Chapter Text
Of all the routine tasks Merlin spent his days doing, collecting firewood was definitely one of the worst.
It was tedious, but more than that, mundane. At least when he was delivering medicines and potions or stuck with mucking out the stables, he got to see the townspeople, even pet a few horses!
This? Carrying an armful of splintered wood in the biting autumn chill of the morning air… was not it, so excuse him for trying to entertain himself a little! It was an empty forest, one column of smoke, one little spell, and one silhouette of a majestic steed that lasted five seconds, so what?
In any other time, in any other circumstance, maybe there was the smallest, infinitesimal chance someone could’ve seen him, freaked out about sorcery in their midst and ran to the king, threatening to reveal Merlin’s closely guarded secret and end his life, but this— was not that time.
Indeed, on this day, there was no anxious villager to witness this display of magic, no… Instead, there was a bard.
“Oh, thank the gods!” Jaskier exclaimed as he stumbled over the tree roots, swinging his lute case back. “A conveniently placed mage for me to solicit, just my luck!”
“What?” Merlin startled, scrambling to catch the logs spilling out of his hands. He eyed the man who had suddenly appeared before him, who was in such a peculiar, colorful dress that Merlin could only assume he wasn’t from around here. “Who are you?”
“Apologies, where are my manners?” Jaskier immediately chastised himself for being so rude, took a step forward and outstretched his hand. “Call me Jaskier, I’m a famous bard, well, on my way to being one— Oh, did you need some help with those? I’ve never known a sorcerer to use his bare hands for anything, but, oof, I’ve only met so many, so what do I know, eh?”
Merlin blinked, taking a second to process all of that- wait. What did he say? Mage… sorcerer… a bard? Well, when in doubt, play dumb.
“Uhh, no, I’m fine, thank you.” Merlin said, adjusting his collection of logs to the ground. He dusted his hands off on his pants, shaking the other’s hand. “I’m Merlin. Sorry, did you say sorcerer? Where? I- I don’t—”
“What d’ya mean?” Jaskier knit his brow in confusion, still in mid-shake, and pursed his lips. “You… you did just do that, yes? There was an amorphous smoke cloud that spontaneously turned into a horse and I know I didn’t do that and,” he paused, making a show of looking around them, “we are the only people here. Unless it was like a tree nymph or something, in which case I am not saved, so please don’t tell me that.”
What in the- who was this? “Hehehe,” Merlin chuckled awkwardly, finally taking his hand back. “I’m really sorry— Jaskier, was it? I think you’re mistaken, I didn’t see anything but smoke.”
Eyes narrowing, the bard clicked his tongue. He was pretty sure he knew what he saw, but ok, maybe this man was just a… fledgling mage (was that a thing?) and didn’t want to embarrass himself or his teachers. He wouldn't push it. “Riiight, well, in that case, would you happen to know any practitioners of the fine craft? I seem to have gotten a little lost and was hoping someone could portal me closer to home and I could be on my merry way.”
Merlin took another long look at the odd fellow from the forest and decided then he couldn’t have possibly been from around here. He spoke of magic far too casually and was clearly more knowledgeable on the subject than the average townsperson. “Umm… I can’t help you with that. You’re in Camelot, magic is outlawed here, for the entire kingdom! I’d say you were more than a little lost if you didn’t even know that.”
Well, that was news to him! Outlawed, why? And what did he call this place, Camelot? What an utterly ridiculous name, a camel’s what? “That is… unfortunate and not at all what I hoped to hear.” Jaskier remarked, putting both hands on his hips. “This is not good.”
Unsure of what to say next, Merlin simply stood there. He felt kind of bad, watching Jaskier mumble to himself in an effort to find a potential solution. He just couldn’t take the chance of anyone finding out about his magic, even if they were an outsider. There was a chance he was a spy or something, working for Uther, or Uther’s enemies, trying to find any sort of sorcery.
But… helping someone find their way home, that didn’t have to require any magic, did it?
“Umm, what happened, exactly?” Merlin ventured to ask after a solid minute of nonsensical muttering. “Where are you from? I can’t ‘portal’ you, but I could at least maybe point you in the right direction.”
“At this rate, I’ll take all the help I can get,” said Jaskier, ceasing his back and forth pacing to face Merlin. “So, there I was, walking a well-worn path to my oft traveled town of Oxenfurt, when I decided to take a rest at this big rock. It was very nice, there was a tree, the shade-”
Merlin zoned out for a second as he heard that name. Oxenfurt? Like oxen’s farts? Who would name a town that, what an absolutely absurd— oh, Jaskier was still spinning his tale.
“Anyway, once I was ready to continue my journey, I sort of tripped because the rock seemed larger getting off it, and I think I just fell backwards towards the tree, which was also quite large. As I got up, with only my pride damaged, something felt… off. The tree and stone were there, but as I pressed on,” Jaskier flit his gaze around their surroundings. “I mean, for one thing, it seems as if the breeze has completely shifted in the other direction and I’ve taken that path countless times, but I can’t recognize… well, anything here. Even the leaves look different!”
“Perhaps you hit your head on the rock,” offered Merlin. “I do know the court physician, maybe he can examine you, prescribe you something.”
“No, I think I would notice if I had a bump on my head,” Jaskier waved off the suggestion. “Thank you, but that’s not it. I can only describe it as— everything feels unfamiliar. Like… I’ve gone and died and this is a land that’s not my own.” He rubbed his chin in thought. “Mmm, I certainly hope that’s not what’s happened as I was due to see a friend in early spring.”
Hmmm, well, this was interesting. After a second of wondering whether he would regret this or not, curiosity and sympathy took over, and Merlin found himself asking, “can you show me where this tree is?”
Just a bit further up the path, situated in a grassy field, were the boulder and tree in question. The tree had many thick sprawling roots, almost overgrown at its size, and a hollow in its trunk, big enough that one could probably pass through it if they tried.
The rock was just a rock, Merlin noted, but as he came up closer to the towering oak, he could feel something radiating off it. It was faint, so it couldn’t have been anything exceptionally powerful or anything used recently. He could tell it wasn’t the tree itself, but there wasn’t anything else there— that was visible…
In a moment of carelessness, Merlin forgot he was in the presence of another and whispered a short spell that could reveal that which he was missing. With a brief flash of gold in his eyes, it became clear: a dull iron trinket wedged in the bark near the tree cavity.
He turned back to Jaskier, and pointing at the trunk, said, "look at this. It seems to have been masked by-" The rest of his sentence died out as Merlin caught sight of his new companion's crossed arms and judgmental glare. "What?"
"So you are a sorcerer?"
Merlin, you idiot! "Uhh, oh, I-"
"No, no, I understand," Jaskier was quick to add, putting his hands up in a placating manner. "I mean, I don't really understand why magic is banned in this kingdom, but that's obviously why you didn't tell me. Which, by the way, why is it banned?"
"It's a long story, it's been this way for years. King Uther has… his reasons. Umm, Jaskier, can I ask you to keep this between us? Any use of magic is punishable by death and I've taken great care to prevent anyone from finding out. Well, until now, I suppose."
"What?!" Jaskier almost shouted in disbelief. "You could be sentenced to death? That's ridiculous! Of course, don't worry, your secret's safe with me!" He paused as he slowly remembered what his problem was in the first place. "Not that I… have anyone to tell. But even if I did, I promise I wouldn't— anyway! What were you saying?"
“This,” Merlin yanked the metal out of the wood, turning it over in his palm. It was a square medallion, only about 2 inches big. There was a design of a horizontal spiral in the middle, with fire-like tendrils emanating from the loop; the reverse side was an exact mirror image. It wasn’t a symbol he recognized, but this was the culprit, he was sure of that. “It’s been cloaked, but it’s still giving off a faint energy. It wouldn’t happen to be yours? ”
Jaskier motioned for the object, running his thumb over the embossed pattern, before handing it back. “I’ve never seen it before. Is that how I got here, what is it?”
“I’m not sure,” Merlin admitted, holding the medallion up to the light. “But seeing as it’s the only enchanted thing here, I would guess a magic user spelled this to create, well, a portal of some kind and you fell through it. Whoever it was must have done so a while ago because there’s hardly any power left in it. It had just enough for one more trip.”
“Well, if that’s true, how will I get back?” Jaskier asked, a new sense of urgency overtaking him. “I suppose I could just start walking, but seeing how off this place is, that’s if I’m even in the correct hemisphere!”
“All right, calm down, Jaskier.” Merlin pocketed the trinket, putting a hand on the other’s shoulder, flashing a smirk. “Luckily, you found yourself a sorcerer. I’ll need to see if I can find an answer in my books, would you mind coming back to the kingdom with me for a bit?”
“Uhh, from what little you’ve told me about Camelot,” Jaskier said with earnest, sucking in a short breath through his teeth, “I wouldn’t say I’m eager to visit.”
Merlin snorted out a laugh, turning on his heel to lead the way back. “Don’t worry, it has its charms as well. Come on, I don’t live far.”
***
Never one to leave a silence unfilled, Jaskier took to strumming out a new tune he was experimenting with as they walked.
“You’re very good,” Merlin complimented as the bard transitioned into more familiar territory, singing Toss A Coin.
“What, really?” Jaskier abruptly stopped mid-strum, snapping his head up to look Merlin straight in the eye. “Do you mean that?”
“Umm, y-yes,” Merlin stuttered, squirming under the intense blue-eyed stare he was currently being accosted with. “You said you were trying to be famous? I wish you luck, I think you’re talented enough.”
Flattered and astounded, Jaskier forced a quick recovery, breaking out into a huge smile. “That’s probably one of the nicest things anyone’s ever said to me, thank you! My usual traveling companion is far less appreciative, I’m used to his more brutish grunts of protest whenever I sing on the road.”
“Well, you have one new fan at least. What is a witcher anyway?”
“You don’t know?” Jaskier asked in shock. What a strange place. Well, to be fair, there weren’t that many of them left and if Camelot hated magic, they would surely feel the same way about mutant hunters. “They’re monster slayers for hire. Mutated and conditioned at a young age to be tougher, faster, hardier than your average human. You don’t have them here?”
“No, never heard of them. The knights are usually the only ones to do any hunting.”
“Huh. Well, a witcher is who I spend quite a lot of time traveling with, so maybe I’m just more exposed to it.” Jaskier shrugged, before clapping his hands and turning to walk backwards so he could better see his newest supporter. “But enough about me! What about you? If sorcery is banned here, what do you do? Besides come to the rescue of people bumbling out of a wood?”
“Well… I help out Gaius every so often, he’s the physician here, and the only other person here to know about my magic. And,” Merlin heaved out a sigh, “though I still regret it most of the time, I am Prince Arthur’s manservant.”
“Wait, really?” A mage as a servant? That was a new one for Jaskier.
“It wasn’t entirely my choice, I saved his life and it was supposed to be a reward. Anyway, it’s fine, it’s… worked out so far.”
“So that means you must be in the castle, around him all the time? And he hasn’t found out you have magic?”
“Yes, well… he can be a bit of an idiot.” They shared a laugh, arriving shortly at the outskirts of town.
***
Once in Merlin’s room, the young sorcerer started to search the grimoire for information, with Jaskier assisting right over his shoulder.
“I don’t see anything resembling this specific symbol,” Merlin lamented, flipping through the ends of the book for the second time. “But it might be modified in some way. Look at this pendant.” He pointed to the page. “The design of it looks more like a triskele, but it’s the closest I have.”
Jaskier bent closer to the book, reading the bit of text beneath the illustration. “‘The pendant is used to create a passageway from one location of your choosing to another, provided there is a matching set at the ending destination.’ Ooh, not that handy of a traveling item, is it? I mean, if I’m already there, anyway…”
“Right, which is why I think the spell on this one has been altered.” Merlin pulled out the medallion from his pocket, examining it closely, noting its twin prints on either side. “They figured out a shortcut. Unfortunately, it wasn’t durable, the enchantment is gone. It’s just a piece of metal now."
"Really? It seems I'm resigned to a long walk then," Jaskier despaired, throwing his hands up in the air, breathing out a heavy sigh. "Oh, sweet Melitele, why must you burden me so?"
"Melite— What is that?" Merlin inquired, the amount of obscure things the man had mentioned up to that point now concerning him. How far away could he have possibly been transported?
Jaskier seemed to be picking up on this as well, as he looked back at him thoroughly confused. "Melitele," he said haltingly, "the mother goddess? One of the oldest goddesses known?"
Merlin shook his head slowly in response. "I've never heard that name… where did you say you were from again?"
"Uhh, I'm from Kerack, it's a small kingdom a little higher north in the Continent."
"Which continent?"
What? With a small amount of panic now setting in, Jaskier replied, voice suddenly pitched a bit higher, "what do you mean? The Continent! There's hardly enough land mass in the south to constitute another one!”
A nervous noise escaped Merlin as he thought back. If the pendant takes you anywhere of your choosing— strange goddesses, Witchers…
The winds had changed, the leaves were different…
As if I’m in a land that’s not my own.
“Umm, good news! I think I know what’s happened,” Merlin exclaimed suddenly, sporting an unnaturally large grin on his face, nearly a grimace. “Bad news… I don’t think you just traveled between hemispheres. I think you’re from a completely different world.”
Jaskier said nothing as he stood there, making an extraordinary attempt to grasp this information. Shortly after, the first conclusion he came to was this could make for a compelling song. Then came the second conclusion: oh, fuck.
“What do you mean, a different world? Wha- how?” Jaskier finally vocalized when Merlin guided him into a chair. “That can happen? Well, clearly it can… How?! Are you certain about this?”
“I’ll know for certain once I reopen the portal. And I don’t know how,” Merlin said gently, kneeling next to him. “Maybe the person who cast it wanted freedom to practice magic without fear of prosecution and invented this. It could be equally likely it was someone from your world— attempting something. It doesn’t matter.” He spun back around to his open spellbook. “I just have to find the correct spell to activate it and you will be on your way home!”
“Wait, wait, not to disparage your expertise,” hedged Jaskier as he went to join him, “but what if it spits me out into yet another world?”
“That won’t happen. I won’t be placing a new enchantment on it, I’m simply… restoring its original purpose. It’s much easier,” Merlin informed the bard, flipping back to the first few pages. “Here we are.”
Placing the dulled medallion on the table, and after making sure both bodies were a safe distance away, Merlin incanted, “faigh do chumhacht, filleadh ar cheann.”
As soon as the gold faded from his eyes, the trinket shot off the table, embedding itself into the wall near the door. It then sparked to life, the iron rapidly regaining its luster as a portal opened, filling in the door frame.
“It worked!” Jaskier shouted in awe. He quickly regained composure, giving Merlin a pat on the arm. “I mean… I knew it would, I had every faith in you.”
“Oh, of course,” Merlin said, with only a mild eye roll. “So it shouldn’t close until I remove it from the wall. Step through and if it’s someplace you don’t recognize, we’ll try again.”
Jaskier nodded, moving toward the mystical passage with his eyes shut tight. It was a strange feeling as he put one foot forward, the edges of the portal fraying with the disruption. But before he knew it, he was no longer in a sorcerer’s bedroom, but on a dirt path… the unmistakable path he’d traveled many times.
“Yes!” He nearly jumped for joy, whirling back around to his savior. “Thank you, Merlin, thank you!”
“I’m glad I could help,” responded Merlin, genuinely delighted. “Have a safe journey!”
“I will, thank you again!” Jaskier confirmed, before his smile was replaced with a more wistful frown. “I only wish this wasn’t the last time we are to see each other.”
Merlin nodded in agreement. “Sadly, butchered spells like this one will never last.” He stepped closer, reaching up to the medallion. Just as his finger grazed it, however, it violently dislodged from the wall and fell to the ground on either side of the portal. The trinket had split itself along its length!
Jaskier picked up the piece that appeared near his foot, noticing it was now single sided, with the fire-like tendrils gone and dual spirals facing both directions. “Uhh… what happened?”
“Hmm, well,” Merlin contemplated for a moment, his half of the medallion in hand. “I… believe it returned to its original state! Perhaps this doesn’t have to be the last time after all.”
“What, really? Fantastic!” Like it were a coin, Jaskier flicked his half up into the air with his thumbnail. He’d have to find a better place to store it, lest he accidentally pay with it when dumping out his coin purse. “Oh, wait,” he remembered to ask, “how does it work?
“Oh, right.” Merlin grabbed the grimoire, turned to the pendant’s entry and read aloud. “When summoning, the portal requires a shape to fill in order to form. Bury one pendant a quarter of the way near a space you are able to pass through. When the other glows, lay it flat and an egress will manifest, connecting the locations. To close the portal, fully cover the symbol on the surface of both pendants.”
“A space,” Jaskier repeated, “like a window, tree hollow, under the bed frame?”
“I suppose so,” Merlin concurred, shutting the book. “I’d say the gap between two shelves would even be enough, it is not very specific. Well, I hope to see you again soon, Jaskier.”
“And I you. Oh, feel free to visit here!” Jaskier invited, gesturing to his lute. “I’d love for you to hear some more of my songs.”
“I look forward to it!”
They pocketed their halves, waving goodbye as the gateway collapsed between them.