Merlin flees from the afflicted that chase him, and Merlin escapes on the Widow's horse. steals some of Rugen's Fey fire, which was his real intention. Rugen secretly poisons Merlin, but Merlin manages to shake it off, then slips away later in the night after playing himself off as drunk. Merlin tempts him with promises of power and his gifts. Rugen complains about the raids of the Red Paladins and how King Uther has done nothing about it. Merlin is granted an audience with Rugen. Merlin later is buried by Rugen's "afflicted" to see Rugen. The Widows gives Merlin the things, and she apologizes to Merlin. Merlin grows stubborn and demands the things he asked for anyway. Later, the Widow tells him that she's had a vision of him suffering and doesn't wish to help him.
Merlin meets with Brioni, telling her that he brings gifts for Rugen the Leper King, who is the collector. Merlin asks The Widow for the collector's whereabouts, a clay that Fey fire can't burn, and her horse. Merlin then comes up with a plan to destroy the Sword of Power and to steal the Fey fire from someone who possesses it. She also says that the Chruch cannot acquire the Sword of Power, telling him to finish the war he started. She continues that the Shadow Lords see this as a final betrayal and will hunt him down, but he replies to let them come. She tells him that he lied to her about the Sword of the First Kings being destroyed. He then meets with a spectral figure called " The Widow," and asks her if she's finally come for him after all this time. Upset, he then kicks down several crosses erected outside by the Red Paladins. Merlin later travels to Nimue's village, where he discovers the body of Nimue's mother, Lenore, and lays her to rest. When they break the lock, they storm in, but it is too late. Merlin tells Uther that he needs more time to "study the omens." Angry, Uther orders his men to break the door down, because Merlin doesn't let them in. Merlin is confronted by King Uther about the blood rain. Then, Merlin gets struck by lightning to reveal a glowing scar on the right side of his body in the shape of the Sword of Power. Uther is furious when learning of this, due to the blood rain crashing a fest and yells out Merlin's name. He does this with the help of a frightened guard, and Merlin sees three crowns in the sky, the symbol of Uther Pendragon's banners. He then scrolls his book pages to come across a ritual. Later, Merlin wakes up from what is supposedly sensing the Sword of Power and Nimue. He then proceeds to show Merlin a "number three." The omens that Merlin saw allows him to predict a "magical child, a new dawn and a great and terrible war." Merlin gives the physician money and walks away. Reluctant to revealing himself as a collector, the physician denies before realizing that his customer is Merlin. While walking in the hall, Merlin finds a dead bird in the hall as an omen, and he wanders up a tower to find a bunch of dead birds, indicating more omens. Merlin walks out, promising to double his efforts. Merlin rants about the situation and makes excuses before Uther yells to Merlin, demanding rain. Merlin makes excuses, and Uther explains to his advisor, Bolli, that Merlin is unmoved by the Fey being torched by the Red Paladins. Unsurprised, Uther talks of all the promises Merlin makes, such as conjuring rain, and Uther highlights that they don't happen.
Later, the guards escort Merlin to the king, explaining that Merlin was drunk in the cabbages.
He threatens to send them back to their lord as mole rats, and it works, but Merlin actually doesn't have magic. Merlin is approached by debt collectors who remind him that he owes Lord Gray River 4,000 gold coins. After the sword was removed from his body, Merlin lost his magic, though he tried to keep that hidden from others in order to keep up the appearance that he is still very powerful.ĭue to his firsthand experience with the power and corruption the sword brings, Merlin wishes to destroy it with Fey fire to prevent others including his own daughter Nimue from being corrupted by the power of the sword. Unbeknownst to him, Lenore had kept the sword hidden from him but told him that it had been destroyed. He fell in love with Lenore after this incident with them forming a romantic relationship until she asked him to leave her.
#DRUNK MERLIN MS AGENT FREE#
He was only able to free himself from the sword's hold on him when Lenore dug the sword out of his chest. He also took part in a past attack on Roman soldiers, senators, and civilians alike with a family of Romans being slaughtered by Merlin. Merlin previously wielded the Sword of Power and this caused him to go mad with power.