- Chapter 7 -

"I wonder what fool it was that first invented kissing."
Jonathan Swift

'Twas but near the end of the day, as both master and apprentice sat at each of their respective tables, their backs on each other, the space between them were at least at eight feet apart. Merlin was busy looking through some new laws Arthur gave him for further inspections before giving the King's approval. The young King doesn't quite put his trust on most of the Lords at court, just as the same that said Lords doesn't quite put their confidence on their King. Although Merlin did consider that it couldn't be helped since Arthur wasn't that much experienced yet in ruling a kingdom, and some corrupted minds may want to take advantage on that. But that's why the lad needed him to be there. Merlin was at least very thankful that Arthur was wise enough to listen to him.

Meanwhile, young Maxim was busy with his own work - scanning a few pages from random books he picked out himself, then jotting down the necessary details he needed into a parchment, having intentions of reading it for later so that he'd be ready for his master's next lessons for another day. It all started rather well at the beginning, then it got too tiring along the middle of it all. He sat more straighter on his chair, stretching out his arms, hearing the bones of his back and his arms made cracking sounds one by one. The last crack on the small of his back was the one that gave him a slight sting of pain.

"Végbélsár!" he cursed in his father's language, quickly running a hand down his back.

Merlin turned around, shifting on his chair, a raised brow on his forehead, he was...a little surprised from what he heard. "Horvath, did I just hear you cursed in Hungarian?" he said to the boy.

The boy slowly shifted on his chair to face his master, a stiff and rather forced movement. "Apologies," Maxim said, glancing briefly down his foot before looking back up to Merlin. "It's been a while since I've done that."

Sighing, Merlin turned back to his work. "You hear that from your father often, then?" he asked over his shoulders.

Maxim also turned back to his own work, but had no intentions in going further with it at all. "First time I heard it from him I was seven," he answered. "He told me what it meant. I adopted it from him, yes." He then smirked to himself, an image of his father with a finger on the lips flashed through his mind. "But we kept it to ourselves because mother wouldn't like it."

"Yes, I imagine she wouldn't at all," Merlin replied. "So your father taught you his native language?"

He rested his chin on his arms, which he had placed on the table, when Maxim replied back to his master. "Only a little."

It was a short reply. He was tired. From scanning, writing, sitting down on the chair that he warmed the entire part of the wooden furniture that he sat on with his buttocks. Time had passed by so slowly all of a sudden and it had become boring. At least for Maxim it had.

The boy suddenly stood up from his chair, as though he had remembered something, strolling across the room to fetch his coat. A coat his mother gave him form his first home visit of last month. Merlin noticed this and couldn't help himself.

"Where are you going?" the sorcerer asked.

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to go out please," answered Maxim, shrugging his coat over his shoulders, then turning to face Merlin. "In truth, I don't know where to go. Maybe I'll just take a walk and...let the road take me somewhere...anywhere."

"But it's already getting dark," said Merlin getting up form his chair himself, concern suddenly surfacing in his face by the sudden actions from his apprentice. "Is something troubling you again? What is it this time?"

Maxim was already at the door when he paused for a moment to answer. He looked over his shoulders, but not risking to cast a look on his master. "There's this strange feeling, that someone's watching me all the time. I'm sorry, Merlin, but I'd have to shake it off me." Then the boy was out, giving no chance for Merlin to ask more.

Alone at last in the room, Merlin's thoughts were of the last things Maxim said. Something or someone was following the boy around as though keeping a close eye. He may have an idea of who it was, but that would mean he had to follow the boy himself to be certain, and hope, that he was wrong.

Merlin made up his mind. He put on his own coat, and started out the room. It has been a while since he had followed someone around discreetly.

Two weeks earlier...

Morgana le Fay suddenly found herself at the streets of town one sunny and hot afternoon, the hood of her black coat was worn over her head and her black scarf over her face making it into some kind of a mask. It wasn't like she was hiding from something, or someone in particular, nor was she in trouble if someone recognizes her, it was just Merlin. It always had been Merlin. She had have some business done, one that which Merlin certainly found wrong, and she didn't want to get into some encounter with the sorcerer.

That was when Morgana remembered the boy whom Merlin took as his first apprentice. The very same boy who was in possession of the sword she had been planning, trying, and failing, to take from Merlin's clutch. In the end, it had seemed that not even she was worthy to have the sword. Instead, it ended up in the hands of a boy of thirteen years old.

Sorcerers have each of their stories on how they ended up becoming sorcerers. But there will always be just one reason why a particular mortal becomes a sorcerer; because they were born with having magic within them. Most of them didn't chose to become sorcerers, they just somehow met their masters in a funny, or clichéd, or a supernatural encounter that in the end, they just found out that they have the gift. The real choice to be done was deciding which road shall you take. Ever since she came into the picture, sorcerers had been divided into two kinds; the Merlinians and the Morganians. Your master could be Merlinian, you could have been taught the Merlinian way, trained with the Merlin's Circle, but still, it is your own choice whether you'd rather become a Morganian despite it all. And then vice versa.

By having such free will on such a choice, betrayal is the only option to take when crossing to the other side. That's just usually how enemies are made out of friends; by simply the use of 'betrayal'.

Suddenly, Morgana's attention was briefly taken by a foolish argument of some vendor and a buyer fighting over the price of a fish. That was why she didn't notice the dark haired boy running as fast as his legs could carry him, squeezing his way through the crowd and was running, of all directions, towards her.

"Look out!" cried the boy, skidding into a halt, but it was too late. He eventually bumped into Morgana, both of them falling on their bottoms along the process, as they ended up sitting across each other. It was Morgana who first recovered.

"Not much of a warning you gave," she said, her voice almost muffled behind her mask, but still the words were well delivered and clearly heard, as she tried to gather up herself.

"Sorry," she heard the boy apologized. "I'm quite in a hurry, see."

Morgana was about to say something when she realized that the boy was gathering up a few parchments that was scattered all over the street. The scripts written on it were unmistakable. They were spells. She picked up one of the parchments and decided to look up to the boy. The face was also unmistakable, as the boy met her gaze.

Dark hair, dark eyes, oh yes the eyes. The first time she ever looked upon those eyes, it was having a glint of threat. Morgana couldn't possibly be wrong. She'd never forget a face of anyone who'd have the nerve, the power, to send her flying through the air. The boy she was looking at, as she recognized, was none other than the boy who doesn't know how to keep away form other people's business, and was in possession of the sword she had fought over once with Merlin. The boy, as she reckon, became Merlin's apprentice, who's name she had learned after some time to be, Maxim Horvath.

She didn't immediately realized that as she stared into the boy's eyes so intently, the boy himself was staring back at her.

'His eyes..' Morgana thought to herself.

The boy finally had the courage to look away.

"Again, I am sorry, my lady," he said, gathering up the last few parchments scattered all around, and finally hauling himself up to his feet, the same moment that the sorceress stood. "Can I please have that back, so that I may leave immediately and be out of your way?" He indicated to the paper in the sorceress' hand.

She gave it to him a bit hesitantly, and the boy left immediately, just as he had said he would.

Morgana watched Maxim, on the run once more. When the boy was nowhere in sight, she slowly removed the mask over her face, and whispered to herself, "In my encounters with Merlinian sorcerers, I can say, something is different with his eyes..."

It was a cold night, with the moon at its full circled shape, its light no doubt brighter than the other nights that passed.

Maxim found himself alone in the forest just behind Merlin's castle. He wasn't afraid. Though he knew that stories about wolves roaming around that forest, he wasn't afraid. Because it wasn't exactly the wolves giving him that chill running down his spine. It was that strange feeling again, that happens each time he's out of the castle and alone. The feeling as though someone was watching him. Someone whom he couldn't see, whom he doesn't know. Whoever it was, he could feel eyes set on him. Which was why he was there in the forest. He wanted to confront this someone and get it over with.

It all started two weeks ago, after running into a woman, and with him having this strange urge of looking straight into the woman's eyes for a few moments longer than necessary. Whatever happened in those moments, he shared a somewhat connection with the woman. And he didn't like it. Not entirely the connection, but the feeling itself. There was something dark along with it.

He stopped when he thought he was at least somewhere deep within the forest. Cautiously, he looked around, there were only the trees, but he could not be fooled, he knew he wasn't alone. He swallowed hard, trying to build up enough courage to keep his voice steady.

"Alright, I had enough," said Maxim, his words directed to whoever he believed was there with him. "Come out you! I know you're here. You've been following me around each time I'm out of the castle for two weeks now. You hear me? Come out!"

No response came, only silence, and the chirping of the night insects.

Once again, Maxim spoke. "Look, if your intentions are to trouble me, then you're successful. But it's time to stop, so come out and face me if you not be a coward!"

Again, no such answer came.

Until those rustling sounds from behind the trees were heard. It was as if someone was moving, walking, lurking behind the shadows. For the second time, Maxim swallowed, his hand reaching reflexively on the hilt of his sword. Whatever it was that's moving, he still couldn't see it. And by it, there could be many possibilities. It could be a wolf, or if he was right, it could be the one who's been following him, or the worst, it could be a Morganian sorcerer. Either way, the fact that he was alone, was a disadvantage...to him. If what he knew about wolves, they could be in packs. On an attack by a Morganian, well, he had no such chance against one, since he was just still in his first months of being an apprentice.

The rustling sound came again, and this time, Maxim was certain from which direction he heard it. He turned to his right, drawing out his sword and putting up his guard. He was facing a seemingly frightful-looking tree. There came the sound again. He tried to steady his heart that was pounding hard within his chest. Whatever comes out from behind the tree, he had to be ready. Then, it came.

Out from the tree came leaping down towards him was a wolf, its fangs shining white. Maxim swung his sword in surprise, shock, and fear. The wolf yelped in pain, as it squirmed in the ground when it fell, where Maxim quickly stepped away from the animal. He was certain he had wounded it, but apparently not deep enough, as the wolf was still able to stand on its feet, then it howled. Seconds later, two more wolves came from behind other trees. Maxim's eyes widened. The wolf wasn't alone after all.

He used up magic this time, casting a ball of energy at one of the wolves. All three scattered, but the wounded one wasn't able to run off too far. Maxim once again used magic, sending another ball of energy towards the wounded wolf, killing it almost instantly. Unfortunately, it wasn't a wise move. The two other wolves came back, and, as it was apparent that one of their brethren was killed, they set their angry gazes to the dark haired boy.

Maxim made off to run, as the wolves chased after him. When one got too close, he threw a fire ball, but only scaring the wolf away, as he had hit a tree, and it blazed into flames. The chase continued until Maxim got to a dead end - the edge of a cliff. He turned around, running back to the trees, but he was cornered, from behind and front, the two wolves got him int the middle. Once again Maxim conjured up fire balls, setting that part of the forest on fire. Eventually it made the wolves decide to leave him alone and ran for their lives instead, that was when he found himself in another predicament; he needed to get out of the fire himself.

Soon after the wolves left, Maxim tried to find a way out of the flames. He made a left, and within six feet away from where he had gone, more flames towered over him, blocking his way. He turned around. No. There was even more flames. He cast a shield over him, and tried to put out the fire. He used a water-elemental spell, everywhere, using up every bit of energy he had. But unfortunately, it was too draining for him. Holding up the shield for long moments necessary requires energy, same as casting elemental spells. Doing both requires far greater use of energy. Maxim had already used up an elemental spell, which was the fire ball he used on the wolves, and his water-elemental spell was getting weaker the more he use it. Fire and water never does go along together quite well.

He let go of the water spell and focused more on his shield, but he was running out of luck. The shield itself was already in cracks, as it cannot absorb any more necessary energy from the caster. After a few more lines surfaced, the shield completely collapsed, Maxim was left with only his physical strength, but was also failing him. The smoke from the fire was already making him cough, and if he stayed a lot longer there, he'll eventually lose consciousness, and suffocate.

His walk grew slower and more staggering than before, until finally, the boy fell to his knees. He crawled in all fours, coughing more, still his thoughts were of to get out of the fire, the smoke, then, the worse happened - he fell unconscious.

The last thing Maxim saw before he closed his eyes was a blurred image of someone in a long, hooded black coat, hands outstretched as though commanding the flames to clear out of the way, and was approaching him, calling out his name...

"Come, Horvath..."

He heard the howl of a wolf, and then later, the forest was on fire. Merlin was more worried than ever before in his life. In the many days and weeks that passed, he got used to his apprentice getting into troubles and other situations that may get the boy hurt, but that night, he had a far worse reason why he should be more worried about the boy.

In his attempts to follow his apprentice around, and see who was it, if the boy was telling the truth, that's been following his apprentice and keeping a close eye, he had proved to himself that he was right on who it was. For along the way in the forest, he saw a face he'd recognized anywhere, no matter if under broad daylight, or under the pale moonlight - Morgana.

It was unmistakable. He saw her. She even smiled at him. It was she who had been following the boy, for a reason he didn't know yet, but had intentions to find out. But for the moment, he needed to find the boy in those flames.

"Horvath!" shouted Merlin, stretching out his hands over the flames to clear out of his way. "Where are you boy? Morgana's here!"

Merlin didn't receive any such reply from his apprentice. His concern grew more by the minute.

Has the boy used up his energy and wasn't able to get himself safely out of the fire? If yes, where could he possibly be? Has it been Morgana who started the fire? Is she alone with the boy at the moment? Does she have any intentions in killing the boy for revenge of last time?

Whether if it was the fact that Morgana was around, or the sudden questions building up in his head, Merlin wasn't certain anymore which one was it that's making him more worried about the well being of his apprentice.

Then there it was, a scene that either shocked him, surprised him, confused him, or all of it, all in one. He halted on his tracks, watching carefully from the distance. He was watching Morgana herself, her hood already removed, carrying his unconscious apprentice safely out of the fire, and had laid the boy down the ground. He watched as the sorceress smiled down on the boy, her hand running down the boy's hair as though she was a mother watching over her son who was asleep.

Merlin gave out one of his deadliest glares and approached the sorceress. When he got close enough, he uttered in a low growling tone, hinting a bit of warning, "Step...away...from him."

Morgana only took a quick glance up to the sorcerer, before looking back down on Maxim. It was as if she was ignoring Merlin's presence.

"Why did you do it?" Merlin suddenly asked. "Why did you save him?"

That was the moment Morgana looked up to Merlin with the every intentions of holding his gaze, saying as she smiled, "Do you really want me to answer that question?"

"Alright," replied Merlin, keeping his cool, "we'll try a different question. Why were you following him?"

Once more, the sorceress looked down on the boy. "Have you ever tried looking deeply into your apprentice's eyes?"

With eyes narrowing in suspicion, Merlin didn't answer. He already had a bad feeling where the question may lead, and would lead there anyway no matter if he answer or not.

Looking back up when she didn't get a reply, Morgana smiled once more, raising a brow. "Oh. So you have, haven't you? I have too."

"What does it matter to you?" asked Merlin, though he wasn't really expecting an answer from it.

"Tell me," Morgana spoke again, her eyes never leaving Merlin's face, "what is that you saw in his eyes the first time you looked upon it?"

"Something different from what you saw, I believe," said Merlin. He was right. It had indeed led to this.

The smile on Morgana's face was unkind, as she said, "You are forgetting whom you are speaking with...liar."

Feeling the flow of anger suddenly running all over his entire being, Merlin clenched his hand into a fist. "Whatever it is that we saw, you are forgetting that he will stay under my watch for a long time."

Standing up, still fastening her gaze on the sorcerer in front of her, Morgana said, "There is something about this apprentice of yours that I myself do not know what it is, but I will find out. Until then, nothing will stand between me and the boy. Not even you."

"Just be certain that I won't find out while you're at it," Merlin spat back.

The unconscious form lying down on the ground suddenly stirred, catching the attention of both the sorcerers, with Merlin kneeling down on one knee, his concern on the boy resurfacing.

"Horvath, are you alright?" was the first thing Merlin said to the boy.

"Merlin. It's you," said Maxim, still a little weak, as he tried to get up on a sitting position. He only noticed Morgana when the sorceress knelt down to meet the level of his eyes. "M-Morgana..." was the only thing Maxim was able to say to the sorceress.

"That's Lady Morgana, if you please," said Morgana to the boy, flashing a sweet smile, which only made Merlin sick of her. "So, we meet again, young master Horvath." And then, she reached over to the boy's face, cupping it with both her hands. She felt the boy tensed up, his eyes showing how surprised and afraid he was at the moment. He was probably wondering why his master wasn't doing anything. Morgana only smiled to that, as she drew in much closer. What happened next, was a thing Maxim never would have thought to happen.

The sorceress took his lips into a deep kiss. The boy's eyes widened, as he sat there, unmoving, not certain what to do. Merlin only rolled his eyes, stood up, and looked away. What more could he possibly do with it?

After Morgana pulled away, she looked intently into Maxim's eyes and said, "I hope we see each other again." Then she looked up to Merlin. She was right. The sorcerer was already looking at her.

Smiling once more, Morgana cast one last look on the boy, then to Merlin, before heading off into the night, disappearing in the darkness.

Seconds after standing up, Maxim slammed a hand to his lips, and rubbed on it, intending to wipe away every last bit of Morgana's taste on his tongue. He was still at it when Merlin joined him.

"She kissed me!" exclaimed Maxim, looking down on the hand he had been using to wipe off at his lips. "Why would she do that?" He rubbed on his lips for another time.

Merlin shrugged nonchalantly. "She likes you." The boy glowered up to him. "What? 'Tis the best answer I can come up with."

Shaking his head, Maxim wiped on his lips for the last time with the back of his hand. "That was my first kiss. Can you believe it? My first kiss is with Morgana le Fay. Why, in heaven's name, does it have to be her?"

Furrowing his brows, Merlin suddenly said the unexpected. "It isn't that bad. She was my first kiss too, you know."

Maxim looked up to his master in utter horror.

Sighing, Merlin indicated to the boy that they should go. "Let's go back to the castle. I'll tell you about it some other time."

"Oh no," said Maxim, shaking his head and raising a hand. "I think it's best that I don't know about it."

For a moment, Merlin looked as though he was offended in some way. But after reconsidering, he jerked his head and agreed with what his apprentice said. "I suppose so."

A/N: "Here in this chapter I thought of messing up with the characters. Couldn't help myself with it. Review everyone, if you like." ;)