Magic gone very wrong.

[bitterguardian]

From the time Morgana took on her first apprentice, Morganians and Merlinians have fought each other. The Grimhold didn't start the conflict, it simply upped the stakes.

For Maxim Horvath, there's a definite air of the endless repetition of history as he trades plasma bolts with another Morganian sorcerer. This time there are two of them, one to distract him while the other works at some ritual he hasn't quite puzzled out yet, but knowing Morganians it's bound to be trouble for him if they complete it. It's taken time to track them here, to the empty cargo hold of a decaying freighter ship. The docks this rusting hulk sits at are quiet at night, even though it's an ideal place for shady doings. Maybe the sorcerers have scared away all the usual drug dealers and homeless vagabonds. Or maybe they have the sense of self-preservation to avoid a decommissioned ship that crackles with dark electricity.

He's slow on his feet, these days, but he's been at this game longer than any Morganian left alive. When he falters, it's an act, and the underhanded spell he throws while his opponent is gloating slams the man against the metal wall with a sickening thud. Horvath winces, but this is the price of a sorcery battle, and there are big things at stake, here. Already inside the Morganian pentacle, the very air seems to be warping and it hurts to even look too long at it. Violently interrupting the ritual now could be even more dangerous than whatever their end goal originally was, so instead Horvath hobbles close and cuts through to the remaining sorcerer with the power of his own voice, magically amplified. "This ends now. Back down, before I have to-"

Even that distraction, it seems, was too much. The Morganian in the pentacle twitches at the first words, startled, then gives Horvath a momentary look of sheer panic. His concentration is already broken, and it's too late. That much becomes pretty clear when the Morganian's head begins to stretch and twist, roughly five seconds before the spellwork implodes. The shockwave flings Horvath backwards, and the entire hull of the ship bows and dents outward with a warning creak. Of the Morganian, there's not much left at all, but the pentacle etched into the metal floor is not empty...

Comments

[dragonring]

Training, studying, a date with Becky, then more training. That's what most of Dave's days have been like lately. It's tiring, he has to admit, but he isn't complaining. Well, not much. Now the danger isn't on their necks anymore, Balthazar isn't as demanding anymore (for his standards anyway) and Dave is allowed to enjoy having a life while training to be a real sorcerer, something he loves more and more everyday.

It also confuses him a lot sometimes. Once upon a time, his future was decided as a genius physicist, but he isn't sure he'll be able to do that anymore after he's learned to see the world with different eyes. Where does he stand between these two very different realities?

He can think about it after graduation from both his regular and magical classes, he will get nothing out of thinking too hard about it now. Better concentrate on his training! The ring is ready on his finger - he still uses when he learns a new trick to help him get started, the weight provides him with an odd comfort.

He steps into Merlin's circle and turns it on fire in what is a natural habit for him nowadays, but what comes afterward it's new: sudden dizziness and a force that hits him to the ground. He feels his body shaking, kinda like when he speeds up time but not exactly the same, and before he knows it, he can feel a cold breeze ruffling his hair.

He isn't inside anymore - in fact, a quick look around as he stands up shows him he is... on a ship?

"No way." Legs shaking as he stands up, his eyes widen when he sees a presence not very far away from where he stands. "...Horvarth?"

[bitterguardian]

The Prime Merlinian clearly has Horvath at a disadvantage, at least. That much is clear, since he's sprawled on the floor looking groggy. He's lost his hat at some point, and without it his hair is tousled instead of the slicked-back look Dave saw last. He's also got a ring on every finger now, much like Balthazar, and Dave could be forgiven for assuming they've been stolen off other sorcerers. Groaning, the older sorcerer pulls himself to sit up, and blinks at Dave a moment in blank confusion.

On closer inspection, he looks overall a little scruffier and more rumpled, and noticeably a number of pounds heavier. In short, Maxim Horvath looks like he's let himself go. The pointy, slightly crooked nose and almost-black eyes set in a full face are unmistakeable though. So is the melodic bass voice, wary and vaguely sarcastic. "...Should I know you?"

He's sure that's not the Morganian sorcerer who cast the ritual. His apprentice, perhaps. This is going to be a long night.

[dragonring]

Part of his mind notices the changes, and he blames them on Horvarth having lost everything after they defeated him and Morgana. The rings are what call most of his attention, though - has Horvarth gotten new allies? Looking around for any signs of more enemies, Dave finally realizes he's standing on a freaking pentacle, and jumps out of it with a squeal.

"What the--" The question makes him frown in confusion for a second before he puts his hands up, ready to defend himself if necessary. He probably doesn't look very threatening, a scrawny college student in jeans, but the old man shoes stand out among the rest of his outfit.

So does Merlin's dragon ring on his finger.

"Oooh, noooo, nonono, I'm not gonna fall for your-- your tricks this time, Horvarth." The name isn't said with hate, since Dave isn't exactly one to feel that emotion often, but it's obvious he doesn't like the man he's talking to either. "Haven't you had enough already?"

[bitterguardian]

For his part, Horvath is similarly on the defensive. He's in a vulnerable position sitting on the floor, moreso than Dave knows, since the older sorcerer is incapable of getting up without a lot of trouble. On that note, he gropes around for his cane, which has slid out of reach when the shockwave sent him across the floor on his ass. The blue talisman stone isn't set in it, but in a ring on his right hand instead, while the cane only has a silver dragon head. Still, the past may have taught Dave that keeping Horvath separated from his cane is a wise idea. It was the first thing Balthazar did when he came out of the Grimhold.

Horvath is distracted though, unwilling to take his eyes off the boy while one hand goes reaching out across the floor. His left hand is raised slowly in front of him, not threateningly, more of the gesture any man would use to ward off an expected blow, but one of the rings on that hand glows faintly with gathering power. "My tricks? I'm not the one who- where did you get that??!" He's noticed Merlin's ring, on a stranger's finger, and his first thought is that they may have gotten the Grimhold, too. "You dare to..."

Wait, it hasn't been wearable since Merlin died, unfolded into a standing statuette. "How...?" All the fight drains out of him abruptly.

[dragonring]

Dave isn't paying attention to the cane. Even if he's become better at his magic, both offensive and defensive, he's still lacking some basic fighting instincts. His eyes are locked on Horvath, waiting for him to say something that gives a clue about what's going on.

"I got what?" He's really perplexed by Horvath's nonsense, and his sudden lack of fighting spirit only makes it worse. Dave takes another look around, taking in the pentacle and the general state of the ship. If this is the whole plan, it's a pretty bad one. And it doesn't look like Horvath's style.

In the end, Dave lowers his hand and looks at the man with obvious confusion. "What-- what is going on here? How did you even bring me over in your state?"

[bitterguardian]

"I... didn't." The dark eyes are focused on Dave's hand, following it down as he drops the readiness to attack. "You... have Merlin's ring..."

Whatever the Morganians were up to, clearly it could not have gone more wrong.

At last the cane slides across the floor in obedience to a subtle magic, and into Horvath's hand, but he only uses it to stiffly lever himself to his feet. All this open-mouthed staring really won't do, and he struggles to force himself to take full command of the situation. "The reason you appeared in the pentacle is a Morganian was working... some kind of ritual. Obviously it did not go well. But you... know me? And you're..." He licks his lips, struggling to voice the question out loud, and takes a few limping steps towards Dave. He needs that cane, judging from the way he uses it. Horvath's voice comes out hushed and wary. "You're the Prime Merlinian??"

[dragonring]

The comment on his ring makes Dave put his hand behind his back, as if that could anything - but Horvath's eyes on it make him a bit uncomfortable.

His mind is going through many thoughts at the same time. He really wants to see things using the magical logic Balthazar has taught him, but each of Horvath's words only remind Dave of movies when the protag suddenly wakes up in...

"What-- Where am I? What year is it?" He could've traveled back in time, or to a completely different world - Dave hasn't learned the details about what his magic can do or not yet, but that ritual sounds like one huge deal. He gives Horvath a look over before stepping back, not liking where this is going. "...and why are you talking about Morganians as outsiders?" That's a funny way to refer to your own people, he thinks.

[bitterguardian]

"...Nineteen-ninety-eight..." It's a slow, careful answer, but that Dave is asking gives Horvath a fairly big clue about what's going on, now. Dave has traveled both in time and dimensions, a double just for extra confusion.

Horvath stays where he is, leaning on the cane a little, and watching the boy with a slightly wary expression, now. "Outsiders isn't quite the term I would have used, but... if you're the Prime Merlinian, who trained you?" He already suspects he knows the answer, thanks to a little experience with alternate dimensions already. Movements slow and calm, he reaches into a pocket and withdraws something that looks a little like an older-model cellphone, or possibly a calculator. He's just trying to make it clear by body language that he isn't going for a weapon. He does have to glance down to type on the device, composing a quick message.

Trouble. Could use you here, Bel.

[dragonring]

Ninety-eight. That's his freaking childhood, not even the incident at Arcana Cabana has happened yet. This is insane.

"Oh my god, oh my god, this can't be happening, it just can't..." He starts pacing around, hands grabbing his head as he freaks out. Time/space traveling isn't something he's learned to do yet, and his only source of help is Horvath. Is this some plan to change history? Because if so, he isn't sure how it's going to work out exactly.

"Balthazar, he did, and he's gonna kill me if he..." The answer comes out before he realizes what he's saying, and his pacing comes to a stop when a thought suddenly hits him. He turns to Horvath with a very suspicious look. "...if this is '98, why are you out of the Grimhold?"

[bitterguardian]

He can't help but wince, because the Balthazar he knows might very well kill someone for a perceived infraction. He's unstable that way. Somehow he thinks that may not be quite what the boy means, though.

"Why... would I be In the Grimhold?" Horvath sends out his message and desperately hopes the receiver isn't busy with some trouble of his own. "Balthazar... trained you? He gave you the ring?" The deep voice is calm, reasonable, and he shifts on his feet a little but stays standing in one place, watching the Prime Merlininan pace. Footsteps echo, in this cavern of metal, but he's not expecting any further Morganian trouble right now.

[grimholdkeeper]

Mending bridges across worlds has been a delicate process, but Balthazar likes to think he and Horvath have done a good job of it. Certainly they've shared some nice teas together, and a few pleasant chats. He still wears the shield ring Horvath gave him, aware it might save his life one of these days.

So, when the text comes in, terse as is typical of Maxim, he's quick to react, grabbing his coat before sending back: on my way hang on

A moment later he's locked in on the PINpoint signal and, using technology rather than magic, he's there, arriving with a faint pop and sizzle halfway between Horvath and Dave.

"...what's going on?" 'Trouble' doesn't seem to be 'life-and-death battle' just at the moment. He looks from one to the other uncertainly, and there's no recognition in his gaze when he sees Dave.

[dragonring]

Sorry, Horvath, but Dave doesn't do calm and reasonable.

"Yes, yes and yes! Who else would give me the ring?! And what do you mean why--"

Whatever else Dave has to say is forgotten when Balthazar appears between them, and his expression changes on the spot, relief and happiness taken over his panic.

"Balthazar! You're here too! You have no idea how much I--" Gesturing hands fall and his expression quickly changes once again when Dave notices the lack of recognition. He's obviously a bit hurt, even if it's nobody's fault, and also disappointed. "...you aren't the one I know, are you?"

[bitterguardian]

"...Evidently not. And neither, I think, am I." Horvath's voice is calm, and more than a little tired. He's bruised and aching from the Morganian fight, and now this. While Balthazar has told him a few small details of what the Maxim Horvath of his world is like, and he's drawn plenty of conclusions from that, it's one thing to hear about it at quite another to have some poor kid looking at him like he murdered his whole family.

"Merlin's ring is in my possession... at least thus far, until I find..." He shifts uncomfortably on his feet again. "Well. You, evidently." Horvath studies the boy again, and strokes his beard absently, thoughtful.

Tall. Gawky. Floundering. Not quite what he expected, but not completely unlike Balthazar was, at the same age.

[grimholdkeeper]

Balthazar's gaze flicks around the room, takes in the fight scene, and sweeps over Horvath to gauge how badly hurt he is. After concluding he could be a lot worse off, he looks back toward Dave, head tilting with polite confusion. He's quick enough to note the expression, and looks apologetic. Evidently there's some cross-dimensional confusion of some sort, and he knows from experience that can be uncomfortable.

But then Horvath speaks, mentions Merlin's ring, and at roughly the same moment he spies said ring on Dave's finger. His demeanor shifts at once, tension singing in every line of his body as he takes in a quiet gulp of air.

He may need a minute to process this.

[dragonring]

It's not Balthazar's fault, Dave understands why he gets looked at like that... but it still hurts a little. He rubs his face as he tries his best to process this too - Horvath isn't in the Grimhold and he has the ring. Also, his master seems to be in decent terms with their sworn enemy.

Not weird at all.

If Horvath isn't in the Grimhold, then who is? Is Veronica even there? Dave has come to like her just fine since they saved her from Morgana. He wants to ask, but considering the reaction the ring around his finger got from Balthazar, he doesn't even want to imagine what the mention of her name will case.

He looks around, feeling lost - nothing new there, except this time he doesn't even have his master with him. In the end, he throws his hands in the air, giving up. "Iiii'm sure all of us are dying to make all the questions but... do you think we could leave this place first? Go somewhere, oh I don't know, cozier? I've got enough of Morganians to last me for another decade and that pentacle is starting to get on my nerves."

[bitterguardian]

Poor Dave, alternate realities always lead to a lot of confusion, but the two men before him have the advantage of having already sorted out the details between them. Dave might be surprised just how very similar their histories are, apart from who took on the quest to find him.

Horvath gives a nod, and rubs a hand wearily over his face. "You're completely right on both points." They've all had enough of Morganians already, and then some. Leaning heavily on the cane, he limps the few steps closer to Balthazar, and puts a firm but gentle hand on his arm, hoping to rouse him from the shock. "I'll take us home. We can discuss this over tea like civilized men." Even as a Merlinian, Horvath is still Horvath.

[grimholdkeeper]

The touch does serve to snap him out of the shock, but Balthazar also does a full-body flinch, and the look he gives Horvath is not 100% rational. "Home...?" he murmurs slowly, trying to catch up. "You mean your place, yes?"

Because home could mean that, or the Arcana Cabana, or the Keep in Dinas Emrys, and he's not sure which one he'd prefer to run to at the moment. Evidently, he trusts Horvath to make the decision.

Looking back at Dave, he says weakly, "It's been...we've been...searching a long time."

[dragonring]

Horvath only gets a nod from Dave, his attention fully on Balthazar, eyes full of sympathy. It's weird, seeing his master emotionally weak like this, and directed at himself of all people.

"Yeah, I know... Or I think I knew, actually, since things are different here but..." Determined expression on his face, Dave takes a few steps closer too, and rests a hand on Balthazar's shoulder. He feels a bit silly for saying this, but after what happened in his own world, he won't let his master confront anything alone again. "If she is in the Grimhold in this world too, then I promise we can also rescue her here."

That hopefully gives him some hope and brightens up the mood. He turns to Horvath next, looking a bit sheepish. "Can you-- do you have energy to teleport us all? Because I'm... kiiiinda learning the details for that one still." He can teleport himself just fine, but taking people with him? That's a bit harder.

[bitterguardian]

Balthazar should feel well-anchored, at least physically, as Horvath hasn't let go either. If anything, that look of utterly distraught confusion makes him grip the man even harder. He's lost one Balthazar to madness already, he doesn't want to watch another version come unglued.

The allusion to Veronica makes him turn his face away, though, and swallow hard. Dave probably should have thought of that; if he's afraid hinting about her would affect Balthazar, there's no telling what effect it might have on Horvath, too. He just gives a slow nod and a deep breath, though, pulling himself together by necessity as he always has. "My home. I think I can just manage that, yes." He's glad they're all physically connected, for the moment, as it makes things just a little easier. Bracing himself slightly, he lifts the hand holding the cane in a sweeping gesture, the grim, rusty hold of the old cargo ship dissolving around them.

It takes a moment to adjust the wards for Dave, but the teleport lands them in a much cozier setting, some kind of library with a dim vaulted ceiling, but warm floor lamps and cozy chairs scattered around. The furniture is much like Horvath himself; sturdy, well-cushioned, and antique. Old oriental carpets and a few antique desks are around, too, the latter covered in papers and books and other odds and ends. The bookshelves are tall, both along the wall and free-standing, stretching into aisles too dark to see down. It's comfortably warm, cozy, and very much lived-in even if it does look more like a wealthy eccentric's library than a normal home.
There are also no windows whatsoever, and hints of brick or tile on the wall above the shelves. Something about the dimensions of the place would be very familiar to somebody who spends time in an old subway turn-around.

[grimholdkeeper]

Being at the center of a chain of physical and emotional support for a moment serves to both ground Balthazar and confuse him in a pleasant way. As his brain catches up with the rest of him, he looks sheepish; it's not completely unprecedented for him to go somewhere else mentally, even as Dave knows him, but his timing is usually less awkward. It probably wouldn't be a great first impression to give the Prime Merlinian. Luckily, it's not a first impression for Dave.

He searches the young man's eyes briefly, quietly touched by the mixture of compassion and determination--yes, he can definitely see this kid as a good Merlinian--and smiles. "I think...I'm honored to meet you. And thank you."

He's cognizant of how the comment about Veronica might affect Horvath, though, and when he turns away, it's to put a hand on his old friend's shoulder. "You do the teleport, I'll make the tea?"

He's only been to Horvath's lair a half dozen times (and he does think of it as a lair; this version of Maxim is strangely draconic in a way that's both charming and reassuring), but he knows which way the kitchen is, and he's comfortable enough. "The poor cats. They won't know what to do with two guests at the same time, will they?"

[dragonring]

Honored. The word echoes in Dave's mind, distracting him from anything else going on. This is such a different first meeting (if it can be called that), and well, different anything. Dave has to wonder what kind of image this Balthazar is creating of him, because something tells him it's more than he deserves.

It's the sudden pull of the teleporting spell that makes him snap out of it. Having teleported before, there are no silly shocking effects, just a shake of his head to get his mind back on track again. A quick look around definitely tells Dave this is Horvath's place, but one thing catches his attention the most: the bookshelves. They're surrounded by books and his little nerdy heart must allow himself to take a closer look, a hand resting on the spines of the book as he watches with wonder.

He should mention how he prefers coffee to tea, but that question of Balthazar was left forgotten on the ship. Right now, there's another subject he has to comment on.

"Cats? Oooh boy. Nnno, no, I don't think they'll appreciate a guest that smells like a dog."

[bitterguardian]

"Oh, I don't know, they don't seem to mind Balthazar much..." What he means by that is that Balthazar has a dog at home, but it strikes him less than a second later that this could be taken entirely the wrong way. Rather than look apologetic over it, Horvath breaks into a smirk, glancing Balthazar's way. Some people, under shock and stress, freeze up. Horvath cracks sarcastic jokes.

He limps to the nearest chair, though, and sinks into it gratefully. He's going to be sore for days, from that fight, and Balthazar did say he'd make the tea. "Why... don't you sit, boy..." The way Dave is looking at his books hasn't escaped Horvath's notice.

[grimholdkeeper]

"What, precisely, are you trying to say, Maximus?" Balthazar looks at him primly, clearly getting both the intended meaning and the semi-intentional joke. "I left the flea collar at home this time, at least."

Breaking into a faint smile, he adds to Dave, "These cats have never seen a dog in their lives. They won't care. I have one of each at home, anyway."

He moves toward the kitchen, pauses to shed his coat and hat on a desk, and vanishes into the next room. He is still within earshot, though. "Anybody hungry? There are apples and crackers..."

[dragonring]

Funny that, Dave is an expert at throwing sarcasm during the worst situations, so Horvath's comment gets a chuckle out of him. Balthazar's, however, surprises Dave, so he doesn't manage to answer before his master (if he can still call it that) disappears into the kitchen.

A home and dogs. Does this Balthazar actually have a life? Such a difference. Even in his own world with Veronica and all, things are taking time to get back to normal.

"Just... coffee is fine." He doesn't think he could eat anything right now. Hands going to the pockets of his jeans, he turns to look at Horvath with all the awkwardness he's capable of (and that's a lot coming from Dave).

"Ah, I-- I'm just fine over here. Yeah." Differences or not, the sight of Horvath gets on his nerves - no way he's getting closer. How is he even supposed to make conversation with an alternative version of the man who tried to kill him? "...you have a great collection here."

[bitterguardian]

"Just an aspirin Darling..." Horvath lifts his voice a little to answer Balthazar. One can only hope Dave won't misinterpret the term of affection. Even the Horvath in his world called him 'Sweetheart' once. Both these sorcerers are men from an entirely different era than this, and older habits of speech sometimes slip in. Their version of a life, too, may not be what Dave would consider living. They do have their pets, for company. They also both spend a lot of time inside, surrounded by their own collections of books and artifacts. It helps to look a little less crazy, talking to oneself, when there's something furry around to hear it.

While the Prime Merlininan slouches nervously by the bookshelf, Horvath slumps deeper into hi chair, hands folded loosely over the dragon head of his cane. With his greater weight, less severe grooming, and penchant for waistcoats, he looks more like a professor. A very tired one, at the moment. "...Thank you. The longer one lives, the more one seems to acquire... things. Eventually you have to either chuck it all out or find a place to put it all, and who can bear to throw away good books?" The smile is deliberately gentle. He can tell he's making the boy nervous, and he feels badly for that, but he's not sure what he can do about it.

[grimholdkeeper]

Well, he lives over the Arcana Cabana. It's not as domestic as it sounds, and to be fair he was mostly talked into keeping animals by friends that the version Dave knows has never encountered. All of these things play a role, and so has meeting this alternate Horvath. It's a hell of a thing to have your best friend turn against you and try to kill you, and a whole other hell of a thing to get him back, centuries later.

There's a soft chuckle from the kitchen, and the sound of clanking dishes. Balthazar is still well within earshot, in the other room, but he comes back out a moment later (after putting on the kettle and starting up the coffee pot) with an aspirin bottle and a cup of water for Horvath. "You really trust the little white pebbles these newfangled doctors try to sell you these days? Whatever happened to a nice willow-bark tea?"

[dragonring]

"More people than you think." Dave comments with obvious disapproval. He's seen many people moving to New York and leave their books behind, or the other way around: graduating students that go back home and leave their texts too. Nobody should treat books so badly.

His finger brush the spines again, the smell of old books helping him to calm down a bit, but when Balthazar returns and comments on Horvath's usual preference of medicine... welp. This young scientist doesn't like what he's hearing. He arches an eyebrow at both men.

"What's wrong with pills and doctors?"

[bitterguardian]

"Mmm... well I am a bit out of touch..." Says the man wearing a suit that was probably made in the late 1940's. "But that's a shame. Of course, when the printing press began to gain popularity, there were detractors who said it would devalue books and the knowledge they contained..."

He gives Balthazar a mild raised eyebrow, opening the aspirin bottle and popping a few with the water. "But I'm not so out of touch to turn up my nose at modern pharmacology. These are stronger. Pills are fine, as long as you understand what's in them. Doctors, on the other hand..." He makes a face. Merlin's immortality spell seems to ward off most common illnesses. Horvath hasn't seen a doctor in decades, and doesn't intend to see one any time soon.