Chapter Two

The old man looked at me as if he saw me for the first time; he looked shocked and pained.

　　"How are you still alive?" He asked horrified he placed his hands on my shoulders as tears filled his gaze.

　　I looked around awkwardly and looked back at him with confusion, not sure what hes going on about. Do I know this old man?

He held my face between his hands, and I stood there staring with confusion.

　　"I don’t know what you mean, also who are you?" I said embaressed not remembering anything.

　　"Arthur, you don't remember me?!" He said loud enough for everyone to hear.

　　”Arthur?” I mumbled under my breath, that name didn’t feel all that familiar.

　　"His name isn't Arthur, his name is Luke and we're from Mud-Haven. Our home has been infected with some kind of...Madness. We had no choice but to leave." She said horrified.

　　This girl is giving me a bad headache, how dare she tell this old man who I am? I don't even know who I am.

　　"I don't even know your name, how do you possibly know me?" I asked her really getting agitated now.

　　"My 'name' is Ariel, and we have grown up together since we were three. Our town wasn't very big so everyone; knew everybody." She explained lightly.

　　The old man suddenly let me go and looked me in the eye. "I'm very sorry, you look so much like someone I used to know. My name is Merlin, I've been around this world for a very long time, you see." Merlin blubbered on.

　　Suddenly all the light in the cave disappeared and left us in complete darkness. The air became thick and icy and the chill went up my spine, and if I could see I'd probably be able to see my breath.

　　All of a sudden a loud growl came from the back of the cave and a large vibration made everything shake. It almost made me jump out of my own skin and a loud gasp from the others filled the room.

　　"Ah, don't worry about him, he must be waking up from his one-hundred-year nap," Merlin said calmly as he lit up the cave again. Once we were able to see once more there was a large, yellow eye staring back at us.

　　Everyone backed away, but I didn't I am very much intrigued by this large winged, green-scaled monster. I walked closer.

　　"Does he bite?" I asked walking around this..., thing.

　　"He could, depends on his mood really," Merlin said shortly.

"Depends on his mood?" I asked.

"This thing has a mood?" I questioned out loud.

　　"Just because he's a dragon, doesn't mean he doesn't have feelings," Merlin stated, sounding offended.

　　The dragon let out a loud huff as he settled at the back of the cage with his back toward us.

　　"This is a dragon? It's huge, I've never seen one before!" I said in awe.

　　"Neither have we, how do we know if this crazy old man isn't some kind of wizard or something, or if it's safe being here?" A man in the back asked coldly.

　　"If you all think that why don't you all leave, no one forced you here and no one is forcing you to stay," I nodded toward the door.

　　Merlin started to chuckle then started laughing loudly, we all stared at him.

　　"Sounds like you all lived under a rock or something, where did you say you were from again? Mud-haven? I never heard of the place and I've lived for three hundred years," He said still laughing.

　　"We weren't living under a rock we just never had the need to leave the sanctuary of our home," The man defended.

　　"Anyways, as for the wizard thought you're all so afraid of, what would you do if you did run into a wizard, would you run away? would you scream, what exactly would you do exactly?" Merlin asked darkly walking closer to the herd of civilians with a smirk on his face.

　　There was silence in the cave no one said a word they all just looked at each other if they did leave where would they go?

　　 Merlin shook his head as he looked at all of us.

　　"You all are going to learn how the world finally works, and it's not full of sunshine and rainbows," Merlin said turning and walking away.

“As Ariel said we didn’t come from sunshine and rainbows, we are just looking for somewhere safe to live and even, just prosper.” Another woman called out.

Merlin stared at them for a moment, but didn’t respond.

　　"Luke, I must speak with you follow me," Merlin spoke.

　　Looking back at Ariel and shrugged and followed him, he turned and faced me.

　　"Those people seemed to have taken you for their leader, not sure how such a young man got that kind of title." Merlin disclaimed his eyes look like he seen many awful things, but he still seems to have a glint of curiosity in those old and wise eyes.

　　"I'm not sure why I really haven't done anything. At least nothing I can remember, right now  If anything I'm only here because of Ariel she's the one who brought me here." I explained.

　　"Yes, well that's not the only reason I wanted to speak with you. The reason I wanted to speak with you is to give you an explanation about earlier." Merlin explained shamefully.

　　"If you'd like to I can listen," I let out a sigh with a smile. 

　　Merlin took a seat on the ground and I sat beside him.

　　"A few decades ago, lived a prince named Arthur Pendragon. Arthur temporarily made his nephew; Mordred in power over our land Camelot, so he could go to war. But Mordred became power hungry, and once Arthur came back he didn't want to give up his new throne.

　　Arthur had no choice but to fight his nephew and it ended in his death. Arthur was my best friend if not more, I was always by his side.

　　Except for that day, I was out of town for a short voyage which I had to run a few errands and had come here to speak with  Balinor here," He looked over at the dragon. His eyes solemn deep in thought.