Chapter Text
Ifaras zaras yezaras…
Ifaris zaris yezarik….
O’ Knight of the Wind… heed my call! Please… you must save us…!
Ifaras zaras yezaras…
Ifaris zaris yezarik….
As Merlina chanted the ancient words her father told her to use in hours of need, a glowing circle, etched with ancient runes appeared below her. It sucked out her magic.
Merlina hoped she had enough.
Her legs began to shake, it was getting harder to stand, but no matter how weak she felt, she had to focus. She kept on with her chant.
Ifaras zaras yezaras…
Ifaris zaris yezarik….
But her energy gave out.
She fell to the ground. Her magic circle flickered and receded. The portal never came.
Merlina held tightly onto her magic staff. She was losing consciousness, King Arthur’s Knights of the Underworld, black dragons of cursed fire, they would get to her… but she couldn’t die. Camelot would fall with her if she did… but what was she supposed to do? The spell, her last bit of hope, the last thing her father left her before he passed away, didn’t work. She didn’t have nearly enough magic to hold on to it.
As King Arthur’s forces closed in on her, a single tear dropped from Merlina’s face. I’m sorry, father… her heart cried out, I couldn’t do what you asked of me… to protect those from the evil forces that threatened the lives of all of Camelot. How could he have predicted that those evil forces… would be his best friend?
Merlina closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable when suddenly, a strong force pulled her. She felt weightless. Her legs weren’t on the ground. She was being carried away. She struggled to open her eyes again, but through the slits of her eyelids she could tell that her savior was a Mobian, a hedgehog, similar to Sir Lancelot.
King Arthur’s dark forces flew through the air. Although her savior, a blue hedgehog, was fast, the cursed monsters quickly gained on them. Merlina closed her eyes and focused. With a wave of her staff, a magic circle appeared, creating pillars of light. The evil dragons screeched and veered from the wall, it kept them from advancing. Merlina smiled at her work before quickly losing consciousness.
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Merlina’s eyes weren’t open, but she heard a fireplace crackling. A hand dropped a rag into a bucket of water, wrung it out, and then placed it on her forehead to cool her. Merlina slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurry, but she could still see the silhouette of the blue hedgehog that saved her. He smiled when he noticed that her eyes were open.
“You’re awake." He said. Merlina heard a sigh of relief.
Without a word to her savior, she looked around at the room she was sleeping in. It was a shabby cabin. The walls looked like they were hastily put together rather than built. The house creaked every time a breeze blew by. In the corners, were spiderwebs, gathering dust more than flies. Along the walls, Merlina could see all sorts of objects and trinkets she couldn’t quite place. They looked like they were tied down for some reason. Including her staff, which was tied to her bed’s frame with rope. Merlina tried to sit up, to get a closer look, but she fell back down. She was very dizzy.
“Hold on…” said the blue hedgehog, he looked around for something. His eyes lit up when the fell on its target. “Lemme get ya’ some water.” The blue hedgehog reached beyond Merlina to grab a flask. He dashed off, disappearing in a flash.
A strong gust of wind pulled in his direction. Merlina gasped as she held onto her covers, her long, pink braid whipping around. Everything in this room was tied down to prevent it from falling. All except, a bag of rings.
As it fell from the shelf it was laid on, Merlina instinctively tried to grab it, even though she couldn’t move. She held her ears, waiting for the distinct ringing of the fallen bag, but the blue hedgehog returned and caught it. He breathed a sigh of relief, a wet flask in his hand, and then placed the bag back where it belonged. “I gotta stop forgettin’ about this one...” He whispered to himself. He turned around to face Merlina. With a smile placed on him, he handed her the flask. “You need t’ drink.”
As Merlina drank her water, she stared at her savior. He was much faster than any Mobian she had ever met. Did the spell work? “Peasant. What is your name?”
The blue hedgehog's face twisted. He didn’t quite like the use of the word, “peasant,” but he continued anyway. “Most people around here call me Sonic.” Sonic tilted his head. His eyes, suspicious. “Are you… Merlina?”
Merlina winced. Most weren’t happy when they learned who she was. They blamed her father for choosing the, now evil, King Arthur. They considered her and the Knights of the Round Table, enemies of the people.
If she knew how far things would go, she would have stopped him a long time ago.
Merlina took a deep breath. She sat up straight and looked down at Sonic. She was ashamed of where things had gone, but there was still hope she could change it. “Yes, I am Merlina…” she said, “and I think that you could help me.”
King Arthur knew that Merlina would attempt to do her spell, to bring a Knight of the Wind into this world. The spell most certainly didn’t work, but this hedgehog could be the next best thing.
Merlina grasped her thin blanket. They had to find the knights’ swords, they had to bring down the barrier, they had to stop King Arthur. He has to help me. She thought desperately. If she had King Arthur’s scabbard of immortality, she could end everyone’s suffering. Right now. Mer,ins opened her mouth to speak.
Sonic held up his hand. “Before we talk, you should probably eat.” He said, his foot halfway out the door. “That’s how wizards get their magic back, right?”
It was, but how did Sonic know that? Before Merlina could ask, Sonic ran away, leaving another bad gust of wind.
As Merlina opened her eyes again, a book fell from a shelf beside her bed. She looked up and saw multiple. She opened up the one on her lap, hoping to have it entertain her while Sonic was gone, but was saddened to see, it’s a picture book. Of course. Sonic was a peasant. He wouldn’t be able to afford to be taught how to read.
She opened it up, not expecting much, but was surprised at the wonderful illustrations. This one was about her father, Merlin. The rest of the books and their illustrations were familiar to her as well. Merlin… The Lady of the Lake… Angel Island… these were people she met, places she had known of. Around here, it seemed they were just stories, myths, legends.
Sonic returned with two wooden bowls. “Sorry it took so long.” He looked away from Merlina’s disappointed face. “It’s not much… but I wasn’t expecting any visitors today.” He chuckled.
Merlina looked at her meal again, downhearted by the portions, but believed she should be happy she got to eat at all. It was… some kind of stew. Nothing special… until she looked closer. High quality meat, vegetables, spices, sauces… how could he afford all of this? “Sonic, what is your occupation?”
“Uh… occu… what?”
“Where do you work? To get money?”
Sonic’s eyes lit up. “Oh! I don’t really… have a job.” He said, absent minded… he spun his spoon around in his bowl. “I help around a lot… people give me stuff.”
That made sense. His home was terribly unkempt… but… it didn’t explain the piles and piles of rings he owned. “Where did you get those?” Merlina pointed to the bags of money.
Sonic shrugged. “Rich folks come here a lot.” He spoke through his full mouth. “They drop stuff.”
“And you didn’t give it back?”
Sonic swallowed his food. “Couldn’t.” He said simply. “By the time I get there, they’re long gone.” He chuckled to himself. Smiling cheekily. “Their pretty carriages aren’t really made for our roads.”
Ignoring his misdeeds, Merlina looked at the picture-book of Merlin. “Do you… ‘read’… often?”
Sonic nodded his head, looking down. “What I can find.” He picked up his and Merlina’s empty bowls and set them both aside. “What was that about helpin’?”
Merlina told him her story. Sonic was from Mobius, so he, as well as his fellow townspeople didn’t know much about Camelot’s plight.
Long ago, King Arthur ruled along with his knights, some of his closest family and friends. They rode around, mending the broken, and protecting those from evils they could not comprehend. One day, Merlina’s father, Merlin, died. It had everyone thinking. King Arthur was too precious, too important. The same could not… simply should not happen to him.
They spoke to the Lady of the Lake, seeking her counsel. She gave them the Scabbard of Immortality. No monster could defeat him, no sickness could befall him… he could not be slain. King Arthur let the power get to his head. He was too weak. He abused it and now ruled with an iron fist, his hand gripped around the hilt of an iron sword. No one could stand up to him. Not even his once beloved Knights of the Round Table. They all scattered, while he continued Camelot's suffering. All... except one...
Sir Lancelot stayed behind to continue King Arthur’s torment across Camelot. Following his every order, without question.
Merlina however escaped. She, armed with her magic staff, tried to throw a spell that would save them all... but she didn’t have the resolve to finish it. She was almost killed, and then she was saved.
“I couldn’t summon the Knight of the Wind… but your power… your… speed could be just as helpful. You could possibly defeat King Arthur.”
Sonic thought for a long time. Taking the information in. “If ya really need my help… then I guess I kinda have to.”
“You’ll come with me? To Camelot?”
“Sure, I will!” Sonic said as he stood up. He looked outside his window. “We’ll leave tomorrow though. Both of us could use some sleep.” He picked up the bowls and went off to clean them. Merlina laid her head down. She tried to sleep, but too much energy buzzed through her body.
She did it. She found the hero that would save them all.