Dragonsong

A MIDWIFE carries a newborn to a forest cave. It's 527AD. NIMUEH, the sorceress, waits there to cast a spell, encasing the child in a crystal tomb, as she did to his father, Merlin. Nimueh kills the midwife to hide her secret. In 1921, EDWARD and CAROLYN WHITE take refuge in the same cave to get out of the rain. They discover the child, inadvertently releasing him, still alive. They decide to raise him. Nimueh feels her spell break. Rushing to the cave, she discovers the child gone. She conjures a mirror to find him, but is confronted by MERLIN, trapped, but powerful enough to appear to her. He casts a spell, hiding the child from discovery and destroys the mirror. The child, TALIESIN, TAL for short, shows abilities inherited from his father early on. His parents teach him to control them. The Druids know of Tal's existence and powers, and have one of their sons nearby to protect him, ARTHUR. Arthur and Tal grow up as best friends, while Nimueh guides Hitler and the Nazis to power, to further her ambition, the conquest of England. At sixteen, Tal is told the truth of his birth. Upset, he flees to a pond near his house to be alone. Arthur finds him, revealing that he knows about his abilities. The next day, a book appears only Tal can open. Once opened, spells rush off the book's pages to become part of his memory. World War 2 breaks out. Arthur enlists. Tal wants to join up too. Arthur's friends and fellow pilots, LANCE, WAYNE, and COLLINS convince him that he should. Arthur, knowing that Tal's destiny is to protect England, tells his father, who takes care of the situation, so when Tal tries to enlist, he is turned down. Soon after, Tal's parents are killed in a German bombing raid. Devastated, he loses control over his powers and breaks the protection spell, leaving Tal open to sensing others with magical abilities, including Arthur's father HUGH. Tal also discovers that Arthur was asked to keep an eye on him. He becomes furious and storms out of Arthur's home. A crystal pendant, found with Tal, begins to have a life of its own. With it, Tal discovers where a trapped Merlin is being held, and that it is the key to Merlin's freedom. Nimueh finds him there and battles him for the pendant's possession. Tal manages to release Merlin. Nimueh disappears, to signal the start of the invasion. Convincing Arthur and his friends to help, Merlin and Tal release one more weapon, four Dragons, that Tal wakens with an unknown ability - Dragonsong. But will it be enough to stop the Nazi invasion of England?