Merlin lifted his cap to smooth his hair down before putting it back on again. The sun had risen completely, but he wasn't tired. Merlin could go for days without rest. He made his way back to the woods and cautiously checked to make sure no one was following him. There was something he needed to make sure of.
About three miles in, he came across a thinning in the trees; large boulders formed a natural shelter beneath the long roots of a gnarled oak tree. A thin plume of silvery smoke rose from the shelter in the rock. Despite its appearance, the crevice was the entrance to a cave, and a very special cave at that. The Crystal Cave was the birthplace of all magic; Merlin had made many journeys to it during his time with Arthur.
He dropped nimbly through the part in the rock to land on a crumbly surface of dark crystal. It crunched under his feet as he cautiously made his way deeper into the cave. The dark stone had mixed with the myriad of blue diamonds that coated every all and ceiling of the grotto. The small, black shards had been blown everywhere, and their source appeared to be a giant slab of black diamond that had been split in half in the center of the chamber. It had been split in two, and was roughly twice the size of a man and about five times his width. Merlin approached it slowly and carefully. The sunlight streamed through the cave entrance above him, casting shadows and glistening off the diamond. Looking closer, he realized there were human shaped indentions in both halves of the stone. Some of the imprints had been partially chipped off, but the general outline was still recognizable. A feminine face was even somewhat visible in the stone. There was only one possible solution.
"Vivian…" Merlin whispered to himself. It broke his heart that his suspicions had been true. He reached out his hand, intending to touch the stone; there was a possibility he could still sense some traces of the spell that had been cast. If he could determine who had cast the spell, he would be one step closer to determining Vivian's purpose and who or what she stood for.
His fingers felt inexplicably drawn to the dark diamond. It was as if it were pulling him in; it was asking him quietly but persistently to come closer. He hesitated a moment; there was something unnatural about the crystal, but he pushed his doubts to the back of his mind. As Merlin's fingers brushed the stone, he pushed his magic into the very depths of the rock's core in an effort to retrace its past. A few feelings and noises were all Merlin could find at first. All at once, Merlin's eyes flew open. Suddenly, images flooded his mind. Memories of other men and sorcerers were abruptly thrust upon him; all the identities of those whose magic had been used to create the spell were made known to him. The most prominent magical presence of all, however, was that of Nimueh. Merlin felt her dark magic all over the equally black rock. A flood of pictures invaded his mind; he cried out in agony. He tried to pull his hand away, but it felt as if it were glued to the stone. Merlin sank to the ground while scenarios and past events burned themselves onto his retinas.
It was a dark, stormy night, and the waters beyond were churning. A cloaked woman leaped nimbly off a raft and onto an island predominated by ruins. She looked over her shoulder as a precaution, and Merlin realized that it was Morgause. He checked his surroundings a bit better, and, with a start, recognized the location as the Isle of the Blessed. Morgause hurried down a walkway Merlin was all too familiar with. It eventually led to a courtyard with a raised stone slab at the center of it.
"My sister," Morgause crooned. Beyond the slab stood a figure Merlin had hoped never to see again: Nimueh. She stood in the rain clothed in a flowing red dress. Her dark hair billowed about her, seemingly untouched by the wind and rain. Her blue eyes shone like bright stars from beneath thick lashes that Merlin had no doubt were as dark as her soul. Her crimson lips stood out like drops of blood against her pale skin. Merlin had once said she was prettier than a princess, and he still meant every word of it.
"What is it, Morgause? What troubles you? I have only just gotten your message," Nimueh responded. She walked hurriedly toward her fellow priestess. A raven hopped in the shadows behind her.
"I need your help, sister. If our plan fails, and the prophesied one defeats us… Well, I have a proposal in the case any such events ever come to pass."
"Just tell me what you have done," Nimueh said, a look of trepidation crossing her face.
"I am with child. We can make sure…" Morgause started, but Nimueh cut her off.
"You what? What have you done?" she cried. "You cannot just jeopardize your role as priestess like this! You know the vows you have taken!" Using magic, Nimueh propelled Morgause onto the stone wall behind her. The rain continued to beat down heavily. Nimueh began to curl her outstretched hand into a fist, an action that signified that she was choking the other priestess.
"I am… fully aware… of my actions, Nimueh. Let me… explain," Morgause gasped, clutching at her throat. "In the end, if we cannot manage to save ourselves, we can at least save her. We can preserve the child in time. If the prophecy holds true and Arthur rises again… She will be waiting to meet him." She took another hindered breath before continuing. Nimueh didn't seem at all reassured, and squeezed tighter at Morgause's throat.
"Arthur stands for everything that holds us back and keeps magic at bay. The Old Religion will live on; it always has. But it will dwindle, and Arthur alone has the power to snuff our light out for good.
"The prophecy also tells of the one who will stand guard over Arthur. He shall be the Immortal, or Emrys. Our heir will have to go through him, but we will train her well. We could cast a spell… to keep her alive until the time is right," Morgause choked out. Her skin seemed to take on the slightest shade of blue.
Nimueh had relaxed her grip slightly and seemed more interested. Morgause took a deep breath of air before continuing.
"However, to preserve her, would take the magic of more than just two priestesses. We will need hoards of men willing to sacrifice their life's energy to fuel this spell. But, sister, I already have the location and means to formulate the basis of this magic. Come with me, please, and I will show you," Morgause pleaded. Drops of water trickled down her chin, and Merlin saw a hint of desperation in her eyes. Nimueh finally let Morgause fall to the ground, where she sat for a moment, trying to catch her breath.
"You have convinced me, sister. I'm certain the gods will understand the sacrifice you have given. Bear in mind, though, another rash act will not be forgiven as easily. But now, who is the father? Surely you have not been careless enough to dilute the line with a lowly mortal?" Nimueh asked, her eyes in stark contrast with the sky. Lightning crackled above them.
"Of course not! I would never make such a grave error," Morgause replied. "He is powerful, but of no relevance. I have slain him and taken his blood; it is essential if the spell is to work. Now all we need is an army of men willing to give their lives' essence to our cause."
"Well done, Morgause. Come now, though; who said the men needed to be willing?" Nimueh cackled as an evil smile spread slowly across her fair features.
The scene changed and Merlin watched as druids and soldiers alike were led to their deaths by promises of riches and reward. Others were not so lucky; Nimueh enchanted them, or Morgause used Fomorrohs and Nathairs to force them to do her bidding. Tens of men and women were escorted to the Crystal Cave and ordered to place their hands on a giant slab of black diamond. The rock drained them of their life force and all magic any of them had ever possessed. Bodies lay scattered on the floor of the cave and were removed every so often by the priestesses' hired thugs. Merlin would have retched, but he was paralyzed. Not only was the scene gruesome, but he could smell the odor of rotting flesh wafting off the dead. He watched as over fifty sorcerers chanted around the stone; only half of them were still standing at the end of the ordeal.
Finally, Nimueh approached the dark stone herself. Somehow, Merlin knew that much time had passed since the start of the spell. Those that could parted before her. She took no notice of the dead or exhausted bodies on the ground; she simply walked over them. Summoning the power of the gods, Nimueh chanted verse after verse of spell work. Light poured out of the sky, and channeled through Nimueh, collected in the stone. At last, Nimueh poured a vial of blood over the dark rock. Merlin watched in horror for what seemed like hours, but when Nimueh was finally done with the spell, she was barely even ruffled. The rock stood erect; a malicious gleam shone off it. It appeared to suck all the life out of the room, as it had been doing for months now. It was possibly the biggest artificially made time spell Merlin had ever seen.
Morgause appeared with a bundle in her arms at Nimueh's side.
"Sister, we have done it! All we need to do now is raise the child," Morgause exclaimed. She pushed a bit of cloth aside in the bundle to reveal the face of a baby.
"But only if we feel to be losing the battle shall we place the child in this time capsule," Nimueh replied. "What have you named her?"
"Vivian," Morgause said, her lips twisting into a malicious smile.
...
Vivian woke much earlier than she would have liked; looking at the clock she estimated she had only gotten about three hours of sleep. It was still late morning, so she still had time to do something with the day. She padded down the hallway in an effort to find Marin, but apparently Marin had gone out. No matter, Vivian thought to herself. There is something I must check on anyway.
A small twinge in Vivian's chest told her something was wrong. Something linked to her magic. The only place linked to her magic that she could think of was the Crystal Cave. With a sense of foreboding, Vivian threw on her clothes from yesterday and hurried out of the house. She jogged through the woods until she reached the small thinning of trees. Smoke no longer rose from the cave's entrance, but Vivian thought she heard a faint moan coming from inside. Her trepidation grew as she dropped through the hole. A figure was crouched next to the slab of black diamond with an expression of suffering on his face. With a start, Vivian realized who it was.
"MICHAEL!" Vivian screamed. She ran and tore his hand away from the rock. His limp body slumped back into her arms. His hand was blackened where he had touched the rock, and she didn't think he was conscious. Using her magic, Vivian levitated Michael out of the cave, then climbed out herself. She was able to drag him to the shade of a tree before her strength gave out. She felt for a pulse; it was there, but it was faint. A tear escaped from the corner of Vivian's eye.
This is all my fault, Vivian thought. The time spell… I have to save him. I have to.
Determined to set things right, Vivian marched back down to the black stone. Summoning all her magic and willpower, Vivian willed the rock to lend her its energy. After all, it had been built to sustain her on its energy for hundreds of years. It was created to obey her. There was no way she would let Michael down the way she had so many others.
A golden haze formed around the diamond. Slowly but surely, a line of energy and magic made its way toward Vivian. She took a deep breath. Her mouth seemed to open of its own volition, and the golden magic made its way in. Within a few minutes, Vivian's skin was radiating with the glow of newfound energy. Exiting the cave once more, she made her way over to Michael.
She extended her palm toward him, ready to transfer the energy she had stored inside her. She felt it bubble and froth, ready to erupt. She could feel it at the end of her fingertips, and they made contact with his skin. She closed her eyes and…
Nothing. Nothing happened.
Perplexed, Vivian looked down at her hand. She could still feel the energy and magic boiling inside her, so why hadn't it left yet? There was plenty extra… Suddenly, it dawned on her. The energy had to leave the same way it had gone in. Vivian knew now what she had to do. She got down on her knees next to Michal, placed her hands on either side of his face, and kissed him.
At first, still nothing happened. The kiss was just a kiss. Then she felt him stir ever so slightly beneath her. She kissed him a little harder. Gradually, she felt life return to his body. His lips pressed against hers, and suddenly, he was kissing her back. Startled, Vivian pulled away. Michael's eyes cracked open.
"Vivian?" he whispered. Vivian let a burst of laughter escape her. She felt pure joy at having him completely alive and well again. She threw herself into his arms, knocking him back. A small grunt alerted Vivian to the fact that he wasn't fully recovered yet.
"Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!" she cried.
"It's okay… just, how did I get here?" Michael asked.
"I…" Vivian racked her brain for a plausible story. "What's the last thing you remember?"
"Well, I was exploring the forest a bit more, and I found this cave. It was filled with crystals. It was just beautiful. Then there was this huge black rock… and I touched it. I couldn't pull my hand away. That's about it," he answered.
She realized there was absolutely no convincing story that would cover up what happened. Vivian sat back on her heels. Vivian would have bet money on the fact that it was the stupidest idea she had ever had, but she was tired of lying to the one person she felt she could really trust. Even if she had only known him for a few days.
"Michael, there's something I have to tell you," she started off. "I'm not the person you think I am. And before you object, yes, there is such thing as magic. I'm not from this time period; I'm from several hundred years back. I come from a time where there are knights, kings, queens, and dragons. As far as I know the dragons have died off, though," Vivian chuckled nervously. "I'm the last high priestess of the Old Religion. The Old Religion, well, it's a way of life that involves magic. It is the balance between all living things, and even some non-living. I have a mission here, and it is to save the Old Religion from the King Arthur. He is known as the Once and Future King; the prophecy dictates he will rise again. I have to stop him, or he will eradicate the Old Religion for good. We are already spread too thin… The druids are becoming fewer and fewer… Please, Michael. I'm still the same person you know. Please believe me," she pleaded.
Michael had been listening to her stony faced. Not once had he interrupted or laughed. Vivian searched his face for a reaction or answer. Swiftly, Michael leaned forward and kissed her. When he pulled away, Vivian realized she was crying tears of joy. In that moment, all she felt was beautiful, blossoming love for that boy.
"Is something wrong?" Michael asked in a concerned manner that touched Vivian's heart.
"No, it's just that I'm so happy. No one has ever just accepted me the you have." With a contented smile, Vivian settled down next to him. He put his arm around her shoulders. Things were definitely better than they had been before.
...
Everything was black. The darkness was soothing; it was like a long awaited nap. It felt deep and warm to Merlin, and he had no intention of coming back from it. But at the corner of his consciousness, there was a slight pressure. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, either, but it felt so good to just rest for a while. But the pressure was increasing, and it was beginning to push all that darkness back. It was counter-affecting the darkness, but at the same time it revitalized him and gave him new strength. Come on, it begged him. Just wake up already.
After what seemed like a long time, Merlin was able to regain feeling of his body. He was suddenly aware that the pressure was being applied to his lips, and it really did feel pretty good. He breathed in through his nose and inhaled a familiar scent. The fragrance was a mix of lilac, honey, and a warm summer day from a long time ago.
"Vivian? " Merlin managed to croak out. He cracked his eyes open just as she pulled away. She emitted a laugh, which helped Merlin almost as much as the magic had. She leaned forward and hugged him, a little too tightly for Merlin's still recovering body. He made a noise of discomfort.
"Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!" Vivian exclaimed
"It's okay… just, how did I get here?" Merlin queried.
"I…" she hesitated a moment before answering. "What's the last thing you remember?" Merlin thought fast.
"Well, I was exploring the forest a bit more, and I found this cave. It was filled with crystals. It was just beautiful. Then there was this huge black rock… and I touched it. I couldn't pull my hand away. That's about it," he replied.
"Michael, there's something I have to tell you," she began slowly. "I'm not the person you think I am. And before you object, yes, there is such thing as magic. I'm not from this time period; I'm from several hundred years back. I come from a time where there are knights, kings, queens, and dragons. As far as I know the dragons have died off, though," Vivian let out a nervous laugh. "I'm the last high priestess of the Old Religion. The Old Religion, well it's a way of life that involves magic. It is the balance between all living things, and even some non-living. I have a mission here, and it is to save the Old Religion from the King Arthur. He is known as the Once and Future King; the prophecy dictates he will rise again. I have to stop him, or will eradicate the Old Religion for good. We are already spread too thin… The druids are becoming fewer and fewer… Please, Michael. I'm still the same person you know. Please believe me," she begged, her eyes big. Merlin racked his brain for an answer. Wow, she's coming clean, he thought. Her decision impressed him. His reaction needed to seem plausible, but… he made a split second decision. Merlin reached up and kissed her on the lips again. When he broke away, he noticed tears trickling down her cheek. It bothered him how much seeing her cry upset him.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
"No, it's just that I'm so happy. No one has ever just accepted me the you have," Vivian replied with a small smile. She nestled in next to him, and he placed his arm around her and hugged her tightly. Even though he smiled, his heart constricted inside his chest, because he knew he was only making it harder for himself to do what needed to be done.