"Is this man joking?"
"He's not joking. He's an absolute mad."
"What kind of whoreson blasphemer dares to claim to be the Illustrious Father of Camelot's Wizards, who passed thousands of years ago!"
The person who claimed to be Lailoken, had expected the many condescending responses when the names "Lailoken" or "Merlin" left his lips. But he remained adamant. His confidence did not fade away. The abbot stayed true about his identity, no matter if people labeled him as a narcissist with an identity crisis.
Moreover, the response came from three teenagers in the back row of the mages. The faces of the two girls from Trinketshore village were contorted, just like the rest of the Magisterium.
"Alicia, do you believe that?" said Nadine. Alicia sure did not believe that. "That man calls himself Lailoken!"
But somehow The Big Yin considered all matters related to Merlin's name insignificant. "Aren't there many noo who hae the name Merlin or Lailoken? What's sae special aboot him compared tae the others?" Gilmore asked.
She looked at Gilmore's face in surprise. Nadine scolded him, "Are you deaf or what? Didn't you hear him mention his nicknames one by one earlier?"
The transfixed Alicia felt a vibration from her backpack pocket. Orb attempted to say something. "Orb? What's wrong?"
Orb hummed a loud warning, but not so loud that the monks up ahead heard as well. And whatever the Arcane ball echoed, only made the Crimsonmane girl more disturbed.
Meanwhile, the curious Bartholomew approached the Grand Magus. Of all the Magisterium wizards, their head seemed the quietest. Perhaps it was equitable, considering it was a norm for a Grand Magus to have extensive knowledge of connections to the world of thaumaturgy. Nonetheless, if he was the only one who knew Merlin existed to this day, it was equitable as well, for the suspicion was growing amongst his brothers and sisters. "You seem 'familiar' to him. Do you know this madman? Why don't any of us know but you?"
Haddock's lips answered, but his head did not turn."It's a long story, Barthie."
The sound of Alicia's scream from behind suddenly startled the entire building. "EVERYONE, BEWARE! THE ONE WHO CLAIMS TO BE 'MERLIN' IS THE OWNER OF BLACK MAGIC!"
The whole soul was streaked. The restrained tongues stuck out, cursing aloud at the monk in ancient attire. Merlin, the illustrious father of Camelot's magic, could not have possibly touched the most cursed power in the world of thaumaturgy. He was even willing to betray his own people—selling his soul to Roma and Camelot—just so that he would not let his hands finger that seductive power. The impatient mass of wizards raised their wildly tightened wands. Eager they were to spit out magical substances, directing them at the ungodly monks, especially in the face of the blasphemous "Grand Magus".
Connecting with the black mages, let alone asking for their services without the knowledge of the organisation, was forbidden in the Magisterium. Even if one was forced to do it, and the situation was on the verge of life and death, surely everyone would have known. This rule applied to the Grand Magus, as well. How could Bartholomew not be upset when this careless and incompetent Grand Magus had a secret acquaintance of a Khaos worshiper, and no one knew what had happened behind the relationship?
"You know these black magicians?" Bartholomew gripped the clothes of the head of the Magisterium. "What's your relationship with him? Don't tell me you're conspiring with some dark mages!"
Haddock tugged at his coat roughly, too. "Barthie, under the general circumstance. I don't object to you babbling all the time. But can you please don't do that now? You're quite annoying." Haddock then turned and urged at the raging wizards. "My brethren! Order! Order! Lower your wands, and hold your magic fire! Diplomacy, brethren. Diplomacy!"
A voice from the crowd rebuked him. "Grand Magus, have you lost your mind? We don't have diplomacy with practitioners of Khaos magic!"
All in unison called for the support of the random vote earlier.
"Alright, all of you, QUIET!" Haddock's orders sealed their mouths straightaway. "You shall attack when I say 'ATTACK'! Do not forget who your leader is! Prove you don't behave like Morganian magi!"
Merlin and his cohorts still stood there in silence, waiting for the crowd of suit-clad barbarians to be tamed by a tamer named Lachlan Haddock. The irony, when Haddock was the one wanting to embarrass himself first. "People say you're an incompetent Grand Magus. But I have to admit, at some point, you were an authoritative shepherd." Merlin expressed his admiration for Haddock.
"Don't start," responded Haddock. "You'd better start telling me what you're here for so I can turn it down right away."
Merlin meant his intentions without a single moment wasted. "We want to take away your national treasure girl."
The wizards became violent, and Haddock had to temper their anger once again. He represented everyone's objections to Merlin. "That girl, just dealt with another kidnapper. You joke, surely, to claim you and your crowd, the new contender."
"That's why we come here." Merlin paused for a moment. "We provide what you can't give her. Protection, security, and teaching on how to control her special powers. Not much, but enough."
"A training? What do you know about her and the power she wields?"
"I am a thousand years of Arcane's knowledge more knowledgeable than you. I know the origins of that Arcane source, Your Honourable Grand Magus. I witnessed its presence in the ancient land of Albion with my own eyes."
"Again, that utter tosh. You do not know what that young lady has gone through."
"Like what, Grand Magus, having a Necromancer terrorise an entire city just to kill and control her being in the form of a corpse? Or a band of mages carrying out organised attacks on her and her family? Trust me, the conclusion is beyond the realm. Over time, many will rise to hunt the girl and her magic sphere. Your city is not safe for her, Grand Magus. Neither is your sky palace."
"And your nest burrow in the middle of Shenzhou and Danhar battlefield is safer than our castle?"
Merlin casually replied, "Indeed," without further explanation.
Haddock's face was filled with annoyance. He turned to his comrades in arms and chuckled. No one joined in his laughter. Their reactions should emerge if he granted the wish of dropping the bearded middle-aged man and his minions into the sky. Haddock turned back to Merlin. His feet tapped the floor.
"You know we can't just cede Arcane wielder to a black magician."
Had Merlin ever blinked? His eyeballs were still the same as they were before Haddock turned—fixed on him like a frozen figure. "Dark magic has nothing to do with anything at all."
"Almost all magi who attacked her prior to this have black magic, Sir 'Merlin'."
"Not my problem. My 'tiger' colleague didn't use any. Humans have wrought havoc on earth throughout history, with or without the magic of Khaos. I could have said that I'm different. Oh, of course, such simple words are too difficult for a group of rigid wizards like you to digest."
"Just say it. You want to control Arcane might through that girl, don't you?" Haddock told him. "To be honest, even if we are best friends, giving the Arcane mage to you not only deprives us of our most valuable asset in warding off Khaos magic, but also arouses Chixian Shenzhou's suspicions of the Magisterium's actions. The great war against the greatest country of the east, again? No, thank you, dear. I won't bet on that."
"Oh, I see. What a most natural human act. Worrying only about the short-term dangers rather than the potential apocalypse in the long term. You know, I don't care about power, or mere political intervention, Your Honourable Grand Magus. The survival of the world is now more important."
Alicia was thinking too much, she forgot to think whether interrupting the conversation of the two mage faction leaders was a good idea. "So that Kagatse ninja! He is your errand man?"
"Shh, Alicia! Dinnae speak to yon rocket!" Gilmore rebuked her in a whisper.
Of course, almost all the attention, including the two leaders, was on Alicia. Merlin then walked to the side, out of the Grand Magus's sight. Expedient he was, still did not step forward so as not to infuriate the already stifling atmosphere.
"The girl finally speaks. What is your name, hen?" Merlin asked dearly. The girl refused to answer. "The shinobi of Kagatse is my colleague. I apologise for the unpleasant experience. However, I promise you I am not a Morganian mage. I have come to help you prepare for the fate that awaits you."
Merlin, with his squinted eyes, really made the bespectacled girl uncomfortable. "What are you doing? S-stop looking at me like that!" the nervous Alicia rebuked him. It felt like Merlin explored the contents of Alicia's mind with a simple soul gaze.
"You did not know?" Merlin finished analysing. "The Grand Magus hasn't told you anything yet? About your Arcane orb? The meaning of your hand mark?"
"The mark on my hand?" She looked at her glove-covered hands, which she had never opened while outside. "H-how did you know?"
Haddock immediately confronted the abbot. "Okay, that's enough. You'd better get out of here–"
"I'm not done yet," he interrupted, then pounded on Alicia in the back row. "You, young lady, are one of the six anomalies that will change the face of the world, for better or worse!"
"Gentlemen, banish them!" ordered Haddock as the wizards started pushing the abbot by force. Finally, the waiting of the whole western magi paid off. The disapproved monks blocked them and a scene of pushing each other ensued. Merlin, thinking the matter had passed, continued to exclaim at her.
"You and the others were prophesied centuries ago. You, young girl, are the Child of Miracles!"
Alicia was getting more and more puzzled by Merlin's words. Even though she had guessed that she could not be given the might without reason, she could not stop being afraid. The wizards and sorcerers were still making physical contact. The sorcerers–only sixteen in number–still managed to withstand the repulsion of the Magisterium's mages which had more than doubled. As long as Merlin had not declared war, they had done enough to get the leader getting his message across before they were all knocked down from the sky abyss.
The old mage's scream still froze Alicia. The Magisterium mages kept resisting them with all their might, albeit the superior physical strength of the sorcerers stumbled them upon. Merlin continued to scream in the midst of the pushing and shoving. "If one of you dies, then the fate of the world is at stake, especially if that poor person is you, young lady! You, are one of the most essential Children! The sacred might you carry is most important! Losing you will make the survival of men impossible! You and the others must be ready when that day comes—the day when the world will be embraced by Khaos himself!"
"Don't listen to this lunatic, Alicia!" Haddock exclaimed.
"You must come with us," uttered the First Grand Magus. "I will train you how to use Arcane, young girl. We will find the other five and teach them as well. This is not an offer. You will come with us voluntarily, or we will drag you by force! We will not hesitate to teach you by force, until you understand your duty!"
Nadine and Gilmore swiftly protected their best friend, inviting her to back away.
That's too much of a burden! Alicia thought. Yesterday she was a girl from a village, dumped by the world. Now she was the one who had to clean up the world's mess itself. She saw her hands. Both of them trembled. Her wild mind, which was exploring all possibilities beyond her comprehension, came back again. It had been a tough day, really. Her head was spinning. She could have been palsied from the thought of the impossible fate script, not from exhaustion after controlling Arcane!
"The world is on the verge of collapse," For the sake of anything, Merlin could not just stop babbling! "You've seen the signs. How long are you going to stall, holding that girl from her destiny?"
"You have no right to force her. Begone, 'Merlin'!" Haddock challenged the abbot.
Merlin ignored the behest. He waited for Alica to give her own answer.
The girl knew he would not act until she answered. "You rambled about fighting Khaos, yet you are a connoisseur of its power yourself! I don't believe you!" Alicia straight exclaimed. "You only want me and my might like the others. I won't fall into the same hole!"
A petty grin appeared on Merlin's face.
"I see. Oh, well…."
Merlin turned and spread his arms slowly. Those in the room felt a slight shock before they realised their surroundings were starting to change. The concrete walls seemed to move back and forth. The towering pillars swirled. The frames of the great wizards intersected and separated. Doors and windows folded. An extraordinary phenomenon indeed, when the entire castle, even the floorings, moved to form regular fractal geometric patterns that blended together. The fierce wizards were not as fierce as before, as they were intimidated by the constant landscape changes captured by their visual senses. They stepped back right away.
The Wizards did not need Haddock's cue. They already knew things were getting serious! On the other hand, each monk drew out various kinds of weapons from the void—bows and arrows, long sticks, and discs. Whereas the unarmed ones performed complex hand gestures, summoning a pair of bright orange energy circles to cling to their palms. Eldritch's magic circle, summoned from another dimension!
Merlin and the others would break through the ranks of the wizards to get Alicia Crimsonmane. On the other side, the Magisterium of Arcane Plane would not put up any trivial resistance. The inevitable battle ensued; Haddock and the Magisterium mages together stormed Lailoken's cluster of sorcerers! []