Wrap Your Arms Around Me (merdred)

27. Warmest Regards

CW: violence, minor gore

Featuring BAMF Gwen!!

Sorry for disappearing for like four months! I got really busy with college, but I'm on break now so I have more time to write! Thank you to everyone who's been supporting this book, leaving comments, voting. I truly do appreciate it. And I deeply apologies for all the angst there's been in the recent chapters. This one doesn't have as much, but there's still quite a bit of drama... heh. But I do hope you enjoy this update! <3

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        MERLIN KNEELED ON THE HARDWOOD FLOOR in his room, reaching underneath the bed in one of the loose panels to retrieve the old book he'd found at the bottom of the lake. It had called to him-- the same way Kilgharrah had when he first arrived in Camelot, strong and urgent. Merlin, of course, had caved into the pull, nearly losing himself in the process. Although, once he had the book in his hands, he realised just how vital it was that he'd found it.

The warlock brushed off a layer of dust that had been collecting on the book's cover. He didn't question how it was possible for such a thing to remain completely dry when it had been submerged in water for god knows how long. Although, he assumed that the book had some sort of shield protecting it from harm.

The book had no title other than a name listed on the spine. "Cassius Matoc." There was a symbol that had been branded into the tail of the book. Merlin had never seen it before, but it looked like some sort of crest. The interior of the object was no less mysterious with random scribbles and gibberish sporadically placed on pages along with miscellaneous spells. The spells, equally if not odder, were titled with words and concepts beyond Merlin's comprehension. Spells like, "mind control," and "necromancy." There were a few phrases that Merlin couldn't even decode. Although he could see the last page with his very eyes, the book felt like it had no end.

As Merlin was flicking through the book, a folded note fell out of one of the pages, fluttering into Merlin's lap. He took the note and unfolded it.

"To whom it may concern,

I have written this journal as a way to track my findings in the exploration of magic. My intentions for such investigations lie solely in myself and my desire to learn more about this world. What is magic at its heart when you strip everything away? How powerful can a spell be? The man who wields it? What defines and separates good magic from dark magic? I need answers, and I do not plan on resting until I find them.

I hope to update the journal frequently with fresh information and spells in progress. If anyone is reading this, I advise you to tread lightly. I am known to stop at nothing to get what I desire, regardless of morality.

Farewell, my all,

Cassius Matoc"

There was a date inked next to the signature that told him the note had been written long ago. The name, Cassius Matoc, was eerily familiar. He felt connected to it somehow, but he had no idea why. He'd never heard of anyone named Cassius, not even from one of Gaius' old stories. Merlin took the note and put it back in its place between the two pages. He flipped the book again, scanning his eyes around its contents. There was a header written with thick, black ink that read, "shape-shifting." Freya was the only one he'd ever known who could change forms. But shifting was not in her own free will. He'd remembered when Morgana turned Gwen into a deer and wondered if she'd used a similar spell as the one in the book.

There were drawings on the page of inhuman and animalistic forms. There was a toad, and next to it, a horse, along with a creature he could not identify.