Sir Balan slapped the Sir Balin’s head with the back of his hand. Sir Balin’s attention had drifted to a fluttering butterfly that was passing through.

“Yes, yes,” Sir Balan said to Cameron, the man who successfully drove his head directly into the bell hanging in the white tower sitting in the middle of the town of Bríona. “Heard, please continue.”

“Capture him,” Cameron continued. “And then deliver him to Camelot. How’s that for a knightly adventure? You think the two of you can handle that?”

The brothers nodded.

“Great!” the man said with his arms outstretched. “May I please have my clubs back?”

Sir Balin and Sir Balan obliged, and returned their worn wooden clubs to the man.

“Oh!” the man uttered. “And remember what I’ve told you about that sword, boy.”

Cameron pointed at Tyrfing.

“It will lead to both your doom, and the doom of the one you love most in this world.”

Sir Balin looked at his sword, then squinted his eyes at the man. Then, back at the sword before his eyes widened at Cameron. The knight rose a finger and gasped.

“It’s… it’s Merlin!” he exclaimed.

“Merlin!” Lady Viviane cried out telepathically from inside the infinite sack. But the enchanter ignored her cries. “Merlin, let me speak to Sir Balin this instant!”

Merlin dropped the illusion, revealing his deep green cloak, robes, and pointed wizard hat. The tall bell tower vanished, and the rest of Bríona with it.

“Alright, I’ve wasted enough time golfing with you golfing,” Merlin said, shaking his head. “Oh, and might I suggest capturing him under veil of night.”

Merlin was about to leave, but then turned to Sir Balin.

“Did you fix the machine like I asked you to?” the enchanter asked.

Sir Balin’s eyes shot wide open as he felt around on his belt. He reached into a pouch and grabbed some things.

Then, he opened his hands before Merlin to reveal a bunch of one-and-a-half-inch gears in one hand, and a magical toolkit in the other.

“It’s… it’s still broken,” Sir Balin admitted. “I couldn’t find any one-and-a-half inch—”

Merlin scoffed before snatching the items from Sir Balin’s hands.

“Can’t you do anything right, boy?” Merlin asked, shaking his head and sighing. “Farewell, brothers of Northumberland. Try not to screw this one up.”

The enchanter vanished before the brothers’ eyes.

Then, he appeared out of sight of them near his horse up the highway, and tied the infinite sack to the horn of his saddle of his horse before shrinking himself down and falling into it.

Inside the sack, he found a furious Lady Viviane.

“Why?!” she screamed. “Why didn’t you let me speak with him?!”

“I’m sorry,” Merlin argued. “This isn’t the time or place for the two of you to meet again. But I promise you, my Lady. You will have a chance to speak with him at a later date.”

Lady Viviane turned the back of her head turned to Merlin.

“Don’t pout,” Merlin said as he poured himself a deep-red wine into a tall glass. “It’s unbecoming.”

‘I think it’s safe to say that the Dolorous effect won’t activate,’ Merlin thought to himself as he watch the wine fall. ‘It appears having both Tyrfing and Excalibur must be suppressing its chance to do so.’

Merlin looked up from his wine glass to find Lady Viviane wincing in pain with her eyes closed.

“What’s the matter with you?” he asked as he sipped his fine wine.

“Nothing,” she said shaking her floating head side-to-side slowly. “I guess I… just got a little worked up is all.”

She shook it off.

“So?” She asked him. “Where to now?”

“Back to Camelot,” the enchanter said as he swirled his glass of wine and stared into the crimson vortex he had materialized. “To have a word with the king.”