?”

  Mike wanted to go off about how awful his father had been during his childhood...but he controlled his anger. “Yes, ma’am. That’s how I feel.”

  Alayna’s eyes widened along with her smile. “My, my. Color me impressed, young man. We will revisit this lesson a few more times but I’ll finish my story on the druids now.”

  “Nice.”

  “You want to learn. How great. Why
don’t we go under the oak tree so we can have some more shade?”

  They moseyed over to the enormous tree, and Alayna returned to the branch that she had gotten the switch from. She pressed the breaking point back onto the branch and held it for a few moments. When she let go, the reattached piece swayed in the breeze.

  “On second thought, we should probably get back now. This way.” Alayna pointed down the path. “I’m going to give you the quick, quick version so pay attention. The druids were and still are Celtic people that put an emphasis on knowledge. They were the elder scholars, a group of learned individuals that also maintained a special relationship with nature. Their history is so mysterious because they chose not to write much down. It took the druids decades to learn all the oral lessons to tap into that power, and as you know, they grew to be extremely powerful. But how? They were small folk for the most part. Not as small as me, but the emphasis on mental activities rather than physical training had a lasting genetic effect on the druids.”

  “So, they must’ve been great warriors or they struck in secrecy. Ambush-style, huh?”

  “Not at all. They never practiced any sort of military-style activities.”

  “I think I got it. They bought a huge army of mercenaries that swore to defend them?”

  “Mike, this isn’t a guessing game, and we’re not playing twenty questions either, so just listen. The reason they became so powerful was because of the magic. When a group of Roman soldiers, wielding longswords and clad in shimmering silver armor, is defeated by a small man wearing no protection, that story spreads far and wide. People were afraid of the magic, and it took a mighty effort to finally vanquish the druids of the past.”

  “That’s too bad. Sad.”

  “Yes, it is. But it allowed them to find a new home that you see before you.” She held out her arm to present the land. “We’ll have plenty of time to delve into the Celtic and druidic cultures in the future. The druids also share this land with many other kind-spirited folks and creatures like me. All pure-intentioned folk of any kind can enter and take part in the great culture. The ancient druids rarely wrote anything down so that the magic wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands and get used for dark purposes. Everything was passed down orally. With the fall of the druids on earth, it seems like a smart move.”