Morgaine

Written by Sterrestel

My younger step brother was not always so corrupted or cruel. He came along with me when I first arrived in Caervyon. We were both young, and naive. As one would expect of a story like this. Luckily [redacted] met us at the gates and ushered us inside. She knew our parents; our magykal DNA. She also knew we would be killed if anyone found out.

I took it better than Morgaine did. I could tell he was angry, even if he kept quiet about it. What I had no idea about, was how much that rage manifested. I continued to help [redacted] heal castle illnesses, while Morgaine sulked in his room and refused to come out.

It was many circles of the story before he got truly cruel. He would spend hours in the library, sneaking in at night to search for restricted books on magyk and enchantments. I assumed he wanted to at least learn more, rather than stay cooped up alone, so I indulged him.

The first time I saw him act out was when a young druid found their way to us. King [redacted] had ordered they be put to death the next day, and Morgaine was furious. He came to me asking for help in aiding the druid in escape, and, seeing no other ethical choice, I agreed. Kyarrah warned me that the druid would lead to Artwyn’s downfall, and yet every single time I helped them escape. I hesitated the first few times, and Morgaine noticed. Even after I stopped hesitating, he seemed to resent me for it, even though I was certain he did not remember the past story circles.

As he improved in his magyk, so did I, with Kyarrah’s guidance. She provided me resources, and I picked them up quickly. Morgaine seemed jealous of this. I offered to teach him, but he refused. He wanted to learn on his own as I had. Although we both picked up magyk from all types of sources, he tended to use his power to wreak havoc and take revenge on those in power. I started to notice his absences more often, and it was not long before I found the first enchantment pouch hidden under Prince Artwyn’s bed.

I tried to reason with Morgaine, not once blaming him for wanting to take revenge on the King by taking his son, but he refused to listen.

After that particular circle, he grew more and more aggressive in his attempts. Around this time, Kyarrah warned me that I must choose between him and Artwyn. A choice I made rather easily, I must admit. I had grown close to Artwyn, even if he would never say so, and Morgaine had only grown more corrupt. Each attempt I thwarted enraged him more. I knew he would be caught, sooner or later. He framed me multiple times, brought in other enemies, but each time I prevailed. Soon I knew the plot like clockwork.

The night after he was caught, Morgaine escaped the dungeons. He never tried to claim he had not used magyk; he banished himself from Caervyon, knowing I would refuse to help him stay. Unfortunately, he only grew more powerful out on his own where he was able to practice his magyk freely. When he never appeared during the next cycle of the story, I realized something important I had missed. Morgaine had never been reset like the others. Just like me and Kyarrah, he remembered. Which meant he may have surpassed me in ways I could never imagine. Those he sent after Artwyn became more powerful and I found myself struggling to keep my magyk hidden.

Artwyn found out a few times during different cycles, however he always forgot by the next one.

Until the last cycle, in which Morgaine and I became the sole survivors of our world. In which I found that Morgaine had not meant to break King [redacted] nor Artwyn, but me.