An unexpected friend
Merlin was stood in Gaius' work room holding a glass jar with a bluey-black substance inside, a jar which he had never seen before. Carefully he held onto the stopper and tipped the bottle upside down. The liquid slowly oozed to the up-turned top, in an un-liquid like way. He stared at it puzzled, and at the last second resisted the urge to scratch his head. The liquid was too thick to be water or any dyed water at any cost, but wasn't thick enough to be considered not a liquid. The colour was odd-a shiny shimmering blob of blobbyness that was a bit like blood but wasn't blood, as it was the wrong colour for starters. Slowly and barely detectably, the gloop in the jar slid back up to what had been the bottom, edging its way closer to Merlin. His eyes rested on the now closer-to-him gloop and stared at it puzzledly again. He was sure it had been further down in jar a moment ago. He shook his head, turned the jar upright and set it back in its place. He picked up his mop and began washing the floor again, the unusual gloop in the jar niggling at the back of his mind.
Two hours, a bucket of water on his head and several head slaps delivered by Arthur later, Merlin stumbled back into Gaius' work room again. His eyes instantly locked onto the glass jar containing the gloop in it. Rubbing his neck, he strode towards the shelf and picked up the jar in his free hand. He tipped it sideways and waited. The bluey blob slid up towards Merlin again. This time he was certain it had moved. Still holding it on its side, Merlin slowly placed the jar on the table and removed the stopper, having dropped the mop onto the floor. Almost instantly he turned it onto its neck and tapped the bottom of the jar so that the gloop could ooze out more easily in its oozing way. Merlin withdrew the jar and watched the gloop spread out on the table but not like a liquid would. The gloop was gathered in one place and looked like it was staring at Merlin. Gaius entered the room and looked over at Merlin.
"Merlin, you do know you're dripping all over the floor that you cleaned, don't you? What's that you're looking at?" Gaius stepped towards Merlin, staring at the table that Merlin was looking at.
As soon as Gaius stood over the table, the blob shrank back and quivered.
"It doesn't seem to like you Gaius," remarked Merlin, a smile spreading on his face.
"Well, it's an odd little thing, isn't it? Do you know what it is?" asked Gaius as he offered a finger to the blob. Slowly the blob formed a head, sniffed at the offered finger and nudged it.
"I have no idea," replied Merlin, the smile broadening at the antics of the gloop. "I found it in the jar on your shelf," he said sheepishly, his hand rubbing the back of his neck again. Gaius turned his hand over and offered it to the blob. The blob slowly trickled onto the outstretched hand and nestled its way into Gaius' palm. Gaius looked up, his attention away from the blob.
"Which jar? The one that's now on the table?"
Merlin nodded.
"Merlin!" Gaius sighed. "You really shouldn't meddle with things if you don't know what they are. It could have been dangerous."
"What?" Merlin laughed. "This thing? But it's harmless. It doesn't even have any teeth." He laughed again and poked the blob which subtracted, then swelled around his finger. "Aww, isn't it cute? It likes me." The blob wound its way up Merlin's hand and settled itself in a blue strip on his wrist.
"Merlin, don't annoy it. I'm sure this was the gift from Jessalyn. Yes, I'm quite certain it is. It's called a Lyqua and once was a liquid substance. They're very rare and unusual. I'm pretty sure they're complacent creatures but when aggravated or patronized, have been know to..."
"Oww!" exclaimed Merlin as he brought his wrist up to his mouth. "It bit me!" The blob trickled down Merlin's leg and hid under the nearby desk. Gaius shook his head, bent down and looked around on the floor. "If you'd let me finish, I could have told you that without you getting hurt."
"Where on earth did it get teeth from?" interrupted Merlin as he inspected his wrist that was now dotted with what looked like tiny red pin pricks.
Gaius stood up. "Merlin, stop interrupting and help me find the Lyqua. Jessalyn will be most upset that I lost her gift, not to mention what Uther will do when he sees it. You can't burn them, I don't think. Merlin! Stop standing there gawping at me! I've got to go, Uther wanted to talk to me and I will make sure he doesn't come near here. You stay here and keep looking for it. Be nice and don't try to shove it back in the jar or it will bite you again. And whatever you do, don't annoy it."
Gaius turned and left, carefully pulling the door behind him so that he didn't let the creature escape into the castle.
Merlin sighed and crouched down by the table, his wrist still tingling from the bite. He crawled around on his hands and knees calling, "Here blobby blobby. There's no need to be scared. Come on blobby blobby." He straightened up and muttered, "Stupid blob, wandering off and getting lost. Stupid, stupid, stupid blob."
The blob trickled out from under the bed and launched itself at Merlin's face.
"Arrgh!" he screamed as he struggled to pull the blob away from his face. It slid down from his face and wrapped itself tightly around his neck, moulding itself into a scarf. Merlin clutched at it and tried to pull it away.
"Merlin!" shouted Arthur as he strode in, the door slamming against the wall. "You were supposed to have been getting some polish for my armour so that you can, oh I don't know, POLISH IT! That was half an hour ago!" He stopped and stared at Merlin who was still tugging at the blob.
"What on earth are you doing? Surely you know how to tie your scarf, or have you been getting Gaius to do it for you all this time?" He continued looking at Merlin, a slight smile on his lips.
"No, it's just..." chocked Merlin.
Arthur shook his head. "Well, when you've finished messing around, you need to polish my armour, clean my room and muck out the stables. That should keep you busy for a while." he turned and started walking out the door,
"Will you behave?" hissed Merlin at the blob. It shuddered and settled down, it's grip now not as tight around Merlin's throat as it had been before.
Arthur stopped and turned around. "What did you just say to me?"
"Um, I asked... why. Yes, why. Why do you want me to clean your room again? I did it earlier."
Merlin shifted from foot to foot nervously.
"Merlin, are you questioning me? You're my servant. I supposed to tell you what to do. Do you need it explained to you more simply?
"Well..." started Merlin.
"Me, boss. You, servant. I say, you work. Got it? Now hurry up and get to work!" Arthur strode out the room and slammed the door shut.
"Bossy boots," muttered Merlin. He looked down at the blob-scarf and smiled. "Do you want to come too? You may get mucky and it may be boring."
The blob formed a head and nodded. "Me come. It be fun," it squeaked.
"Really? Well I suppose it'd be better than being stuck in a jar all day. We can't leave you out in case someone finds you."
"Jar boring but Jess nice. Miss Jess," it said mournfully It bowed its head on Merlin's shoulder.
"Aww. Wait, Jess? Is that Jessy... um Jessyn?"
"Jessalyn."
"Oh. Well cheer up. We'll go and have some fun." Merlin stroked the head with the back of his finger. It cooed, lifted its head up and snuggled against Merlin's finger.
"MERLIN!" bellowed Arthur from the courtyard. Merlin winced and smirked.
"Off we go blob." He started walking towards the door, stopped and looked at the blob again. "Um, do you have a name? I don't want to keep calling you blob."
It cocked its head sideways like it was thinking.
"Shimmer," it said after a long pause especially reserved for thinking. "Jess say Shimmer."
"You're talking to her now? I never thought you could do that." He looked at it shocked.
"No. Remember."
"oh. So what exactly are you? What else can you do? What are you made of? What do you eat? Where do you come from?"
"MERLIN!" came the roar again.
Merlin shook his head. "Never mind. Come on, lets go before I get yelled at again. Don't forget to put your head away. We don't want anyone to find you."
The blob withdrew its head and Merlin walked out the door and shut it. As he walked down the corridor, he smiled and patted his scarf, hoping that no-one else could hear the muffled cry of "Merlin! Merlin!" coming from the blob.