It was dark inside the dragon’s belly. Devlin’s arm twitched upon hearing a man’s voice from the outside. The dragon stood up; which caused the two neighboring eggs to press on the sac surrounding him. He kicked the insides in protest.

“Devlin, Devlin.”

His body shook. He opened his eyes and saw Merlin shaking him. “I’m awake, father.”

The wizard tapped Devlin’s shoulders. “It’s almost time.” The old man grabbed his staff on the forest floor. “Were you dreaming?”

The apprentice stifled a yawn. “When do I not dream?”

“Can you wake your brother for me, please? I need to prepare our shield.” Merlin’s null ring glowed. The annulet allowed him to use magic in the penal colony.

Devlin sat up and raked the leaves off his shirt. “Did your ravens report anything?”

“Yes. Our quarry entered the forest when I woke you.”

He nudged Arthur. “Wake up.”

“Um, ok, ok. I’m waking up.” Arthur said.

“A king should rise early,” Merlin joked as the wizard prepared the ritual of concealment.

“Not if my adviser does the job for me,” pointing to Devlin.

“So what was your dream about?” Merlin asked while he drew the shield’s boundary.

“Same dragon dream.”

“Same? You’ve never had the same dream before,” Arthur said while he dusted the leaves off his helmet.

“And I also can’t control it like I control other dreams.” Devlin said.

“Father?” Arthur asked.

“Oh,” the wizard finished the ritual and breathed deeply, “Dreams are just dreams. Nothing more.”

The future king gave Devlin a puzzled look.

Devlin shook his head and widened his eyes. His father normally relished reading omens, so it was odd for the wizard to let this dragon dream pass. Maybe he wants me to find the answer myself? Merlin taught magic through mystery teachings, a style which explained nothing and left the apprentice to struggle for the truth. Devlin did not like mystery teachings. Stories of oracles commanding heroes to go on a quest without specifics of where, how, what, and when annoyed him. Why couldn’t the oracle give them the answer? Or give detailed instructions? He found it inefficient to go on a mission without knowing the full details. Go East the oracle said and you will find a mighty weapon. Where East? You can keep going East and find many lands. Surely, if the fate of humanity rested on the quest, shouldn’t the oracle give the hero the specific destination instead of saying just East? And what weapon? A sword? An Axe? He remembered asking Merlin back then. His father only chuckled and said, “Go to sleep, little one.”

“Mondo will be here soon,” Merlin said, interrupting Devlin’s thoughts. The wizard pressed and activated the sigil on his stomach. It gave the old man’s robe a faint glow in the abdominal area, “Conceal.”

Devlin watched the light underneath the robe vanish. He could not perceive magic, but he imagined rays of light and waves of sound fold around them; the way spells activated in his dreams. Seeing sigil lights did not count because they were visible to all creatures. He wanted to perceive the invisible matter, the god particle which binds and unites all things. The divine energy that made magic possible.

He shifted his attention twenty paces ahead, to the tree where they placed the Leaping Eye, a magical item leading to the doorway to Gaeus.

Merlin asked Devlin, “Do you think he fell for your trap?”

“They always do. Besides, Prisoner 24602 already bought a weapon, which violates Penal Code 39. He’s desperate. He will go for the Eye.”

“I still prefer you call the prisoners by name,” sighed Merlin. “Some of them are not hardened criminals.”

“This one reduced an entire village to ashes, hiding behind the military’s cloak...”

“Stay quiet,” Arthur whispered as he crouched down. “He’s here.”

Merlin coughed loudly, “You know that Mondo,” the wizard emphasized the name, “can’t see or hear us because of my spell.”

“Sorry,” Arthur got up. “Just habit. I rarely go with your magic to battle.”

“Devlin, since you know his prison number and history, I assume you read his files?” Merlin asked.

“Not really. You dropped some folders, and I helped you gather them up.”

“You read everything in a few seconds?”

“No. I had to recall them from memory to read them.”

“You’re scarier than a wizard.”

“I wish I was a wizard,” Devlin said. “As a concession to you, I will refer to him as a defanged wizard. “

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“Don’t be so technical,” Merlin said. The lad was not wrong. Prison books referred to wizards stripped of their magic as defanged. But the Warden wished Devlin could be less logical and more...human.

The inmate scanned the area and changed direction.

Devlin smiled. “Our guest is about to find what he is seeking.”

Mondo found the Leaping Eye embedded in the tree. “By Araghast’s name,” he whispered.

“Time for me to go. One full minute, Father,” Devlin said.

“Be careful. If there’s even a hint that you’re in trouble, I won’t hesitate to interfere,” Arthur said.

“Nor I,” Merlin added.

“Noted. But try to hold back. I need experience in actual combat for the sake of our future King.” He drew his sword and walked out of the spell’s boundary. The convict was a few paces ahead of him.

Mondo hacked at the tree bark with his rusty sword; carefully avoiding the Leaping Eye and incognizant of Merlin’s apprentice behind him.

Devlin walked slowly and silently. Any burst of speed will start his one minute timer. He needed to conserve his strength; besides, the Eye was impervious to metal weapons.

A ghost owl appeared on a tree between him and the prisoner. The bird’s eyes glowed with numbers; six on its right, and zero on its left... Sixty Seconds. He glanced at the concealed area and shook his head. The old man had a sense of humor. He looked at Mondo and the dried leaves on his path. There’s no avoiding it. He sighed and took a step forward. The leaves crackled and popped.

The prisoner jumped to attention. His body shook as he turned. Mondo blinked furiously. His eyes darted left and right, searching the area. “Oh, it’s only you.” He laughed and ran towards Devlin with a maniacal glint in his eyes.

Devlin raised his sword while the owl hooted as the swords clashed. The countdown had started and the owl’s eyes glowed Fifty-Nine Seconds.

The inmate slashed, sidestepped, and barged forward with devilish glee.

Devlin’s mind perceived everything in slow motion. However, his body could not react as fast as his mind wanted to. His best option was to keep the sword close to his body to block Mondo’s onslaught.

“Come on Winless One. Give me some fight,” the defanged said.

The slight would have angered most men, for Devlin had not won a single contest in individual martial competitions. But he had other things in mind. Damnare, I’m losing too much time.

Mondo lifted his arm to deliver a blow from above.

Devlin slashed at the enemy and realized it happened all in his mind as his feet stayed planted on the ground. Damnare! He deflected Mondo’s attack, barely making it. He expressed gratitude that 24602 had little sword experience. But his sword grew heavier with each passing second.

Twenty-Five, the owl displayed.

The defanged continued to pounce. His blade lunged at Devlin’s face.

The apprentice parried and altered the direction of the attack, but his cheek still got slashed. Blood oozed out. The owl hooted. Ten Seconds to end it. He had seen enough to know Mondo’s combat style, or lack of it; the pattern of the prisoner’s movements, and how Mondo squinted briefly at every swing.

Five Seconds. The pain rose in his chest. He blocked an attack on his mid area. The convict squinted. Three Seconds.

Devlin gritted his teeth to block the pain. He moved, knowing the enemy’s arm would rise in the next attempt.

Mondo’s arm lifted. The defanged yelled in panic as Devlin’s sword zoomed towards him. He jerked back, but it was too late to block.

Zero batted the owl’s eyes, and the bird disappeared.

Devlin crashed to the ground. His blade was a hair’s breadth from Mondo’s chest. Time was his enemy once more. He writhed on the ground. The veins from his neck near bursting.

Mondo himself fell to the ground as he lost his balance. The prisoner gathered himself up and laughed. He dusted the leaves off his pants while he clumsily twirled his weapon. “Winless even before death.”

Devlin willed himself to get up, but his body responded with spasms of pain.

“Don’t stand on my account,” Mondo said. The prisoner touched his forehead with his blade. “Araghast, accept my sacrifice.” The blade moved down to Devlin’s heart.

Then Mondo stopped. The prisoner froze like a live statue in the forest.

“That was entertaining,” Merlin appeared as he cancelled the concealment spell.

“What took...”

“Me so long? I thought you wanted to test your limits?”

“Father held me back,” Arthur said with a pinched expression. “I’ll have the men collect that trash,” he added as he rushed out of the area.

“You’re both so energetic,” the wizard mumbled as Arthur disappeared from view. “Now, take your one minute rest and you’ll be good as ne...” Merlin’s staff dropped to the ground as he rushed to his apprentice’s side. Devlin had lost consciousness. The warden ripped Devlin’s tunic and pressed on the lad’s heart. “Unlock.” The null ring glowed. Fiery red seals appeared on the lad’s body. They were breaking. Cracks appeared. It was coming out. Merlin felt Arthur and the others approaching. He mind-fused with Arthur. Take Mondo away now, and disconnected immediately.

The warden cast a dark globe around them to keep the boy’s secret and contain the fallout in the worst-case scenario.

Arthur arrived at the site and tapped the outside of the globe thrice to signal that he understood the situation. “Let’s get this bastard out of the forest quickly,” he said to his men.

The wizard’s hands mended the fraying seals of light. The boiling blood retreated into the cracks in the body. Merlin finished the spell by pushing back the god particles of whirling light into Devlin’s chest. The skin slowly closed and healed. The seals disappeared. Not my greatest work, but it will hold for the meantime. The warden wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Maybe he should not take part in military campaigns. The physical exertion could break the seals, but Arthur needed Devlin’s mind on the field. What to do? Hmm. Mind fuse the two during battle? But being Warden of Errt prohibited him from taking sides in battles between lords of the penal colonies. His fingers played with the null ring. I really need to go to Belgica soon. Merlin closed his eyes and felt Arthur’s men were no longer in the area. He sighed in relief.

Devlin stirred.

Merlin dispelled the dark globe before Devlin opened his eyes. “Ah, you’re awake.”

“Finally,” Arthur said. The future king put a hand on Merlin’s shoulder and whispered, “Is he alright?”

Merlin nodded and patted Arthur’s cheek. “You did well, my son.”

Devlin sat up. “How long was I unconscious?”

“As long as usual,” Arthur said.

“A minute then?”

“I did not count.” Arthur offered his hand while Merlin retrieved his staff and the Leaping Eye. “Are you feeling alright brother?”

“I think so. Better than normal, actually. Which is odd after a bout of spasms.”

“You’re the odd one.” Arthur said in jest.

“And the pri...Mondo?” he corrected himself in case his father heard him.

“Headed back to where he belongs. We had to gag him after Merlin’s spell wore off as the men got spooked.”

“Of Mondo?”

“Yes. My men are very superstitious when they hear Araghast.”

Devlin shook his head. He filed the men’s weakness into a personnel folder in his memory.

Merlin tapped the Leaping Eye with his null ring, and it dropped to his hand. He walked back and gave the Eye to the future king. “Hold this in front of me. Once we leave, take it back to the Keep and put it in my room?”

“Yes, Father.”

“Thank you. Handle the paperwork while Devlin and I go to the Lotus.”

Arthur nodded.

The wizard took Devlin’s hand. “Open.” The Eye woke up, and both he and Devlin disappeared.