Tales of the Lorekeepers 01 - Rise of the Red Dragon

now?”
    “It has to be something to do with the boy you’re going to look for,” she said. “It is the only option I can think of.”
    “Why is that?”
    “Because this boy will reveal the end of the legend and spark events that will unfold by themselves. Once the boy has spoken to the king, it will be too late for the Yfel to do anything. The king will unearth—”
    Angeline put both hands over her mouth.
    Rather than interrogate her, Samuel simply smiled at the fairy, who looked downright panicked.
    “Don’t worry, I won’t ask you what the king is supposed to unearth. Just tell me if it will be something scary.”
    Angeline slowly nodded, her hands still over her mouth.
    “And it has to happen for the legend to go as planned, I assume?”
    Again the fata nodded.
    “So if it will be too late for the Yfel agent to act, that leaves only one option for him,” announced Samuel. “He has to kill the boy before he gets to speak to the king.”
    Angeline nodded one last time.
    “It is very important that you keep an eye on him,” she said. “With the help of as many others as you can or by yourself, you must protect this boy and make sure he makes it in front of the king.”
    Samuel looked up at the sky, taking in the serenity of the forest, the fragrance of the surrounding trees and the soft caress of the wind on his cheeks. He should have been terrified by the challenges he faced, but it felt good to finally know what his goal was. It was reassuring to no longer be pursuing his path in darkness.
    The dice he carried had sent him here to protect a boy, a young child who did not possess a father. A young lad who had a crucial role to play in this story.
    “Can I ask you one more question?” he said to Angeline.
    “Of course you can, Sammy. I will answer it if I can.”
    “Who is this boy? Why is he so important that you need someone like me, a Lorekeeper, to protect him?”
    “For a while, I thought he would be able to protect himself, but I suppose I was wrong,” answered Angeline. “His name is Myrddin Emrys.”
    Samuel turned around to look at the fairy, unsure if he should know the name or recognize the boy.
    The little fairy smiled and added: “You probably know him in your world as the wizard named Merlin.”

CHAPTER 10

    “Wait, hold on a second,” said Samuel. “You mean to tell me that I am supposed to protect Merlin ? The Merlin, from King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table?”
    Angeline pinched her tiny nostrils together, as if she wanted to make a headache go away or take back what she had just revealed. Obviously, the Lorekeeper knew about the Arthurian mythology and the importance of its head wizard.
    “Yes, that Merlin!” she answered. Samuel felt his knees weaken and sat back down on the boulder. Any courage he had managed to muster had now completely vanished. Merlin, one of the most powerful wizards of all time. If he was not able to defend himself, how could an ordinary teenage boy, without any training whatsoever, be up to this colossal task?
    “This is insane,” he said. “You can’t seriously expect me to protect Merlin. I’ll need a lot more than mere swordsmanship to be a decent bodyguard to a wizard of that sort.”
    “Don’t forget he isn’t a wizard yet!” answered Angeline.
    “What do you mean?”
    She flew toward Samuel and sat on his right shoulder.
    “Right now, he is only a little boy named Myrddin Emrys. He is already special, of course, but he hasn’t earned the title of wizard yet. His powers are nowhere near what they will be, once he has learned everything there is to learn.”
    Samuel tried to imagine what a younger Merlin would look like. It was hard not to picture the traditional old man, with a long gray beard, a pointy hat and a blue tunic with stars on it. However, he was having a difficult time picturing him as a child, discovering the world with inquiring eyes, pronouncing incantations in a high-pitched voice.
    “I guess that makes sense,” he said.
    “Of course it does!” assured the fairy. “At the moment, he is only eight years old, and he will need a protector. He needs you to guard him. He might be able to handle petty criminals or even wild animals, even at his young age, but fighting the forces of Yfel on his own is another story. You, on the other hand, are equipped to deal with such a foe. You can protect him against this threat. You have proven yourself to be courageous and intelligent. No doubt these are all