The Gathering: The New Order of Merlin Book 1

In and out

Merlin arrived home and breathed in the familiar scent. The lamps turned on, sensing his arrival.

First, he stood against a door frame and marked his current height in the wood for later reference. Then, he finally did what he was dying to do - he let go of the aging spell and his clothes ripped as he regained his full size.

"Oops."

He took them off with much effort and went into the bedroom to change. It felt divine, not only to be back in his adult body but also to not feel his magic encumbered. It felt as if he took off a mask and could breathe fresh air for the first time in months.

He rolled his shoulders and sat on his bed. There was no time to waste. They were lucky that he was the one that the monster attacked. If it had been someone less durable, he couldn't stand the idea of a child dying under his watch.

It was interesting that he was the one chosen by the monster. If the Heir of Slytherin wanted to go further than Salazar's intentions and attack all half-bloods as well as Muggleborns, more than half of the school would be in danger.

There was also the possibility that he was getting close to the truth and the Heir saw him as a threat. In that case, it was good news.

So, was it Malfoy? Did the kid notice that Merlin had been watching him? He had to increase his efforts. He still had a few drops of Veritaserum left which he could use on the boy and get this question out of the way.

First things first, he needed to address a few issues. Triple Goddess gave him a clear instruction - he had to visit the Crystal Cave and watch whatever visions she prepared for him. He wasn't looking forward to it but it was foolish to not heed her direct words.

Once there, he could also take care of the pesky problem of his magic being limited while he held the aging spell.

Finally, he needed to find out more about the Basilisk. He saw it, it was a Great Snake, at least twenty feet long. He didn't know they even got this large but he supposed this one was now ancient, at least a thousand years old.

He started with his library. His bestiary speculated that a Great Snake's lifespan could be prolonged if the Snakelord put the beast into a deep sleep. This made sense. Every time a Slytherin's Heir wanted to use it, they would wake it up, make it do their bidding and let it slumber again. The beast could survive thousands of years this way.

He read further. Their skin was as durable as the Great Dragons and could easily deflecting weapons and spells which would prove it difficult to kill. Some, as the Basilisk he encountered, had the power to kill instantly with their glare. All it took was a split of a second of looking it in the eyes. Their bite was lethally venomous - good to know. The book mentioned that some victims had been found petrified but did not explain how.

Finally, the bit of information he needed - any part of their body not covered by their skin was vulnerable to attack. That didn't leave much. Eyes? Nostrils? If he could get it to open its mouth maybe?

He supposed, he could let it swallow him and kill it from within. That would be very unpleasant but he was willing to make that sacrifice. He only had to ensure it didn't kill him before he got the chance to lay the fatal blow. Being brought back to life while inside a snake's stomach would be extremely ill-advised.

He imagined it would feel nearly as bad as that time when he angered the Goddess and as punishment, she brought him back few days after his death when his body was buried and already decaying. He shuddered, remembering the agony of that experience. It had been a long time since then but his memory refused to let him forget it.

Merlin transported himself to the Valley of the Fallen Kings which welcomed him with its deep forest. He was hit by the contrast of the damp foliage under his feet compared to the snow he'd already gotten used to in the highlands. Winter was very different in Camelot.