The sun looked down on Max as he made his way toward the hill where Merlin's house stood. The heat was too much to bear, with the temperature so high, he felt like his shoes were melting on the cobble path. His shirt felt like it was glued to his back, already soaked with sweat, as he now went down from the cobbled path to the dirt one leading out of the town.
Every step felt like a chore. The dusty road exhaled up a small cloud of dirt after every step around his feet, and his head throbbed from the intensity of the sun above him. Max swiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand, but it was no help—the sweat was already dropping into his eyes again.
The town below looked distant now, the stone buildings growing smaller with each step he took. The road stretched endlessly in front of him, winding and twisting up the hill. Somewhere at the halfway point, Max paused for a moment, resting his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. His throat was dry, and every breath felt like he inhaled fire.
"Why does the bald guy live all the way up here?" Max muttered to himself, wiping more sweat from his face. He looked up at the hill's peak. Merlin's house was a tiny dot in the distance, a small stone structure surrounded by tall, crooked trees.
Max forced himself to keep moving. The hill grew steeper, and the path became narrower, the grass slowly disappearing, turning into a rocky terrain. The sun spat its heat down on Max mercilessly, its rays reflecting off the stones, making it feel even hotter. His boots crunched against the dry rocks, each step making his calves burn from the climbing. His shirt was completely soaked through now, the fabric sticking to his skin as if glued there.
By the time he neared the final stretch, Max felt like he might collapse. The air was so still it felt like it had weight, pressing him down from all sides. His mouth was dry, and he wanted just a drop of cool water. But there was nothing—only the cruel sun and the difficult climb.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Max reached the top of the hill. Merlin's house stood in front of him, small and surrounded by trees. The stone walls were covered in moss, and an old wooden door creaked slightly in the hot breeze. Max fell on his knees, gasping for air as sweat dripped from his forehead to the ground.
"I fucking hate him," he muttered between ragged breaths.
The small cottage was really small, gray rock held together by time or maybe even magic. Vines crawled up its sides, adding a nice colorful green to the otherwise dull exterior. The roof was covered with small patches of moss. A narrow chimney extended from one corner, a faint curl of smoke drifting lazily from its top.
"Why would he light a fire in this heat? Is he crazy?" Max thought.
Surrounding the house was a small garden, wild and unkempt. Herbs that Max didn't recognize bloomed around the cottage, their colors bright. There was no order, everything went where it pleased. An ancient-looking oak tree stood off to the side, its twisted branches reaching out to Max, offering a small patch of shade to protect him from the sun.
The air around the cottage was different from the heat down the hill. There was a faint, cool breeze, spreading the soft and sweet scent of herbs and flowers. It was still hot, but not as hot when he climbed up here.
Max took a few more steps forward when the wooden door opened. Merlin appeared in the doorway, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he looked at Max soaked in sweat.
"Made it, did you?" Merlin said, laughing. His long, white beard danced in the breeze. He was dressed in simple robes that seemed far too thick for the heat, yet he looked perfectly comfortable.
Max still tried to catch his breath. "You… need to find… a better location for your house."
Merli chuckled, stepping out from the doorway. He held a large wooden tray, and to Max's huge relief, two tall glasses of lemonade on it. The sight of the cold drink made Max's throat ache with thirst.
"Come one, sit," Merlin said, pointing to a small stone bench in front of the house. The bench was right under the shade of the oak tree.
Max followed, jumping onto the bench. Merlin handed him a glass, and Max didn't waste a second. He took a long gulp, the lemonade was sweet as it flowed down his throat. The coldness spread through his body, cooling him down on the intense heat.
Merlin sat beside him, sipping his own drink slowly. They sat in silence for a moment, looking at the landscape below. From here, the entire town lay spread out beneath them, the rooftops shimmering in the distance from the heat. Behind the town, hills stretched far beyond, and distant forests and rivers were barely visible on the horizon.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Merlin said softly. "You can see everything from here. That's why I like it."
"But climbing here every single day, I don't think it's worth it," Max said.
"I don't climb, I use a portal I made," Merlin said and took a sip of his lemonade.
"You have a portal?"
"Well, yes."
"And you couldn't come and get me, through that portal of yours? To make it easier?"
"Hmm… I didn't think of that," Merlin smiled at him.
Max gave a weak smile. "Damn… But I didn't have much choice, did I?"
Merlin chuckled again. "No, you did not." He took another sip of his lemonade. "We've got a lot to talk about before we leave tomorrow. Let's get inside."
Cool air washed over him as Max stepped inside Merlin's house. Inside, it was more like a massive castle than it appeared from the outside. Tall ceilings were above them, the floors were polished marble, and the walls were lined with bookshelves, strange relics, and artifacts glowing. Everything about his place screamed of magic.
Max couldn't help but feel small as they entered the great hall. The room stretched out into what seemed like an endless corridor, with doors that likely led to rooms even larger than this one.
"This place… is huge," Max said, trying not to look too impressed by it.
"It's served me well for a long time. Magic can be useful for living spaces as well."
They stopped. Merlin turned to face Max, and he smiled.
"Now, I need to see your abilities before we continue. I need to know what we're working with."
"Yes, sure let me just see my stats screen," Max said, looking for it.
"No need. I can see them for myself."
Max blinked, confused. "See them?"
"Yes, heroes can see the attributes and abilities of others, didn't you know that?"
"No! How could I know that? It isn't something normal to know!"
"Let me explain it to you, come closer. All you have to do is focus. Look past the surface of people. There's more to them than you see with your eyes."
At first, nothing happened. Max focused on Merlin, the longer he looked he thought he could see the air shimmer around him. Then, a translucent screen appeared in front of Max, filled with strange markings and symbols that he couldn't understand at first. The more he concentrated, the clearer it became.
Excited, Max looked at Merlin to see his stats. But instead of numbers and abilities, all he saw were skulls—dark skulls that flickered in and out of the screen. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't go past them.
"I can't see your stats, the screen is there but… all I see are skulls."
"It means I'm far beyond your level, boy. You'll only see those skulls when the difference is… considerable," Merlin chuckled. "But you did a good job, you learn fast. Now, let's get to work."