Chapter One
Merlin was unimpressed this morning. Despite the new age of technology, he still couldn't quite grasp the idea of it. Therefore he struggled to figure out how to call back the man who was shouting through the small piece of glowing metal. The man was shouting about some new moving picture thing that Merlin thought was unusual and gave him a headache. As them man in the glowing metal got more angry, so did Merlin. In fact if he hadn't have been willing to attempt to calm down like Gaius would always tell him, he might have missed the fact that he was being followed.
At first he thought he was mistaken, surely no one would go to such lengths to follow what looks like an old man. But after a while the feeling of being watched did not fade. He then took four right turns and the presence he feels following him disappears after the second turn. However after he completed his square around the block, he felt the presence on his back again. Annoyed, Merlin tried to ignore it. Unfortunately, he failed. Whatever has been following him for over an hour would not be just a regular mortal, Merlin thought. Whatever it was he knew, mortals were not quite so determined. This was a creature of magic.
He decided to head away from his house, only to realize he was lost. He seemed to have been too busy trying to lose whatever was following him to have noticed where he was going. You idiot. Arthur surely would've said if he were there, Merlin thought. However the memory of Arthur could not have been mourned for long as from behind him he heard someone's footsteps. Trying to be as sneaky as possible he turned his head as if he was looking for an address. When he looked behind him. No one was there. This made the warlock slightly more nervous but he had more important matters, finding a map. The land that had once been the kingdom of Camelot, was now filled with houses and apartments and stores and all other sorts of things that made it impossible to walk through the town without getting lost. Merlin normally kept his map with him as he practically refused to use the metal thing known as a cell phone but seeming he had no choice, he pulled it out.
As he walked home the presence seemed to fade. Perhaps a descendant of Camelot was walking near where he was and the old spirit of Camelot was what he could feel. It would sometimes happen to him that in certain places he could feel Camelot and it's magic still there but it was beginning to happen less and less lately. As Merlin made his way to his apartment that looked out onto the lake he felt the presence less. He was upset and glad at the fact he couldn't find the source of the presence. He was glad the source had not turned out to be anything. But he was upset as he missed the kingdom and his friends. While he was the one who left the kingdom, he always wanted to return. All the people he treasured so dearly had left him a long time ago. The had all been so kind and loving but they had faded away and died. Merlin knew they would leave him and so he left the kingdom for a while when they were gone he came back. He couldn't bear to see the guilt that he alone would live forever. Gwen understood when he said goodbye. I don't think this is your choice, Gwen had said, if it were me I would do the same thing, I'll miss you. He wished he could hear Gwen's voice again. He missed her, and the knights, and the tiny son of King Arthur, Arthur II. The young boy looked like his mother with her tanned skin and dark hair, but had piercing blue eyes like his father and he acted exactly what Merlin would expect a young Arthur I to act like. Arthur II was four when he left. But that was over a thousand years ago.
When he reached his apartment door, he pulled out his keys to unlock it. While he is turning the key he felt the same presence, he quickly headed inside deciding it is his artifacts making him feel so strange this morning. Merlin checked that everything was in place before moving the bookshelf to make sure the other side full of magical artifacts were still all in place. Merlin put the kettle on and then sat down in an armchair and pulled out a book. After the kettle was finished he poured himself a cup of tea and continued reading.
It wasn't until late afternoon when he heard the wind coming from an open window in his bedroom. Knowing all his windows are always shut he knew something must be wrong. He grabbed one of his stashed swords he had from the Camelot armoury before he left and placed it by his side. He opened the bedroom door and saw nothing wrong with the room but cautiously closed the window before he started to walk away. Before he exited he heard a voice, "You know sometimes you could try to let people talk to you without you assuming there here to kill you," the voice said right before Merlin swung his sword.