The Return of Arthur

Chapter 3

                Both Merlin and Kilgharrah sat on the couch, opposite to Wendy, who stared at them with a strange mix of understanding and disbelief. I could have sworn that before I collapsed Merlin looked like a young man.  Wendy shifted uncomfortably in her seat. He was cute too.

        Wendy cleared her throat, shaking strange thoughts from her mind, "And you two are destined to resurrect the long dead King Arthur?" Merlin watched as she trembled in her seat, though he did have to honour her bravery. Most would have ran or laughed at the mere mention of magic, and very few would have stayed to endure the entire explanation. 

            Merlin nodded, but Kilgharrah spoke, "Wendy, you must know that it is of the utmost importance that you don't breathe a single words of this to anyone." He sighed and leaned back into the couch, "There are still those who oppose us. Some wish to see us fail."

             Merlin, who was yet to hear this information, momentarily forgot about Wendy. "Who Kilgharrah? Is it Morgana? Morgause? Mordred?" The three names brought a flash of anger with them every time Merlin heard them. They had after all dealt Arthur his fate.

                Wendy's eyes shifted between the young man and the old man. She felt uneasy around them, They act like they've known each other for years. Though rather than running home and curling into a chair with a book like she wanted to, she braved herself for the answer. "What exactly is the plan then? How are we... How will Arthur return?"

                "Truthfully, the only real evidence we have is this," Kilgharrah pulled a small slip of paper from his inner coat pocket. "It was sent to me from an old friend."

                Wendy hesitantly took the paper, as if it would combust on contact. A long moment passed between the trio, where even the passing cars sounded like a great thunder storm. 

                "You're aware that this is quite insane, correct? Resurrecting a dead man? Magic?" Wendy looked at the two in shock and laughed as she read over the letter again. "What is this supposed to mean? The cycle will begin anew. What does that mean? What cycle?"

                Kilgharrah began explaining the research he'd began doing when Merlin cut him off, "It means we must travel to the island of the Shee." 

                Kilgharrah looked at Merlin in exasperation, "We don't know that Merlin."

                "Yes, we do."

                "Merlin," Kilgharrah bit out, "It doesn't say anything in the prophecy."

                "When have prophecies ever given us direction? 'No young man, no matter how great, can know his destiny'. Remember that?" Kilgharrah glared at the sorcerer, mainly because he was right, but also because Wendy looked like she was going to pass out again.

                Wendy laughed nervously, "You act as if this has happened before."

                Both men turned to Wendy with uncertainty. At the same time that Kilgharrah said, "No, of course not Wendy. Don’t be absurd!" Merlin said, "Well you know, there was that one time in Vegas..."

                Wendy stared at Merlin with wide eyes, "What happened in Vegas?"

                Nearly an hour later Merlin reread the prophecy again and Wendy asked for the hundredth time, "What does the prophecy want us to do?" 

                Merlin sighed and straightened the back and read, "The young king Arthur Pendragon will fall at the battle of Camlaan at the hand of the sorcerer Mordred. Arthur is the Once and Future King of Albion. When death is brought upon him the cycle will begin anew, he will rise when Albion's need is greatest." Merlin sighed, “Basically save Arthur.”

                Kilgharrah sighed and bent forward, "Merlin, we need to do more research. There must be a scroll we haven't read, or a book we haven't seen that will touch upon this topic." 

                “Yes Kilgharrah, I'm sure there are many a magic books written about the mysterious return of Arthur, and I'm sure we can even find a Wikihow on how to resurrect a dead man." Merlin rose from his seat - as quickly as on old man could make an exit, declared he was making tea and vanished into the kitchen. 

                Wendy felt slightly uncomfortable sitting alone with Kilgharrah. She fidgeted in her seat and leafed through an old book written in a language that Wendy didn't know. 

                "You read Sanskrit?" Kilgharrah hadn't looked up from his own book, but somehow Wendy knew he'd been watching her.

                "No, I was just... looking." She tried to smile, but all that was produced was a small grimace. 

                Kilgharrah took a closer look at the book through his narrow, yellow eyes. "It's a great book, all about a man and the demons that follow him." 

                Wendy nodded, not knowing what to say. "It's really quite excellent because he doesn't try to kill the demons. Rather he tries to understand them. He makes peace with that which is evil." Wendy was about to formulate a lame response when Merlin burst into the room.

                "Kilgharrah read this." Merlin pushed a letter into the young man's hands.

                “Who is this from?" The young man was now serious, and all talk of peace was out the window. "Who sent this?"

                "Well if you haven't noticed there isn't a return address." Merlin flopped onto the couch, and stretched his old legs out, groaning as he did.

                “Merlin, if you're experiencing difficulties being old then turn young again." Wendy was now paying full and avid attention to the conversation.

                "What'd you mean 'again'?" I knew it! Somehow he was younger then, now he's turned old again.

                "Oh," Kilgharrah laughed, "Just a joke between my grandfather and I." They both laughed forcefully and Merlin even ruffled his hair and said, "Little grandson of mine."

                "Liar." Wendy moved to sit beside Merlin on the couch, "I remember seeing you as a young man today, just before I fainted." The tension in the room was enough to make everyone forget about the letter.

                "Wendy..." Merlin began.

                "Merlin just show her," Kilgharrah looked uncomfortable with what he'd just said, but he continued, "If anything, this will help her believe what we're telling her."

                Wendy rocked back and forth in her spot, Is he going to do magic? What if Merlin is actually a sorcerer pretending to be an old man? What if the prophecy really is true? If Merlin is a sorcerer then is Kilgharrah a sorcerer as well?

                The questions continued rattling in Wendy's mind as Merlin sighed and mutely agreed. Wendy watched as Merlin's white hair shortened and became raven black, his wrinkles disappeared, his eyes brightened, his age spots faded, and his back straightened properly as he used magic to suck away the old age.

                Merlin groaned as he rubbed his neck, "That's so much better." Wendy simultaneously nearly wet herself and shrieked with excitement, Magic is real. Arthur, the Once and Future King, will return.