Ever My Merlin

chapter 21 – BEGINNINGS

I woke to the middle of the battle.

The sky sparkled in muted hues of red, purple, and pink. I only saw it through tinted glass. My head pounding, I jerked up from where I’d been slumped asleep. Instead of a gown, I wore a thin jacket and black cargos and found myself stuffed among a group of people inside a moving truck. They were all Regulars from what I could tell. Men, women, and children, but not complete families. Seeing their torn faces left me sucker-punched once again.

We sat in one of those trucks transporting prisoners. It had metal walls and a bench seat. From my vantage point, tinted windows showed the sky outside and nothing else. A thick metal wall separated the back from the drivers. A porthole allowed them to observe us in the back.

Bodies packed every inch of space, standing room only. Cold artificial air blasted us, probably to keep us from rioting. I doubted anyone would dare. After all, we knew we were the lucky ones.

Disoriented and pissed, I stood up on the bench seat and peered outside. Hordes and hordes of black trucks roared along the road. Over one gently rolling hill, Stonehenge came into view. At first, I only saw the wide plain and the lonely stones as I’d seen countless times on TV. I’d been around wizards long enough to recognize magic. I squinted my eyes and made out a faint barrier of bluish magic. Merlin’s magic. A shield blanketed an enormous umbrella so that the casual observer wouldn’t see the parking lot of mismatched vehicles surrounding the stone circle in a wide radius.

Besides the black trucks, there were double-decker buses, hummers, and even army helicopters. This had been planned well to maximize every bit of space the gate offered. I turned back to Stonehenge. It had three main circles. The outermost circle was about three hundred twenty feet in diameter. The ground around it had been cut into a ditch.

Much smaller than the outer circle, the inner circle contained two rings. The inner circle was the famous picturesque view of the monument. The bigger ring of the inner circle reminded one of giants playing blocks. The ring of sarsen and bluestones, vertical slabs topped by horizontal ones, although broken, stood like giants. The trilithons ranged from thirteen to twenty-four feet in height. The inner most ring was made up of three trilithons.

An altar of unusual green sandstone sat at the center of the monument. It faced the grand trilithon of the inner ring and reached sixteen feet long. Outside the circles, a heel stone sat far out past the outermost circle. The layout of the monument reminded me of a pocket watch where the heel stone would be the stopper at the top.

The mermaids had straddled a giant trilithon directly over the heel stone. The new trilithon did look like a square version of the enormously huge Arc De Triomphe. It would be able to accommodate the organized onslaught of vehicles. It stood about a hundred times bigger than the one he’d built in Boston, A chill went through me. Vane had barely managed to open the small one. I had no idea how he planned to harness the Fury.

I reached for the Dragon’s Eye. It was gone.

Matt had broken through Vane’s lock. I was completely on my own.

I glanced down at my wrist. A faint scar marred it. Matt had taken my blood. He drained me like I was nothing more than a blood bag. Apparently, I wasn’t needed for anything else.

I had no idea why Matt put me in the truck.

Was he hoping to avoid the vision or fulfill it?

We reached the fence just outside the famous monument. Stonehenge was generally shut off from the public. It made it easier for the barricade the soldiers and wizards had erected. Cars and people jammed the fence. I saw sparks of magic fly when an unauthorized car tried to ram the barricade. It was all going well until the earth started rumbling.

Around me, everyone let out a shocked cry and started pointing to another window. I fought my way past them to look and saw a second sun, a circle of flaming red, poke through the sky.

It was the first sign of the end.

I had to get out of this truck. I crossed to the closed door and tried the handle. As I suspected, it was locked from the outside. He’d hidden me well. Among the numerous black trucks, I could be in any one. I looked for help.

I found the three Drust children. It took me less than a minute to enlist them (knowing their names convinced them). They, in turn, persuaded a few to help me kick down the door. Never underestimate Regulars.

I jumped down from the back of the moving truck. The door slammed shut behind me as the evacuees huddled back inside. I started running. More sparks flew across the sky. A rainbow of colors swirled as the first soft volley came from the sun.

The Fury was coming.

A soldier spotted me among the slow-moving trucks. He gave a warning shot. I ducked and turned. His shocked face never anticipated my tackle. I knocked him down and grabbed the gun. Then I ran. The soldier didn’t stay down. I heard him radio for help, but didn’t stop. I kept running through toward the inner rings. The number one rule in Vane’s training book was that slowing down equaled dead and gone.

The closer I got, the number of soldiers increased. Luckily, so did the number of vehicles. They shot at me but were limited in their range. The soldiers were careful knowing the precious cargo the trucks carried, several with their own family members—the bargain they’d made to save them. With a few shots (my aim was fairly good with a gun), I managed to dodge the soldiers by rolling under a few moving trucks. Dirt, grass, and scrapes covered me.

I saw the famous ring of the Stonehenge. I ran straight into a wall of muscle and a gun aimed straight at my head. I slumped in defeat. The back of a truck burst open. The soldier’s eyes flickered. I knocked the gun from him. Grey and Colin jumped out.

I’d never been so glad to see anyone. Grey carried a limp Gia over his shoulders.

“Ryan, what’s going on?” Grey yelled. “Emrys drugged us. We just woke up.”

More gargoyles jumped down from the truck.

“I don’t know. Let’s find out.” Although we had no weapons, it was a lot easier to get to the front using the gargoyles as shields. Thanks to their super-healing abilities, shots didn’t faze them too much. Once Gia woke up, she started throwing spells and mowed the path.

When we reached the inner circle, I signaled Grey to approach silently. I had a clear view from the altar stone to the mammoth trilithon at the heel stone. Excalibur lay embedded in the green sandstone slab.

In front of it, the golden apple lay silently on the stone.

Blood covered it. My blood.

At the center of the chaos, two colossuses faced each other. Green magic swirled around Vane. Blue colored Matt. It was the same fight. Fifteen hundred years ago they battled over one kingdom. Today, over the world.

The mermaids stood quietly behind Vane, their swords at their feet. Soldiers surrounded them. I spotted Robin near a military man with an iPad for a clipboard. Matt paced, glancing at the apple. Everyone watched the metallic apple, waiting for it to signal the time.

And the evacuation would begin. At the end of all things.

Vane watched Matt. “I’m not opening anything until I know she’s safe.”

Matt dangled the Dragon’s Eye in front of Vane. “You’ll have to take my word for it.”

“We need her here.”

Matt gestured at Robin. “I can get her if we do.”

“We had a plan,” Vane said.

“This way, I know you’ll stick to it.” He looked up at the sky. More light streaked it. The wind rose and kicked dirt around the plain. “Open the gates and everyone, including her, will go through.”

Vane let out a small laugh. “Still don’t trust me, Merlin?”

Merlin stopped pacing. “I won’t take the risk. I’ve seen it—”

“You can’t hide behind visions forever. This has always been about me leaving. I don’t know why I didn’t see it. Maybe because I never believed you could care that much. I had no choice, Merlin. The Lady picked my destiny.”

“She separated us for a reason,” Matt said.

“Because you were meant to kill me,” Vane said. “You don’t need to lie anymore, Merlin. It finally makes sense.”

Matt stilled. “What do you mean?”

“I keep having to remind everyone that I’m a genius,” Vane said lightly. “The reports on the apple hypothesize that the exotic particles inside will keep the gates’ wormhole open and large enough to accommodate everyone. By opening them at the same time, we will be able to bind all the gates into one bridge. However, to go off-planet, as we think the apple will take us, requires a tremendous amount of energy. We must use the power of the Fury, and the monster must harness it.”

“The Lady chose me for this,” Matt whispered.

Chose him to die.

Behind the stones, I glanced up at the burning sky. The apple wobbled.

The time was close.

Vane smiled. “She chose you, but failed to take one thing into account. I never stopped being your brother. Ryan wouldn’t let me. It’s amazing what we will do for those we love. What we will sacrifice.”

Matt’s eyes hardened. “It’s why I’m keeping Ryan in the truck. If you want to save her, you’ll have to save everyone. No matter what it takes.”

“I’m not talking about Ryan. I didn’t come here to evacuate, Merlin. I took the monster because I knew whoever took it would die today. I took it so you wouldn’t have to. For you. For her. She was meant for you.”

Matt gaped at him.

“I am sorry, brother. You will have to be alone once more.” Vane drew the Kronos Eye out of his pocket.

“No!” I did the one thing I could. I used the gun I’d taken and shot Vane’s hand. The bullet grazed his hand. The Kronos Eye rolled on the ground.

Matt grabbed it. He shot his brother with a spell. “I’m sorry too, Vane.”

Vane went flying back. He went down easily. He coughed blood on the ground.

Everything inside me stilled. I stilled.

He was dying. Blood jammed the chambers of my heart, but couldn’t flow. My body refused to pump it.

“Ryan,” Vane croaked.

Blood forced its way through my arteries. I ran from my hiding place. More soldiers tried to tackle me. Grey and Gia fought them off, but they kept coming. I dodged past them to reach Vane. I dropped down next to him, my cheeks wet and dirty.

Matt held the Kronos Eye in his palm. “The water’s been drained from the crystal.”

“I took it earlier.” Vane laughed weakly. “Once the monster gathers enough energy, I’ll let go. Then, you can take the monster without flaming out.”

On the slab, the apple stirred.

“It’s time, Merlin,” Vane said. “Just like you wanted.”

Matt knelt down on his brother’s other side. “This was never what I wanted.”

It was the vision. The sky burned above us, displaying a magnificent and deadly aurora. Wind swirled through the stone circle.

We sat on either side as Vane closed his eyes.

The apple rose fully in the air.

Matt picked up the trident from Vane’s side. He leaned on it. I snatched the Dragon’s Eye dangling from Matt’s pocket.

“Vane,” I sobbed. “Why didn’t you tell me your plan?”

“Ryan.” The word, my name, held a wealth of longing. Then, it sharpened. Vane’s voice reverberated in my head. “Tell me you trust me, Ryan.”

“You know I do.” I said.

“Then, look for the answer. Inside Merlin. Look now. You’re the only one he’ll let in. His defenses are low. He won’t stop you. And remember, no matter what—you can bear it.”

I looked. Using the Dragon’s Eye, I walked into Matt’s mind. I had no idea what I was looking for, only that I desperately sought it. A vision of a cottage stood before me. It was the same cottage as Vane’s vision. Only this time, I saw it through Matt’s eyes. I saw the Lady. She had green eyes. She smiled at me. She sat at the table with a knife and a potato.

“Which would you choose, Merlin?” she asked. “To save your brother or save everyone.”

“My brother,” I answered without hesitation.

“I know,” she said softly. “That’s why I did what I did. Why I had to send him away. I hope you will understand someday.”

She put the knife on the potato. “Remember this, Merlin. Whole, it can keep one full. Cut it and it will feed us all a little bit. Cut it and the risk to you is great. Keep it whole and the risk to everyone else is great. Either way a choice must be made.”

The Lady cut the potato in half. Only it was no longer a potato.

A choice must be made.

And I had my answer.

The secret the Lady had only unconsciously revealed to Merlin. The one deemed too risky. The one Poseidon had known.

I opened my eyes.

Above us, the sky turned red. The Fury would be upon us soon.

Matt picked up the trident. He hit the ground with it as I reached Excalibur.

The ground cracked and rumbled. A mist began to form around the gates.

My hands closed around Excalibur.

“Ryan,” Matt yelled. “What are you doing?”

“I’m finding another way.” I grabbed Excalibur out of the rock.

The mist died. The gates never opened. The apple fell.

“No!” Matt lunged for me.

It was too late. I brought Excalibur smashing down on the golden apple.

In that moment, I gambled. Because that’s how we lived. I risked the entire human race on one belief—for a few to survive wasn’t enough. To simply survive wasn’t enough.

The apple exploded. Spots of black and white sparkled out of the apple’s hollow middle like fairy lights.

The sky screamed as the Fury neared.

“Matt,” I cried.

He stood frozen, looking at the destroyed apple.

The Dragon’s Eye heated in my hand. I called to the monster. It rose.

Vane’s body shuddered as the monster took over.

“It’s time,” I told the monster.

It roared. The fairy lights floated all around us. The exotic particles from the apple spread farther and farther up in the air. It took seconds. Precious ones while no one evacuated. The gates, the passage out, remained silent and closed. Far away energy spiked in our yellow sun, causing the monster’s energy to spike and spill. Around us, the fairy lights changed. The whole planet stood suspended in space for a moment.

Then in the span of a wink, the earth disappeared.

Like a two-dimensional character suddenly thrust into a three-dimensional world, I saw beyond myself. Where once the blue planet had stood, only empty space remained. I held onto Excalibur as we shifted to another phase of existence, one made only from our consciousness.

Instead of creating a passage connecting two endpoints, the exotic matter from the apple created a hole in one spot, a hole big enough to fit one planet.

The Fury hit.

The sun flared and its tentacles slashed at us. The inferno passed straight through, only meeting with empty space where the earth should have been.

We watched from outside it, like holograms who saw but didn’t feel.

Seventy-six seconds passed. Precious seconds. And in those seconds we changed the fate of all and saved our souls.

The Fury continued.

The fairy lights danced with increasing brilliance as the Fury intensified and I had to close my eyes at the lights’ twinkling ferocity. Beside me, Vane’s body shuddered harder. The monster struggled to hang on. I could do nothing but watch as bit by bit the monster burned away under the onslaught of eternal fire.

The Fury passed.

Inside Vane, the monster roared mournfully, a blistered husk. It sighed when Vane finally let go, his body stilling completely.

I choked back a cry.

Matt put his hand on Vane’s unmoving chest. He took the monster into himself.

Green colored Matt’s amber eyes.

I held onto Excalibur, the lone tether back to our physical existence.

Matt’s arms came around me. He used Excalibur to focus. Green swirled around us in huge waves, calling the fairy lights back to the sword. He commanded them into the broken pieces of the apple. They refused.

Excalibur stayed hot in my hands.

I threw the sword at the gate. As soon as Excalibur neared, the middle of the trilithon lit up. Mist flared inside the gate and Excalibur sailed through the doorway between worlds. The fairy lights, like bees to pollen, swarmed after the sword. As the fairy lights receded, around us the world began to solidify.

The planet reappeared in space, winking back into physical existence. I looked up from the ground. A translucent sky became colored with a thick blanket of homogenous blue. But it wasn’t over.

As soon as the last of the fairy lights passed and the world fully materialized, a sonic boom blasted us from the open mouth of the gate. A tremendous tornado churned in the sudden vacuum. Like the mythical whirlpool, Charybdis, it tried to suck us into the gate.

The broken pieces of the apple flew though the gate and to the other side.

Matt stuck the trident into the ground. His arm still around me, we held on. Vane’s still form flew past and I grabbed him with one hand. Matt helped me pull him close.

Trucks and busses flew around us like huge asteroids of metal. Some passed through into the gate and disappeared past the mist. Some tumbled off onto the plains on this side of the gate. On the ground, many others hung onto the trilithons. Grey, Gia, Leonidas—all held onto rough rock. The wind got worse. It buzzed loudly against my ears.

Matt held on to me.

He dug in his pocket and took out the Kronos Eye.

I shouted past the wind, “What are you doing?”

“I should have believed in him more. Believed in you more.” Amber eyes smiled sadly at me. “You saved them, Ryan. I know you can save him.”

“Matt, no!” My hands tied up with Vane, I couldn’t stop him from swallowing it.

“It’s time for me to let go,” he said huskily. “Take care of him.”

The monster cried out one last time. Matt put his hand against Vane’s chest. Green flowed from him into his brother. The green in Matt’s eyes snuffed out. He slumped over the trident. But Vane didn’t wake either.

Fiercely, I held on to them both.

Through the mist, I saw the shadow of a kingdom and its castle, high up on a cliff, its turrets boasting with flags of a red serpentine dragon. But I sought another place.

I pulled the trident from the ground. Matt, Vane, and I went flying into the gate. In the mist, in between sea and land, the hole in the cosmos gaped opened. I saw the shadow of a kingdom and its castle, high up on a cliff, its turrets boasting with flags of a red serpentine dragon. But I sought another place. I pictured where I wanted to go. I held Matt close, the Kronos Eye within him, and I said, “Elysium.”

We landed on its banks. Above me, blue sky winked in and out. The power of the monster was fading, the gates closing. I didn’t have long.

I used the trident to make a jagged cut across Matt’s stomach. I tore out the Kronos Eye. Then, I dragged him and Vane to the edge of the bank. They floated in shallow water.

For several heartbeats, nothing happened. Serene waves of the river flowed without disruption. I remembered Rawana saying Matt had defiled Elysium.

I refused to give up. I yelled into the air. “They’ve done everything you asked! You owe them a life.”

The wind took my words, examined them, and tossed them aside.

I picked up the trident and slammed it down on the bank. A wave jerked in the river. I slammed the trident again. The river reacted angrily, more waves rose. I slammed the trident a third time. Before me, the waves rose high like a hand until it towered over me. The watery hand came rushing down with furious speed. It crashed onto the riverbank.

Water slammed into me, threatening to drown me.

I struggled to stay afloat. I lost track of Vane and Matt. Behind us, the trilithon gate opened. The river washed me toward it and dumped me into the mist.

A whisper came out of the dark. Camelot.