In Camelot
The quiet was almost deafening. The perfectly blue sky above the green earth contained only the wisp of a cloud, promising a most beautiful day. The stone silence was interrupted only by the crack of the occasional twig as small animal moved meticulously through the underbrush.
The brilliant flash of the portal was almost a violation of the serenity. Through the portal, Merlin and Clark passed through. While the portal had height and width, it had no depth. As they passed through from the future, they were instantaneously in the past.
As quickly as it had appeared, the portal was gone. Clark stared back, startled. He looked in askance to Merlin who saw the silent question and responded. "It will return. The portal is quite predictable, having fashioned it myself."
"That's a relief," sighed Clark.
Merlin took a moment to examine Clark. Appraising the primary color-laden attire, he shook his head slightly. "This will never do. You need a change of garments." With a wave of Merlin's hand, Clark found himself in entirely different clothing. Clark expected some sort of flash. Apparently, some spells were trivial enough to not require much fanfare.
After changing Clark's appearance, Merlin walked over to a tree and sat. Clark followed, suddenly aware of the complete quietness of the place. He slowly sat across from Merlin. Clark rubbed his ears slightly and shook his head.
"What you are hearing, or rather, not hearing, is the absence of background noises that plague our 21st century world. You must remember, there are no factories, no automobiles, no radio broadcasts. People from our time are so accustomed to the noise; they expect the subliminal humming of their world. You, with your keen hearing, are going to miss it more."
"Keen hearing?" Clark asked. Still trying to orient himself in this world.
"Oh, I have forgotten, you don't know about that yet. "
"How do you know so much about me and what I become? How do you know so much about my future?"
"It is somewhat a long story. However, as we have some time, it is perhaps best I share some information with you."
Clark brought his complete focus on Merlin, as if ready for a school lesson.
"You see, Clark, I am from your future and your past. Remember my saying that I do not age like everyone else? It is that I age, for want of a better term, backwards. In your future, I am a young boy, a baby. As I aged backwards, I am as you find me, in your, or rather, our time. In this time, I am an old man. As part of this gift, I am blessed, or cursed, with some powers that other humans find amazing. I also dabble in alchemy, the study of potions. But, most of my powers come from the gift I received through my birth."
Clark chuckled.
"What is it, Clark? Something about my life amuses you?"
"No, I'm sorry. I'm just glad there's someone I've come across that has special powers that have nothing to do with Kryptonite meteors. Please, go on."
"Very well. I have learned that sometime in my future, the past, to send messages to myself to my past, in the future."
Clark blinked, and stared at Merlin. Merlin didn't have to be a mind reader to know he had lost Clark. "Let me rephrase it. Since I age backwards, your future is my past. My past is your future. If I decide right now to leave a note behind that tree you are leaning against in my future, I will have left it in your past. Observe." Merlin closed his eyes a moment, committing something to memory. He got up, walked around Clark, and plucked a note from the tree behind him.
He handed the note to Clark. "Go ahead, open it."
Clark complied, and read the note aloud, "Welcome to Camelot, Clark." Suddenly, everything about what Merlin had said about aging backwards made sense. As to everything else.
"No doubt, you have more questions. I shall answer them, but first, I must inform you of some fundamental rules of our engagement here." Clark resumed his listen posture and Merlin settled in once again.
"First and foremost, no one, save my present old-man self, can know who we are or from whence we come. Of course, you understand this, having held secret your identity thus far in your life. It is of utmost importance that you not convey to this time any knowledge from your time. Second, you may use your powers, but discretely. Again, for the first reason I have given. And again, the reasons are obvious. Finally, you must do as I ask in all matters. You must remember I have knowledge and understanding of our situation beyond yours and beyond time itself. As time flows, so do events and circumstances. Only I am in tune with this. You must trust me in all matters. Do I have your trust?"
Cautiously, Clark nodded his head. He figured that if this man, Merlin, knew so much about him, he was in a position to have caused havoc already. He made a mental note to be careful, but otherwise resigned himself to Merlin's word.
"Excellent," exclaimed Merlin. "Now, as to why we are here. There is an evil force in this time plaguing Camelot. King Arthur and his Knights have only met failure in dealing with it. My present self has attempted all manner of spell to rid this world of this force to no avail. My present self sent a message to my future self, me, to bring you here to combat this force. You alone can do this.
"We are to meet with King Arthur. Posing as a Lord from a distant province, I am to present you to him as a candidate for Knight-hood. My present self will recognize me and suggest a quest for you. This quest will be to vanquish this evil force from this land."
Clark took it all in and digested it before he trusted himself to ask questions. After a moment, he asked, "Why me? Why not my future self? The 'hero?'"
"My present self was very specific. I believe it is because at your present age, you have the right development of skills and knowledge that is best suited to the task at hand. Remember Clark, you are a unique individual, even from one given moment to the next. You, now, are the best man for the challenge."
Just then, a noise came from a distance. Clark heard it first and rose. Being raised on a farm, he knew a pair of horses being pushed to their limits when he heard them. As Merlin rose and heard the approach, the intruders were amongst them.
They both were clad in black attire from head to toe. The horses, as black as the men's cloths, breathed heavily and evenly as their hooves pounded the ground. There was no mistake. These men were strong, highly skilled, and had only the mind to eliminate Merlin and Clark.
Unfortunately for them, they could not have picked a more difficult pair to kill. As the front rider swung his sword down on a near pass, Merlin fluttered his eyes and vanished. Knowing Clark was in absolutely no danger, he decided to reappear behind a nearby tree to observe.
Having swung in vain and not knowing where the mysterious man had gone, Merlin's attacker decided to join his partner in killing the teen.
Clark weighed his options. He could have just "disappeared" as Merlin had by using his super-speed. Or, he could take them on to learn about the fighting styles of the time. He chose the latter.
For a few moments, he kept just ahead of the invaders charges, watching how they used their horses and their weapons to their advantage. He dodged, ever so slightly, as they attempted to strike him with their swords.
After seeing the horses tire, he decided to relieve them of their burdens. On each of their last passes, Clark grabbed their swords in mid-strike, and lifted them effortlessly off of their mounts. The lead man landed and was knocked cold. The second, more skilled man was able to stay alert. Clark was glad of it so he could now observe his standing sword skills.
The remaining attacker faced Clark. After sizing him up, he rushed at Clark, sword high. As he came upon Clark, he swung a mighty blow to his neck, intent in separating he head from the rest of him. What he saw stunned him.
As the sword struck Clark's neck, it shattered into a brilliant streak of shards that dispersed around them. Clark stared at the attacker's bewilderment. He secretly enjoyed it when he surprised someone like this.
As the attacker stood there stunned, Clark casually walked over to the unconscious rider and took his sword. He placed it in the remaining attacker's hands, and suggested bemusedly, "Why don't you try that again?"
The attacker, with a new sword in his hand, and now fearing for his life, wielded the sword skillfully to shake off the image he just witnessed. Clark watched closely. The attacker swung his sword as if it were a part of him. He attacked Clark with masterful strokes. Again, Clark ever so slightly dodged all of the attacks to extend his observation as much as possible.
Finally, seeing the man tire, Clark decided to end his misery. He stopped and allowed the attacker one last mighty blow. The attacker chose to directly thrust Clark in the chest. Again, the attacker was treated with a brilliantly shattering weapon.
The attacker looked at Clark and awaited his fate. Clark simply patted his hand on the man's shoulder and instructed him, "Take off." The man stared blankly at him. After a moment, Clark realized this many from the 15th century might be wondering what he's supposed to be "taking off," and decided to translate. "Run Home!" exclaimed Clark. The man understood that and ran.
Merlin reappeared from behind his observation post behind the tree, chuckling and shaking his head.
"What?" Clark asked.
"It was quite impressive watching you. You were able to stay your ground, and somehow only bewilder those men without giving away your secrets. But, I must confess, I thoroughly enjoyed the look on that last man's face as his swords kept shattering against you. He surely was not expecting that! I suspect he will have a tale to tell when he gets back to whomever sent him. Your reputation as a mighty night is taking shape."
"I'm glad I was able to amuse you," Clark chuckled. "I decided to stay because if I'm going to blend in, I need to see how they use their weapons. Also," he gathered the nearby horse, "I thought it would be better if we rode in on these."
"Splendid Clark! " Merlin exclaimed. He considered Clark for a moment. "Clark, you truly are a hero. You use your might with compassion and you use your head as much as your strength. It is a blessing to see you here and now. I see why you become the hero you are destined to be."
Clark, being the humble teen his father, Jonathan raised, was somewhat embarrassed, but pleased at the compliment. "Thank you," Was all he could manage to say.
They collected the second horse and then took their mounts.
"Well, Clark, it is time to begin. Are you ready to meet King Arthur?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." Clark stated as he mounted his horse.
They began to ride into town. Merlin considered what he couldn't tell Clark about what he was about to meet. He wondered how this young Hero would manage the encounters he was about to face. What he did know what Clark would face them with honor and compassion.
The utter stillness returned as Merlin and Clark rode away.
The quiet was almost deafening. The perfectly blue sky above the green earth contained only the wisp of a cloud, promising a most beautiful day. The stone silence was interrupted only by the crack of the occasional twig as small animal moved meticulously through the underbrush.
The brilliant flash of the portal was almost a violation of the serenity. Through the portal, Merlin and Clark passed through. While the portal had height and width, it had no depth. As they passed through from the future, they were instantaneously in the past.
As quickly as it had appeared, the portal was gone. Clark stared back, startled. He looked in askance to Merlin who saw the silent question and responded. "It will return. The portal is quite predictable, having fashioned it myself."
"That's a relief," sighed Clark.
Merlin took a moment to examine Clark. Appraising the primary color-laden attire, he shook his head slightly. "This will never do. You need a change of garments." With a wave of Merlin's hand, Clark found himself in entirely different clothing. Clark expected some sort of flash. Apparently, some spells were trivial enough to not require much fanfare.
After changing Clark's appearance, Merlin walked over to a tree and sat. Clark followed, suddenly aware of the complete quietness of the place. He slowly sat across from Merlin. Clark rubbed his ears slightly and shook his head.
"What you are hearing, or rather, not hearing, is the absence of background noises that plague our 21st century world. You must remember, there are no factories, no automobiles, no radio broadcasts. People from our time are so accustomed to the noise; they expect the subliminal humming of their world. You, with your keen hearing, are going to miss it more."
"Keen hearing?" Clark asked. Still trying to orient himself in this world.
"Oh, I have forgotten, you don't know about that yet. "
"How do you know so much about me and what I become? How do you know so much about my future?"
"It is somewhat a long story. However, as we have some time, it is perhaps best I share some information with you."
Clark brought his complete focus on Merlin, as if ready for a school lesson.
"You see, Clark, I am from your future and your past. Remember my saying that I do not age like everyone else? It is that I age, for want of a better term, backwards. In your future, I am a young boy, a baby. As I aged backwards, I am as you find me, in your, or rather, our time. In this time, I am an old man. As part of this gift, I am blessed, or cursed, with some powers that other humans find amazing. I also dabble in alchemy, the study of potions. But, most of my powers come from the gift I received through my birth."
Clark chuckled.
"What is it, Clark? Something about my life amuses you?"
"No, I'm sorry. I'm just glad there's someone I've come across that has special powers that have nothing to do with Kryptonite meteors. Please, go on."
"Very well. I have learned that sometime in my future, the past, to send messages to myself to my past, in the future."
Clark blinked, and stared at Merlin. Merlin didn't have to be a mind reader to know he had lost Clark. "Let me rephrase it. Since I age backwards, your future is my past. My past is your future. If I decide right now to leave a note behind that tree you are leaning against in my future, I will have left it in your past. Observe." Merlin closed his eyes a moment, committing something to memory. He got up, walked around Clark, and plucked a note from the tree behind him.
He handed the note to Clark. "Go ahead, open it."
Clark complied, and read the note aloud, "Welcome to Camelot, Clark." Suddenly, everything about what Merlin had said about aging backwards made sense. As to everything else.
"No doubt, you have more questions. I shall answer them, but first, I must inform you of some fundamental rules of our engagement here." Clark resumed his listen posture and Merlin settled in once again.
"First and foremost, no one, save my present old-man self, can know who we are or from whence we come. Of course, you understand this, having held secret your identity thus far in your life. It is of utmost importance that you not convey to this time any knowledge from your time. Second, you may use your powers, but discretely. Again, for the first reason I have given. And again, the reasons are obvious. Finally, you must do as I ask in all matters. You must remember I have knowledge and understanding of our situation beyond yours and beyond time itself. As time flows, so do events and circumstances. Only I am in tune with this. You must trust me in all matters. Do I have your trust?"
Cautiously, Clark nodded his head. He figured that if this man, Merlin, knew so much about him, he was in a position to have caused havoc already. He made a mental note to be careful, but otherwise resigned himself to Merlin's word.
"Excellent," exclaimed Merlin. "Now, as to why we are here. There is an evil force in this time plaguing Camelot. King Arthur and his Knights have only met failure in dealing with it. My present self has attempted all manner of spell to rid this world of this force to no avail. My present self sent a message to my future self, me, to bring you here to combat this force. You alone can do this.
"We are to meet with King Arthur. Posing as a Lord from a distant province, I am to present you to him as a candidate for Knight-hood. My present self will recognize me and suggest a quest for you. This quest will be to vanquish this evil force from this land."
Clark took it all in and digested it before he trusted himself to ask questions. After a moment, he asked, "Why me? Why not my future self? The 'hero?'"
"My present self was very specific. I believe it is because at your present age, you have the right development of skills and knowledge that is best suited to the task at hand. Remember Clark, you are a unique individual, even from one given moment to the next. You, now, are the best man for the challenge."
Just then, a noise came from a distance. Clark heard it first and rose. Being raised on a farm, he knew a pair of horses being pushed to their limits when he heard them. As Merlin rose and heard the approach, the intruders were amongst them.
They both were clad in black attire from head to toe. The horses, as black as the men's cloths, breathed heavily and evenly as their hooves pounded the ground. There was no mistake. These men were strong, highly skilled, and had only the mind to eliminate Merlin and Clark.
Unfortunately for them, they could not have picked a more difficult pair to kill. As the front rider swung his sword down on a near pass, Merlin fluttered his eyes and vanished. Knowing Clark was in absolutely no danger, he decided to reappear behind a nearby tree to observe.
Having swung in vain and not knowing where the mysterious man had gone, Merlin's attacker decided to join his partner in killing the teen.
Clark weighed his options. He could have just "disappeared" as Merlin had by using his super-speed. Or, he could take them on to learn about the fighting styles of the time. He chose the latter.
For a few moments, he kept just ahead of the invaders charges, watching how they used their horses and their weapons to their advantage. He dodged, ever so slightly, as they attempted to strike him with their swords.
After seeing the horses tire, he decided to relieve them of their burdens. On each of their last passes, Clark grabbed their swords in mid-strike, and lifted them effortlessly off of their mounts. The lead man landed and was knocked cold. The second, more skilled man was able to stay alert. Clark was glad of it so he could now observe his standing sword skills.
The remaining attacker faced Clark. After sizing him up, he rushed at Clark, sword high. As he came upon Clark, he swung a mighty blow to his neck, intent in separating he head from the rest of him. What he saw stunned him.
As the sword struck Clark's neck, it shattered into a brilliant streak of shards that dispersed around them. Clark stared at the attacker's bewilderment. He secretly enjoyed it when he surprised someone like this.
As the attacker stood there stunned, Clark casually walked over to the unconscious rider and took his sword. He placed it in the remaining attacker's hands, and suggested bemusedly, "Why don't you try that again?"
The attacker, with a new sword in his hand, and now fearing for his life, wielded the sword skillfully to shake off the image he just witnessed. Clark watched closely. The attacker swung his sword as if it were a part of him. He attacked Clark with masterful strokes. Again, Clark ever so slightly dodged all of the attacks to extend his observation as much as possible.
Finally, seeing the man tire, Clark decided to end his misery. He stopped and allowed the attacker one last mighty blow. The attacker chose to directly thrust Clark in the chest. Again, the attacker was treated with a brilliantly shattering weapon.
The attacker looked at Clark and awaited his fate. Clark simply patted his hand on the man's shoulder and instructed him, "Take off." The man stared blankly at him. After a moment, Clark realized this many from the 15th century might be wondering what he's supposed to be "taking off," and decided to translate. "Run Home!" exclaimed Clark. The man understood that and ran.
Merlin reappeared from behind his observation post behind the tree, chuckling and shaking his head.
"What?" Clark asked.
"It was quite impressive watching you. You were able to stay your ground, and somehow only bewilder those men without giving away your secrets. But, I must confess, I thoroughly enjoyed the look on that last man's face as his swords kept shattering against you. He surely was not expecting that! I suspect he will have a tale to tell when he gets back to whomever sent him. Your reputation as a mighty night is taking shape."
"I'm glad I was able to amuse you," Clark chuckled. "I decided to stay because if I'm going to blend in, I need to see how they use their weapons. Also," he gathered the nearby horse, "I thought it would be better if we rode in on these."
"Splendid Clark! " Merlin exclaimed. He considered Clark for a moment. "Clark, you truly are a hero. You use your might with compassion and you use your head as much as your strength. It is a blessing to see you here and now. I see why you become the hero you are destined to be."
Clark, being the humble teen his father, Jonathan raised, was somewhat embarrassed, but pleased at the compliment. "Thank you," Was all he could manage to say.
They collected the second horse and then took their mounts.
"Well, Clark, it is time to begin. Are you ready to meet King Arthur?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." Clark stated as he mounted his horse.
They began to ride into town. Merlin considered what he couldn't tell Clark about what he was about to meet. He wondered how this young Hero would manage the encounters he was about to face. What he did know what Clark would face them with honor and compassion.
The utter stillness returned as Merlin and Clark rode away.