But the peace wasn't to last, and even in his hideaway Merlin heard rumours that a Second World had started. This time men killed with much more efficiency, using machines and bombs made to kill even more at one time. The weapons and machines meant that Mother Nature's bounties were once more being pulled from the earth, with no thought to how it would affect the worlds balance. Whole cities full of women and children were bombed.
Merlin set off once more, this must be the time that Arthur would return. Again he helped he injured for a while but his heart was sick of the death, and he soon went home and hid in the hills. Near the end of the war he heard some news that made him cry in shame. What was the human race doing? He heard that a new sort of bomb had been used. One bomb to kill a whole city, two cities had been destroyed killing everything in its wake, and destroying the land for miles. Mother Nature could do nothing in face of such weapons. Merlin felt that nothing was worth what people were doing to each other and the world harmony.
Merlin knew he was a simple man, but he just couldn't understand the killing. But at least the war was over. Then just a few years later the Chinese soldiers were fighting again in a place called Korea. He kept away this time but he often heard from villagers about the wars progress.
Even once that war had finished, he continued to get news of smaller wars being fought in the world. It seemed people were never at peace. In nearby Vietnam a fierce war was fought and he heard of flying machines that spewed out flame burning everything it touched. Much like the dragons of old. But they never caused such destruction to the land. Many of the Vietnamese dragons fled the area unable to live in peace. Some sought sanctuary with the Chinese dragons, until the war was over, much as the Korean dragons had done a few years before. Merlin was amazed at how many different dragons lived in Asia.
Merlin became a recluse, no longer seeking human company. He hoped Arthur's call came soon, and that once he had helped him fulfil his destiny, he would be able to age and die. He had had enough.
The air gradually became polluted with strange smells and the cities grew. Several large floods and landslips occurred in his new homeland. He and the dragons moved several times deeper into the hills, as the human population intruded on their peace. Large tracks of forest were being cut down and more and more large holes were dug in the ground to satisfy the growing needs of the population. Even the people in the small villages seemed to be unhappy with the simple lives they had lived for years.
But it wasn't until 2016 that he felt a strong pull on his magic and felt the urgent need to travel. This was nothing like he had felt before. Merlin knew that the time had come, Arthur needed him.
He said goodbye to Aithusa, telling her that he might not return, but that she was to live her life to the full and not to worry about him. She wanted to go with him but she had young to care for and a mate. They spent a final week together, and when Merlin prepared to leave Aithusa cried. He collected her tears in one of his small bottles to take with him. On the day of departure he collected his treasures from his magical cabinet, changed into European style clothes once more and put one of his neckerchiefs round his neck, he was ready to go.
All he needed to take with him fitted into two bags, the rest he was leaving behind; taking only those things he thought would be of use. He had never been one for possessions. Aithusa insisted she would fly him back to the lake; she was much stronger and larger than she had been all those years previously, when they left after Arthur's death. With the help of Merlin's magic it only took a week to reach their destination. Merlin kept her hidden from mans machines with his magic.
When they got to England there was no sign of lake, it dried up. The two old friends said their goodbyes; Merlin promised that if he remained immortal, he would return to China one day. She flew off back to her family, sad at leaving her friend of centuries and her dragonlord behind.
Merlin waited for a while at the site of the lake. The pull on his magic was stronger but there was no sign of Arthur, so he went to the Great Dragons cave and the hidden stash of gold. He left his spell book and the book he had received from Leonardo de Vinci for safe keeping. He held the gold coin he had put around his neck one and a half centuries ago and incanted a spell to help locate the direction he needed to follow to find Arthur.
Merlin then set of for London with what he was stood up in, and a bag he had kept from when he first left all those years ago. The bag contained one spare set of clothes, a small sack of gold coins and a few small items. His was relying on his magic to tell him were to go. When he reached London he saw a sign at a shop saying gold bought and sold. He quickly removed three of the coins from his bag and with a quick burst of magic melted then into a ball and took it in and sold it. Better that than explaining how he had such old coins. He had had questions asked in the past and didn't want to attracted attention to himself. Collecting up the notes he was given, he went into a café to get something to eat and sat reading a newspaper that had been left behind.
Merlin gasped in surprise, on the front page was a picture of Arthur looking much the same as he had all those years ago. Although instead of armour he was dressed in a suit and tie. Merlin quickly read the article. Arthur still had the same name Arthur Pendragon. According to the paper he had just inherited an international media empire after the death of his father. Merlin thought that at least he wouldn't have to cope with Uther this time.