Chapter Text
Merlin's tomb was filled with long abandoned cobwebs and Jim thought things would be danker. He thought that there might be a coffin or some kind of covering over the sorcerer. He thought Merlin might have had the staff of Avalon with him rather than on some strange crystal dais. But there it had been and here lay the great sorcerer himself. Not in a coffin or sarcophagus or anything.
Jim coughed and batted away some of the cobwebs.
"Woah," Toby gasped. "Is that-?"
"It is indeed," Blinky explained.
"Merlin," Aaarrrgghh grunted.
"I thought he'd be older," Jim said, tilting his head and pulling out the blue stone from inside his amulet. "I mean he is older, obviously. But I thought he'd look older."
"He doesn't look much older than us," Claire agreed, spinning her staff and trying to make a portal. "It's still not working."
Toby started suggesting nonsense ways they could try and get out but Jim wasn't paying attention. He was walking towards Merlin holding the stone carefully in front of him with both hands.
The blue light lit the wizards dark hair the same way Jim imagined it was lighting his own black hair. As Jim got closer he felt something shift in the air.
Merlin sat up. He gasped for air. "Clotpole!" Exclaimed the wizard.
"What?" Jim asked, raising an eyebrow.
The sorcerer turned still sat on the dais. "You must be Jim!" Merlin grinned wide. "I had assumed you would be older but that's fine. Has anyone got my staff?"
"Er the big green one?" Toby asked.
"No the small wooden one," Merlin said, waving his hand at Toby. "It's got a blue gem in it, about the same colour as the amulet of-" That was when Merlin noticed what Jim was holding. "You broke it?"
"Er," Jim didn't quite know what to make of this hyperactive man before him. "To get the map."
"Arthur should never have given me the idea to put a map to this place inside it," Merlin grumbled. "That cabbagehead."
"Did Merlin just say cabbagehead?" Jim heard Claire whisper.
"I believe he did, yes," Blinky whispered back.
Jim ignored his friends. "Can you fix it?" He asked, holding at the stone from his amulet.
"Yes but first I need my staff," Merlin said, as he started to cast about for the staff in question. "It has it's own store of magic and at thd moment I am rather powerless."
"Here," said Aaarrrgghh, holding up a stick.
"Thank you," Merlin said, walking towards the troll and stumbling over his own feet. "Now Jim, put the amulet down on the table."
Jim did as asked, though he did question whether he should trust this clumsy man with it.
In a language so ancient even Blinky struggled to understand it, the wizard began to chant. His blue eyes flashed gold and the blue gem in the staff glowed. The pieces of the amulet clicked themselves back into place. Once completed, it landed back on the dais with a clink. Merlin picked it up to examine it. "A little damaged, but this should do you nicely Jim," he said, handing the amulet back to the boy. "Don't be such a prat and bear it again."
Jim nodded and took the amulet back carefully.