Highfield Academy - Revenge of The Crows

The Tabard Council had scattered in fear, but still there was a contingent of organised power controlling those under their immediate command. The swift actions of the Fay Royal Courts had them unprepared, and the discovery of those who had infiltrated the Royal Courts had fraughted their plans.

The one certain thing that united the Tebard’s was the capture of the Fay Queen, only to their collective bewilderment she had faded away before their eyes, and in her place stood one of their most feared warriors who from their own kin.

Her name was Gunsung, and she was over a thousand years old and had been the most powerful magician warriors of their kind, only she had not agreed with their dealings with humanity, and had thought all should be equal, and had chosen to align her services to the Royal Fay Queen, this had played a pivotal part in defeating the Tebard, and now all these years later, she stood before some of those who had survived.

The fear on recognition could be seen etched onto some of the Tebard warrior’s faces, even the most powerful among them knew they were no match for her formidable skills, and even collectively as powerful as they were, they were uncertain even then they could vanquish this warrior standing before them.

“Surrender now and your lives will be spared,” stated Gunsung, “but you will still need to face justice for your crimes before the Fay Royal Courts,” she exclaimed.

There was over eighty Tebard warriors present in the holding room where they had thought they held the Royal Fay Queen. And some were themselves thousands of years old, having survived the earlier culling of their kind, three immediately went to one knee acknowledging their humility before this great warrior, and instantly Gunsung surrounded them in a protection field just incase others of their kin had tried to murder them, as believing them cowards for their actions.

Another seven followed and after some moments there were nineteen in all, each humbling themselves and repenting of their crimes and placing their weapons aside. There was a shout as a group of Tebard warriors withdrew weapons and tried to attack those warriors who were submitting to Gunsung.

Only to their utter surprise, their weapons could not harm them as although their bodies were visible before them, Gunsung had in part transferred them into a gateway dimension and sealing it at both ends.

The screams of frustration emanated from the bewilder warriors, and they collectively turned and charged towards Gunsung. Even the Magicians who had previously hung back, as they also attempted to attack her, but in their own unique way and allowing the soldier warriors first blood.

Only Gunsung was not alone as Merlin had dispatched the Queens finest warriors to Gunsung’s aid, and they appeared as if from empty space, the Tebard’s realised they were vastly outnumbered, and all were without exception brutally murdered for their crimes and actions.

Only the nineteen who had submitted and repenting of their crimes were left alive, yet as the great Merlin had viewed the entire action as it had been taking place, he knew as powerful and as important these nineteen Tebard’s were, they were not those who were in the highest of power, none the less, they had submitted to the Royal Courts mercy, and Merlin honoured this and knew they would now without question assist in divulging what knowledge they had in who else was involved, and as to where they could be found.

A solitary magician had remained unseen awaiting her chance to attack the great warrior, only Merlin had sensed her presence and appeared himself in the midst and summoned a spell to encapsulate the magician and rendering her helpless to his powers.

As he had realised her intentions, and Merlin was far from merciful, and choosing to use considerable force to break her will, and prevent her from using her magical dominances against them, as that was a chance Merlin needed to avoid.

The magician screamed in agony as her body cramped and her mussels spasmed in pain, while Merlin held her in his power, and forced her eyes to consider his.

“Tell me all that you know regarding the Tebard leaders, and who is control at the top of the chain of command.”

As brutal as it was, each word spoken broke even more of her will, yet Merlin relentlessly continued knowing this foul creature had intended murdering not only Gunsung but all those present from the Royal guards, and she would have been utterly brutal, while showing no mercy.

Emulate, was the magician, now been held under the Merlin’s power, she had been called emulate for her skills in deception and in mimicking others, and she still tried resisting but slowly her power was leaving her and she started talking, screaming at first, but as each word was spoken it weakened her powers, she eventually had no choice other than to comply.

“I will tell you nothing, you are a filthy pig lover” she screamed, but Merlin simply smiled. “Oh yes you will, you see Emulate, I not only know who you are, but also your history and the extent of your powers, and you know that you are not a match for me, not even close, and I could squash you like the bug you are, but it necessitates, for now, as we have need of a little conversation, so as painful as it will be for you, but not for me, it is simply but a mere drop, a trickle of energy to exert my powers over you and take what I want.”

Emulate realised that Merlin had tricked her, as while she had been resisting from talking and telling Merlin what he had wanted. Merlin had already started reading her mind, and controlling her thoughts, while manipulating her like a puppet who was fully under his control.

As Merlin lowered her to the ground, all Emulate could do was cry as the pain swarmed over her holding her in its relentless grip, and robbing her of any ability to recover. She had brought this on herself, as her intention had been one of mass murder, and without question she would have carried this through had Merlin not have intervened.

It was then that Emulate realised her power would never return, and as in her mind, Merlin had shown her he was consuming her powers, and increasing his own strength and magical abilities.

She then realised and understood why Merlin was so powerful as within him lay the powers of all the magicians he had defeated in the thousands of years in which he had been alive. Her body started to dissolve and drift away into ashes of smoke as her last thought was of the Merlin taking for his own her very essence and life giving force.

The Royal Fay warriors looked on in awe, and Gunsung lowered herself to one knee before Merlin.

“Sir I thank you, her presence had gone unobserved, and I am yet again in debt to you.”

Merlin smiled, “Gunsung even I have those who are greater than I, albeit very few and of the Angelic nature, yet we all will at one time or another face one or more greater in power than our ability to defend and protect, such was Emulates ability that she laid in wait suspecting a trap.”

The Merlin then turned and faced an area of what appeared to be empty space, “Are you going to attack and fail like Emulate, or are you going to reveal yourselves and not force me to drag you into this dimension,” said Merlin.

Slowly the air in the room hazed and twelve Sylph magicians appeared before Merlin and those present in the room.

“Why did you not defend the Tebard’s” enquired Merlin,

“Because we do not agree with what they do or have done, but as it had not directly involved our race or tribe we kept out of it,’ they answered in unison.

It was strange to hear them collectively talking as one mind, and then one stepped forward, “I am Jisildrach the elder, and we sensed your presence and of the power emanating from you, and even then we could tell you were shielding most of it, and keeping it sheaved for later use should it be required,” she paused as her sisters nodded in agreement.

Merlin quietly observed all before him,

“Am I correct in assuming you are collectively the Hazel Sisters?”

The one known as Jisildrach answered,

“Correct, you have heard of our family?”

“Yes” replied Merlin, “Your Father and Mother are old acquaintances of mine and you also have seventeen brothers, well at least that was when I last spoke to you parents but that was over nine hundred years ago.”

Jisildrach looked amazed that this person before them knew of their existence, let alone had spoken to her family and survived. Merlin could sense her surprise but respected the magical life forms before him.

Just then an addition haze appeared, and all twelve sisters immediately lowered to one knee, and stooped their heads in complete submissions. As their mother appeared in full battle dress before them, she then turned and to the sister’s utter surprise their mother humbled herself before Merlin bowing also to one knee.

“please no, that is not necessary,” exclaimed Merlin, as the twelve looked on with magical vision but keeping the heads lowered before their mother.

Queen Sylph arose and spoke, “Merlin, it is an honour that you grant my daughters to live”, The daughters were shocked, as they were powerful magical warriors, and Merlin was but one individual.

None the less Queen Sylph continued. “That is why I humble myself before you, I should have informed them of whom you were, but as we had agreed to never enter another’s dimension without invitation, I failed in my duty, and for that I apologise.”

Merlin laughed, “No your Highness, no apology is needed, as I was aware of their presence, but they had not crossed into this dimension until I invited them, but also not realising just whom they were until they manifested before me, you trained them well and for that I congratulate you.”

The Queen relaxed and realising there was no direct threat to herself or her family she introduced Merlin to her daughters, and then explained to the twelve just whom Merlin was and in how fortunate they had been in not attacking him.

“Daughters this is who you know as The Great Warrior Magician Abvariator, the greatest warrior of our kind.”

The twelve sisters gasp in recognition and prostrated themselves in total submission before Merlin, and even though this displeased Merlin, he knew it would dishonourable to stop them, as to this tribe of Sylph warriors, Abvariator was higher than a King, and stories were told of him to the children, inspiring them to do well in their training.

Gunsung looked at the Merlin, “My Lord may I released the guards to take the prisoners to the Royal Courts.” Merlin acknowledged her request and the Royal guards vanished along with the nineteen Tebard warriors, and only Gunsung remained to stay by Merlin’s side.

The Sylph queen smiled recognising who now stood by Merlin’s side. “Gunsung it is a true honour to meet you, your courage and power are legionary and to know you chose to fight against such evil pleases my kind, we are distantly related, in that the Tebard tribe is also Sylph by nature, but not of our true bloodline nor of our belief,” she said,

Merlin and Gunsung knew the Queens words were spoken in truth, as her integrity was unquestionable, and her kind sought truth, and held empathy with great value, as in her kind the suffering of other life forms was an abomination, and it had been this that had drawn the twelve sisters into investing what was happening, such was the power been used by Merlin to break the power and will of Emulate the Tebard magician.

“The honour is mine, your Royal Highness,” exclaimed Gunsung, “Your kin and family are legionary and I have admired your standing for truth and justice, it inspired me in my youth to become the person I am today.”

Her words were spoken in sincerity and the Queen and all present knew she was speaking the truth, but it was Merlin who broke protocol, “Please your highness forgive me, but I formally request your assistance in aiding the Fay and Humanity in discovering who is behind these crimes, and are now bringing our worlds to war once more.”

The Queen was aware of the troubles erupting in the human world as well as the upheaval that had started in the kingdoms and dimensions of the Fay.