Sitting in his throne, Arthur Pendragon surveyed the men and women standing before him. The crowd was a mixed lot, dressed in all manner of styles and colours; there were warriors in steel armour carrying long spears and great swords, robed sorcerers clutching rune-covered staves, farmers in rough woven tunics, and noblemen wearing velvet doublets with gold braid. All of them stood with their heads held high, gazing up at Arthur as if he were the most important person in the world.
"Today is a new day for Camelot," said Arthur, rising from his throne and striding down towards the crowd. "Today we put aside old hatreds, old grudges. Today we put aside differences to become one people, bound together by peace."
He reached the front of the crowd and raised his right hand into the air. "Merlin has returned from his long journey, bringing news about the monarchy ruler." He gestured and Merlin stepped forward from his place beside the throne. "As King, I must bring peace to our land, so the war between our human race and the dragons must come to an end."
Merlin raised his staff and pointed it at Arthur. "What I bring is not only good news, but also bad news, my king."
Arthur frowned. "Speak then, tell us what you know."
Arthur Pendragon has a destiny. To succeed, he must find the monarchy ruler, the being who will help him end the war between humans and dragons. And Merlin, a powerful wizard, has the answers King Arthur is looking for. He knows the location of the monarchy ruler, but there is a crucial problem. One involving the king of dragons, Gilgamesh.
"What did you just say!" Arthur exclaimed, his voice too loud for Merlin's liking.
The man cringed at Arthur's tone and rubbed his ears to ease the pain it caused.
"I said that the same young man is both the monarchy and the dominion ruler." Merlin repeated more quietly.
He had expected Arthur to be surprised by what he told him, but this reaction was more than he'd anticipated.
"How can that be possible? Two rulers in one person! It goes against everything we've ever learned about them!" Arthur shouted again.
Merlin flinched and sighed when the ringing in his ears didn't stop. "It is not my place to question their actions or explain how it is possible. All I know is that he is both rulers." Merlin paused when he remembered something else. "Oh, and he's also been in the dragon realm with King Gilgamesh for over a month."
Arthur stared at Merlin incredulously. "What?"
The wizard winced again and took a step away from Arthur. "Please, don't shout, my king. If you keep doing so, I'll lose my hearing permanently."
Arthur looked sheepish and apologized to Merlin. "Sorry, old friend. But this news is shocking. Tell me, who is this boy exactly?"
"I don't know about that, when I arrived he was already gone, it seems that King Gilgamesh was faster than you my king, perhaps he had the dream visions before you." Merlin replied.
Everyone in the crowd who expected good news were disappointed by Merlin's revelation. Arthur turned to face them and addressed them directly.
"My fellow citizens of Camelot, do not despair, although things have changed slightly from what we expected, the outcome is still the same. Our goal remains the same; to unite humanity and dragonkind under one banner, under one rule." He declared loudly.
The crowd cheered enthusiastically at Arthur's words, shouting praises and clapping wildly, he smiled broadly and waved to them. As the cheers died down, he spoke again.
"Now, Merlin, tell us everything you know about the boy." Arthur commanded.
The wizard nodded and began explaining everything he knew. "I don't have much information, but what I know is that his name is Xaiver. A young man with long black hair with some white streaks and ice blue eyes."
"Those descriptions fit perfectly with the young man who appeared in my dreams." Arthur remarked.
Merlin continued. "He lived together with his two brothers, Cid and Edward, it seems that his parents died a long time ago. The town he lived in was quite poor, and from what I saw, his family had a farm before, but probably when they died their son couldn't keep it."
"If you arrived when the monarchy ruler was already gone, how do you know he was taken by the king of the dragons?"Arthur inquired.
"When I got there, the trail of dragon mana was all over the place, it wasn't difficult for me to identify that it belonged to Gilgamesh." Merlin answered confidently.
Arthur pondered on Merlin's explanation for a moment. "Very well, since Gilgamesh already has him, we must prepare ourselves for any eventuality. We must assume that he may attack us at any moment. Therefore, I want everyone to mobilize immediately, we must ready ourselves for war. Merlin, you will lead our forces against Gilgamesh. Go forth, gather all the wizards in Camelot, and begin training them to fight alongside our armies. Go now, there's no time to waste!" Arthur ordered.
Merlin bowed deeply while proposing a better idea. "How about traveling to the dragon realm and give King Gilgamesh a proposal he can't refuse?"
"We don't have a ruler, do you really think he will agree to form an alliance?" Arthur questioned.
Merlin grinned widely and laughed heartily. "But we have a ruler, we have Xaiver, if King Gilgamesh finds out that the monarchy ruler is also the dominion ruler, then he will have no choice but to accept my proposal."
Arthur considered Merlin's plan carefully. "If we can convince Gilgamesh, then we will have a chance to finally escape the hands of the gods." He agreed.
Merlin chuckled gleefully and clapped his hands happily. "Excellent! Now let me prepare myself, I shall depart as soon as possible."
"Very well, go and do your duty Merlin. Take some Knights of the Round Table with you, you better be prepared for anything." Arthur instructed.
"Understood, my king." Merlin agreed, bowing once again.
Arthur dismissed the crowd and watched them leave, some seemed worried about the future, but others appeared excited by the prospect of not fighting Gilgamesh. Once the throne room was empty, Arthur sat back on his throne and closed his eyes, thinking deeply about the situation.
After a while, Merlin returned wearing different attire. His robes were replaced by a long brown coat lined with fur, underneath he wore a heavy wool tunic embroidered with intricate patterns of golden thread, over it he wore leather pauldrons engraved with runes, and a pair of boots made from soft leather. Merlin carried his staff in one hand, gripping its handle tightly, and slung across his shoulders was a large bag filled with various supplies.
"Ready to leave?" Arthur asked as Merlin approached him.
"Indeed, I'm fully prepared and ready to depart." He confirmed proudly.
"Regarding the Knights of the Round Table, who did you decide to bring with you on your trip?" Arthur inquired.
Merlin shrugged indifferently and replied simply. "Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain, nothing else."
"Only those two? That's hardly enough." Arthur protested.
"Nonsense, those two are among the best fighters in Camelot, I could ask for no better companions to accompany me in such a dangerous mission." Merlin argued.
Arthur shook his head disapprovingly and crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine, take whoever you wish, but remember Merlin, Gilgamesh is extremely dangerous, don't underestimate him."
"Of course, my king." Merlin promised solemnly.
Arthur smiled and stood up from his throne, walking down until he stood face to face with Merlin. "Good luck Merlin."
"Thank you, king Arthur." Merlin thanked before turning around and marching out of the throne room without another word.
The wizard strode quickly through the halls of Camelot castle, heading straight towards the courtyard where he knew Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain awaited him. Sure enough, when Merlin exited the castle doors he found the two knights waiting patiently outside, they turned towards him as soon as he emerged, and immediately saluted respectfully.
"Sir Merlin, we are ready to accompany you on your mission." Sir Lancelot announced politely.
Sir Gawain grinned broadly and added eagerly. "Let's hurry up."
Merlin nodded approvingly and led the way towards the gates of Camelot city. As the three men walked through the streets of the capital, many people stopped what they were doing to stare curiously at them, wondering why such famous knights of the round table were leaving so suddenly. However, Merlin ignored everyone, focused entirely on reaching the gate as fast as possible. Soon enough, they reached the city's outer wall and passed beneath the massive stone archway marking its entrance. Outside the walls stretched miles upon miles of rolling snow hills dotted with patches of trees and bushes, beyond these hills lay forests filled with dangerous wildlife.
They decided to travel in a carriage, so it would be faster to get to the small, poor town where the magical portal is located. They rode in silence most of the time, occasionally talking amongst themselves, discussing strategies and planning ahead for any potential problems that might arise during their journey.
After several hours, night fell upon Camelot kingdom, and Merlin called a halt to their journey, stopping the carriage next to a small stream running through the forest surrounding the road they traveled along. While Merlin tended to the horses pulling the carriage, Lancelot and Gawain set up camp using the supplies stored inside the vehicle. Once everything was prepared, they gathered around a roaring fire, enjoying its warmth and comfort, watching the dancing flames cast flickering shadows on the surrounding trees.
While eating dinner together, Merlin broached the topic of Gilgamesh, inquiring about everyone's knowledge concerning the dragon lord. Both knights listened attentively, nodding occasionally and offering suggestions whenever appropriate, but neither offered much insight into the subject matter itself. Finally, Merlin explained why he needed their help specifically, telling them that he intended to negotiate with Gilgamesh personally, seeking peace rather than continuing the pointless war between humans and dragons. Lancelot and Gawain readily agreed to assist him in achieving this goal, swearing fealty to him unconditionally. Merlin thanked them sincerely for their support, promising that he would reward them handsomely if successful. After finishing dinner, Merlin retired early, wanting to rest before continuing their journey tomorrow morning, while Lancelot and Gawain stayed awake longer, discussing plans and strategies amongst themselves. Eventually though, even they went to bed, falling asleep peacefully despite the freezing cold weather outside.
In the morning Merlin awoke feeling refreshed, stretching lazily and yawning loudly before rising from his sleeping bag. He washed his face in the nearby stream, then dressing himself warmly. By the time he returned to camp, Lancelot and Gawain were already awake, preparing breakfast over a small cooking fire they built earlier. When Merlin joined them, they handed him a bowl of porridge which he accepted gratefully, devouring hungrily.
Once finished eating, they broke camp quickly, packing away everything neatly before loading themselves back onto the carriage, riding off toward their destination once more. Throughout the entire day they travelled nonstop, making excellent progress thanks largely due to Merlin's magic which allowed them to cover vast distances without tiring themselves out physically.
Finally, after several days of hard work, they reached Xavier's hometown, arriving late afternoon. Upon entering the town, Merlin noticed immediately that something wasn't quite right; every house appeared deserted, abandoned completely. Furthermore, there were signs everywhere indicating recent battles occurred here recently, including scorched ground and burned buildings throughout the area. Worst yet however, corpses littered the streets, rotting corpses of both humans and demon beasts, strewn haphazardly everywhere, lying unmoving amidst pools of dried blood and broken bones protruding from torn flesh.
Merlin dismounted from the carriage and examined several bodies closely, discovering they were killed brutally, ripped apart savagely. Their wounds appeared inflicted by sharp claws belonging to demon beasts, confirming his suspicions regarding the gods involvement in whatever happened here. Merlin returned to the carriage and informed Lancelot and Gawain of his findings, warning them that danger lurked nearby, advising caution at all times henceforth.
"Are we humans being punished by the gods because the dragons found the ruler faster than us?" Gawain asked.
Merlin shook his head negatively, answering firmly. "No, we still have time before the heavenly war occurs, so the gods cannot punish either the dragons or the humans. Even if because of them both races are in conflict, they still keep their promise."
Lancelot furrowed his brows worriedly and commented grimly. "Then why they destroyed this town? What reason they have to slaughter innocent people?"
Merlin shrugged uncertainly, admitting honestly. "I do not know sir Lancelot, but whatever happened here, it involved demon beasts, and the gods are behind this incident."
Gawain clenched his fists angrily, growling furiously. "Damn bastards, they never change."
Lancelot placed a comforting hand upon Gawain's shoulder, calming him instantly. "Calm down Gawain, getting angry won't solve anything."
Merlin nodded approvingly at Lancelot's advice, agreeing wholeheartedly. "Lancelot speaks wisely, anger clouds one's judgment, therefore, remaining calm is paramount right now."
Gawain exhaled deeply, relaxing gradually before apologizing regretfully. "Sorry Merlin, I lost control for a second."
Merlin waved dismissively, smiling kindly. "Do not worry Gawain, your emotions are understandable considering what occurred here."
Lancelot patted Gawain reassuringly, speaking encouragingly. "Let's focus on reaching the magical portal."
He nodded, determined to complete their mission successfully. Merlin climbed back atop the carriage and urged the horses onward, guiding them deeper within the forest behind the town. As they rode further inside the woods, Merlin noticed numerous footprints imprinted on the ground, indicating dozens upon dozens of demon beasts traveled through here recently. Furthermore, judging by their tracks, these creatures moved erratically, randomly wandering aimlessly around instead of following any sort pattern whatsoever. This discovery greatly concerned him immensely, suggesting something sinister occurred nearby recently, something involving demon beasts acting strangely abnormal.
Eventually, they reached the magical portal leading directly to the dragon realm, discovering it hidden deep within thick foliage covering the surrounding area completely. Merlin disembarked from the carriage and approached cautiously, inspecting thoroughly for traps or other dangers awaiting anyone attempting using it carelessly. Fortunately, he detected none, allowing him safely enter without worrying about being attacked unexpectedly. However, before stepping inside completely, Merlin warned Lancelot and Gawain sternly.
"Stay alert gentlemen, some of the demon beasts already crossed to the other side of the portal." Merlin advised seriously.
Both knights acknowledged Merlin's warning obediently, drawing their weapons simultaneously, ready to defend themselves immediately if anything happen unexpectedly. With that settled, Merlin entered the portal without delaying furthermore, disappearing instantly into thin air. Lancelot and Gawain followed him, also entering the portal. On the other side, they felt the heat of the desert, forcing them to take off their warm clothing.
"Travelling by carriage will probably take a day to reach Uruk, but I'm not too sure about the location." Merlin stated, scratching his chin thoughtfully.
""So how are we going to continue?"
Lancelot inquired curiously.
Merlin snapped his fingers loudly, grinning smugly proudly. "Simple, I will use magic to track down King Gilgamesh's mana that I found in Xaiver's hometown."
Merlin concentrated intensely, focusing solely upon sensing Gilgamesh's presence somewhere nearby. Within seconds, he discovered traces of dragon mana emanating faintly coming from somewhere northward direction.
"I found him, Uruk is not that far away from the magical portal as I predicted." Merlin revealed triumphantly.
Lancelot and Gawain smiled cheerfully relieved, glad knowing Uruk city isn't far away from their current position. Without wasting time, they piled aboard the carriage once more, urging the horses onward towards Gilgamesh's territory.