Merlin's Dragon
Chapter 4
Review, Review, Review! Tell me, should there be a romance? Do you like the story? Will I ever tell you who that brunette is? I don't know, you tell me.
Callisto wandered in small circles as Drake Stone greeted the huge crowd that was cheering him on, all the while stroking his ego. The golden-haired teen watched as the illusionist played small tricks on the crowd, warming them up for what was yet to come. Curiosity had hidden purple eyes scanning the magician on stage. His thin frame was obvious through his leather, skin-tight clothes. His black gloves were cut oddly, so that they showed the tops of his hands, which were enchanting the audience with card tricks. His hair, which started black, but was bleached on the tips, shined in the light of the spots, which kept him well lit for all to see. His brown eyes, usually detached and cold, were sparkling with gentle enjoyment. His arrogant nature on the streets gave way to a cool, collected happiness on the stage.
"Curious," Callisto whispered, his eyes scanning over the cheering mob of people in the uncomfortable auditorium seats. "Very curious."
The crowd was in the palm of the magician's hand. He could twist their reality to whatever he felt was necessary, whatever he felt was needed to enhance his performance. They loved him, although they did not know him. They would have, at that moment, with Drake shining on the stage like the star he was known to be, done anything for the illusionist. They would throw themselves at his feet. He would normally just walk over them, sidestep around them, while smirking a egotistical smirk. But this man on the stage was not the same.
"Who is the real you, Drake Stone? The arrogant celebrity, or the shining star?" Callisto murmured. "I wonder, what would happen if these people saw the real side to you. Without the tricks and magic. Would they love you, or hate you?" The teen paused as Drake spoke to the crowd.
"Mates, this has been wonderful, and after a fifteen minute intermission, I'll show you the big tricks," He winked, sending the girls (and that one guy in row 3) into a squealing fit.
"Or would they care for you at all? Would they even know who you are?"
The magician bowed a few times to the cheers and whistles before walking backstage to stand before the teen. The backstage crew bustled around, dodging around the pair as they barked orders and shouted in whispered voices to each other. Callisto glanced around at all of them, watching as they scrambled to get ready for the second act. When hidden eyes finally rested on the star of the show, Drake's arrogant mask was back in place.
Was the man who spoke to me before the performance, who asked me to stay and told me what he hated…the man who didn't know what to do when someone saved his life…was that you without your mask? The teen sighed as thoughts fought for the front row seat in his mind.
"C'mon, mate, don't leave me standing here. How much did you love the first part of—"
"I'm going to go get a drink from the concessions," The pale teen turned as he spoke, stalking away from the illusionist.
"What? Calli!" Drake's voice reached the teen's ears, but pulled no response from the other.
The illusionist watched the man walk away. He so desperately wanted to follow in pursuit, yet something in the back of his mind told Drake to let the other go. Something told him that this was not the last time Callisto would walk away from him, but Drake also knew that the teen would always find his was back. But only when he wanted. The magician scratched at his hair, growling slightly.
-/-
Callisto's fingers dug into his scalp through the material of his hat. This was irritating, to say the least, absolutely and positively infuriating to say the worst. Drake Stone, the great and powerful magician, was a puzzle that the teen wanted to figure out. But the rules of the game were constantly changing, constantly becoming more and more difficult. Constantly placing the pieces together, before separating the puzzle pieces into different, more elaborate shapes.
The teen shook his head of all thoughts as he entered the line to the concessions. He wasn't thirsty or hungry, but he decided he might as well go back to the illusionist looking like he was. Callisto made a bee line to the booth, only to run into and successfully fall onto another person. The golden-haired teen scrambled off the other as quickly as possible, which was harder than normal seeing as the other was desperately trying to wiggle away from Callisto at the same time. The teen jumped to his feet to look at the other, only to stare at the object the other, nerdy male was holding. Sunglasses.
The pale teen's heart pounded in his ears for a moment as time slowed around him. This man was the one he has passed a few times before. Black hair, brown eyes, an expression that always seemed to be concerned or worried. Prime Merlinian. Prime Merlinian. The man began to look at the frozen teen. Prime Merlinan. Prime Merlinian. Callisto put his head down, and turned, ready to just walk away from everyone and go back to the smirking magician.
"Hey," The nerd spoke, "I, uh, I think you dropped these."
The teen reached blindly backwards for his glasses, only turning to look at the other when they were back in their place. "Thanks."
"Yeah, are your eyes," the nerd paused, "photosensitive or something?"
"Or something," Callisto responded, studying the man silently. "I don't think I know you."
"No?" The older man laughed nervously. "I feel like we've met."
The teen hummed at the other's comment, surprised at how strong the feeling of deje vu was with this man. "Curious."
"I'm Dave Stutler," The man extended his hand, with a fake smile.
"What, like, the guy who had a nervous breakdown?"
The smile faltered, "Yeah…"
"Callisto," The teen laughed, taking the other's hand. "An honor, Dave Stutler."
The nerd nodded, "first time I've heard that."
The pair watched each other with fascination for a moment before a five minute warning snapped them back to the reality of the stage lobby. They both made a few meaningless gestures to each other before scurrying to the snack booth. Dave allowed the other to sneak in front of him before placing his order in a sheepish voice. The attendant sneered at them from down her nose, quickly getting their orders before going back to whatever she was doing before. Callisto's hidden eyes followed her until she slipped behind a closing door.
"He's, like, so amazing, right?" A blonde girl, whom Callisto instantly recognized was talking to a punk girl and a brunette one. "I totally wanna meet him, like, alone."
"I don't understand these people," Dave suddenly murmured.
The teen hummed, "They place him on a pedestal that no one could possibly stay on without falling."
"I know, girl! We should all stay later than everyone, just to see him leave!" The women began squealing.
"He probably falls a lot," Dave seemed lost for a moment, "But he always seems to get back up. I do admire that."
"His potential is limitless," Callisto nodded.
"Only if his will to become more is," The nerd added.
Purple eyes looked to the other, "Curious. Do you come to these types of shows often, Dave Stutler?"
"No, I, uh, needed a break from the real world," Dave smiled slightly. "I should get back to my seat."
"You should, I hope we see each other again," Callisto returned, "I have a strong feeling we will."
-/-
Blue eyes scanned a glowing computer screen. The search terms "Prime Merlinian" had come up with thousands upon thousands of Google results, and now, the brunette was slowly wading through all of them. Obvious links were skimmed over. Prime Time. Millennium Falcon. Prime Ministers. Sporks.
A smirk tugged on thin lips as one link was clicked and opened, "Merlin's successor? Interesting."
The brunette leaned back against the wall that a large bed was pushed up against. The dimly lit room cast shadows onto the walls and floors, distorting them into the monsters of the darkness. Short, brown hair was ruffled by a tan-ish hand as more links appeared for "Merlin's Successor" on the screen of the laptop. Blue eyes suddenly looked away from the computer and instead rested on a blue jewel that once, supposedly, tipped a cane. It held a glow to it that almost seemed to come from within the gem instead of reflected by it.
"Callisto," The slightly low voice chuckled, "Why did you happen upon those people?" A laugh. "What have you gotten into?"
-/-
The crowd was on its feet for Drake Stone. The chants for an encore rose steadily, but was replaced by whistles as the illusionist reappeared out of nothingness on the stage. More cheers, more whistles, more admiration. The people loved the magician. He was their icon after all. He was amazing. He was magical. He was…he was.
Callisto waited backstage, watching as Drake shined even brighter. His smile wasn't twisted like his normal smirk, but it was sincere, genuine. A sigh escaped the teen as he shivered from the overwhelming applause. The illusionist swaggered over to the edge of the stage, posing as the blonde girl in the front row took a few thousand pictures of him before swooning as he blew her a kiss. Purple eyes rolled as Drake sent the hidden teen a smile. He bowed once more before finally retreating behind the curtains and letting the people leave.
"Liked what ya saw, mate?"
"Liked intermission the best," Callisto teased before finally sighing, "I'll give it to you, Drake Stone. You are blindingly amazing when you shine."
"High complement, Calli," Drake smirked.
The teen hissed through a breath before listening to the silent auditorium. He walked out onto the stage, watching the last few people file out the doors. "Curious."
"What now?"
The teen watched one man walk towards the door. Drake caught the stare, quickly following it with his own, "Oh, look. The Prime Merlinian, finally come to see my show."
Dave seemed startled by the voice. He jumped, stumbling as he tried to also turn towards the stage at the same time. "I-I'm not here for a fight, or…anything."
"Course not, mate. You're here because your pretty little girl walked away," The illusionist cruelly snapped.
Callisto glanced at Drake before looking back at the nerd. Dave's brown eyes met the teen's through the sunglasses. He nodded slightly, but it wasn't to Drake. It seemed he was trying to build up courage to potentially ask a question. Seemingly to Callisto.
"Potential will do nothing without will, Dave Stutler," The teen acknowledged his quizzical expression.
"What, you know 'im, Calli?" Drake laughed, "He's nothing to worry about."
"I saved you when you needed it, Drake Stone, when you were 'nothing to worry about'. Now let me save him," Callisto murmured.
Dave's interest had suddenly perked up, "Saved him?"
"Yes, what was that man's name who was trying to kill you?"
"Horvath," Drake spat out, "Didn't like his spell not working, Prime Merlinian."
The nerd's mouth opened for a moment, closed, then opened again, "How, how did you?"
The illusionist scoffed suddenly, turning away, and stalking off the stage with the slight 'tap's of his heeled boots. Both Dave and Callisto watched as the third party retreated to a place with no more questions. The answers alone frightened him, and he didn't want to think too much about disgruntling questions. The teen looked back at the nerd, hidden eyes shimmering slightly in the spot light. Dave's eyes finally seemed to realize that Callisto's eyes were waiting to share a gaze.
"He wanted to live," The teen answered, "You cannot break a will that is not ready to break."
Dave simply nodded, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, "Callisto. I, uh, I was wondering."
"Wondering has potential hidden behind it, what were you wondering about?"
"You," Came the quick and easy response.
Callisto glanced to the curtains, where Drake stood, hidden from Dave and frozen in place as he listened to the conversation play out. A shudder seemed to run down the illusionist's spine as Dave answered so bluntly. A simple shiver was the only sign that notified the teen that the man was alive, and not some wild imagination of a sculptor, who just picked up his tools and created a magician statue. The illusionist's head was turned just a fraction so that his right ear was at a better position to hear everything. Callisto knew, somehow, that Drake was not listening to be irritating, not to be rude, but on some level, he was attached to the golden-haired man, and only listened in case he needed to jump in and save the day. Or maybe it was just as simple as he was curious to know more about the teen, but was too afraid or prideful to ask the questions himself.
"Me? What about me, Dave Stutler?" Callisto silkily answered, brushing a few red-tipped bangs from his forehead.
"I don't actually," Dave paused, "Know how to…"
Callisto raised a blonde eyebrow as he watched the nerd wander toward him with slight caution. He began to climb up onto the stage, realizing halfway though his struggle that there were stairs to take. An embarrassed laugh sounded from the nerd as he briskly walked up the stairs to stand near the teen. He threw a glance around the stage, noticing that Drake still stood within attacking range. Dave moved to stand on the other side of Callisto, so that he could clearly keep his eyes on the other sorcerer as he looked at the young man before him. Slowly, as though waiting for Callisto to push him away, Dave reached for the obstructing sunglasses. The teen thought about moving away, but decided this man, after cushioning the teen's fall earlier, had the right to know what was hidden behind the glasses that Dave had returned to Callisto.
The nerd still moved lethargically when he had gripped the object hiding his true goal. He moved them around slightly pointed ears, and off the bridge of the teen's nose. Brown eyes were looking at the sunglasses for a second longer than normal before turning to look at the shining eyes.
"What the-Woah!" Dave cried out in shock as he was eye to eye with purple irises. He fell backwards, grunting as he hit the stage.
Drake Stone turned to face the pair as Dave flailed about on the floor. His black eyes narrowed into a glare at the fallen college student, but then they landed on a pair of darkened sports glasses. He took a step toward the two others, stopping instantly, however; when Dave spoke again.
"Oh, wow," He whispered now that the initial shock had subsided and faded into awe and fascination. "Your eyes are…wow."
Callisto shrugged, turning sideways to look at the magician, who was taking wary steps towards the pair. Black eyes met purple for a fraction of a second before the illusionist spun around to leave.
"Drake Stone?" The teen called, causing said man to look at him, "Why aren't you shining anymore?"
Drake gave no response as he moved away, only throwing back a quick, "Why do you hide what shines within you?"
Callisto sighed as he turned back to Dave, who was now on his feet. The nerd offered the glasses back to the younger, but kept his grip on them when the teen took them, "He's right, you know. Your eyes shine like stars." He paused, "Oh, I'm sappy…"
A smile broke the teen's normally cool face, "You hold the same potential as Drake Stone. More, perhaps. Why don't you use it?"
"I'm, I'm trying," the college student turned to jump off the stage.
"Dave," Curiosity took over the teen, "What is a Prime Merlinian?"
The man froze at the edge of the stage. His body had tensed completely, turning in to a straight board.
"Drake Stone called you the Prime Merlinian, and I have a feeling it's not just some pet name," Callisto replaced his sunglasses, "I'm curious. Are you a hidden sorcerer, too? How many of there are you?"
-/-
"There could be hundreds of sorcerers all around us, and no one would ever know," A brunette whispered. "And they could teach of a power that could potentially destroy the world without nuclear weapons. The strongest sorcerer is practically the ruler of the world."
A smirk twisted pale lips into a dark smile. The laptop, which had been in use for hours, was running out of battery. Web browsers, tabs, and word documents littered the screen of the computer. Windows were opened, closed, moved around, and saved. Blue eyes traveled over every page, every sentence, every word. Gathering information, putting pieces together, and fully understanding.
"And the Prime Merlinian, with this ring," A thumb gestured to the screen, "Is the most powerful, supposedly. But, logically, there must always be room for error. For flukes."
A hum escaped the brunette as another link opened, "Merlin's Dragon, huh?"
A picture of a sleek, wingless, golden dragon with glowing purple markings and eyes, and red, silky fur that traveled just over the spine and extended slightly from the tip of the long tail loaded onto the screen. Two purple whiskers blew in the breeze, they started around the nostrils, and ended a ways behind its head. Two, silvery horns shot straight back from its head. Neat claws were just noticeable, but obviously sharp. Its muscles weren't bulging, but were defined. The dragon was wiry, slender, and, in all uses of the word, hot. Lightening was flashing about the dragon, lighting the background of the picture from dark storm clouds to lighter gray ones.
"Now, who does this remind me of?"
-/-
"Callisto," Dave finally murmured, "I don't actually know how to answer that. I want to, don't get me wrong. I just, I don't, that is…"
The teen sauntered towards the nerd, who instantly jumped from the stage. The golden-haired man sunk down into a crouch, "Curious."
"Merlin's successor," A British voice answered from behind the teen, "It's as simple as that, mate."
"Oh, but, I noticed, Dave Stutler, that you don't have a ring like Drake Stone's," Callisto cocked his head slightly.
Dave looked like a fish out of water for a moment, "You can't just go around telling everyone that!" The nerd looked at the teen, "I-I do have one, I just don't have it on."
Callisto nodded, "Can I see it, Dave Stutler?"
The nerd looked about the auditorium, brown eyes finally resting on the illusionist, who now stood in center stage, "I guess, but, uh, you can't—"
"I didn't want to wear it, just look at it."
"Calli, mate, there are so many more interesting people here!"
Dave muttered a quick, "I'd say." Before pulling out a ring from his worn jeans. It was in the shape of a silver dragon, whose tail was fitted to wrap around the nerd's finger. A glowing, green gem was placed on the dragon's back, protected by the folded wings. Callisto jumped from the stage, landing in front of the college student. He pulled his glasses off, looking at the ring with a calculating look. A pale hand reached upward for a moment, faltering slightly.
"May I?"
Dave shrugged before nodding. A pale finger traced the dragon's tail. A pulsing sensation started in Callisto's chest. An ebb and flow like he's never felt before. He felt lighter, stronger. Powerful. Purple eyes looked up at Dave, who seemed jittery, before turning to Drake, who had now tapped his way to the edge of the stage. The illusionist loomed over the pair, his black eyes trained only on the ring. His face was an emotionless, yet intense, mask.
The teen traced his way to the wings of the dragon, and finally ghosted over the gem. As soon as his fingertips touched the jewel, a shockwave rippled through his body. His mind became hazy for a moment, his thoughts dispersed, his very surroundings seemed to blur. A light 'thump' sounded as Drake jumped from the stage, obviously noticing the effect the ring had on Callisto. Balance suddenly flew out the window as the teen seemed to be shot away from the ring. He fell back against Drake, who caught Callisto under the teen's arms.
"Calli? Calli, are you alright, mate?"
"Hey, hey, Callisto. What happened? Can you hear us?"
Purple eyes slid closed for a second as the pale form went limp. The teen was completely still, as though his mind and body had shut down for a system reboot.
"Oh, god," Dave grabbed one of the teen's arms. "I don't…what just happened?"
"It's your ring, mate!" The illusionist snapped.
Dave cried back, "I haven't had much time with it!"
"Maybe it's a defense mechanism or an allergic reaction," Drake tried.
"An allergic reaction to what? It's a ring!"
"What if it was poisoned, mate?"
"What if it's killing him?"
The two men looked around for any signs to tell them that they were not alone with the unconscious boy. They looked to each other for a moment, before turning away in spite. Suddenly, both of them stopped searching for answers. The air around them was practically alive. It shifted and twisted by itself, sparking to life around them. They moved slightly so that Callisto was directly in between them, protected. A purple light sparkled to life, and broke into two separate sparks. One fell, gently to Dave, morphing into the gem of his ring. The other mimicked the action with Drake.
Purple eyes opened lazily. Looking around as the two other men continued to freak out. Callisto, realizing someone was holding him, looked upward to see the faces of his holders. "Hey, Hey. Nerd, back away slowly. Man-whore, get away."
The men glanced down at the teen. Two hearts slowed back to a normal rhythm as Drake and Dave sighed in relief, "Mate, what happened to ya?"
The golden-haired man shrugged the illusionist off of him, "What do you mean?"
"You blacked out. We thought the ring killed you," Dave nervously laughed. "You are okay, right?"
"I'm fine. But now I'm curious—"
"Oh," Drake smirked, "You're a diamond, mate."
Callisto followed Drake around backstage for an hour after Dave had left. He asked no questions to the magician, just observed everything the older did. Calculated every move the other would make with whispers of "Curious, very curious."
When the illusionist finally decided that the stage crew could handle anything that was left to do, he turned to face the teen. They watched each other for a long moment before Drake nodded slightly and turned to make his way to the exit of the building. Purple eyes glanced ahead, landing on three women, waiting excitedly outside the glass doors. The teen suddenly took his steps slower, opening a distance between himself and the illusionist, who almost instantly noticed.
"What's wrong, mate?"
Callisto shrugged slightly, "Nothing in particular, Drake Stone."
"I thought we were over this," Drake hissed. "What's got ya?"
"Nothing, I'm letting you do as you want," The teen gestured to the doors.
Drake's eyes looked at the women before looking back to the golden-haired man. He sighed, turned, and walked to the doors. The girls immediately moved towards him, giggling and swaying back and forth. The illusionist smirked and began to talk to them. Purple eyes watched the group of people, curious to what was being said. He slowly made his way to the doors, then outside.
"—makes all the difference, mates."
The girls giggled again, "Can I," the brunette paused, "Can I get a picture with you?"
The arrogant, holier-than-thou mask was back in place, "Of course."
The blonde girl flashed a few thousand pictures before finally stating, "Got it." The brunette surprised Drake with a hug before moving back into the group. "You're, like, so amazing."
"Totally," The punk chimed in.
"I try to be an icon for all of you, mates," Drake replied.
A soft, "I wonder" alerted the illusionist that something was about to happen. Callisto suddenly walked past him, sending him a judging glance before finally asking, "What's going on with you? Are you in Depeche Mode?"
"How can you not recognize him? He's Drake Stone!" The blonde suddenly exclaimed.
The magician was covering his eyes with his hands as the women began snapping at the teen. "He's a legend!"
"He's awesome!"
"Everyone loves him!"
"I love him!"
Callisto cocked his head, "So, he's not a rocker…is he a porn star? Like a stripper?" Callisto questioned, causing Drake to sob around a breath.
The girls went wild. All of them began yelling different things of the same nature at the golden-haired man, who was enjoying the slumped shoulders of the magician behind the girls. The illusionist finally caught the teen's smirk, before finally deciding it was time to push back, if only to see the same expression of exasperation on the younger's face.
"Really, you don't recognize me? Mate, two nights ago you couldn't get enough of me," Drake smirked as Callisto's mouth dropped open.
"So that's the game, eh?" The younger whispered, just audibly before playing with the new rules. "Hell, how drunk did you get me?" The teen snapped back after a few moments. "In my right mind, I'd shoot for someone much more impressive than you. I know I could get 'em."
This argument ended after a few minutes with a hiss of "Man-whore," before Callisto took off running with the illusionist hot of his trail. They dashed down streets and through a few stores. The teen smirked as he found a straight path and suddenly flipped gears into his fastest speed. Drake knew he was going to be left behind, and decided it was time for a quick burst of magic. Callisto hit the ground face first, getting up in time for Drake to grab him by the shoulders.
The teen spun away from the other as his cellphone began to ring. He held a pointer finger up to Drake before answering with a simple, "Hello?"
"Callisto," The slightly low voice responded.
"Ah, so your grandfather is still paying for you phone bill. What's up?"
"I have the gem you threw, it took weeks to find it, but I did. I also have a few things I need to talk to you about. The Prime Merlinian—"
"Mate, are you really making someone like me wait for a phone call?" Drake hissed.
"Shut up, Drake Stone," The teen stated. A growl suddenly sounded as the illusionist reached to take the phone away. "I'll call you later."
"With your boyfriend?" The joke came from the other side of the phone call.
"He's not my boyfriend," Callisto stated, looking directly at Drake. "I will call you later."
"Use protection!" The voice laughed just before the teen could hang up.
"Who was that, mate?"
Callisto pocketed his phone, "An annoyance, Drake Stone."
-/-
"Balthazar!" Dave called as he entered his lab. "You've gotta answer some questions for me!"
The older sorcerer looked up at his obviously distressed apprentice, "yes, Dave?"
"Something just happened with the ring."