A/N: "My little half-brother has suddenly found this new fascination about dragons, and as he kept talking about the creature, watching movies concerning it, and even drawing it for nearly a week now, it actually affected my writing. The product, is of course, this chapter. On other things, I have Wikipedia to thank for the informations about the certain legendary creatures mentioned here. Wiki owes the credits, not me, 'cause I can't make up of things about them. That's just what I do when writing - make a little research. The domains in the Merlin's Circle I eventually found out in the Net, while about the Morganian Pentacle, I really don't know if there really were only six domains in it, but let's just pretend that there was. Enjoy!"

- Chapter 5 -

"Love is much like a wild rose, beautiful and calm, but willing to draw blood in its defense."
~ Mark Overby

"Come not between the dragon, and his wrath."
~ William Shakespeare (King Lear)

Another dagger came flying through the air, and yet another missed shot. The new set of dagger was even nowhere near the bull's eye hit of the multi-colored circles. Although it was quite doing a great job of not staying away from the tree-trunk where the circled-shape target was placed, which came to be quite a disappointment to Maxim. He made an annoyed look on his face, as the boy looked down on the few more remaining set of knives in their respective holes in the lower left of his waistband at the back.

He was at it all morning, after doing his chores in the castle, manipulating the daggers with his glowing sword, then throwing them towards the target, yet still no improvement. Levitating matter, all kinds of matter, was a spell he had practiced, polished, perfected, and had used for a few times already, but why was he having trouble of hitting the blasted bull's eye with the knives?

Speaking of knives, he bought it about four days ago from the market. Yes, four days ago. It had been four days since he met that blond boy, Balthazar Blake, and yes, he cannot simply forget about it. Why? Because of all the trouble he got in and out of, that was the first trouble that he ended up having a friend. A real friend. It was like what Balthazar said: 'I never had real friends.' Somehow, inside him, no matter how small, when Balthazar said those words, he saw himself in the younger lad's eyes.

Once again, Maxim chose another dagger from the set, then threw it magically towards the target. It hit the inside of the circle, but still nowhere near the bull's eye, which was the colored red one.

"Focus."

Maxim almost jumped from where he stood. All of a sudden, he found his master standing beside him. Merlin had a knack for that; popping out of nowhere when least expected.

"It's all just the same, you know," said Merlin, looking down on his apprentice. "With or without magic."

With a few movement of his fingers, his dragon ring glowing, Merlin took one of Maxim's knives, (by levitation). He played with the dagger, his fingers still in motion under it, keeping it in control under his energy, as it floated in front of him as though there was no gravity at all to hold it down. The young apprentice only looked on, waiting expectantly, knowing that his master was to say something more.

"Focus on the target, and on the knife," Merlin spoke again. "It's like step number one; clear your mind."

Maxim looked down on his feet. His mind wasn't quite set on the target at all for the past couple of minutes that he was there.

"Watch, boy," said Merlin, making Maxim look back up to him.

The dagger's blade faced forward, ready for the throw, and with a quick flick of a hand from Merlin, it went off. The dagger went as close enough to the red circle, not quite in the middle, but the point was that it hit the inside of the bull's eye.

"You see?" said Merlin, smiling down on his apprentice. "That was near enough. Just focus." Although the boy nodded, Merlin didn't simply let it go, when he saw the look on his apprentice's face.

"Something bothering you, Horvath?" asked the sorcerer.

Looking down on his feet once again, Maxim took a moment before answering. "There is, one thing..."

Merlin was always ready to listen when in situations like this one, Maxim knew that. But he had to choose his words carefully. He still was a bad liar, but, he at least had to try and speak. You see, Maxim haven't told Merlin the incident at town four days ago, and he had no intentions in telling. Lying could be too big for a word to describe what he was about to do, he was just to tell at least a small portion of it, but at the same time, would try to hide most of it.

"Merlin," started the boy, "say for example you've met someone for the first time, and you immediately became friends..." Maxim looked up straight into his master's eyes, as though searching for the answer there. "...Is it right for you to tell that newly-found friend that you'll meet again, though you were not certain yourself that it could be possible?"

Brows furrowing as though considering something, Merlin thought for a moment before answering his apprentice.

"I believe," said the sorcerer, "that everything happens, for a reason."

He then gestured with his hands, a certain thing Merlin usually does when he was about to explain something that requires careful listening.

"Coincidence, is a word people made up, to describe a particular situation that they do not want to believe happened so that another may actually happen. That is why I also believe that there is a reason why you meet a person."

Considering his apprentice for a long moment, Merlin couldn't get himself to think what the look on the boy's eyes meant. It was almost hypnotic like, that it made him almost forget what he was about to say.

"Now, if two people had made a bond," he spoke again, looking away from those intense brown eyes, "like friendship for example, whether if it is mutual or not, they will meet again."

"Even if it takes years?" asked the boy, eagerness for an answer showing clearly on his face. "A lifetime even?"

"It is inevitable," Merlin simply answered, once again managing to look back to the boy, smiling subtly. "Because bonds are your strong, invisible connections with other people, which are not that easily broken. Whether it be a bond out of love...or hatred."

The boy was silent again. Until he remembered this one thing that he had been questioning about the Circle.

"Speaking of love," said Maxim, "the symbol in the middle of the Merlin's Circle is love. Merlin, why is it called the 'Forbidden Domain'?"

Merlin sighed heavily. Somehow, a small part of him was expecting that Maxim was bound to ask that question. He placed an arm around the boy's shoulders, leading him away towards the target for the retrieving of the daggers.

"Let me simply put it this way," said the sorcerer thoughtfully to his apprentice. "Love is the most powerful force on Earth. No such person or book can entirely describe the whole of it. Just as the same time that no such thing, or other forces can simply control it. Including magic itself."

When they had both reached the tree and the multi-colored, circled-shape target, it was only Maxim who retrieved the entire daggers stuck to either the tree and the target back to his waistband.

"In the case of the Circle," continued Merlin, his eyes still set on his apprentice's face, "you see, us Merlinians don't just rely on our powers, we also rely on our heart."

"What about the Pentacle?" asked Maxim.

Though a little surprised about the boy bringing up the matter, Merlin settled with the thought that the conversation was eventually going to that direction. "In the Morganian Pentacle, there can only be six domains," he said, answering for his apprentice's question, "therefore giving no room for love to even have a domain in it. Morgana and her followers don't quite put their trust on their hearts. For them it is a weakness, which can be partly true."

"So they differ from us because they rely entirely on how strong their powers are?" said Maxim, although it wasn't really a question. Merlin only nodded. "They are quite logical on that, you must admit. About love, I mean."

Once again, Merlin nodded, though Maxim wasn't certain whether his master was agreeing with him or what. "Yes, love can be a weakness, but only if it is used against you by people who's moral compass doesn't quite point north."

Master and apprentice once again walked off, their direction was apparent that they were going back to the castle.

"Do not forget that love can make you strong," said Merlin once more. "And in most times, when all hope seems lost, love will be the only one left for you to rely on in giving you strength."

"But can't love also make you do wrong?"

Maxim's words caught Merlin off guard. But only because the answer to that question was simply 'yes'.

"Why the sudden questions?" said Merlin, dismissing the matter. "Now come, come. I must see to your study on Dracology."

Merlin completely missed the bored expression the boy made.

"Oh, you mean your wonderful lessons about an over-grown lizard that somehow grew wings on its back and learned to spit fire?" said the apprentice, his tiresome thought about the matter was almost not detected, if it wasn't for the sarcasm that was clearly heard in his voice. In which, Merlin cast a half-hearted glare to his apprentice.

"It isn't like what you think." Maxim tried to defend himself from his master. "Dragons can be very fascinating creatures, even for me, but it isn't the study nor the creature itself that I find boring...It's the lecturer."

Before Merlin could even talk back, or do anything, Maxim was already on the run, sniggering to himself.

Slash! Block! Parry!

Maxim went on and on in the middle of the room, his footwork being put to a test, sword dueling with...an enchanted sword without a wielder.

Actually, the wielder-less sword was being controlled by Merlin, sitting at a table nearby, his gaze fixed on the opened pages of a three inches thick book on the table.

"Now, what is a wyvern?" asked Merlin.

After the boy openly said so that he found the lecturer himself as the boresome part about studying Dracology, Merlin thought of a way to somehow keep his apprentice's attention on the lessons, by simply busying the boy on something else at the same time.

"That's easy!" answered the dark-haired boy, ducking from an attack. "It is a winged reptilian creature with a dragon's head, the hindquarters of a snake or lizard with two legs, and a barbed tail."

"And a basilisk?" Merlin glanced briefly up to his apprentice, more out of having a look about how the duel was coming about.

Maxim was in the middle of fighting over dominion in crossed-swords. "It's reputed to be king of serpents and said to have the power to cause death with a single glance!" he answered.

"Why is it called 'king'?"

Finally being freed from the 'X' positions of the swords, Maxim tried to catch his breath before speaking. "Because it is reputed to have on its head a mitre, or in other words, crown-shaped crest."

"Good," Merlin simply said, as the boy once again parried with the enchanted sword. "And what of a cockatrice?"

Swords were once again locked in an 'X', as Maxim tried to answer his master, peering in between the blades.

"It's a creature resembling a large rooster with a lizard-like tail," the boy answered.

"So far so good." Once again having complete focus on the pages, Merlin took in the last few questions.

"Then I suppose you can answer what a lindworm and an amphiptere is?"

The young apprentice once again found himself parrying.

"Of course!" the boy said. "Lindworm...is a technical...term for a wingless...bipedal dragon...often with a...venomous bite." He panted in between his sentence. "Generally, the word lindworm stood for the Latin word draco, thus could refer to any draconic creature."

One more last answer, as Maxim's thoughts were completely fixed on the idea of after answering his master one last time, he'd have the duel over with a few tricks.

"While an amphiptere...is a term...used to describe a...a type of legless winged...serpent!"

Maxim ducked from yet another attack, rolled on the floor, held up the glowing hilt of his sword, then blasted the enchanted sword he had been fighting with for the past half an hour, as it simply hit the the stone walls and clattered at Merlin's feet. He then watched his master stood up, closed the book about Dracology, and gestured a hand to him.

"Get some rest, and when you awake, wash up. We'll be off to an important business, one that which requires your help," said Merlin.

"I hope it doesn't concern a dragon," said Maxim, sheathing back his sword.

He talked too soon...

A starless night, his first mission with Merlin, and there they were trying to hide from an angry dragon, one that which obviously was having intentions of burning them to death.

"I knew it!"

That was the only thing Maxim could ever think of saying.

For nearly a month and two weeks, a particular town has been plagued by a dragon. The creature had been stealing the townsfolk's livestocks to feed, and had been setting fire on the fields, leaving the people having a bit of a crisis with their food supply. While some of the farmers had decided to slay the reptile, none ever came back successful. Well, they never were able to come back. And so, it all ended up with the townsfolk finally coming to terms with the decision to send for someone whom they believe were powerful enough to slay said terrible beastie. The town's leader sent out for, none other than, the famous wise advisor to the young King Arthur, the sorcerer Merlin.

The messenger on horseback had to travel five days from the town to Merlin's castle. After having received the letter, Merlin had to do some arrangements, preparations, before deciding to leave and help the town. The sorcerer then left with his young apprentice, also on horseback, and also took them five days to reach the town. But, Merlin had not mentioned a word to his apprentice about their mission. In which, this then leads us back to the apprentice's current mood.

"Thought I might let you study on it before actually letting you encounter one!" called out Merlin to his apprentice, where the sorcerer was hiding behind a huge boulder, same as the boy was doing.

"At least telling me could have been more appropriate!" shouted back the apprentice. Until a laughing voice surprised him, making him snap back his head to his master. It was Merlin himself who was laughing.

"Whatever happened to you, boy?" asked Merlin, a smile on his face. "Of all people, I thought you were the one to enjoy this."

Maxim's confusion was clearly shown on his face. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Are you not having your fun yet, Horvath?" was Merlin's reply.

After a few moments of looking intently into his master's eyes, Maxim finally realized that what Merlin said, was eventually true...well, part of it. The boy smiled, looking down, but eventually ended up chuckling, out of more to himself. When he looked back up to his master, he said, "We are to this then?"

Merlin nodded. "Let's..."

The boy returned the nod.

Both master and apprentice then took a deep breath, several heartbeats later, they went running out from their hiding places and separated, casting attack spells on the dragon. Meanwhile, the dragon was being confused on which one to attack, but after Merlin set on fire the reptile's left wing, the sorcerer became the priority target.

As the dragon turned to face Merlin, unintentionally, its tail had hit Maxim, and had send the boy flying through the air, and hitting a pile of burned corpse of the poor, unfortunate souls who tried to brave in slaying the beast. It took only a few seconds before Maxim could pull himself back together, but as he looked up, he found that his master was already having a hard time in fighting with the dragon.

He thought fast. Looking around, his eyes fell upon a seemingly still suitable spear, a boney hand clutching it. Grimacing a little, Maxim reached over the spear.

"Excuse me, sir, but do you mind if I take this for a moment?" he said to the corpse that was in possession of the spear. After he had finally took hold of the spear, he stood up, ready to help Merlin. "No, I don't think you'd mind anyway," he said, still his words were directed to the corpse lying on the ground. "Thank you." He walked off.

"Horvath, where are you?" shouted Merlin, still busy with the dragon. "I'd appreciate it if you could be so kind as to giving me a hand!"

Merlin suddenly found himself being struck down on the ground, lying on his back. When it became apparent that the dragon was ready to attack in breathing out fire at him, the sorcerer quickly cast one of his most strongest shields. But after the fire, the dragon settled with the idea of crushing Merlin's shield with its own bare hands(?)...uh...claws.

The shield made ripples, then later, cracking lines, as though it won't take too long before the shield finally gives up, but Merlin wasn't ready to give up just like that. And he was right not to. Not far from where he was, Maxim was on the ready in making for the kill. He manipulated the spear with his magic, his sword glowing with the brightest of color blue, and then, just like what he had been doing with the daggers, he threw the spear towards its target - the dragon's chest.

As the spear successfully hit its mark, the dragon roared its pain and tumbled to its side. The great reptile squirmed a little for several moments before it died, its deep-red blood spilling all over the soil. Meanwhile, Maxim had joined Merlin, where the sorcerer had himself propped on one elbow, looking at the then dead dragon.

"Are you alright? Apologies if I took too long," said Maxim, his concern for his master was truthful.

"Yes, I'm fine. I had faith in you," replied Merlin, trying to get up to his feet. He then patted his apprentice on the shoulder. "Congratulations, my dear boy. You killed your first dragon." The boy only shrugged. "You know," said Merlin once again, "something tells me that you are to grow up into a sorcerer who could be quite a deadly opponent."

Smiling, Maxim took his gaze off the dead dragon, and looked up to his master. "Is that a bad thing?"

Merlin shrugged. "That depends. Tell you what...let's go home."

Maxim couldn't agree more.