Daylight is Mine to Protect

The Battle of the Bands

The others go back inside soon enough, but I decide to stay outside, despite my earlier traumatic experience. I hoist myself onto the roof and keep watch atop its slanted surface. 

The stars are beautiful tonight. I can't help but notice them as the world goes quiet around me. They sparkles like gemstones inlaid in black velvet, a thousand specks across the sky. 

There were no stars in the shadow realm. There was only darkness. Seeing them all above me makes me feel less alone. And less significant.

I recall Morgana's words as I stare into the night. I compare the apprentice and the master seeking to solve the turbulence in my mind once and for all. 

They have both lied to me, though Morgana's lies are white.

They have both trained me. Despite what Merlin may think, they have both trained me to be ruthless and use other's weaknesses without mercy.

Morgana treats me like a god. Merlin treats me like nothing.

They both care only for themselves. They both are stuck in the past.

And I can't decide for the life of me which one is the lesser of two evils.

I continue looking at the stars, praying that they will give me some answer. But, they stay silent, and I feel more alone than ever before.

A sound behind me causes me to turn. Strickler. Unconsciously, I grip my staff tighter. 

"May I join you?" he asks.

"Why?" It seems weird that he thinks staring up at the stars on a rooftop with a person who clearly mistrusts him is a good idea.

"You seem lonely."

"I'm fine." I turn away from him. "I'm used to it."

"Hmm. Well, just because you're used to something, it doesn't mean that it shouldn't change. Getting out of the shadow realm should've taught you that."

I sigh and open my mouth to retort before I process what he had said. I leap to my feet and twist around to face him. He starts laughing. It's not an evil laugh, or a "I've won and you've lost" laugh. It's... actually genuine. It startles me out of reacting right away.

"Sorry, sorry," he says. "I'm not going to attack you."

"You're not?" I'm still ready to fight him if need be.

"No. I've known who you are for a while now. Before Namura mentioned it, if you can imagine. I didn't say anything because I wanted to make sure I shouldn't just slit your throat in your sleep."

"That's comforting," I mutter. I lower my staff slightly. 

"Yes, well, I couldn't be too sure. But, you can call me convinced. You either changed or you never really were all that bad."

"Thanks?" I don't know how to handle this situation. This is unlike any of the situations I had imagined in Strickler finding out who I am. "Then, why did you try to kill me in the shadow realm?"

"Notwithstanding that the incident was before I realized humans shouldn't all be wiped from the earth, I was also acting for a friend who wanted to be Morgana's apprentice instead of you."

I wince. "Yeah, well, I was never actually Morgana's apprentice. She just called me that as an excuse to why I was there, and no one had seen me before."

"I'm assuming that means your not actually a changeling then?" 

I nod my head. "Yeah. Morgana would put a glamor on me whenever the Janus Order would meet."