Devils Own ( Steampunk and Mystic ) 4.4

4.4

Merlin had conjured up a long dining table and some chairs for his guests. He was explaining the concept of magical properties.

“There will be no magic if there were no elements in the dimensions to work with. Everywhere in the dimensions are minute particles which allow us to manipulate it to create the magical properties that perform these magic.” Merlin looked to the confused expressions of his guests, and then proceeded to explained it with somewhat simpler.

“Imagine the drink in your glass.” Merlin motioned to his wine glass. He managed to raise the wine content out and above of the glass. The reddish liquid content floated in mid-air. “Observe as I separate the grapes from the water contents. Then I will move to manipulate the contents in the water, by splitting the minute particles inside it. Or into sub-particles which even the advanced scope may not picked up. It’s not only the structure we sight, but the feel for it. It’s all in the air.”

The water content dissipated to the view of the group but Merlin was not stopping there.

“You do not see the water, but I could feel the presence of the particles.” Merlin continued on. “It’s a gift of mine. I will now manipulate the sub-particles to its new base properties. It’s like creating fire from the elements of the sub-particles that contain the needed reaction. That is only a sample which we use to create the magical properties that could invoke those so called magical spells.”

“It’s all around us.” Merlin waved his hands and then a blueberry shaped miniature phoenix appeared. “And within the different dimensions, it also appeared like those around us.”

“Richard was an earlier disciple of mine. And then my peer in the field of the learning arts. He had a good mind, and was a brilliant student. He lacked one thing then; the inability to accept the principle of magic. What he did not comprehend, he rejected it and explore to the realm of machinery. I encourage it and even taught him the science of mechanical self that resembled us. We researched together but he was not satisfied with the inventions. He wanted to create more than was allowed in the field. Soon he found the need to go back to the earlier teaching of magic, but he delved into the darker aspect of it. He wanted to create life as he once told me. He wanted to be the creator, and due to that, he vanquished those he deemed imperfect or may be a hindrance to his works. He was not learning magic but creating a new type of magic; the darker ones.”

“He formed the Dark Princes with his first followers to do the foul deeds that he would not be seen doing by himself.” Merlin continued on. “He nurtured them and soon he was their benefactor but always behind the scene. He had the Dark Princes performed those tasks that will propelled him to greatness. “

“It can’t be.” Lucas voiced out. He then looked to the others, and gave one his bashful smile. “I had seen King Richard. He was my father’s friend from childhood.”

Lucas stopped there, when the others glared at him.

“Not all of us were orphans like most of the recruits. I was sent there by my father at an early age and begged Master Galeb to accept me. I was an exceptional, and my Father fought with King Richard. He is Lord Grisham of the Southern Isles.”

Irina was alarmed at the new revelation but Merlin injected in with his tale.

“It’s true, that King Richard was your father’s friend but he does not live inside the shell which is the King. His soul had been taken by the King when he was fighting for the throne. The one you knew as King Richard is no more than an evil soul that had resided in many bodies. His real name was Altib, and he learned the art of skin walker to create the seed of life. He had been around in different identity, but each one allowed him to create mayhem.”

“This is unbelievable.” Lucas spoke out. “If that was true then tell me Master Merlin how did you maintain your own form? You were rumored to have lived for over ten centuries.”

“Five and half centuries to be exact with some years missing.” Merlin replied back. “I have not taken on other forms but in disguise to cover my age. Many had seen me over the ages, but they describe me in many dressing, but had anyone seen me in real body.”

Merlin stood up and unbuttoned his robe. It showed his chest and part of his lower arms in flesh, but the rest were mechanical limbs except for his head and neck.

“I am a design of my own designs. Some of it was with Richard’ help then when he was helpful. Over the ages, my natural body had lost its own inert properties to retain its flesh. It decayed and had to be replaced with mechanical implants. Part of it was created by Richard or his current adopted designation rank as the Ancient One while I am the Master.”

“These” Merlin held out his hands. “They are retained for they been exposed to the sub-particles and somehow kept it alive like in the context of a living tissue. But sometimes, it also had its implications. My left eye was one I got careless recently. It got burned in a magical duel with Richard. He had the upper hand, and cursed his wrath on it. I was lucky to lose only the eye and not the flesh behind it. I could still see without my naked eye, but in an aura form of the sighting. I see an aura of your inner being…”

Kassius held out his hands to stop the Master. He did not want to hear his inner characteristics.

“May we get on with about you?” Irina interjected in. She was also trying to avoid the issue.

“Irina is not of my blood but she is loved as one. I adopted her when her mother died at birth.” Merlin buttoned back his robe. “With the hidden truth disclosed, allow me to tell you why Richard must be stopped.”

“You all knew of my relation with Richard, but not his real intention. Altib Ladin was from a place named Baghdad. He was a noble in the courts of the Great Lord then. He wanted more in the ranking which he drove for me. He begged me to be his master and did everything from monetary and emotional pleading. He finally convinced me when he showed me his skill in inventing mechanical contraption.”

“I taught him for over ten years, before we became closer and shared our interest. He soon became more adept in it and even taught me more while I gave him more lessons in magic. He soon found time was a restraint in his development. He asked me for the elixir of life. I told him there was no elixir of life, but the extension of life length by moving in between dimensions. The bodies may reside in several dimensions, and the soul interspersed within each when needed. When it’s not there, the body rest in limbo, thus preserving it for use later. Unfortunately, I spent more time here in this dimension.”

“You mean you do not rest or sleep?” Lucas voiced out.

“The soul does not, but the physical body may need it to restore its vitality.” Merlin explained.

“Father had been in periods of rest sometimes for months.” Derreen spoke out in defense of her father. “He calls it Deep Sleep.”

“Yes, back to Richard or Altib.” Merlin continued on. “He will not rest until he could find a way to extend his life. He went into researching mechanical implants to lengthen life by replacing the flesh, or bones but it was not enough. He soon heard of the hidden darker magic. He went for it against my advice and soon became a Skin Walker. In the last three centuries, he had been involved in almost all the major wars or conflicts on this dimension, either directly or indirectly. He had caused the death of millions, and will not rest until he perfected the world to his design.”

“He may there soon, if he finds the Ark.”

“Why the Ark?” Irina asked out.

“It’s claimed that it holds the true power of the soul. With that Altib hopes to bind the power to his and retained it for himself. With that he could ruled all the dimensions and for eternity.” Merlin explained. “But it was never proven as no one had seen the Ark before it disappeared when Babylonian invaded Jerusalem in 597 BC. The truth was buried for centuries, but the truth was it not here anymore. Not in this dimension. It was moved to another dimension so that the seeker will not find it unless they could cross the dimensions.”

“And among those who could, there are only two of us left. But Altib and myself. Your father had another mean.

Irina held out the Horn to the Master.

“Is this it?”

“Yes, the Horn. It will open the dimension doors with its sound.” Merlin spoke out.

The doors to the Hall were opened without authorization. Hubert came rolling in with his oils leaking on the floor. It rolled in and then divert to the stack of coals placed there for the mechanical inventions. It dropped in two stones of coal, and then puffed up its engine. Then it stepped to the water container to restore the steam efficiency.

“Hubert, puff it up.” Merlin shouted out. “What’s made you come in?”

“I am sorry, Master. We are to be invaded.”