CHAPTER 2: THE HEAT OF THE DAY

    The sun had past the position of noon and it was now only a few more hours till sunset. A little less than six tedious hours had passed since the start of their trek. But within those hours the landscape had changed dramatically.

    What use to be a lush green countryside speckled with full trees that produced the most delicate shades of green was now a vast ocean of long prairie-like grasses. Not a tree in sight, but the wind that constantly blew over the land kept them relatively cool in the heat of the day.

    “MERLIN!” Erick’s voice screeched in the wind.

    “Yes your kingliness?” Merlin answered mockingly after almost falling off Lady in sheer surprise of Erick’s banshee-like wail interrupting the silence. Merlin’s voice replicating the sound of Erick’s perfectly.

    “Oh great, enchanted mimicry. Great Merlin, just great. Now why don’t you go find us some water for the horses?”    

    Erick held his nose between his index finger and thumb in aggravation.

    Merlin quickly slid off of Lady and he ran straight into the sea of grass.

    Upon returning his hands and arms were wrapped around a huge pile of grass. He through the pile in the air and when they landed small puddles of water began to form.

    Merlin ran around the perimeter of the puddles muttering something under his breath. The grass in between the puddles turned to water and eventually a deep pool formed.

    Erick and Arthur both dismounted looking at Merlin and the pool in awe. Without a word Erick sprinted up to Merlin, scooped him up like a baby and before Merlin could react, Erick through him in to the lake. When Merlin resurfaced he was choking—a result of laughing under water.

    Arthur was next. He was standing a few feet away from Erick at the water’s edge. Erick scooted sideway over to Arthur whistling, and when he came close enough Erick pushed Arthur in too.

    Half an hour passed and Merlin was still swimming and splashing around in the pool, Erick was relaxing on the side of the small lake, and Arthur was getting the horses ready for the next leg of their journey.

    “Merlin, we’re about to start out again” Erick said. He didn’t screech, he didn’t wail, in the half an hour they were there he seemed to relax.

    “Fine,” Merlin replied a little disappointed, he slowly took off towards the water’s edge. A loud POP filled his ears and after he heard nothing-the world had got silent to him.

    Next the world started spinning around him—dizziness. Shapes were fading in and out until they faded completely and color was all that remained.

    Soon bright colors faded as well and when even the darker colors faded he was left in darkness.

    He slowly sunk to the bottom of the lake.