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Chapter Text

They were all in the Library of Magic, like everyday. Just casually studying, with professor Maxwell teaching them, like always.

That was until the alarm went off.

Everyone looked up from their books in alert and confusion. Maxwell stopped reading and turned around and stared at the magical hologram thingy. More particularly, at the magical object it displayed.

"A sword?" Darra was the first to speak up.

"That's unexpected..." Ruksy supplied as she slowly closed her book, eyes still on the hologram.

"And unsettling... I mean, a sword is on loose." Lily added as she looked worriedly at her classmates.

"How can a sword possibly break loose?" Imogen asked in confusion and annoyance (in all honesty she always sounded annoyed) as she leaned back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest.

"That's because it isn't a regular sword." Maxwell interrupted as he approached the table where they were all sitting, tossing a file at the very middle of it. Ruksy was the first to make a move to grab it and they all scooted closer to her as she opened it. "It's Excalibur."

"Wait." Kyra blinked and looked up from the file to Maxwell in confusion. "Excalibur...? Isn't that the sword from the legend of King Arthur?"

"The very same." He replied with a small smile on his face.

"What's it doing out of the lake?" Darra asked as his eyes still scanned the information the file held.

"What lake?" Kyra asked.

"Uh, the Lake Avalon?" Imogen answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

In the magical world, yes. In the human world in which she grew up in, no.

"Huh?"

Imogen rolled her eyes. "Oh my God, you're unbelievable..."

Fortunately for Kyra, Ruksy was kind enough to answer her question. "The Lake Avalon is a mythical and magical place. One of the only few places in the world which holds the magic of the Old Religion."

The information was slightly helpful, but it left Kyra with more questions. "The Old Religion? What's that?"

"You'll learn about it soon enough since we're approaching this chapter." Professor Maxwell was the one to answer instead as he approached the table. "And Darra is right." He said suddenly with a lighthearted tone. "What is Excalibur doing out of the lake?" He took some more steps to approach the table again but from a different angle.

"Uh- I'm sorry, but I'm confused. Why should it be in the lake...?"

"Because according to the legend it's supposed to wait for the arrival of the Once And Future King." Lily informed. "Or something like that." She added in uncertainty.

"That's actually pretty accurate Lily, well done." Maxwell praised. "And for those who don't know, the Once And Future King is another title for King Arthur." Kyra had an idea it was meant for her.

"Oh... I'm sorry, I don't know much about the legend." She apologized while smiling awkwardly.

"That's alright Kyra, it doesn't matter. Humans know the legend much more differently than how we know it in the magical world anyway, so it wouldn't make much of a difference if you knew more about it." He reassured Kyra with a gentle smile.

Kyra blinked. "O- oh, really...?"

"Our version is more accurate." Lily told her while giggling silently.

"But right now is not the time to talk about history." Maxwell announced as he approached Ruksy and held out his hand. "May I?" Without any protesting Ruksy handed him the file, and he looked through it. "It seems like the DMI has deemed you experienced enough to capture the sword and prevent it from cussing harm to anyone."

"Sweet, we're gonna have a legendary sword into the library!" Darra said with happiness lacing his voice.

"You act like this library doesn't have enough legendary swords." Imogen said to him with annoyance and disinterest.

Darra scrunched up his nose, trying to mock her. Imogen just rolled her eyes at him.

"Actually, no." Professor Maxwell looked up from the file to his students. "You will capture it..." He paused and watched as every eye was on him, ears perked up and ready to listen what he was going to say next. "And throw it back to the lake."

"Why should we throw it back to the lake?" Lily asked in confusion.

"Because, like you said, it has a purpose. To wait for its king."

"Then why is it out of the lake?" Darra asked, brows furrowed in confusion.

"It does that every now and then." Maxwell answered after a slight moment of consideration.

"Then what's the point of throwing it back to the lake if it's just gonna come out again?" Inquired Imogen.

Professor Maxwell took a slightly longer moment to consider his words. "Excalibur is a tricky sword. Who knows? Maybe it's getting impatient and wants King Arthur back soon." He joked, shrugging a little.

"So, uh, where is the sword now?" Kyra suddenly asked, trying to sound casual. As much as she'd like to know more, she knew they had to capture the sword.

And from her experience? Magic swords= bad.

Maxwell looked at her and held her gaze, and Kyra wasn't sure, but she could almost see pride in his eyes.

"Alright, since you're all so eager to stop the sword I'll tell you." He said in a light voice, shrugging. "The sword is still at Avalon."

Everyone seemed baffled, while Kyra was just confused about why everyone was baffled.

"At the lake?" Lily asked in a worried tone.

"Well, it's near the lake." The professor replied, hands clasped behind his back, still holding the file.

"But the Lake Avalon is outside of England, we're not even in the United Kingdom." Ruksy informed anxiously.

"Wait, the UK? I can't go there, my dad will be worried." Kyra spoke nervously as she got up from her chair.

"Don't worry. Fortunately, the DMI decided to go easy on you. For once." Maxwell said the last part quietly while looking down at his feet. They almost missed it. But neither of them decided to comment on it. He looked at his students again. "As you all know, people who work at the DMI oftenly have to travel away from their homes for a while in order to accomplish certain missions, and they usually takes days, if not weeks. Sometimes even months." He informed his students, his eyes roaming all over on their worried and anxious faces. "This challenge will be a tricky one." He spoke up. "But don't worry. It won't even take you a day." Maxwell tried to reassure them. "However, because the sword is quite powerful, I won't question it if you have difficulty in catching it."

There was a moment of silence before Kyra hesitantly spoke up.

"So... All we have to do is, capture the sword, and throw it back into the lake?"

"Exactly." He said with a smile. "And make sure you throw it with force. Throw it as far as you can into the lake."

"So we're just gonna yeet a magical sword of thousands of years old into a magical lake? Well that's something I've never done before." Darra said playfully while grinning.

Maxwell held his gaze while smiling faintly. "Pretty much so. Anyway. I believe we've wasted enough time. Go and capture the sword, then come back and report to me."

"Don't worry professor Maxwell, we know the drill." Lily said with a kind of smug smile as they all stood up from their chairs.

Maxwell watched them, smiling to himself as he watched them jump and disappear.

*

They all found themselves surrounded by nature, even though behind them was a road with a couple of cars passing by. They were all mesmerized by the field's beauty. Even Imogen, even though she tried not to show it.

The smell of wet grass filled their nostrils, pleasantly so, and the waters of the lake were calm. In the far back, there was a tower. Kyra wondered what was up with the tower.

Also, Kyra couldn't ignore this... This strange magic around her... Maybe it was because of her triling nature, but... She wasn't sure if the others could sense it or not, but she knew it was most likely definitely there.

"It's exactly like in the ancient depictions..." Lily said in awe as she looked around at the place.

"It's like... This place stayed completely untouched by time..." Ruksy supplied with equal awe as she stared at the calm waters of the lake.

"Argh, you fairies are too emotional." Darra said with a roll of his eyes while smirking playfully.

Ruksy glared at him. "Excuse me, but it's a magical and historical place that holds great significance into our history, and we should feel honored of being here."

"You know, pretty much everything holds 'great history'." Darra answered playfully with an almost challenging tone. The fairy kept glaring at him.

"Alright, that's enough." Imogen interrupted as she approached the clever fairy of the group and her brother. "We're here to throw Excalibur back into the lake, not waste our time." She said angrily.

"Damn sis, relax." Darra mockingly lifted his hands like he was surrendering. If Ruksy's glare wasn't threatening, Imogen's definitely was.

Ruksy sighed. "Imogen's right, we have to find the sword."

"Any idea where it could be?" Lily asked the others awkwardly.

"Uhhh, guys...? Is that it...?" Kyra asked softly, with her eyes glued above.

They all followed her gaze and lo and behold, the legendary Excalibur, a couple of meters above the waters of the Lake Avalon, doing... Circles...?

"Why is it doing circles in the air?" Darra asked the others.

"Maybe because it wants to get dizzy?" Lily answered with a question, hoping it was just that.

Imogen half rolled her eyes but decided to keep her comments to herself as she set her eyes back on the sword. "So how do we pull it down?"

Darra snorted. "Have you really not learned anything, sister?" Holding out his fingers Darra stepped up to approach the sword.

He raised his hand, his fingers glowing blue and pointing at Excalibur. His fingers created a blue magical rope-thing and tied itself around the blade of the sword.

Kyra had a moment of deja vu as she remembered that flying chair of that king she really couldn't remember right now, from back when she first discovered the magical world.

Only the blade literally cutting the rope after it tied itself tightly around the blade certainly didn't happen back then.

Darra lowered his hand as he stared at the sword with shock and bafflement like everyone else. "This can't be..." His voice was soft and disbelief was evident.

"It cut through magic...?" Lily asked in worry, although it wasn't really a question.

"It can do that?" Kyra asked her friends.

"Well, it shouldn't!" Imogen answered.

"But yet... It makes sense..." Ruksy spoke softly.

Darra turned around to look at her. "Uh, then please explain how it cut through my magic."

"I don't know much about the Old Religion, honestly. It's a complicated magic. Interesting, but complicated. But what I have managed to understand is that the Old Religion is more powerful than our own magic."

"Wait, really?" Kyra asked in interest.

"Yes. Modern magic is based on the Old Religion."

"So it's kinda like... Its baby?" Darra questioned.

Ruksy stared at him for a moment, thinking about it. "... Yeah... Yeah, you can say it like that." She ended up saying.

"Yes, but that doesn't explain why it can cut through our magic." Imogen spoke up.

"The Old Religion is deeply ingrained into the world, both of the humans' world and our own. It's basically the word's very fabric. Modern magic, our own, may be connected to Earth, but in no way as much. Thus makes it far more powerful."

"I'm still confused. What does that have to do with the sword?" Kyra asked.

"According to the legend of King Arthur, the sword was forged with a dragon's breath. And dragons used to be extremely powerful and wise creatures of the Old Religion. Unfortunately, they all got perished in the Great Purge."

"Damn Uther..." Darra said quietly with disinterest in his voice.

"Anyway. It was forged with a dragon's breath. Swords enchanted with such power have such a sharp blade that they are able to cut through everything."

"I think I get it..." Lily said slowly and anxiously.

"So, if I'm right, the only way to get down the sword is... By using the Old Religion?" Kyra asked.

"Exactly." Ruksy nodded. "But we can't use it. Only very few people have mastered it now days, and learning it takes years of practice."

"So, what? We're just gonna let it float in circles above the lake?" Darra asked. They all looked back at the sword. It was not causing any harm right now, but... You never know...

After a brief moment of silence, Kyra spoke up.

"... Not even me?" They all turned their gazes towards her, silently asking for elaboration. "I'm not saying I should learn how to use the Old Religion, but... I'm a triling... I'm a fairy, an elf, and even a human... I come from both worlds... I'm... More powerful than you guys... Shouldn't I be powerful enough to catch the sword?"

They all contemplated her words. Ruksy was the one to speak, since she always seemed like she had an answer for everything.

"It... Could work..." She said in a thoughtful voice. "I wouldn't be so sure about it, but..." She looked at the others for a moment. "You never know. It could work."

Smiling, Kyra nodded, and she stepped up, Darra stepping back. She stared at the sword, Excalibur, which was still floating in circles in the air. She took a breath to concentrate. She raises her hand, her fingers glowing and pointing at the sword.

Just when she was about to use it, her and the others got startled but the sudden, loud voice of... Someone...

Kyra turned around, and saw a dark haired man with pale skin. He seemed to be speaking to the sword in some... Strange language, and Kyra involuntarily backed away to give the man space.

But as he approached, Kyra couldn't help but notice the man radiated the same powerful magic this place did.

"He's speaking in dragon language..." Ruksy quietly says in awe.

"But that's impossible. Only Dragonlords have the ability to speak in dragon language and they all went extinct during Uther Pendragon's reign." Lily explained.

"Just, shhhhh!" Imogen shushed them all and looked back at the strange man.

They all stared at him. The man looked... Well, normal. Blue shirt, brown jacket, red scarf, black tight jeans (was the rip on his left knee really necessary?), and dark brown, ankle-height boots. There wasn't any indication on his clothing or general appearance to indicate he was not-so-normal.

They all watched the man speak to the sword in dragon language, and they could all swear he was scolding it.

"Could- could he be an elf? Or a fairy? Or even something else?" Kyra half whispered to the team.

"Yes, but that doesn't explain how he's speaking a dead language." Imogen explained in confusion.

They all watched in shock as they saw the sword stop floating in circles. It stood still, blade pointing to the heavens. Now it looked more like the legendary sword they all knew and grew up being told stories about.

The man extended his hand, palm open, like he was waiting for the sword to float itself right into his hand. And that's what it did. Excalibur floated right into the man's open palm, who in turn wrapped his hand tightly around the hilt. The man lowered the sword, now its blade pointing at the grass below his feet.

He then started speaking to the sword. Well, whispered. But this time in English (thank God). And even though he was whispering, due to the light wind his words were transferred to the kids.

"I know you miss him as much as I do, but his time has not yet to come." And with that, the man threw the sword in the air.

"There goes the chance to yeet the sword." Darra joked quietly to his friends.

Now they knew the sword was pretty far away when it started landing into the lake, but they could all swear they saw a hand coming out of the lake, that caught it by its hilt like that was nothing, and slowly sank back into the waters, taking the sword with it.

And the fact they all were sure they saw it meant that no one was hallucinating. And that was good. In terms of their mental health, that is. They didn't know if that was supposed to be some sort of a threat or not.

After a long moment of staring at the back of this mysterious man, who in turn stared at the lake (or at the tower in the far back) they yet again all swore his eyes turned gold as he turned around and jumped.

They were all alone now, with the cool and light breeze blowing their hair softly.

They all looked at each other. No one said a word. But they were all thinking of the same thing.

What the Hell just happened?

*

Maxwell was proud of his students. They had grown greatly ever since he first started teaching them. And he was happy that the DMI acknowledged their potential.

So he knew Excalibur wasn't much of a challenge for them. A tricky one, yes, but not a hard one.

He expected them to return after half an hour or after one hour (if he counted out the times one of them would probably come back to the library to get an object that will help them with their mission, like they had done so many times before). But he certainly wasn't expecting them to return after 7 minutes.

He was on the Ladder, putting some books on the shelves to occupy himself when he suddenly heard muttering and the familiar voices of his students.

Frowning, he stared ahead at the direction he heard the voices coming from the study lounge. "Ladder, take me to the study lounge." The Ladder did what it was told, like always, and took Maxwell to the direction of the study lounge.

As the way started to clear from books and selves (or however much it can, considering this was a library), the sight before the half-elf professor confused him.

There they were his students, in the study lounge, and they all looked like they were questioning reality.

Darra was practically collapsed in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Imogen sat crosslegged at the edge of the table, hands clasped together almost looking like she was praying, as she stared down while frowning at the floor, like she was deep in thought.

Ruksy was sitting on the couch, curled up in a ball, and hugging her knees as her expression resembled one close to Imogen's, only her was more confused.

Lily was jittery, as she was pacing back and forth while bitting her nails nervously.

And lastly, Kyra was leaning against the wall, right besides the couch Ruksy was sitting on, her facial expression similar with hers.

That was an unusual sight. Maxwell had never seen his students look so troubled before.

"Why are you back so early?" He asked as he stepped down from the Ladder. He decided to approach the matter from a different angle than some probably would. "Was Excalibur as easy as the DMI deemed it to be?"

They all stayed silent for a moment. Some were staring at him while others found the floor more interesting.

Kyra was the one who found the courage to speak first. "Excalibur was... Difficult to catch. We... Didn't catch it..."

"So you just left it there? What if it harms people? This sword could get us exposed to the human world." Ok, so maybe his words came out harsher than he'd like, but he really wanted some explanation.

Ruksy was the one who hurriedly tried to explain the situation in a soft voice as she uncurled herself to sit properly. "No, no, we didn't leave it exposed, but..." She looked at her classmates with something that matched uncertainty. "Someone else threw it back at the lake."

Maxwell stared at her. And then at all of them. Alright, now he definitely needed some good damn explanation.

"What do you mean someone else threw it in the lake?" He asked. He wasn't trying to hide the bafflement on his face.

"... There was this man." Imogen admitted.

Maxwell turned his gaze on her. "A man?"

"Who was using the magic of the Old Religion." Lily continued with a worried and nervous expression.

Maxwell stood still, almost like a statue. After a long moment of tense silence he managed to find his voice. "The Old Religion...?"

"Yeah, and he managed to throw it back to the lake." Darra spoke up. "The sword, it... It cut through my magic..." He sounded like he was still processing that fact.

Maxwell looked at his side, down at the floor. His brows were furrowed, his forehead creasing in thought.

After a couple of seconds, Maxwell begun to smile faintly to himself. It was that smile one got as they recalled fond memories.

After another moment of silence, a much, much longer moment of silence, Maxwell spoke up once more, and he didn't look or sound as concerned as he perviously was.

"Don't worry, I'm sure it was nothing. He didn't take the sword, so I believe he had good intentions."

Imogen tried to speak up. "Yeah, but-"

"Now Imogen, that's not a proper way to sit in the class when the teacher is present." Maxwell told her with a smile. Imogen, who would have protested had it been another person, begrudgingly uncrossed her legs and got down from the table. Maxwell seemed satisfied. "Great. You're all dismissed now. You did a good job today, regardless of the unexpected events that occured." With that, he turned around and left, going through the wall and into his store.

Everyone else slowly and hesitantly started to gather their things to leave.

"I wonder who the man might be..." Lily wondered quietly.

"Maybe it could be Merlin." Darra suggested.

Imogen scoffed. "Oh, please. The old man hasn't showed himself in nearly a decade."

"It's not like he hasn't disappeared before." He shrugged.

Kyra's eyes went back and forth at the two elves. "Merlin? Like... The Merlin? From the legend of King Arthur?"

"Oh, you didn't know?" Asked Lily innocently.

Imogen rolled her eyes. "She doesn't even know the actual legend."

Lily only half rolled her eyes. "Well, that's ok. Yes, Merlin. He's one of the few and most powerful users of the Old Religion."

"Um, Merlin is pretty much magic itself. He's the most powerful magic user, and not just of the Old Religion. He's truly a remarkable sorcerer." Ruksy commented.

Kyra was at a loss for words. She was so confused... She hadn't felt so confused ever since she was thrashed into the magical world.

It was more confusing even from the whole "Orb of Lemuria" thing.

At least this time she understood a thing or two...

"Wait, so you're saying that the guy from the Lake Avalon was Merlin? But isn't Merlin supposed to be... You know? An old man with a long beard and a pointy hat?" She smiled awkwardly.

Darra chuckled. "'Old' is an understatement. The dude's ancient." Kyra stared at him while frowning.

Lily sighed as she walked towards Kyra. "Oh, Kyra. Merlin doesn't age. He has used aging potions before, but he's never had a pointy hat." She informed while smiling.

Kyra gave up. She would ask questions another time. "Alright..." She said with a sigh. "Anyway, I gotta walk out some dogs." She informed as she backwards made her way to the wall.

"Oh, you poor thing." Imogen said sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.

Kyra smiled as she stepped through the wall. "Bye professor Maxwell!"

"Bye Kyra. I'll be waiting for you tomorrow." He said as she exited the shop.

Today was a weird day. Well, everyday was a weird day. Weird was her new normal.

But damn...

Merlin? The Old Religion? She was most likely either gonna stay awake during the night and question how her life ended up like that, or will fall asleep the second she laid down.

But now she needed to stop thinking about these stuff. She needed to go to and walk out the dogs.

Doris will probably be expecting the treat she promised her.

Too bad Kyra completely forgot about it.

Today's walk was gonna be a long one...

Chapter Text

It had been about four days ever since the, what they all liked to call it, the "Excalibur incident".

Professor Maxwell didn't mention it again. In fact, he acted like it never happened. Whenever they would ask him questions about the event or just bring it up, he would just ask for small favors, like: "could you grab me this book?" or say something like: "excuse me, but the Ladder doesn't look very well" despite the Ladder looking absolutely fine. (can the Ladder even get sick?)

They ended up not even discussing about it with one another. They acknowledged the events of that day, they didn't ignore it, they just... Didn't talk about it.

Well, that was until today.

They were all sitting at the table, books infront of them, waiting for the class to start.

"Good morning students." Maxwell greeted as he stepped in. He was smiling, as usual, but he seemed to be in a happier mood than usual. "I see you're all on time. That's a rare occasion." He commented with a smirk on. "And that's just great. Because today, we're entering the Old Religion chapter. And because of it, I invited a good friend of mine. You all know him. Even you Kyra. He's a bit of a celebrity in the magical world. Well, maybe more than 'a bit'." Now they were all eager to know who this mysterious person might be. Maxwell liked their curiosity. He stepped aside and extended a hand. "Please welcome, an old professor of mine, who unexpectedly became a dear friend, an expert in the history and use of the Old Religion,"

Before Maxwell got to finish his presentation, a man revealed himself from behind a bookshelf, and stood besides Maxwell.

He looked fairly young. Even younger than professor Maxwell. He looked to be in his late 20's. He had dark brown hair, almost raven, pale skin, and kind blue eyes that gave off the vibe they belonged to a person far older than himself. He was wearing a brown jacket that covered a dark blue shirt, matching them with a red scarf on top (it wasn't even cold outside, so why was he wearing it? Style maybe?). He had tight black jeans on, and ankle height brown shoes.

He looked familiar. Maybe a little too familiar...

"Merlin." Maxwell finished his introduction with a kind yet slightly excited smile.

They all gasped in shock and wonderment.

"After you told me of the events that occured at the Lake Avalon, I decided to call my old friend to see if he was involved with that." Maxwell explained.

The man- Merlin, smiled at the shocked students with a playful smirk. "Nice to meet you everybody." He waved at them. "I'm Merlin, as you all apparently know. Unfortunately, when magic of the Old Religion is involved, I can't not get involved."

Ruksy got up from her chair in excitement. "Mr Merlin, sir!"

"Oh God..." Said Imogen under her breath while she discreetly covered her face.

"I've read all of your books based on the Old Religion. Well, most of them. Some of them... I- I haven't been able to read them all... It was too complicating for me. But I've read your autobiography and watched all of your interviews, even the ones centuries ago. The ones which were recorded magically."

Merlin blinked, eyebrows raised.

Maxwell smiled. "It looks like you have a fan."

"Apparently, I do..." Merlin replied quietly. He cleared his throat. "Uh, that's- that's great! Uh, I guess. I'm fluttered." He chuckled slightly, nervously. "Well, uh, it's a pleasure to meet you, uhh...?"

Before Ruksy had the chance to answer, Maxwell spoke up. "Oh, right. Where are my manners? Merlin? That girl's name is Ruksy. Then that's Imogen, Lily, Darra, and-"

"Kyra." Merlin finished with a faint smile, looking at said girl.

Kyra's mouth opened and closed with shock. "You... You know who I am?"

"But of course! You're the triling. Half fairy, half elf, and half human. Everyone in the magical world knows you, didn't you know that? You're a true wonder."

For some reason, Kyra didn't think she would attract the attention of powerful and important beings. Well, she did, but not beings like, well, Merlin. 

She felt fluttered at the compliment, and could feel her cheeks blushing a tad bit. "Oh, hah, ah, thank you."

After a short moment of silence, Lily hesitantly raised her hand. "Excuse me, mister Merlin, sir, but with all respect..." She glanced at her classmates. "Why are you here?"

Merlin opened his mouth to answer but Maxwell beat him to it. "Merlin over here is gonna teach you on the chapter of the Old Religion."

Merlin stared at him, and then back at the class. "Yeah, that's pretty much it."

Maxwell nodded at the class. "Great!" He looked at Merlin. "If anything happens, I'm in the bookstore, or you can ask the Ladder." He leaned in close and talked in a low voice. "They're a great class, but... You know how kids can be sometimes."

Merlin chuckled. "Don't worry Maxwell, I've dealt with enough classes in my years as a professor. And trust me. When I was in their age I was kind of a troublemaker." He said with a knowing smile.

Maxwell smiled back and made his way out of the library.

"Wow, haha. In my time in the magical world I never thought I would be taught magical history from Merlin." Kyra said while smiling awkwardly.

"Pfft, me neither. And to think I grew up in the magical world." Darra replied with a playful grin. Even though it was a common thing to see on Darra, it was a nice grin, Kyra decided.

The two stared at each other in the eyes, the world seemingly to have stopped around them. Neither noticed Imogen's roll of eyes, Lily's silent giggling, or Ruksy's soft sigh and smile as she looked down at her closed book.

The only thing that brought them back abruptly from their own little world was Merlin's voice.

"Alright, now we're completely alone. Minus the Ladder." Merlin took a look at the Ladder that was between the bookshelves. Merlin waved at him briefly. The Ladder shook himself in a form of waving back. "Anyway. So, I see we're in the chapter of the Old Religion." Merlin grabbed a spare book that was left on the table, presumably Maxwell's, and opened it. "Go to page 216." They all did as told and opened their books at the page 216. "Ok, so before we start the lesson, I just want to clarify something." They all raised their heads and stared at him. "Don't call me "sir" or "mister", or even "professor". Just call me Merlin, alright?" He stared at the expectantly.

"Yes." They all said.

Merlin smiled and nodded. "That's good." He then looked down at his book. "Now, let's begin."

As time passed by, Merlin talked about the Old Religion, and mostly covered the part of its place of origin, the god people worshipped, mostly this stuff.

He barely looked down at the book, and it was clear he was talking from personal experience. He explained it in such a way that it was easy to understand. Maybe part played the fact that this was mostly mythology and not actually spells or creatures.

"To explain the Disir, it's... You're all familiar with Greek mythology, right? The Fates? The three sisters that determined the fate of a person? Do you know it?"

Ruksy raised her hand while smiling a bit smugly. "I do."

Imogen rolled her eyes. "Argh, classic fairies."

"Now now, Imogen. That's not a very nice way to talk to your classmate. And very well Ruksy, but since your classmates don't know it I'm going to explain it pretty simply and quickly." He informed. "Ok, so the ancient Greeks believed the fate of someone was represented as a thread."

"A thread? Like the one old people knit with?" Darra asked.

"Exactly. So, the Fates made a thread for every person who was born which symbolized their fate and what will happen to them. For example when they lose their first tooth, when they will get married, die, everything. You see, the Disir is like that. Like the Fates. Well, they don't really work like that, but in a way, yes. You see, the Disir were chosen from birth to be basically the voice of the Triple Goddess. Who, as I said earlier, was the God of the magical creatures back in the day." Merlin noticed Imogen raising her hand, and pointed at her direction. "Yes, uh..." He snapped his fingers as he tried to remember her name. "Imogen, right?"

She nodded and lowered her hand back down. "Yes, uh... I have a personal question."

"I'm listening."

"You were born like, thousands of years ago, right?"

"Yes."

"Back when this Triple Goddess was still being worshipped?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Do you still believe in Her?"

Merlin sighed as he briefly looked down. "No, no. I never really believed in Her. Or in anyone. I'm pretty much an atheist. I mean, I do know there's a god somewhere, up there, laughing at us. I just chose not to believe in them." He shrugged.

Imogen nodded. "Alright... Just asking."

Merlin nodded back in acknowledgement. "It's fine. I like your curiosity. Anyway..."

Merlin continued teaching and talking about the history of the Old Religion.

As he finished talking he looked down at his watch. "Right on time. Well!" He clasped his hands together. "That's the end for today!" He said with a joyful smile.

Everyone started closing their books and packing up.

"I really enjoyed today's lesson!" Lily said excitedly to Ruksy.

"Yeah, it was very interesting." Ruksy agreed with a smile.

Darra and Kyra were packing side by side when Darra spoke to her.

"So, uhh, Kyra... Would you like to go for a smoothie some time?" He inquired nervously as he lifted his gaze to her face.

Kyra felt herself blushing. "Oh, hah. I- I would love to!"

Darra smiled, blushing a little himself. "Great."

"So, guys." Merlin started speaking. "I don't know if I'll be doing with you the entire chapter of the Old Religion, if you were wondering about it. I'll discuss about it with your professor, so the chances are probably 50/50. Got it?"

"Yes sir." They all said.

"I told you not to call me "sir" but I'm glad we agree." He exclaimed with a smirk.

"I better be going now." Kyra said to her friends with a smile. "Me, Peter, and Mathilda are going to this new laser tag place."

"Ooh, laser tag! I've never done this before!" Lily commented.

"Me neither. But it's close, so we thought we should take the chance."

"Nice." Darra said.

"It's also close to Mathilda's house, so me and Peter will meet her there."

"Well, I hope you have fun." Ruksy told her with a smile.

"Enjoy yourself, or whatever." Imogen spoke.

Kyra chuckled slightly. "I will. See you tomorrow guys." And with that Kyra walked away and went through the wall.

Once she was at the other side of the wall, into the bookstore, she heard a familiar voice.

"Awesome! Oh... Oh man... I have to pick it up tomorrow. I'm waiting for Kyra so we can go to- oh, Kyra!" Peter smiled happily as he noticed his close friend.

"Don't worry Peter. I'll keep your comic safe and sound." Maxwell reassured him as he put a stack of comics away.

Peter nodded before turning back to Kyra, grinning. "Are you really for the oncoming war?"

Kyra grinned back. "We're gonna beat those guys' butts." Sensing Maxwell's confusion (even though he tried not to show it), Kyra elaborated. "Me and Peter, along with our friend Mathilda are going laser tagging."

Maxwell raised his eyebrows with amusement. "Aah, laser tag! I've heard about it. Fun game."

"So? Are you ready?" Peter asked her excitedly.

"Yes." Kyra answered with a smirk.

"Hey, quick question. You couldn't possibly... You know? Make sure the lasers won't hit us?" He had a slightly shy smirk.

Maxwell raised an eyebrow.

Kyra rolled her eyes, smirking. "You know I'm not aloud to use magic for that. Besides, it wouldn't be fun if we didn't play fairly."

Maxwell lowered his eyebrow and smiled proudly to himself.

"Oh." Peter looks down for a brief moment. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Still smirking joyfully, Kyra started heading for the door. "Now come on. Mathilda is waiting for us and she won't be too happy if we get late." Peter nodded once and walked to the door. "Bye professor Maxwell!" Kyra said.

"Oh, yeah, bye! Don't sell my comic to anyone else please!"

"Bye Kyra, bye Peter! Shoot a person with lasers for me!" He said as the two left.

A few seconds after they left, Merlin came into the bookstore, and walked right to his side.

"Nice kids you got there. Very brilliant."

"Students." Maxwell corrected. "And yes, they're rather brilliant." He continued with a sense of pride.

Merlin shrugged. "Eh. Kids, students. Same thing when you're a teacher."

Maxwell lowered his head and chuckled. "True, true..." There was a small moment of comfortable silence. "It's nice to see you haven't changed at all."

Merlin grinned his familiar grin. "Well, it's not like I can. Unless if I turn into Emrys, or how I originally called this old version of myself, Dragoon the Great." He chuckled a little.

Maxwell chuckled back. "Don't ask me again why people believe you're an old man. You caused this yourself."

"Well I am an old man stuck in the body of a man in his late 20's so, there's that. I don't mind that though." He grinned. "But still. What's with the pointy hat?"

Maxwell merely shrugged. That was a mystery no one knew how to solve.

After another, slightly longer moment of silence, Merlin spoke again.

"So... Kyra, the triling... How is she doing? Has she adapted into the magical world?"

"She has adapted fairly well. A bit easier than I expected." Maxwell replied. "Of course, she had her difficulties. She still has them, especially with having the powers of the Orb of Lemuria. People still haven't fully accepted her due to her human nature."

Merlin nodded, expression sympathetic for the young girl. "I know how that feels. In the future they'll probably try to erase her human side from the books. Say she was a mermaid or something." He crossed his arms and stared ahead with a slightly annoyed expression.

Maxwell stared at him empathetically. "Like they've been trying to do on you?"

Merlin nodded, still staring ahead before looking back at the half elf. "Did you know there are rumours that my mother was a fairy and my father was an elf?" He asked with a bit of incredulity. "That's just plain wrong. Yes, my mother had the heart of a fairy, but biologically she was a human. And my father? He was just a Dragonlord. I know I knew him only for a day or two, but I'm pretty sure I'd know if he was an elf. Hey? Did you know that due to being a Dragonlord people have taken that a little too seriously and some believe I'm half dragon?"

Maxwell just nodded, letting him talk. They've had this conversation before (although it was more of a monologue) and Maxwell knew he just had to let it flow. Despite being a powerful and immortal warlock, Merlin was also a human. And he was trying really hard not to get detached from that part of him. Maxwell knew it.

There were many times where Merlin had broken down because he felt like he wasn't human. There were times where the Ladder would impatiently try to lead him to a corner or behind some bookshelves, only to find Merlin having a breakdown over that reason. And other reasons. Merlin had his problems, of course, like anyone (Maxwell never asked him how and why he would sometimes end up into his library when he was breaking down, but he never had the heart to ask. Not like it was important).

Merlin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I did it again, didn't I? Vented over nothing?"

Maxwell smiled kindly at the man infront of him. "It's alright Merlin. It's nothing. I can understand it can be frustrating when people are trying to ignore who you really are."

Merlin smiled a little with a hint of sadness. "Trust me. You have no idea." He glanced down at his watch. "Oh. Uh, I better be going now. I have a disabled dragon in the form of a cat who can get pretty lonely really easily." Merlin explained as he slowly started walking backwards while pointing with his thumb at the door.

Maxwell smiled. "Of course. I'll inform you, should you need to come here again."

"Great. Cool. Thanks. Because I just remembered I forgot to get her food. And myself." Merlin smiled apologetically and he turned around to properly face the door. "See you Maxwell!" And he opened the door and left the bookstore.

Maxwell sighed, smiling faintly at himself. It was rather easy to forget Merlin was a centuries-old being. He just acted so... Normal.

But then he would get this look in his eyes. This look that... Made his eyes not match with his young-looking face... This look that made them seem like they belonged to someone far older than him, that showed they had seen too much... Far too much...

They say the eyes are the windows of the soul for a reason...

Maxwell hadn't realized he had turned his eyes on the floor until he sighed and looked back at the door.

He just hoped that his friend was ok.

*

"No."

"Yes."

"I don't believe you."

"Well, you should."

"Merlin?"

"The very same."

"Shut up Kyra."

"But it's true!" She laughed.

"Kyra?" Peter said with a serious tone. "You're really not trying to play any tricks on me, right?"

"Nope, I'm being serious. Merlin taught us magical history today." She smiled smugly.

Peter raised his eyebrows and then he let out an amused chuckle. "Man. I wish I was in your class. Learning about magic and the use of it, it sounds both fun and easy."

"Actually magic is harder than expected." Kyra admitted while smiling faintly. "Especially the Old Religion. Even Ruksy is having difficulty learning about it."

Peter looked genuinely baffled. "What? But Ruksy is the smartest and the most beautiful person I know, there's no way she can't learn about it!"

Despite already knowing her completely-human friend is head over heels for her fairy friend (and vice versa), Kyra couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and smirk. "Oh? Peter?"

"W- what?" He asked nervously. "I'm telling the truth. Ruksy is a really smart person and if anyone can learn about this, uh, Old Religion thing, then she can."

"You also called her beautiful." She commented with a playful smirk.

Peter was flushed red.

"Finally, where have you two been?" They saw Mathilda approaching them. "And what's wrong with Peter? He looks like he could be running a fever."

"Uh, nothing." He muttered quietly.

"Peter has a crush."

Mathilda gasped and stepped close to Peter, grabbing his upper arm, grinning like a madman. "Who is he? Is it a boy again?"

Peter blinked. "Uh, it's- it's a 'she' this time."

"Aha!"

"What?"

"You said 'it's a "she"' instead of saying you have no crush." Peter was utterly shocked. "Now, you're gonna tell me all about her."

"Without the magic parts." Kyra said as she tried to drown her words into coughing.

"Hm? What was that?" Asked Mathilda.

"Oh, uh, no, nothing."

Mathilda shrugged it off and then she smiled mischievously at Peter as she dragged him by the arm.

Kyra sighed as she smiled and started following them.

This was gonna be a long walk to the laser tag place for Peter.

*

Merlin closed the door of his apartment and headed towards the kitchen to set the bags of groceries on the table. From behind him, he was greeted by a soft and weak meowing.

He turned around, and he saw a white cat with a pair of blue eyes staring at him as she was limping to approach him.

Heeling magic was never Merlin's forte. It required too much focus, something his depressed, anxiety-filled brain couldn't provide him. So he couldn't heal her from the torture she suffered along with Morgana.

Besides... Aithusa's wounds were too old now...

Merlin smiled as he saw how Aithusa was rubbing herself on his legs while purring.

"Hey there, Aithusa." He bent down and started petting her on the head. Aithusa leaned to the touch and closed her eyes. His heart melted whenever she did that. "How are you? Let me guess. You were sleeping."

Aithusa made a sound that could be translated as "yes".

He chuckled, shaking his head. "You know? I think you enjoy being a cat as much as you enjoy being a dragon."

Petting her one last time on the head, Merlin stood up and stepped towards the kitchen table, taking the groceries out of the bags, humming quietly the melody of a song. He could practically feel Aithusa's bright blue eyes staring at him curiously.

"Why don't you use your magic? You could get things done easier." She commented via telepathy.

Merlin sighed and turned around to face her. "Because I feel like it. There's nothing wrong with that."

She spoke again as she started walking towards the cat house Merlin had bought for her. "I'm just saying you would be done by now." She jumped on the house and curled up in herself, indicating that she wanted to go to sleep.

Merlin sighed again. "Why do you remind me of Kilgharrah?"

Aithusa and Kilgharrah were two completely different dragons (both in species and in character). Aithusa was less cryptid than how Kilgharrah used to be when he was alive, but there were these moments from time to time where Merlin felt like he was talking to him instead of Aithusa. And Aithusa was in cat form.

Getting no response (even though he wasn't waiting for one), Merlin went back to getting the groceries out of the bags and putting them inside the fridge and cupboards.

Once he was finished he had in mind to turn on the TV and maybe watch a movie that was on.

But his plans had to wait.

He felt his phone buzz once, indicating he got a text.

Curious, he took it off his pocket and turned it on.

It was a message from DMI.

Shit...