Merlin slowly backed away from the girl, trying to maintain his composure so as not to draw too much suspicion, "Y-you're right. I shouldn't be here."
He quickly scanned his surroundings. Thankfully, the rest of the Candleravens were still oblivious to his presence, and this little quest of his hadn't been entirely compromised. Slicking back his hair, he looked the girl square in the eyes.
"But I'm keeping a record of everything that's been happening here in the Viridian Forest. It's my duty to observe these fools," he lied, gesturing toward the Candleravens.
The girl glanced over at the party, taking in the scene. From her point of view, the fight seemed to have just ended, and the guild had managed to fell both the owlbear and the manticore. A marvelous feat!
She smiled. "I keep a record of them too! I'm a big fan!"
Merlin raised a brow at her. Perhaps her enthusiasm could be used to his advantage. "W-well, if you're the big fan you say you are, maybe you'd like to have their autographs?"
The girl directed her attention back at the magus and squealed, her eyes lighting up with stars. "Really?!"
"Yes, really!" Merlin replied. He pointed to his younger self, who was among the Candleravens, all preoccupied with harvesting parts from the creatures they'd felled.
"That guy and I—well, we're very close," he continued. "If you want, I can go fetch his autograph for you!"
"Oh, him?" The girl's enthusiasm wavered for a moment. "I don't know, I think I'm good on that part." She then pointed to the handsome druid. "How about him?"
"Florian?!" Merlin groaned, rolling his eyes. "Why is it always—ugh, fine!" Seizing the opportunity to escape the situation, he brushed off the dirt and turned away from the girl.
"Just wait here while I grab his autograph." He said whilst making his exit.
"Thanks, Merlin!" she called after him. "You're the best!"
Merlin's eyes widened. He whirled back around, charging toward her. Grabbing her arm, he growled, "What did you just say?"
"Ow, hey!" she yelped, trying to pull free. "I just said you're the best!"
"Don't play with me!" he said, his grip tightening. "Before that!"
"Thanks, Merlin?"
"How do you know my name?"
"Buddy, relax! Everyone knows your name," she replied. "You're not exactly the type who can keep something like that a secret!"
Merlin's eyes flared for a bit, emitting a bright purplish hue as he casts a spell upon the unknowing girl, something that could pry deeper into her thoughts. However, a sudden ringing in his ears erupted and his nose began to bleed, sending the magus to the ground, coiling in pain as the sound grew louder and painful by the second.
"Oh, oh gosh!" the girl exclaimed, kneeling down beside him. "You okay, dude?"
Merlin couldn't respond. His vision swam in and out of focus, the world around him reduced to a chaotic blur. His ears rang with an unbearable noise, as if a thousand bells had been set off all at once. What the hell happened?
A moment later, his strength gave out. The world went dark, and Merlin collapsed to the ground, his consciousness slipping away.
The girl hovered over his limp body, her eyes wide with a mix of confusion and concern. Before she could react any further, the sound of footsteps approached, closing in on her location.
"Oh, great," she muttered under her breath, glancing around as if looking for an escape.
~
Merlin woke up to a throbbing pain in his head, every beat of his pulse amplifying the ache. He blinked, trying to focus as his surroundings slowly came into view—a dark, empty room with no windows, the air heavy and stale.
Why did the spell fail? He racked his brain, sifting through the remnants of the casting. Normally, his mind would simply misfire the spell without consequence, but this was different. This was a backlash, an aggressive retaliation. His gut told him the girl was involved, but how?
He pushed himself off the cold, hard floor, wincing as his body protested the movement. Dusting off his coat, he made his way to the only visible exit, a door at the far end of the room. Just as he reached for it, his hand met a solid, unseen barrier, humming with an eerie energy.
"A force barrier," he muttered, his eyes narrowing as he studied the faint shimmer of magic in the air. "Very clever."
As he contemplated his next move, a loud, grating noise echoed through the room, sending a jolt down his spine. He spun around to see the girl dragging a chair into view, her expression shifting from mischievous to an oddly composed look as she straddled the chair backward and sitting down, facing him.
"So," she began, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips, "you tried to read my mind."
Merlin responded by slamming his fist against the barrier. The impact sent ripples across the translucent surface, and the girl nearly fell off her chair, startled.
"Why don't we cut the crap, kid?" Merlin snapped. "What's your name and who sent you?!"
The girl blinked, then letting out an exaggerated sigh. "Wow, you're one grumpy Merlin. Fine, fine. I suppose you deserve the truth."
She stood up from the chair, placing a hand over her chest with a dramatic flourish. "My name is Erisviel Von Goethel. I have no affiliates. I'm just here of my own volition, and I wanted to see if there's any way I can help you."
Silence filled the room, stretching out uncomfortably long. Only the faint hum of the barrier echoed in the air.
Merlin then narrowed his eyes and uttered. "Bullshit."
"I'm telling you the truth!" Eris protested.
Merlin crossed his arms and raised a brow. "Oh really? So you just waltzed into the Veridian Forest's proving grounds and somehow managed to sneak up on me to help all out of the goodness of your heart?"
Eris puffed out her cheeks in mock indignation. "Hey, it's not my fault you were too busy pretending to be 'Mr. Mysterious Observer' to notice me."
Merlin's expression remained flat. "Uh-huh. And the mind-reading knockout thing? What was that all about?"
Eris shrugged. "Honestly, I have no idea. All I know is that tends to happen from time to time when people try to read my mind, I guess? It's a blessing and a curse."
Merlin couldn't help it. He let out a small, begrudging chuckle. "You're either the worst liar I've ever met or the most annoyingly sincere person in existence."
Eris grinned. "So, are we cool now?"
"No," Merlin snapped, turning his attention back to the barrier. "You see, there are consequences here that you clearly don't understand, miss. You can't just lock me up like this because—"
"Yeah, yeah. Because you're not supposed to be here," Eris interrupted, rolling her eyes. "And all that self-righteous stuff you Merlins love to toss around. Would it kill you to be thankful that it was me who found you first before they did?"
"And who's 'they'?" Merlin retorted.
Eris mused for a bit, "Hmm, something your other yous created."
~
Back at the proving grounds, the hellspawn that has been hot on Merlin's trail stands silently before the bushes where his target was once hiding. His illusionary territory still lingers in the area, but it isn't enough to confuse or misdirect the hellspawn.
He then turns his attention to the field where the Candleravens had fought. The remains of the owlbear and manticore lie there, stripped of all their essential parts by the party beforehand.
The hellspawn grunts, placing a hand to his head to contact his associates. "Target appears to be revisiting his past. Same situation as with the other Merlins. Casted a grand illusionary magic to hide, but he is no longer in the area."
As he quietly observes the scene, something else catches his attention. Beyond the illusion and bushes, he notices a violet cloth snagged on one of the branches. He's seen this specific fabric and color before. Then it occurred to him...
Startled, he immediately contacts his associates again. "Target has assistance from the anomaly!"
~
Merlin couldn't help it; the absurdity of the situation made his head throb more than the psychic backlash he experienced earlier. Not only was he being held captive by this clown, but now he also had to grapple with the fallout from the other versions of himself meddling across different timelines.
He rubbed his temples, trying to alleviate the stress, but it was a futile effort. The best way he could think out of this mess would be to return to his current timeline and put this ill-advised adventure on hold.
"Maybe that book could wait after all," he muttered to himself. Yet, deep down, he knew he might not have the luxury of time by then. His memory was slipping away, and if he delayed any longer, there was a very real chance he'd forget everything entirely.
The magus sighed. He had assumed he was done with all this drama before, but it seemed that even now, trouble still followed him. As he mulled over his current predicament, he glanced at his captor, an idea forming in his mind.
"You," he called out.
"Come on, man," Eris groaned, "I already told you my name. The least you could do is use it."
"Fine, Erisviel!"
"Yes, Merlin?"
"You mentioned earlier that you wanted to help, right?"
Eris hesitated for a moment. "Well, yeah, but... that was before."
Merlin raised an eyebrow. "Before? Elaborate."
"I mean, you're sort of the nicest Merlin I've run into so far," she admitted, choosing her words carefully to avoid offending the imprisoned wizard. "But as much as I'd like to help you, I don't really want to risk, well, you know." She mimed a finger running across her neck.
The magus squinted at her, baffled by the implication. "What?"
"Oh, uh, you know? Merked? Deleted? Off'd? Sent to the shadow realm? Murde—"
"I know!" Merlin snapped, clearly irritated. "But are you suggesting the other versions of me just casually disposes of anyone they come across?"
Eris gave a nervous smile and nodded.
"That is extremely absurd!" Merlin retorted. "I'm sure they all had their reasons, and I certainly would not harm anyone who wasn't a threat!"
Eris didn't bother to reply directly, giving Merlin a knowing look instead. She waved a dismissive hand in his direction and simply remarked, "Tell that to the other versions of you who've killed people for less."
The magus was far from receptive to this answer, continuing to rant from within his magical cell. Eris, meanwhile, turned her attention back to her little spot in the corner of the room.
At her table lay a scattered assortment of chalk and gems. She carefully observed each material, clearly struggling to decide which ones she needed for the spell forming in her mind. The answer to her dilemma was right behind her, yelling in his cell, but she hesitated. Could she really trust this man? There was still a lingering doubt that he wouldn't botch the spell and create more problems.
She sighed. "Not much of a choice here, I suppose," she muttered to herself in a defeated tone. Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when the ground shook slightly, as if a small explosion had gone off nearby.
Eris immediately glanced back at Merlin, who was still in his cage, staring at her with confusion.
"What?" Merlin asked, taken aback by her sudden shift in demeanor.
Before she could respond, her eyes widened, and she turned toward the door. A split second later, a loud explosion erupted, blasting the door inward and sending her stumbling over the table and knocking it over.
Smoke quickly filled the room as a group of armed, masked men stormed in, taking up positions around Merlin's force barrier. The magus remained momentarily safe within his magical prison, but he knew it was only a matter of time before they found a way to breach the spell and drag him out.
He needed to think fast. As he began to quietly calculate his next move, the hellspawn strode into the room behind the armed men, his presence commanding their attention as he approached the barrier to face Merlin head-on. The obsidian mask he wore gleamed in the dim light, obscuring his expression but not the malice behind those bright crimson eyes.
After a long, tense staredown, the hellspawn finally spoke, his voice distorted by the mask. "I really thought you'd be harder to catch."
"What can I say," Merlin replied with a dry chuckle, casting a quick glance at the unconscious Eris in the corner. "I got reckless."
The hellspawn gave a low, menacing laugh. "You know, a huge chunk of the Conclave wants to take you in for questioning, but quite honestly..." He slowly pulled a revolver from behind his back, the metallic click echoing in the room. "I'd rather bring you to them in a body bag, old man."
The masked man gave a subtle nod to one of his subordinates, signaling them to proceed with the next plan for situations such as these. The chosen underling approached the barrier, murmuring an incantation while making intricate hand gestures.
Merlin let out a derisive laugh. "Surely, you idiots must be kidding! A mere dispelling incantation can't break a force barrier."
The hellspawn tilted his head, a hint of amusement in his voice. "We know." He paused for effect, allowing his words to sink in. "That's why we're not trying to dispel it. We're going to poison you there until you force yourself out."
Merlin's smirk faltered, his eyes narrowing in sudden realization. He turned his gaze back to the subordinate, recognizing the specific gestures and incantation. His blood ran cold; it was a poison cloud spell.
In mere moments, a swirling, greenish-yellow fog began to manifest within the barrier, expanding rapidly. The air grew thick with the acrid stench of death and decay. Merlin's eyes widened as he watched the noxious cloud begin to fill his cage, its poisonous tendrils creeping toward him. His heart raced; he could already feel the sting of the toxic air on his skin, burning his throat as he held his breath.
A quick teleportation spell crossed his mind, but it would take all his willpower to pull it off, given the barrier's restrictions. And then there was the hellspawn, revolver at the ready, his stance poised to fire the moment Merlin made a move. It was a perfect trap—damned if he stayed, damned if he fled.
"You sick bastard," Merlin spat, eyes locked on the fiend.
"Hmph. It's just what you Merlins deserve," the hellspawn replied coldly. "And for your information, this is personal."
The spell reached its climax, the cloud thickening and swirling around Merlin, growing denser with each passing second. His lungs burned for air, his mind racing to find a way out as the toxic fog closed in. The hellspawn watched with bated breath, his finger on the trigger, waiting for Merlin to make his move.
As each moment grew more perilous for Merlin, Eris sprang from the shadows. With a swift motion, she pistol-whipped the subordinate concentrating on the spell, breaking his focus and dispersing the noxious cloud. Thinking quickly, she seized the dazed man, pressing her gun to his temple.
"Alright, nobody moves, or I blow this guy's head off!" she shouted, her voice steady despite the chaos.
A tense silence enveloped the room, everyone processing this sudden turn. For the hellspawn, however, this was just another day. With a resigned sigh, he aimed his revolver not at Merlin but at his own subordinate and Eris. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger. The bullet tore through his underling, striking Eris in the shoulder and forcing her to release her grip.
The room erupted into chaos as Merlin steadied his breath, focusing his will against the arcane prison. The cage resisted, but he pushed back with sheer determination. In a fleeting moment, he found a weak point and surged through, teleporting himself out in a blink of an eye and reappearing in front of the hellspawn and tackling him out of the room before the fiend could react.
The subordinates scrambled to respond, rushing to their leader's aid. But as they moved, one of them suddenly froze mid-step, eyes glazing over as an enchantment took hold. Without warning, he let out a crazed scream, turning on his comrades with rifle drawn.
"What the—?" one shouted, diving out of the way as the enchanted man opened fire, his shots wild and uncontrolled.
Panic spread like wildfire. The ranks shattered as allies turned on each other, confusion and fear fueling the melee. Shouts of alarm echoed through the room as they struggled to dodge the frenzied attack from their own.
Amidst the pandemonium, a bleeding Erisviel crawled toward cover, clutching her wound. Meanwhile, outside, the hellspawn lay momentarily forgotten, the chaos inside overtaking any thought of his struggle from Merlin's assault.
As he struggled to rise, the fiend suddenly found himself staring down the barrel of his own revolver. Merlin stood over him, eyes cold and unyielding, the tables turned in the magus's favor. For the first time, it was the hellspawn who felt the weight of fear pressing down.
Trying to catch his breath, Merlin huffed, "How's this for an old man?"