The In-Between

Merlin sighed heavily and rolled over, gasping as she fell and immediately hit the hardwood floor. She stood, stretched, and dared to look around her home. She was in the living room, she didn't recall falling asleep on the sofa or even how many years she had slept, but it had clearly been a while. The sofa was pushed back against the wall under a large window, the coffee table was in front of it, books scattered across it, her bookshelves lined every inch of the walls filled with books and potions and artifacts. Every bit of it, herself included, was covered in a thick coating of dust. She waved her hands through the air, blue energy glowing around them as she effortlessly worked her magic and within moments her home was clean and polished. The next task, she decided, was to shower. She still had no idea how long she'd slept but was certain a hot shower could help clear the fog in her head. Her home was small, consisting of one bedroom, one bathroom, the living room and the kitchen. The bedroom and bathroom were just down the hall from the living room, she made her way to her room to gather clean clothes. The only furniture in her room was an old dresser, bookshelves, and a small bed. She was not one for finery. From her dresser she gathered a change of clothes and made her way to the shower. As she stood there, the hot water pouring over her bare skin like rain, steaming the small bathroom, Merlin felt uneasy. Something is going to happen she thought, that must be why she had woken. Her skin prickled at the thought of trouble, she tried to scrub the feeling away with a bar of soap. The In-Between had been peaceful for centuries, the mortal realm never stayed out of trouble long but there was hardly ever any otherworldly involvement, mortals just loved to feud. Whatever was coming would definitely spell trouble for both realms she felt. She briefly entertained the idea of staying out of it, involving herself in these struggles only ever brought her heartache, but she knew that was impossible. Had The Sorcerer been alive and heard she even thought for a moment not to perform her duties she'd suffer for that. She sighed, at least she still had time, something was coming but there was no immediate threat. When she felt sufficiently clean, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a robe before stepping up to her mirror. The years had not changed her at all, except that she desperately needed a hair cut, the ends of her golden blonde hair swept across the floor. She wasn't tall, standing at five foot four inches, but being a sorceress she never felt disadvantaged. She was often told in her younger days that she had her mothers dark blue eyes, but she never met her mother so there was no way to compare. She was pale, she hadn't been in the sun in years. She looked as though she were suffering some illness, there were dark bags under her eyes and her cheek were thin, she needed to eat. As if responding to her thoughts about food, her stomach growled. She went to the kitchen and focused her thoughts on a spell, there was a flash of white and then she could smell the food. From the oven she pulled a fresh baked loaf of bread and cut herself a thick slice, from a skillet on the stove she scooped out a large spoonful of eggs and two slices of bacon, and from the fridge she poured herself a glass of fresh juice and then sat down to enjoy her meal. Every bite she took she began to feel better and more awake. She ate slow, knowing soon she would have to leave her home and venture out into the city, but for now she would just enjoy her breakfast in peace. She wondered, not for the first time since waking, what year it was. She had nothing to go off of, no mail or weekly paper as only the people she trusted could manage to find the way onto the island she called home, and everyone she trusted was dead. That's why she was incredibly shocked to hear someone knocking at her front door. She moved cautiously to the door, ensuring her robe was tired securely. When she opened the door, she couldn't believe her eyes. There, standing outside her home, was Arthur Pendragon, the long dead king of Camelot. When their eyes met, he smiled. "Hello Merlin," he said and then Merlin did something she had never done in her life, she fainted.