The Quest from the Bathtub

Chapter 1

It was a dark, stormy night. All was silent except the sound of thunder and rain beating against the cliffs. Tintagel, a castle on the coast, was as absent as the small cave by the beach. The cave, which was the home of the great wizard Merlin, seemed dull and lifeless, but that wasn't the case. Merlin was indeed home, but he wouldn't be for long.

Sir Melodious of Tintagel; a young man, with small topaz eyes and short, black hair. He had been knighted no more than six months before (as was custom at the age of 18), and he had already gathered quite the reputation. Now here he was, taking a luxurious bath in his very own castle, pondering strategies for the upcoming battle against Merlin (regarding the disappearance of his soap, but we won't get into that).

Melodious closed his eyes. He leaned back, the warm, rosy water rushing to his neck as he sank down into it. His muscles were sore and aching from practicing his swordsmanship earlier that day. Hector, his teacher, said that this type of aching was "the good kind, the kind one gets from a hard day's work," and that Melodious was a fool for thinking that he would go easy on him. Hector then recommended that Melodious take a warm bath to ease the pain.

Melodious had just started to relax when he heard a rather loud splash, followed by a change in the water level. His eyes flew open. When Melodious's vision focused, he saw the great wizard Merlin sitting in the other side of the tub across from him.

"What in the world are you doing here?!" Melodious cried out as Merlin began to bathe his armpits with a bar of soap.

"What does it look like, boy? I'm washing my armpits, of course."

Melodious sighed. "That's not what I meant. I mean, why're you here? Washing your armpits with my soap, and in my own bathtub to boot! You could've landed beside the tub or something."

Merlin laughed. "What's the fun in that? I like your bathtub," Merlin put his arms on the side of the tub. "As for your other question, I have a quest for you."

Melodious pulled himself out of the bath and began drying himself with a towel. "A quest?"

"Indeed. Now," Merlin sat up, "Have you ever heard of a trinket called the Fragmented Blade?"

"No, but I'm sure I'm going to find out," Melodious muttered to himself, "That is your specialty."

"I'll let that little comment slide. Anyway, the Fragmented Blade is a legendary sword of tremendous power. It's rumored to have strange abilities, such as slicing through air and leveling the ground. If it were used for good, it could end all poverty forever. However, if it were used for evil, the results would be catastrophic."

"Catastrophic?"

"Yes. True, it would still end poverty, but it could likely wipe out all living creatures as well."

Finally dry, Melodious started to get dressed. "So you want me to recover this sword?"

"Close. I want you to retrieve the hilt."

Melodious looked at Merlin imploringly. "The hilt?"

"Yes. The sword is in fragments, hence the name. Anyways, I've already gathered the other fragments of the blade. I just need the hilt. That's where you come in," Merlin glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. "Would you look at the time? I'm afraid that I'm already late for other... occupations. Terribly sorry to leave you like this, but I fear I must be going now. You'll find a map in Camelot that will show you where to go," Merlin jumped out of the tub and made his way towards the window."Farewell for now, Sir Melodious."

Merlin put his hands on the window frame and launched himself out before Melodious could stop him. By the time Melodious got around the tub and to the window, Merlin was gone.

"Camelot, huh? I suppose I'll have to leave tomorrow," Melodious muttered as he grabbed a candle and headed to his bed for the night.