Britain

3,035 years since initial death
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A scorched Earth was all that remained.

The beautiful green fields of Cadbury were stained with blood and ashes, as countless corpses lay scattered across the vast land. The holy, unexplainable ring of fiery magic had settled on its own after almost an hour.

Arthur bared witness as Merlin's corpse was carefully dragged out of the pile of burnt bodies. A few flames still danced over his charred skin and bones. It was disturbing to say the least.

He couldn't stand to watch anymore. Arthur had to leave for some privacy. What happened here today was beyond traumatizing.

Every adventure he's ever had with Merlin rushed through his mind. The greatest companion he's ever known in his life, all the times he joked about his friend's wizardry; was it all true?

Whatever the truth was; it was over. His closest friend is dead, and it hurt him to know it.

Merlin's corpse was taken back as the citizens of Cadbury came from hiding. No one could believe it. The most peculiar and interesting man this fort has ever known was no more. It just didn't seem possible.

He was taken back to the Great Hall, where his body was placed over an altar. But no one could see him like this. To see a major member of the community charred and blackened was scarring.

Placed in a temporary coffin, candles were lit as the citizens of Cadbury gathered to pay their respects not just for him, but all the Britons that gave their lives so they may live. Inside this vast room, dozens of coffins were aligned, and the prayers began.

Arthur was informed that Merlin's body would be taken to Tintagel for burial. A letter was already well underway to be sent to the castle explaining the loss of the wizard these close communities have come to know so well.

For a moment, silence had plagued the room. So many were gathered closely to mourn the loss of Cadbury's knights. It was a time of sadness and regret, but also a time of joy to celebrate their victory.

Many of the surviving knights were still outdoors, removing the remnants of war from their homes. Arthur on the other hand stayed inside the hall. He stood in the back, keeping his head lowered. Everyone here grieved quietly as a priest prayed loudly in Latin.

But something began to happen.

Something unnatural.

What felt like a distant breeze had suddenly turned into a heavy wind. Men wearing cloaks were taken off guard by the violent howling of the wind that nearly blew the doors down. Their fabric draped ferociously, carried by the forces of nature. Every lit candle surrounding the coffins had their flames dance before flickering and finally extinguishing out into a trail of smoke.

It was all being directed towards Merlin himself. His coffin had started to emit an aura of scarlet color, glowing slightly before escalating and brightening. Furthermore, it was no longer laying over the altar. It hovered the air just a few inches above. Then, it began to rattle. This was none other than blatant black magic. Dark sorcery capable of being performed by a wizard. In this case, it appeared as if a devil had awakened inside this very room.

Women screamed. Men stepped back in shock. Children watched in awe.

Then, everything stopped. The coffin dropped back down and collapsed over the altar. Its lid flew open and a man in charred black clothing rolled out of it in pain.

"Son of a fucking whore!" Merlin yelled as he laid on the floor, placing a hand behind him. "Ah, my back!"

Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Nobody even breathed.

Meanwhile, Merlin stood back up as he patted himself. His dark burnt skin had returned to its original olive color and his hair was still intact. Only his long beard was missing, now appearing short and stubbled. It's always reminiscent to how he had looked during the events of his first death back in Egypt.

Once he finished inspecting himself, he raised his head. That's when he finally spotted the audience that witnessed his resurrection. 

"Oh shit." A quiet whisper is all that could escape his lips.

Somebody from the crowd suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs the name Lucifer. This caused everyone to panic all at once as some began to raise crosses in the air. Even Arthur had his jaw dropped. But unlike the frightened civilians, he approached his animate friend.

Once some of the screaming had settled, Merlin stood face to face with all the startled people that he owed some answers to. But rather than addressing anything, he chose to stand still.

"Hi."

There were no words to explain this.

"By Christ, what black sorcery have you conjured, Merlinus?!" Arthur asked in horror, placing his hands over his head. "You burned to death in a fire! We all saw you, how in the Lord's bloody name could you possibly be alive?!"

Merlin paused for a moment, looking at the horrified crowds in front of him. Then he smiled. Raising his hands playfully, he waved them as he spoke just one word. "Magic."

Somebody else from the crowd suddenly called him a wizard, thus causing a chain reaction of people shouting the same exact word. Arthur, however, didn't seem quite convinced. "There's no such thing, wizards don't exist! You think I call him one because of it? No! It is sarcasm, nothing more! He orchestrated that fire himself! You believe he has the power to summon forth the sun itself and burn those Saxons with its rays? That tar you spent a whole fortnight creating; you used something to ignite it! How can the sun light it all on its own? It's impracticable! Implausible, outlandish and a forlorn conspiracy! I'm sure any fool could have lit a torch and accomplished the same task as did the bloody sun!"

"But..." Merlin somehow found this amusing, even if his immortality has just been discovered, "how could any soul explain the calamity of my own hands? They burst into fiery flames, and I endured the torment for as long as my eyes witnessed the lights of Heaven smite upon those Saxon sinners! We stand here amidst my immortal power for I am your court wizard!"

"What bloody, fucking nonsense is that?!" Arthur's voice reigned over Merlin, nearly bursting his eardrums. "I saw you smear your hands with some sort of clay and water! I'll set myself on fire and show you all that this is nothing more than inconceivable lies! You were scorched with hellfire, Merlinus! What I fail to understand is why you didn't smear your whole self with it? Or most curiously, how in Christ's name did you live through all of it?!"

Merlin had an answer, but he chose to give an excuse instead. "I was meant to extinguish it before it spread, but I merely became distracted. As for my wellbeing, it's a secret I'll take to my grave. But you should know, Arthur. You've always named me a wizard, ever since Tintagel."

Given his explanations and the insoluble mystery behind his floating coffin, Merlin's title became permanent. His name and feats spread throughout Britain faster than the fire he conjured to save Cadbury. Although several parts of the nation already knew him from his earlier travels, his power and necromancy stood out along with his name.

His life inside the hillfort never returned to normal. Many grew distant around him, while others became obsessed with his capabilities. But all Merlin cared for was Arthur. His friend seemed torn between his own feelings. In all fairness, how is anyone supposed to react when someone they consider family revive from the dead in a display of unimaginable proportions? 

Everyone believed he had summoned an elemental wall of fire to protect Cadbury, fought with a staff suited for a sorcerer and reversed his own deaths by means of magic. In actuality, they were correct. That is the power Merlin holds. Although it sounds slightly exaggerated, it was as close as anyone has gotten to unraveling his immortality. 

Reconstruction commenced on the castle walls shortly after, and the Saxons didn't attempt to raid Cadbury again any time soon. The following years were eventful with many more adventures for everyone involved. They aided in reestablishing Merlin's friendship with Arthur, who was still clearly cautious around him. 

Merlin was even able to accept a lady's hand back in the hillfort. If he ever had a weakness, it was the attraction of a young beautiful woman. In this case, he would meet a lady named Morgan.

Furthermore, he would fall in love with a second woman named Viviane. But unlike Morgan's innocent nature, Viviane believed he contained secrets behind his wizardry, and she was willing to hurt him to uncover the truth.

Ultimately, both relationships came to an end. One ended peacefully, while the other ended in betrayal and death to everyone involved. Some had believed that Viviane cursed Merlin for an eternity and killed him, but only one man knew the truth.

As all things must end, Merlin made the decision to leave this life behind. While Cadbury remained in his heart, he felt it was time to head elsewhere. After so many long years, the world was changing and he wanted to experience it firsthand. But he couldn't leave without first saying goodbye.

A brown horse stood still as a cloaked man attached a long wooden weapon to its side. With one side of the weapon appearing round and blunt, the other part of it was naturally sharp. Merlin gave his staff a slight pat before turning to face a great man he's had the privilege of calling his brother. 

Arthur approached him outside the hillfort, basking in the bright sunlight. "I'll make sure your legacy shall always be remembered, Merlin."

"You are a king, Arthur. I am merely a myth. I'd rather everyone remember your role in Cadbury and how you led your band of knights to battle across Great Britannia." Merlin responded with a faint smile, he reached out with his arm.

Arthur smiled back and shook his hand. "I'm not the one who summoned a wall of flames and resurrected myself from the dead. Not even Lanselos could come close to matching the capabilities you possess. Beyond that, you've been the greatest friend, ally, and brother any man could wish for. You haven't any idea how sorely you'll be missed." 

"The only fate worse than losing a friend is to have lived a life without one at all." Merlin replied, nodding his head. "Have no saddened sentiment for my departure. I shall always accompany you in spirit. For as long as I may live, know that you will never leave my thoughts, nor my heart. Whether it be in this realm or the next, we shall meet again, I promise you that."

They both continued to stare at one another, reminiscing their past adventures together. Finally, it was time for it to end. As one man mounted his horse, the other stayed behind and stood strong, concealing the pain of heartbreak inside.

"Wait." Arthur called out to him in what appeared to be a case of utter desperation. "Before you depart, please just tell me. Are you a God?"

Merlin smiled back, lowering his head in the process. Before he could answer, Arthur continued to speak. "I've had my suspicions, but I have yet to uncover how any of your previous actions were orchestrated. The elemental wall of flames, your many combat stances, your puzzling speech; even that false name you secretly acquire. Christ, you still look the same as you did back in Tintagel. I don't understand who or what you are, Merlin."

"I am what you have always known me as;" taking a deep breath, he answered him, "a wizard."

Sharing a brief moment of silence, Merlin looked back down at his horse, ready to leave. Before doing so, he spoke his final words.

"Now then, farewell, King Arthur."

Merlin's steed began to gallop away steadily, leaving behind a legacy he has spent countless years constructing. The cool wind guided him farther into the green horizons of Britain and into a world of never-ending wonders and adventures. 

Meanwhile, Cadbury's king wiped a tear off his cheeks. Then came a whisper that nobody else could hear. "Safe travels, Merlin." 

Merlin had taken one final look at Cadbury, or Camelot as Arthur always called it. Riding off into the distance, he kept his mind clear and only looked forward towards the future.

His actions in Britain remained a mystery forever. Whether or not the citizens of every English village believed in his wizardry, he still left behind a monumental story that shall forever be remembered.

As for Merlin himself, he would keep these secrets to himself. Nobody could ever know of the time he smeared his hands with a material known as asbestos to keep his hands safe from fire. Unfortunately, he never knew of the side affects that would come as a result. He would use this substance again, only to develop lung cancer and die in a secluded shelter.

A few years after Merlin's departure, in 537 AD, Riothamus died during the Battle of Camlann. His death was heard throughout all of Britain, including Southern Europe where Merlin had traveled to. Eventually, in the near future, the Anglo-Saxon Empire would win the war and rule over the country, officially forming England. Following these events, the end of Roman rule was finally over in 580 AD.

For once, Merlin ended a chapter of his life happily, opposed to all the previous torture and suffering he has endured. Although news of Arthur's passing devastated him, he had expected it. Nothing lasts forever, but as promised, he kept his friend's memory throughout his travels. He would soon find himself on a long journey across Europe, after his time in what is now called England.

As hundreds of years passed, adventures unfolded and allies were made. Time moved on, and so did he. His wrath was fading for some time as he used Arthur's teachings and always remained calm. However, at other times, it would become unstable. Anger had become a part of him, controlling him often.

A lion had constantly haunted his mind. Since Pompeii, nothing made anymore sense. His hallucinations were worsening. The sight of the mighty lion stalking him only appeared during times of anger. He could see his own hands emit a dark scarlet hue, seemingly making him glow.

It was only in his mind. No one else could see it. At least, only the lion remained invisible to the world. His aura on the other hand has attracted attention before on rare occasions of raw, unfiltered rage. That was something he couldn't explain himself.

But it wouldn't seem to matter. Most people who saw it would be killed afterwards anyways, with the only exception being the people of Somerset.

Even if it takes him centuries, he's determined to unravel the truth behind his curse. Perhaps he can even find an end to his immortality and deliver the everlasting peace he's always desired.

Therefore, his travels took him east to a part of the world that not many in Europe ever knew about. A new adventure was waiting for him, as was a brand new ally. Following a silken road across desolate and endless valleys, Merlin was ready to start anew in a brand new nation.

Carrying his Arthurian staff from Camelot, he arrived at the border of Zhongguo, or as it would later be known, China.

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Historical Notes:

The story of Viviane results in her killing Merlin after learning his secret by placing a spell on him and causing him to sleep forever. In an alternate outtake, she ends Merlin's life by entrapping him inside of a tree, forcing him to spend the rest of his life utterly stuck until his death.

Nimue / Viviane (Lady of the Lake)

In addition to King Arthur's legitimacy, the same can be said for his allies such as Lancelot and Guinevere. Obviously, they would have had alternate names that accurately depict the time period. Even Merlin is viewed as a real historical figure in some cases, especially when his actions have had an impact on the future and are mentioned in historical records by several cultures.

Asbestos is a type of silicate mineral that's extremely resistant to fire. Evidence shows this material has been used even since the Stone Age, being used to harden ceramic pots. It was also used over the years in architecture to protect structures from fire. Not many people ever used it on themselves however, because of its highly toxic and lethal fibers. Inhaling this mineral can lead to extreme cases of mesothelioma, asbestosis (Inflammation and scarring of the lungs) and even lung cancer.  

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