Shall we go?" Morgana asked as Merlin led her down a path that would take them out of the city in a few hours; her tone sounded slightly surprised.
"Did you think we'd stay here forever?" joked the magician with his classic smile, which vanished the next second. "It's no longer safe for us to stay here."
Morgana's eyebrows furrowed and she almost stopped, but quickly shook them back and, without pausing, asked him:
"Are you talking about the danger from before?" The Angel of Miracles looked at him over his shoulder with a smile. "Are you worried that the Law of Convergence will lead us toward it?"
Although Morgana wasn't sure exactly what they were avoiding, based on the knowledge Merlin had shared about the sequence, the only things that could cause two Angels to run for cover were more Angels or a God. And given that this threat appeared to be a single presence, she leaned toward the latter.
"Yes and yes," the wizard agreed. "The biggest problem we have is the second one; if we're not careful, we'll be led straight into the first one… and if that happens, neither of us will get out alive." Morgana's eyes widened slightly at this weighty statement. "The best thing we can do is keep moving and go to places he can't easily get into."
Morgana frowned at the explanation; I found a clear flaw in that plan.
"Is there any place where someone as powerful as him can't enter?" he asked, his voice thick with suspicion. "I can't think of any place other than his enemy's territory... if he even has one."
A loud round of applause sounded in front of her.
"That's right! Although there is only one entity of his same level on this planet, and he is his archenemy." Morgana looked at Merlin with a blank expression; she didn't understand why she seemed so animated when informing her of this detail.
"I understand the logic, but... won't that entity kill us too if it discovers us?" she asked, quite certain of that possibility. "We belong to the Paths that dominate its enemy. Shouldn't we hate each other to death?"
Merlin hummed without losing his smile.
"It's possible, but only if he sees us directly." Merlin snapped his fingers, emphasizing a crucial point. "Beings like them aren't concerned with Angels, and with so many Angel-level crazed beings walking the Earth right now, even if he detects our presence, he'll think we're just one of them." His smile widened. "And the best part: since we don't belong to his adjacent paths, we won't have to worry about the Law of Convergence arranging a rendezvous with him."
Morgana closed her eyes and sighed resignedly; she understood the analysis behind the plan and it seemed quite sound. But she still felt a little uneasy entering the territory of the enemy of the Higher Being who had almost captured them yesterday.
"I understand. Where exactly are we headed?" She didn't hide the resistance in her voice.
"To the lands that were once Russia," he replied with a bright smile, "Whose name in the future will be: the Land Abandoned by the Gods."
Remembering how the Silver City and the Moon City had survived in such a hostile environment for over two millennia always filled him with pity. He admired the resilience of all their inhabitants, who never gave up their search for a way out, even as centuries passed without any significant results.
~And in the end, it was I who fulfilled that wish, becoming a Miracle Summoner in the process.
The happiness in the smile of little Sol and the longing in the eyes of the abandoned inhabitants when they passed through the exit gates in the Court of the Giant King and witnessed the Sun for the first time had made most of the challenges and sacrifices made worthwhile.
Merlin wondered if Amon was aware that his kidnapping would have provided him with the necessary ritual to ascend to "Miracle Summoner" of Sequence 2.
"It's impossible that something like that escaped that son of god," he said to himself, remembering the Angel's sinister smile and the monocle in his right eye. "I'll never be able to see a monocle without thinking of Him and remembering everything He put me through."
The smile on her face faded.
~During that time I also understood the strong connection I had formed with the Tarot Club; they had become my most important anchors without realizing it... especially Leonard... he...
"Sir," Morgana's voice startled him, cutting off his thoughts. He stopped and turned to the white-haired angel. "You've turned the wrong corner. It's the other way."
Merlin watches over the intersection and the dilapidated sign that hung about to fall.
"Hehe, I was just lost in thought," he said, scratching his cheek sheepishly as he avoided Morgana's questioning gaze. "Why does this look like one of those situations where the father gets caught red-handed by his son? I wasn't even thinking about anything bad!"
Merlin retraced his steps to take the correct path.
"I see," he said, turning his gaze forward as they both took the correct path. "By the way, how are we going to get to Russia? Through the Spirit World?"
Merlin had begun to give him small lessons on mysticism, the extraordinary abilities of different paths and sequences—emphasizing the Marauder's path for obvious reasons—and small details about the new, chaotic world and the beings that now ruled it. All this, without diminishing the pleasant, personal conversations that helped to slowly increase his humanity.
"It's not a good option. He controls the entire Spirit World. If we go in, we'll fall straight into a trap with no way out," he said, narrowing his eyes. "So we'll travel in the most humane way possible."
"And what is it?" he raised an eyebrow; he had a bad feeling.
"Walking, running, and flying," he specified, demonstrating each action in front of her. "Don't you think it will be fun?"
Morgana remained completely silent and looked away. She didn't think that blurting out the comment that had just formed in her mind was a good idea.
Several days and a long walk later, the two angels had finally reached the sea. The beach greeted them in complete silence, like most of the landscapes they had passed through.
The Angel of Miracles took a step forward, venturing into the crystal-clear waters, not caring that his trousers and long cape were getting soaked.
"We've finally arrived," the wizard breathed, feeling the soft breeze on his face. "Isn't it beautiful and peaceful?" He turned to his companion with a smile.
Morgana watched him from the shore; her eyes remained fixed on him until they caught a detail behind him.
"Maybe beautiful... I'm not sure she's calm," he commented as his eyes fixed on a spot behind him.
The magician blinked in confusion and followed her gaze, but when he turned around there was nothing behind him except a sudden wave, much larger than the others. With a raised eyebrow, he turned toward her, ignoring the huge wave that ended up soaking her completely and carrying off her hat.
Morgana blinked at the new image of her Lord; somehow, in his eyes, there was no longer a man but a black cat, soaked from head to toe and with a sulking expression. Shaking her head and dispelling the strange mental image, she went to the sea to retrieve the top hat that the wave had stolen.
Now, with the hat in his hand, he raised his eyes and looked again behind the magician, this time pointing to the place with his hand.
—Ah, that's why —he remarked resignedly as he turned around again~~ How come I didn't see them before?
Far beyond the shore, two clearly crazed creatures were fighting in the water, continually creating waves—one of which was the one that stole his hat—every time one of them fell into the water. Merlin squinted; if he wasn't mistaken, from the creatures' forms he could tell that one belonged to the Path of the Mariner and the other to the Path of the Hunter.
—In this context, "chaotic" might be a better adjective—Morgana suggested from the shore as she watched him return. —His hat.
—Everything in the world is already chaotic—he won it with a smile and put it back on.
—That's also true—she agreed, turning her gaze towards the distant battle.
It seemed that both Angels were going to wait until the creatures finished their fight before leaving.
The rain poured down on them, accompanied by the return of dozens of claps of thunder. Morgana flew ahead at great speed; her brow was furrowed and her lips pressed together, trying to stifle a snarl. It was obvious she was in a bad mood.
"We'll fly," you said. "It will be peaceful," you said. "We won't run into any trouble," you said—she spoke in an irritated voice; she seemed tired of keeping quiet. "Did I make a mistake about something, sir?"
Merlin was flying a few meters behind her, so he had no trouble hearing her through the loud crashes of the lightning. The wizard opened his mouth to reply, but was forced to dodge a bolt of lightning before he could.
—No, I said all of the above —the magician admitted with a hint of embarrassment.
Morgana glanced over her shoulder and asked again in a slightly colder tone:
"So why has that crazed creature been chasing us since...?" She stopped, feeling the warning from her spirit. Two bolts of lightning struck her. She wasn't alarmed, and with a slight movement of her right hand, one vanished and the other fell three meters. "...a day ago?" she managed to finish. "It doesn't seem to have any intention of letting us go."
"I think she's just bored. And she must feel so lonely; all her classmates must be devoured by him." Her eyes expressed such seriousness that, if her voice didn't have a slight hint of amusement, anyone would have believed her.
The magician finally caught up with her; now they both flew over the raging sea side by side.
"Could it be because you asked me to steal your treasures?" she asked, eyeing him accusingly. "You seemed to value them quite a lot."
"First, he'll never use them, and it would be a shame to lose them at the bottom of the sea. And you know the real reason I asked you for them is so you could act like a Marauder," Merlin said, smiling as he explained his reasoning. "Due to the conditions of this era, he hasn't had the opportunity to use the Acting Method to stabilize his state."
Morgana snorted; she didn't believe anything he was saying.
—That's true, I feel like I've digested a good portion of the potion at once. But don't you think it's a bit reckless to provoke a sea creature in the middle of the ocean?
They both turned their heads back at the sound of a warning. A huge wave created by the creature was right on their heels.
"Not at all. In fact, it's quite fun," he replied, tactically ignoring the tsunami that was about to crash down on them.
"So the Lord considers provoking other creatures a form of amusement..." He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Should I try it?"
Merlin, without realizing it, had taken the first step in creating a terrifying provocateur who in the future would be another reason why the Red Angel would declare that talent was scarce on his path.
Why do I have the feeling that I've just messed up?
At that moment, the wave finally swallowed them.
----
Merlin landed on the ground with a bright smile. The island they had reached was desolate; he had confirmed this with his spiritual vision. It was the perfect place to rest after all the day's events.
—Let's rest here today; it's been a long day—he turned to Morgana, who was landing a meter behind him with an exasperated face.
Hours earlier, the Angels had finally managed to escape the pursuit of the Angelic-level sea creature using two puppets that Merlin had obtained before setting sail.
"That sounds good to me, but this time I'll take the first watch," she said with a slight smile. "The Lord always watches over my sleep first. It's only fair that I watch over yours this time." Merlin tensed when she looked at him intently. "I've always slept so long that when I open my eyes it's already daylight. You have the right to sleep until dawn too, don't you think?"
"She knows I haven't slept this whole time!" Her smile tightened.
Merlin slightly parted his lips to politely decline her offer, but she seemed to be expecting it, for she didn't give him time to do so.
"Then let's find a good place for him to sleep." Morgana walked past him, grabbing his cloak and pulling him along. "The place under that palm tree seems like a good spot."
The Angel of Miracles, already startled by being suddenly dragged away, barely had time to react as his cloak was snatched off—spun around—and placed on the sand beneath the palm tree. But the Angel seemed quite determined, for she then grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him down, laying him on his cloak. By the time an incredulous Merlin had finally processed the whole sequence of events, Morgana had already removed her own cloak and draped it over him like a blanket.
"Everything's ready," he said, sitting down beside her. "Now, please close your eyes and try to sleep," he said, taking her hat and placing it beside her head. "Don't worry; like I said, I'll watch over you all night."
Merlin sighed and used his elbow to pull himself up to a sitting position.
"If I could fall asleep so easily, I would have done it already," he said. Before he could try to get up, a hand on his shoulder pulled him back down. "I just can't," he explained, trying to convince her to let him go.
I'm not a doctor, but I believe you're suffering from what's known as 'stress,'" he told her bluntly. "At first, I didn't realize it; I thought it was normal for an Angel not to sleep. However, you always insisted that I sleep to stabilize my mental state and improve my humanity."
The amethysts looked with special attention at the puddles that were gradually turning golden.
"But no matter how many times I slept, the Lord was always awake when my eyes opened"—her eyes narrowed accusingly—"It wasn't hard to figure out that I wasn't following his own advice... again."
Merlin forced a smile and, despite feeling embarrassed at being caught, commented with amusement:
—You've been quite attentive to my behavior.
Morgana let out a sigh and her eyes turned towards the sea.
"When I was young, I didn't pay much attention to people. I was rather… introverted? But there was always someone trying to bother me. Perhaps that's why I acquired that habit; it helped me avoid trouble or return the 'favor.'" Merlin didn't doubt her statement; the slight, clearly malicious smile was proof enough. "Even now it's very useful to me in understanding your behavior." Her eyes turned back to him. "And I think the most fitting word for you at this moment is 'childish.'"
Merlin felt dissatisfied and a little angry instantly. How could he describe it that way?
"I'm not childish. You don't know why you're making me behave this way; you can't judge me," she retorted, justifying herself.
Morgana did not seem surprised by the strong response.
"No, I don't fully understand his situation. That's why I can only call it 'childish.' If I were aware of everything, you can be sure I would use a different description," he stated seriously.
"In other words, would you look for another equally embarrassing word?" the wizard complained internally. "What's wrong with you Marauders? Do you always have to analyze me and embarrass me in the process?"
Morgana suddenly curled her lips—it wasn't a real smile but a forced one, but at least it was a smile—and tilted her head.
"These past few days I've been improving my understanding of 'concern' after using it in our previous conversation. Now I'm certain that this discomfort in my chest is concern for you, sir." Her gaze almost softened. "Concern at seeing you neglect yourself, unlike how much you've cared for me." He looked away; he couldn't deny it. "This has made one aspect of your personality clear to me: you're used to doing almost everything alone, not out of distrust, but out of fear that others will get hurt if you help them. You… you'd go to extremes to save those you care about, wouldn't you?"
Merlin closed his eyes and a grimace formed on his face. He hated every word, not because it was a lie, but because of how true it was. Although others had hinted at it, no one had dared to tell him so directly.
"But Lord, do not forget that I escaped the abyss of madness thanks to your mercy. I am a Sequence 2 Angel, and although I am not yet entirely stable, I am not easily killed." He turned his face toward him. "So do not expect me to leave your side anytime soon." Merlin's eyes widened in surprise; for a moment he thought he saw the clearly false smile become genuine. "Then, do you allow me to watch over your sleep as you do over mine?"
Merlin sighed and stopped trying to get up.
"Why do you care so much?" His eyes were fixed on Morgana's face, on the enigmatic smile that teetered between truth and falsehood. "I may have saved and cared for you, but that was my choice. You have no obligation to me. Even if you had decided to leave, I would have let you go."
He closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them.
"By saving you, you became my chain, but I am not yours. You are free; you can spread your wings and fly away. I will never stop you."
That was the real message behind his words, and if Morgana's slight movement at that moment was any indication, she had understood it perfectly.
"Doesn't a disciple have a duty to care for her master?" Her smile widened. "Besides, didn't I promise to become a miserable guardian and serve as an Angel under your command?" Morgana brought her hand to Merlin's hair and gently stroked it, mimicking the action he had taken to calm her the day they met. "But if that isn't enough, let me tell you that you have become very important to me. You are already part of my family." Her caressing paused for a moment. "Isn't the surname 'Hermes,' which you yourself gave me, proof of that?"
Merlin closed his eyes, accepting the caresses that resumed in his hair. Morgana took the opportunity to continue.
—I didn't suddenly start calling him "family." I thought about it for a long time, going through my memories until I understood the definition and learned how to use it correctly. And... I finally realized that the Lord perfectly fit what it means to be a "family member."
Merlin alarmingly remained without opening his eyes.
"Haha, did I act too much like a worried father?" joked the wizard, feeling his eyes slowly close, but his divinity resisted, forcing him to open them again.
-Yes; he's anything but "carefree." Anyone can see that.
"I don't think so; only you have that ability. And I think I'll give up trying to hide my emotional state from you," he thought, shaking his head to himself. "I don't want to imagine what would have become of me if your Path had been that of the Spectator instead of the Marauder."
Her eyelids began to feel heavy; thanks to the continuous caresses, she could hardly keep them open anymore.
"Sleep. I will watch over you, not only as your disciple, but as your family," Morgana whispered calmly, but noticing that she still hadn't closed her eyes, she offered, "If you find it difficult, would you like me to sing you a lullaby?"
Merlin, despite his drowsiness, felt ashamed and incredulous.
—Don't you think... that you... treat me too much... like a child? —he spoke slowly; drowsiness was really making it difficult for him to reason.
"Not at all. I'm confident in my voice. I know a couple of songs that are perfect for calming people down," she stated with a slightly proud tone. "Would you like to hear one?"
Merlin gave up again; he had a feeling she would sing no matter what he chose.
—Okay... let's see what your voice is like—I just hoped it wasn't like the Hanged Man's.
Morgana closed her eyes and, without ceasing to stroke her master's hair, began to sing:
"The buzz of the city finally died down;
The alarm clock and the telephone no longer ring;
The echo of the hustle and bustle remains in the stillness;
and the weight of what could have been but wasn't."
"I close my eyes and my mind doesn't want to stop;
a movie of errors that's going to happen."
"Sleep, the world can wait;
that the concerns have subsided;
under the cloak of this urban and gray moon:
There is nothing but this silence, just for you;
Close your eyelids, release the air as you breathe;
May this song lull you to sleep, with nothing more than dreaming."
Midway through the song, Merlin fell into a deep sleep, one he hadn't experienced in a long time. As he drifted off, his divine nature tried to resist once more, but the soothing lullaby and the gentle touch on his head calmed him, allowing him to rest at last.
He dreamed... he dreamed he was back at the security company with the Nighthawks. Most of them were playing cards while Klein relaxed on the sofa, reading a book copied by his dear compatriot, Roselle.
Beside him, Leonard, with his poetry book and his feet up on the table, seemed engrossed, but he kept glancing at Klein, flashing smiles and winks as if trying to flirt. Klein couldn't help but think his behavior was very gay.
At some point, Captain Dunn arrived; Tener seemed to have something to report, but due to his amnesia, he had forgotten, prompting soft laughter from the others. Behind him, Miss Daly peeked out, unable to contain her own amusement; she approached the captain and whispered something in his ear, causing him to blush and back away, further amusing everyone.
Klein could even hear Old Niel commenting that they would be the next couple to get married, after Kenley and his wife.
"I bet Miss Daly will confess first," Leonard whispered, bumping shoulders with her. "Can our new fortune teller take a little look into the future?"
Klein raised an eyebrow and nodded; he wasn't going to use fortune-telling for something like that.
—Although I believe so too —Klein replied without looking directly at him.
A hand wrapped around his shoulder in a familiar gesture. Turning around, he saw Leonard watching him with a huge smile.
—The protagonists of this era think the same.
Klein let out an exasperated sigh, but it sounded like the poet before he turned his gaze back to the rest of the Nighthawks.
It was a good dream.
His eyes opened slowly; there was no sadness or pain in them, only a deep longing. Seeing the sky clearing and the sun peeking over the horizon, he told himself he had slept more than necessary. But his soul said otherwise: his stability had improved considerably compared to the previous day.
"After all, sleep was the best medicine," he thought, letting out a small yawn.
"I see you're awake," his body froze at the sound of the woman's voice beside him. He'd been so engrossed in his dream and analyzing his soul that he'd forgotten about her. Fortunately, she didn't seem to notice and simply listened. It wasn't as genuine a smile as the one he'd seen before falling asleep, but he still sensed small glimmers of humanity in it. "I'm happy to report that he slept through the night."
Merlin got up using his arms for support, and sat down next to her.
"Good morning, Morgana. It's a beautiful morning," Merlin greeted her with a renewed air.
"Good morning, sir," he said, raising his head to look at the sky. "It truly is a beautiful morning."
Extra #1: The Journey of Two Angels (Part 1): The Lord's temporal perception seems to be atrophied.
On the shore, both Angels were still standing, waiting for the end of a fight that had already lasted more than two hours.
"Sir, do you think they will continue fighting for much longer?" Morgana asked without taking her eyes off the two creatures.
—I don't think so. One is from the Sailor's Path; he has an advantage at sea. He'll surely finish off the other soon.
Morgana raised her head, checking the time by the sun, and then turned to Merlin.
—They are still fighting and it doesn't look like they're going to stop anytime soon.
"The one from the Hunter's Path has managed to hold on," Merlin explained. "If he doesn't have an ace up his sleeve, he won't last much longer."
—They don't have sleeves, sir. At most, tentacles.
Merlin rolled his eyes.
—It was a metaphor.
At some point Morgana had sat down on her cloak in the sand, fed up with having to wait standing up.
"Sir, they're still fighting," he pointed out for the third time. "Didn't you say they'd finish soon?"
"How could I have predicted that a third contestant would try to join the party only to end up being devoured by the Hunter, and that this would give him some strength to continue fighting?" the wizard excused himself, still standing.
"Aren't you a fortune teller?" Morgana couldn't resist and commented, raising both eyebrows.
"I never thought divination would be necessary for this," the magician sighed resignedly, wondering when he had lost such a good habit. "If it doesn't end soon, I'll use it. Let's wait a little longer."
-Alright.The battle didn't end even two hours later, so the Angel, already tired, used divination to check. The answer was, unfortunately, that the fight would go on even longer.
Tired of waiting, the Soothsayer joined the fray, turning both creatures into his puppets who were later sacrificed as bait to distract another sea creature.
Morgana observed the entire process and understood another truth about her Lord:
~His sense of time is really altered.
"You're thinking something bad about me, aren't you?" He looked at her with a smile despite her accusing eyes.
"Absolutely not," he lied with complete certainty.
Extra #2: The Journey of the Angels (Part 2): The Angel of Miracles and his thirst for treasures.
The angels were floating a few meters above sea level when Merlin, with an excited smile, said to his disciple:
"You just have to approach without being seen and steal everything with your skill. If you were stable, you could even use 'theft' from this distance, but you mustn't exert yourself yet or you could risk your stability," Merlin explained with an unusual enthusiasm whose motive Morgana couldn't understand.
—We are going to travel by sea; wouldn't it be better not to disturb an Angelic-level creature that has the advantage in the ocean? —he pointed out the obvious; he had recently begun to feel like the common sense that his Lord lacked.
"Trust me, you won't complain when you feel the potion digesting at breakneck speed and... when you count the profits." Morgana was tempted to roll her eyes at this new facet of her Lord, so... obsessed with money and treasure. Only his divinity restrained her expression.
"Fine, if you say so," she shrugged, ignoring her spirituality that warned her it was a bad idea.
The result?
The creature realized this—because Morgana herself was still inexperienced with her own abilities—and proceeded to pursue them for half the journey until they managed to lose her by sacrificing two puppets.
"See, it wasn't so bad," the magician declared with a bright smile. He seemed to ignore the fact that they had been hit by a tsunami and nearly struck by dozens of lightning bolts.
—Yes, I guess it was worth being chased for miles by that thing just to get its treasure—he remarked as he raised his hand to remove some seaweed from his hair.
— Are you copying my sense of humor?
"No," she shook her head and stared at him. "I'm copying your sarcasm."
Notes: