Return to the Isle of the Lost (Descendants 2)

“What seems to be the matter?” asked Ben.

“There’s a monster in Camelot!” Artie interrupted.

Genie startled. “A monster?”

“Well, I think it’s a monster,” said Artie, abashed and defensive at the same time.

“What Artie is trying to say is that something is causing a lot of mayhem in town, scaring the villagers and setting fires,” Merlin said. “It’s become quite a disturbance.”

“Is that so?” asked Ben.

“Yes. It’s been a few weeks now, and we’ve tried to catch the creature, but it keeps evading our traps, as if it has disappeared into thin air. Days will pass, then out of nowhere, it attacks again. Villagers have lost sheep and chickens. Gardens have been trampled. Whole rows of cabbages at a time.” Merlin took off his pointy hat and wiped his brow. “It’s been a real headache. Arthur decided to stay in Camelot in case it returned while we came to seek assistance.”

“How can we be of help?” Ben leaned forward, eager to provide aid. This was so much more interesting than the news that villagers in the province his mother was from were complaining about the price of eggs once again. Singing about it too.

Merlin shuffled his feet. “That’s why we’re here, Your Highness. We’ve come to ask for permission to use magic to track down this creature.”

“Ah, I see,” said Ben. “Magic.” He sat back in his throne.

“He means the real stuff too,” Doc whispered in his ear. “Not just turning dresses a different color or giving someone a new haircut like my nephew Doug tells me is happening at school these days.”

“Is there no other way to catch this monster?” Ben asked, frowning and tapping his pen on the table.

“We’ve tried everything and unfortunately, so far we haven’t been successful,” said Merlin. “We wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

“And you believe that with the use of magic you will be able to catch it?” asked Flora with a stern face.

“What if it doesn’t work? What then? Magic can go very wrong, you know,” added Fauna, adjusting her red hat as it slipped to t

he side on her curly gray hair. “As my sisters and I have seen firsthand.”

“The consequences of using magic recklessly can certainly be very dangerous,” agreed Merryweather, her face screwing up with concern.

The rest of the table murmured its agreement.

Merlin drew himself up to his full height. He wasn’t much taller than a dwarf, but he was intimidating nonetheless. He shot the king’s council a frosty glare. “Need I remind you I am the wizard Merlin? I am well aware of the dangers of magic, and it is my belief that I will be able to use it prudently to capture this infernal creature and send it away so it cannot bother us again. You have my word.”

The council turned to its king.

“I understand, Wizard Merlin.” Ben met Merlin’s glare, and tried not to show how nervous he was. He was the leader here now; his father had left the kingdom’s safekeeping in his hands. “I will consider your request, but will need to discuss it with my team before making a decision. Thank you for informing us about the situation in Camelot,” he said carefully.

The old wizard nodded gruffly. “Come on, Artie, let’s go find ourselves a chocolate chip cookie while we wait.”

When they left the room, Ben turned to his councillors. “Can I do that? Let Merlin use magic in such a manner?”

“You can do anything you want now that you’re king,” Doc said. “You have absolute power.”

And absolute power corrupts absolutely, Ben thought to himself. He needed to be cautious. “When was the last time magic of this level was used in Auradon?” he asked his advisers.

“Let’s see, probably the last time was when Fairy Godmother created the dome that kept magic out of the Isle of the Lost. After that, it’s been your father’s and Fairy Godmother’s policy that we learn to live without magic, even without a dome over our heads,” said Genie. “It was hard to adjust to at first, but we managed.”

“And we are better for it,” said Flora with a sniff. “A little hard work never hurt anybody.”

Ben agreed. Magic wasn’t expressly forbidden in Auradon—but it was discouraged, and the kingdom was more orderly for it. It would be reckless to just disregard the policies King Beast and Fairy Godmother had put into place for the sake of one issue in a faraway kingdom. Even in the hands of careful users, there had been a few incidents when magic had gone awry lately. Genie was known to accidentally grant wishes to the wrong person when he left his lamp lying around. Even the three good fairies slipped every once in a while, often letting their generosity get the best of them. They had created a massive ice castle for Ben’s birthday party one year, which was dazzling until it melted and caused a flood.

Merlin was one of the most powerful magicians in the land, and if he was allowed to use magic on such a large scale, who knew where it would lead?

Ben motioned to Lumiere to send Merlin and Artie back into the room.