Res Publica Christiana - 4. Merlin's Crystal Cave

"You're a Wizard" is basically what I was told a few months ago from my reincarnated non-binary lover who is supposed to be this timeline's version of Elizabeth I, it's like Harry Potter, Time-Travelers Wife, and Slaughterhouse-Five had decided to form a cinematic universe. Essentially, I can manipulate the essence of matter, like I could create steel from iron by introducing carbon, create fire by manipulating oxygen molecules, or rearrange atoms and molecules for varying densities. I wish I had these abilities when I was merely Jack Hume, your ordinary high school bookworm, rather than Robert Dudley, a famous historical English nobleman. I was never physically strong, so I was often bullied, especially for my sexuality. Of course, my otaku partner Eric Meeks wouldn't care either way, because nothing could faze Eric as he would stand by my side and fight for what he believed was right. Even coming back from the dead in the form of Eli Tudor, what motivated Eric continued to motivate Eli, a desire for fairness and love. I don't remember what happened after he died after I regained my memories of our former lives in the early 21st century, but I feel like my life without him was unhappy with regrets and many nightmares.

I am not an emotional person by nature, so it's weird to express that fact in the form of an emotional instinct. I view the world as practical and solvable like a puzzle, you need the right pieces in the right arrangement. There's a lot in the world we do not understand, but it does not mean we cannot understand it. Thus, even though I might possess extraordinary abilities to manipulate molecules and atoms, I can understand somewhat how this ability operates through my prior knowledge and Eli's encyclopedic subject matter references. Even if I do not understand where it came from or why I had it, it doesn't matter as long as it exists and I can use it. The same goes for Eli, he can hold knowledge, scan things like an MRI machine, adapt to any language, and transfer experiences. To me, it was no different than a complex computer database and adaptive technology in speculative science fiction like a Black Mirror episode. However, I also felt Eli had other unknown abilities on top of the ones he had discovered, just like my own.

With the excitement of 1551's battles and tribulations over, Eli and I were planning on a break, which involved a few rounds of gay sex alongside Francis, Eli's sub. Despite appearing reserved and cautious in public, Francis was quite adventurous and open-minded in the bedroom. Eli and I never had a third partner of either gender, but it didn't mean we were averse to it. Sexual chemistry held us back from bringing in someone else. Francis with his submissive tendencies was a perfect match for Eli and me. Since we were far more equal in preferences for position and desires, it took more effort for us to engage in role-play and power exchanges. However, our planned sexual marathon had to wait, when Oberon, the leader of the Fair Folk, came by Bristol Castle for New Year's greetings and told us a story about a treasure located in a crystal cave, left by Merlin to be unlocked by "the last shall be first", also known as the Omega aka Eli, and his next incarnation, aka me. I had no clue where my prior incarnation hid his treasure since all I knew about Merlin was from the classic fictional novel, The Sword in the Stone, with the classic white-bearded wizard and an old BBC show with a magically and sexually repressed teenager.

That ties back into the entire I am a wizard thing. Even though I am not casting spells or making potions, my abilities have a wide area of impact from industrial production to biochemistry for pharmaceuticals that Eli and I work on together. He has the formulas and I have the power. However, to the Fair Folk, who themselves possess specialized knowledge and skills, I am a wizard and Eli is their messiah. Luckily due to Eli's encyclopedic knowledge, he knew exactly where Merlin's crystal cave was located at least historically. Thus, we had to travel to Tintagel Castle in northern Cornwall. Francis and Puck did not follow us this time, Francis had to take care of administrative issues with Eli's new official rank of Duke. Puck was spending time with my older brother, Ambrose, so we didn't want to cock block them.

Heading south from Bristol Castle in Gloucestershire, we passed by Hatch Beauchamp Manor to check in on Eli's Wards, Edward Seymore and Frances Howard. Eddie, as Eli called Edward, was a very erudite boy, who enjoyed reading and being told stories. He was somewhat like my prior self at that age. Eli and I recounted J.R.R. Tolkien's famous novella The Hobbit to foster his imagination, but we both agreed the Lord of the Rings would probably be better later. As for Frances, she was a tomboy and inquisitive. Eli told me about her witnessing a submission session with Francis, and then being given an abbreviated version of "The Birds and Bees" talk, but she continued to show interest in the authority role from the traditionally female position. She was endearing like Eli, knowing what she wanted and seeking what society denied women. We were close in age to the kids, being teenagers ourselves, so it's probably more accurate to think of us as elder sibling surrogates than parental figures, but it was nice sometimes to offer them inspiration and advice.

Having kids was something Eric and I had talked about, adoption being the easiest option. Though intersex, Eric did not have fully formed ovaries to allow a full transition into a biological female, and there were a lot of bigoted opinions on the subject in the early 21st century United States. In our current lives, Eli told me that he thought we could have biological kids due to the current Omega biology, so helping raise two younger teens was good practice for having kids.

After leaving the manor, we headed further south into the county of Devonshire, where Eli mentioned Eddie's older brother had conspired with a member of the Fair Folk named Caliban to work and cannibalize young villagers for farm yields. While scientific farming was being utilized now to improve food supplies across Eli's territory, Devonshire was still economically depressed. Sheep herding and wool manufacturing had seen declines in recent years with the introduction of Cotton from Spanish and Portuguese territories in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. As such, many bandits known as highwaymen were lying in wait for small groups of travelers, especially aristocrats like me and Eli. Of course, Eli as a Duke could have traveled with a large retinue that would dissuade thieves, but we were trying to keep a low profile for various reasons. We had the Triplets acting as our guards and all of us had revolver pistols, but no one on the road knew not to mess with us. As night fell, we traveled along the road with the hills flanking us, we were all alert.

"Halt!" a shrill voice called out

A young boy with shabby clothes and wild red hair emerged suddenly from the shadows, brandishing a weapon "Stand and deliver! Your money or your life! Do not make a sound, and do exactly as you're told if you wish to keep both!"

A group of boys and men in similar clothing came onto the road from the surrounding hills. They were armed with knives and wooden cudgels.

I sighed and looked at Eli, who was not the least bit worried "Are you okay?"

Eli shrugged and replied, "It's been a while since I've been threatened. I kind of missed the adrenaline."

I laughed at Eli's bravado and then turned towards the highwayman and asked, "Can we just get on with it?"

"Not so fast, I want a word with you first," the boy replied, and then he started coughing.

Eli, hearing the boy's cough, waived his hand for the triplets to hold their fire, and then got off his horse and approached the highwayman.

"Hey kid, you don't sound that good, why don't you take this candy," Eli offered a menthol lozenge, "It'll fix that cough, then we can sit down and discuss the whole highway robbery thing."

"Candy? Why would I want candy, I'm trying to rob you." the highwayman questioned, and then looked closer at the lozenge and asked, "Is it real?"

"It's not poisoned or drugged," Eli explained, "It'll help ease the pain in your throat."

The boy popped the lozenge into his mouth, and his face changed expressions.

"Wow, it does feel better. You are a nice guy." the boy said and drew his dagger, "But, I am still going to rob you."

Before he could move a step closer to Eli, I created a small explosion behind the boy, then a fire appeared in their ranks. Even though they were armed with knives and cudgels, most people in this era had seen or heard of various gunpowder weapons, which were relegated in use to the upper aristocracy and royal forces. The highwaymen surrounding us began to disperse, but the boy in front of Eli did not run away.

"Who are you?" he asked, staring at the flames and smoke.

Eli smiled and said, "I am the Duke of Somerset, Elias Tudor, who might you be?"

The red-haired boy shook slightly upon hearing of Eli's identity, but regained his composure, "My name is Francis Drake and I ain't scared of your noble tricks."

Eli smiled upon hearing the boy's identity, while I sighed at the historical oddity of this encounter. One of the most famous pirates, naval commanders, and loyal servants of Queen Elizabeth I is currently trying to rob us on the road. At twelve, he's just a scrawny kid with a lot of bravado despite facing down five people with firearms by himself. Eli and I discussed famous people in Elizabeth I's reign, so I am well aware of Francis Drake's importance.

Eli laughed, "Well Francis, you're nothing like my Moor that's for sure. Why are you out here robbing your countrymen?"

"I have no choice," Francis said, "My father is sick and I have eleven other siblings. I have no money or trade to call my own."

Eli nodded, "Well, let's make a deal. I'll give you enough money for medicine and food, and in exchange, you will do me a favor."

"What favor?"

"Serve me in Bristol Castle for a year, so I may teach you how to think more critically before going into foolhardy actions like this. Then, I'll send you to Plymouth in the south of Devonshire and arrange to give you a berth on a ship, so you can gain experience in a trade. You'll also get the money."

Francis looked hesitant at the proposal, "And why should I trust a nobleman to not betray his word?"

"Well, I am not a regular nobleman, nor noblewoman for that matter. In those who believe in me, I believe in them."

Francis laughed, "If that is the case, then I'll go with you, but first I have to take care of my father."

"Then it's settled, here's some money and I shall call for you on my return journey back to Bristol Castle," Eli announced and gave the boy a large number of gold coins.

Francis was astonished and replied, "I do not understand, you are giving me this much, without asking anything in return? This is far too much generosity. Are you by any chance an angel sent from heaven?"

Eli and I chuckled at the question.

"No, I'm a person just like you," Eli responded, "But I try to help my fellow man. Just promise me one thing, no more robberies until I get you to Bristol."

Francis nodded his head in agreement and left for his home.

"That was nice of you," I commented as Eli returned to his horse.

"It's a down payment, considering how much he'll make for me in the future as one of my chief naval and marine commanders," Eli laughed.

"I guess there's a reason why he was known for being loyal and greedy," I added.

"You never know how things turn out. In the original timeline, Drake had died fighting the Spanish in a failed invasion of Panama. This time around, he can help me build a better future."

I smiled at his ambition, "Just like the other people on the list."

"Yup, we'll get everyone together and change history, just you wait."

After our encounter with Francis Drake, we continued toward Tintagal Castle. We made it to the county of Cornwall on the next day and rested at an inn in Launceston. Cornwall holds rugged terrain and moorlands, similar to Devonshire, but it has a unique culture and tradition with its traditional language, Cornish. Luckily for us, Eli could speak fluent Cornish, which the natives approve of more than the dominant English. At the inn, Eli approached the innkeeper with us standing behind.

"Fatel yw Kastel Dyntagel? (Where is Tintagel Castle?)" Eli asked

"Dyntagel? Ytho, yw an le a dh'aga fyllel. Kav'ta benyn, ke dhe vos trevys. (Tintagel? Indeed, it's the place you're looking for. Take a seat, it'll be just a moment)," the innkeeper replied offering us hospitality.

Eli gratefully accepted the invitation of hospitality by the innkeeper, "Gorthugher da! My a wra kav'ta benyn. Kav'ta gwin hag onan pystri, mar pleg. (Thank you! We'll take a seat. Bring us wine and some pastries, please)"

The innkeeper brings over a platter of meats, loaves of bread, and drinks, "Ha, ytho! Ty ha pyma dhe vos kemmys a'n bys. Hemma yw benytha. Dre dhe vos usi gans Kernewek, my a ros dhywgh der an denvyth ha'n dyskans dhe Kastel Dyntagel (Certainly! This is for you. For using Cornish, I'll provide you with the best of the best. Now, to guide you in Cornish, I'll give you directions to Tintagel Castle)"

Eli was elated with the warm Cornish hospitality beyond what he had ordered, "Gorthugher da, dhe'th. An lagha Kernewek yw gwir ha gul, pleg. A wra'th leverel dhymm, pystri dhe'n fenten, mar pleg. (Thank you, sir. Speaking Cornish feels right and good. Could you also tell me about the path, please?)"

"Kernewek yw hens dha wayl, dhe'n fenten, ke dhe vos yw thedh. Ha, y'n dowr vy, me a ro dhymm pystri ha bosek rag an fenten. Bys vyken, byttegyns dre'n bysowgh a Kastel Dyntagel. (Cornish is your friend on this journey, and to the castle, you shall go. Also, in the water, I'll give you pastries and a flask for the road. Safe travels through the lands of Tintagel Castle)," the innkeeper offered additional hospitality and provisions.

Later when we were all on the road again, Eli explained the reason why he spoke Cornish instead of English.

"Until the late 17th century, Cornwall still held a lot of autonomy with its own legal and linguistic system. One of the things that Cornish appreciated during this time was that the English respected them and used their language instead of English as a means of communication. Sadly, very few English nobles respected the Cornish language and as a result, few Cornish respected English authority."

"Your encyclopedic knowledge of this stuff is really useful, but kind of depressing at the same time. If we want to integrate England's various administrative areas, language barriers become a major problem. We might have no choice except to go down the same road as history," I frowned in consideration of what would have to be lost.

"Not necessarily," Eli refuted my point, "I do not believe language should be the basis of authority. Language is just a tool to communicate and spread culture. We need a new authority based on merit and respect. If I could find a way to incorporate the Cornish's cultural identity, then we can have a unified Britain, under one banner, with no distinction."

"How can we do that?"

"I honestly have no clue," Eli sighed, "but if we can create an integrated society, then the language barrier is a lesser concern."

When we reached Tintagel Castle, we found a dilapidated ruin. There were only a handful of towers and stone walls still fully intact, but you could tell the place had seen better days. However, our destination according to Eli was below the castle near the rocky seashore. We found a path along the side of the castle's northeastern face that led to the rocky shores. It was low tide, so we had plenty of time to search for the cave. Eli used his ability and knowledge to guide us to the correct cave. However, upon searching the cave up and down several times, we found nothing.

"Are you sure this is the right cave?" I asked.

Eli answered, "This is Merlin's cave at Tintagal Castle unless it's a metaphorical cave."

"Then maybe the answer is a metaphor? Like my past incarnation likes ass."

Eli sighed and shook his head, "That joke is bad, even for you."

"Hey, you're the one who got us here, not me."

We were both annoyed and tired, so it was only natural that we started making bad jokes.

"What if you use your senses Eli to detect if there's something behind the walls or something?" Peter, one of the triplets, asked.

"Oh yeah, why didn't I think of that!"

I had almost forgotten that Eli had those weird sensor abilities, he can utilize his senses to detect anything. However, as Eli focused on his abilities on the cave walls, he seemed surprised.

"There's an energy signature here. It's lighting up the entire wall."

I asked, "Could it be possible Merlin's treasure is behind the wall?"

Eli looked at me, "There's only one way to open up this wall without dynamite or high-tech equipment that doesn't exist. Robert, you have to alter the molecular structure of the rock wall and create an entryway. My senses tell me it's around 3,233 centimeters deep, so that's your target."

I walked towards the cave wall and began manipulating the molecules of the stone. The rocks melted away into dust and created a 106-foot-long archway hole, allowing us to see a lighted pedestal with a single blue crystal orb. Eli and I walked towards the pedestal and saw a note inscribed under the crystal.

"The last shall be first. Omega, your incarnation has arrived."

"So, what does that mean?" I asked

Eli answered, "I think we're supposed to take the blue crystal thing. Let's just call it a crystal ball. It's been sitting on a pedestal all this time and there's no sign of damage or deterioration, so it must be protected by an advanced power source. That's the best I can come up with since the energy signature I'm picking up is from the crystal."

I shrugged and took the crystal. As soon as I grabbed it, the lighted pedestal went dark.

"That was anti-climatic," I commented.

Eli smirked, "Well, at least we got the treasure, whatever it is."

As soon as Eli said that, a voice echoed in my head.

"Welcome, Jack. Welcome, Eric."

I dropped the crystal in surprise, and the voice ceased.

"Did you hear that?"

Eli responded, "Yeah, what the fuck?"

"It must have been from the crystal," I replied, "I think it was talking to us. I thought only you could do that in other people's heads."

I bent down and picked up the crystal again.

"Jack Hume and Eric Meeks. Two individuals in two new bodies. Your consciousness has been reincarnated, time has been reset, and the cycle will continue. Total active core count: 28,657, calculating humanity extinction probability: 99.7%."

The voice was different, more mechanical and artificial, but it was coming from the crystal, I was sure of it.

"What the fuck is going on? What is that crystal? I thought you said it was a treasure of Merlin's!" I asked Eli.

Eli responded, "I don't know, it was just a guess, but clearly, it has a power source, and I think it has an advanced computer inside. Whatever it is, we're going to figure it out, but first, let's get out of this creepy cave and return to Bristol Castle."

We didn't realize what the orb was for many years, but when we understood what it and others like it represented, the foundations of reality would never be the same.