Chapter 3: Ithaca watched as the giant fireball met the dragon-bird and it tore around furiously, searching for the culprit. Ithaca turned and scrutinized the trees behind her, wondering who could have conjured such a powerful energy of magic. The creature roared in fury as it battled the ball with its long, feathery tail. Ithaca knew she had a few seconds to spare and spotted a man, hidden in the trees, his hand still in midair as his fireball must be the one fighting the dragon. His face was sweating and looked as if he might faint any minute. Then through the bushes, came a bigger, more menacing man growling. Ithaca ducked down so he would not see her.

"What are you doing?" he snarled at the man fighting the dragon-bird. "Do you realize how much time you're wasting?" The other man shivered, but shook his head,

"I just saw it, sir. In case it came toward me, I thought I would get rid of it."

"Well, stop this you fool. We do not have time to be doing this!"

"But Master Alden, it might come for us."

"Then run, Anor! It'll miss us, we're covered by these vines anyways," Alden said, frowning up at the creature. "What is that- a wyvern?"

"No master. It's something I've never seen. A bizarre cross-breed by the looks of it."

"Well leave it. Orion is expecting us back at High Court tomorrow evening and if we want to keep our jobs we might as well as get moving."

"But master…" Anor was interrupted by Alden grabbing him by the collar. He was forced to release his magic enchantment and the fireball disintegrated into nothingness. But the cross-breed turned frantically around for who was the culprit of its latest fight. Ithaca held her breath and kept her ground, unmoving. She pulled her knees closer to her body, but she dared not get up. Alden pulled him along and spoke words that made Ithaca feel uneasy and she was unsure as to why.

"Listen Anor," Alden hissed before he and his magic-wielding helper disappeared from Ithaca's hearing span. "The lady awaits us in the heart of the forest. We must return with news of the Druid boy. What have you heard?"

"I heard that it is he who is destined to bring about the death of the Prince of Camelot," Anor said, his voice shaking with every syllable. Alden glared at him,

"From who did you here this…gibberish?"

"A trusted source, master. I promise. The person will always be a trusted source. He lives in the Caves of Crystal, closer to Aréda than Camelot, actually. I spoke to him before we made our ways to the forests which border Camelot." Alden slapped him hard,

"You did this and didn't even tell me!" Alden roared. "This trip to find the Druid boy was a waste. The Lady is going to have our heads and then Orion will just kill us a second time."

"Master… the man never told me where the Druid boy was. Please my lord… he told me to seek the sorcerer, Emrys. He said that he will be the one to give us the greatest aid, if he wishes." Alden frowned at him,

"When we go to the Lady you will not mention any of this Emrys, whoever he is, business to her. Just pretend we received the information about the Druid boy here. Understood, Anor?"

"Yes, master, understood." But a sudden growl from the sky broke their words. Ithaca winced and looked up as she heard the two men scurry off. Her eyes spotted the cross-breed rushing toward her with full speed. It came down and Ithaca knew that there was no point summoning her enchantments. She was no dragon lord and there was absolutely nothing she could to render the dragon away. She could not conjure any energy balls of magic.

"I'm truly a useless sorceress," Ithaca muttered. The creature met her with its hind legs and scraped her legs until cuts oozed. She yelped as the blood leaked and stained her dress, which no had slits in the skirt because of the creature's talons. Then the cross-breed flew up again and dived at her once more. Ithaca could not move out of the way, for the pain searing up her legs was far too excruciating. It latched on to her and squeezed with its large, bird feet. It then dropped her roughly to the ground. As she fell, Ithaca let out a long scream, feeling that that was the best she could do. Her head hit the ground with a painful thud and the creature, as if satisfied, flew into the air and away. Ithaca's vision blacked as the cross-breed took to the sky and her body became limp.

The heart of the forest…

An elegant, regal-looking woman sat astride on a brilliant, white horse, her eyes surveying the land around her. Her blood red cloak flew like the wind in circles. She knew she was in the forests that just bordered Camelot, but as of now she did not care where the lands bordered. Camelot was of no use to a sorceress like her unless she found the true one who can aid her. The Druid boy may be who she needed to find, but he alone could not bring down the Prince single-handedly. She also needed to find Emrys, the sorcerer said to become the greatest one of all time. But he was not known, practically unheard of to any and she knew her mission was near impossible. However, the lady suspected that perhaps this Emrys was the same person who killed her beloved cousin and teacher, Nimueh. For no one else could kill such a prestigious priestess. After all, she figured that Nimueh would have met Emrys before she died. Still, she had never met either, so she could never know who he is. But the Druid boy might know…for he after all is part of such a great prophecy. The woman raised her head as Alden and Anor came into the clearing.

"The Druid boy?" she said immediately. "Where is he? Have you found anything?" Alden shifted uneasily on his feet and gave her a shifty grin,

"Erm…milady, we discovered that he is the one to bring Camelot's heir down." The lady laughed coldly and dismounted her horse.

"Is that all you discovered? Any sorcerer or sorceress who was allied with the great Nimueh would have discovered that in no time. Do you really think that I, a priestess of the Old Religion, would be unknowing of this vital information? You would be wise to remember that it was Nimueh who gave me great teachings since I was a baby." Her blue eyes, the same shade Nimueh's had been, sparkled in fury and she took off the helmet she wore on her hand, dismantling her long golden hair which trailed down to the backs of her knees.

"Milady… there was no one there. We spotted some knights of Camelot, but the Prince… well he might've been around, but…"

"Oh do be quiet. I have sunk so low without the teachings of Nimueh. I am a Court Sorcerer of Aréda, which is all. And truly, I am a Priestess and now I cannot even discover information vital to Orion," she turned her eyes on Anor. "And you, Anor actually have magic, but cannot use it to your own benefits. We must return to Aréda and I will make sure that the king has both of you executed for not carrying out my orders."

"No, Lady Emiliana! Please, have mercy o' great Priestess!" Anor cried while Alden still stared dumb-struck at what she had sentenced them to. Emiliana regarded them with cool eyes. As she motioned them to follow she frowned,

"Have either of you heard of the name Emrys?" Alden looked startled at Anor, realization that Emiliana might know a lot more than he believed dawning upon him. Anor maintained composure and gave the lady a confused, guarded smile,

"Of course not, milady. Never once in my life." Emiliana looked at him through the corner of her eyes, searching his face for deception. Then she smiled,

"And you are both liars, as well. Now come, we barely have enough time to arrive at Aréda at the designated hour, but first we must stop on the way in the small town of Meal. Three old friends wish to see me there and have sent me a message."

"Through what, milady," Alden said, slightly breathless. He was still shocked by Emiliana's knowledge and the fact that he was condemned to die once they arrived at Aréda.

"Through magic, of course," Emiliana answered and her voice was almost like a haunting charm. She handed each man the reins of their horse and the three set forth for Meal. Emiliana had made up her mind- she would search for Emrys and find him whether or not her life depended on it. If he was indeed the one who killed Nimueh, she would kill him and then she would get her revenge. Perhaps, the three hags had wished her presence in Meal to ask a similar request of her.

At Camelot's border…

Arthur put down the fainted girl on the ground and sighed,

"I do not think I can take her over the border. If she indeed conjured that…thing…then she is a sorceress regardless of whether she saved our lives." Merlin shuddered as the voice in his head rose to a soprano,

Emrys, he who will slay Arthur is being searched for. By the great sorceress, herself. She has escaped once and she will find you. The Lady in Red is not yet defeated. She will see that you brought down one of her loved ones. She will try and kill you.

Merlin frowned at the girl as the voice died down. He could not sense any magic in her and the slight he did feel now and then was nothing harmful. She could not have possibly conjured that fireball.

"She's fainted, Sire," Sir Leon sighed. "And she's been attacked. If she could have conjured that fireball, then why didn't she conjure it again? I don't think she is a sorceress, but I do know that she is gravely injured, from the looks of it." Merlin crouched down and frowned at Arthur who was staring intently at the girl's wounds.

"He's right, Sire," Merlin said. "The girl is harmless. But she is bleeding profusely and any magical creature's attack is more dangerous than regular one's. She needs immediate aid."

"Hmmm…" Arthur mumbled and then warily nodded his head as another knight lifted her onto his horse. "Bring her to Gaius because I doubt my father would care that some unknown girl has been injured." The knight nodded and got onto the horse. He raced ahead and into the city. Merlin stood up and frowned at Arthur as the Prince gave him a troubled expression.

"Sire?"

"There was someone who wielded magic to save our lives, Merlin. That's just a very troubling thought," Arthur answered and then mounted his horse. Merlin did the same, but the ringing of warning bells seemed to chime in his own head.