"MERLIN! GET BACK HERE!" Arthur called after his manservant.
"Not if your going to use me as a punching bag again!" Merlin shouted back.
"I swear to the king, I will make you clean out the stables if you dont get back here right now!" Arthur yelled.
"Alright, alright. What do you want to practice." Merlin said walking back.
"Sword play." Arthur said.
"Of course you do." Merlin said in his snarky tone of voice.
Merlin and Arthur grabbed their swords and shields. Arthur swung his sword towards Merlin's chest but was halted by the strong wooden shield. Merlin didn't even bother swinging as Arthur waved his sword around showing off to his fellow knights. Merlin didnt really see the point, he wasn't going to offer a challenge and apparently the knights watching Arthur beat up his manservant was the best way to spend their time.
"Merlin, you fight worse than a girl who just broke both her arms." Arthur laughed. Merlin rolled his eyes."I remember you once said something along the lines of beating me in a fight with no punches, HA" Arthur said.
"Words have always been the greatest of weapons but you wouldnt know very much about that would you, might be a little too complex for your mind." Merlin said. Arthur swung his blunt sword hitting Merlin's shield enough to knock him over.
"Nice job Merlin, this time you lasted a total of 20 seconds, maybe next time you'll last 21." Arthur spoke to said boy.
"Wow I'm surprised you can even count that high."Merlin snapped back.
"Come on Merlin time to polish my armor." Arthur called as Merlin wondered why he even took the job.
"You know I should really just quit this job." Merlin said.
"Why? because you have to do a few chores, men and women have killed for this job."Arthur said as they walked inside.
"No, because I have to put up with you and your total pratness all the time." Merlin said.
"It's part of my charm, though I'm not sure how being an idiot sparks yours." Arthur said back.
Later that night Merlin lay awake in his bed.
'do I really want to stay here for the rest of my life and let everyone think I'm an incompetent idiot'
'no.'
Merlin got up and packed up everything he owned before he could change his mind, or even see what a horrible plan he had. After putting on his purple shirt and brown jacket he grabbed a pen and paper.
'Dear Giaus,
I apologize for not being able to tell you in person but I'm leaving. I am heading back to Ealdor to visit my mother, than I am going to live with the druids. I need to feel at home, and here I always feel on edge like someone is going to call me out and I'll be set aflame. I want to feel free and practice magic whenever I want. I hope to send you more messages, but I must go now. Tell Arthur I've decided to live at the Tavern because apparently that's where I spend all my time. You are now responsible for my destiny Giaus, have fun being the other side of Arthur. Just be careful wouldn't want it to be over so quickly.
Love, Merlin'
The night had reached its darkest point and Merlin had gone to the stables. Grabbing a horse he galloped off into the night.
"WHAT!" Arthur exclaimed.
"It's true sire, Merlin has gone to live at a tavern. I don't think it's the Rising Sun because he mentioned how much he disliked it there. The chances of finding him are growing slimmer with each passing second. " Giaus told the prince.
"We must find him, we begin at once." Arthur ordered the knights. 12 hours had passed and Merlin had reached Ealdor. Merlin knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Hunieth called.
"It's me mum!" Merlin said opening the door. Hunieth whipped around.
"Merlin! What are you doing here? I'm so happy to see you." Hunieth wrapped Merlin up in a motherly hug.
"I've decided to live with the druids."Merlin said after taking a deep breath.
"Honey you could be killed for associating with them." Merlins mother fretted.
"Mum, I could be killed anyways, I just want to be with people who understand me." Merlin explained.
"I thought you had a destiny with the great prince Arthur to protect." Hunith said.
"Not anymore, I have handed it over to Giaus." Merlin exclaimed proudly.
"I don't want to burst your bubble, but I am pretty sure destiny's don't work like that." Hunieth tried to explain.
"Sure they do, Fathers hand down stuff like being a dragon lord, friends are givin quests that they can pass onto others, thus I have came to a conclusion destiny's must work the same way." Merlin said smiling.
*sigh*
Meanwhile...
"Arthur you should be more careful that branch could have easily knocked you off your horse and killed you." Giaus pointed out the imaginary for the 50th time that day.
"Giaus it was only a twig, need not worry yourself over such little things." Arthur said.
"But it's so dangerous out here you could be killed any second and then what is Camelot going to do?" Giaus worried.
"Giaus calm down or I'll have Percival ride back with you to the castle." Arthur said.
Back to Merlin...
'Emrys' whispered through Merlin's mind.
'what brings you here?'
"I have come to live with you." Merlin said.
"But you have a destiny to protect young warlock." the man spoke to him.
"Not anymore I have handed it over to Giaus." Merlin said to the wizard looking very pleased with himself.
"Emrys, destiny's can not be for filled by another. They are made for one individual. " the man spoke calmingly.
"I have to go back don't I." Merlin spoke quietly. The man looked up into the boys saddened eyes. His eyes were so young, yet held truths the eldests of men did not know.
"Yes." Merlin nodded his head at the man and then hopped back onto his horse and galloped to Camelot without looking back.
Arthur scanned through town after town until he reached the village of Ealdor. Door to door he searched until arriving at Hunieth's house.
"Hello, have you heard of a guy named Merlin?" Arthur questioned the woman.
"Yes, why? " Huneith asked the stranger wearing the Camelot's crest.
"He has gone missing and I want to find him. He's my friend." Arthur said.
'Oh he must be Lancelot, Merlin talks a lot about him, I heard he was a knight now.' Huneith thought
"Oh he's told you then?" Hunieth said expectantly.
"Told me what?" Arthur asked.
"About his powers." Huneith said.
"What powers?" Arthur gazed at her questioningly.
"What's your name?" Hunieth said.
"Arthur, Arthur Pendragon." He said.
"Oh dear..." Hunieth said.
"Well if this isn't a bit awkward, I thought you were a young boy named Lancelot." Hunieth said sighing.
"Lancelot? What does he have to do with this?" Arthur said and before she could reply Arthur called him inside.
"What is it Arthur?" Lancelot asked the prince.
"This woman claims that you know something about 'Merlin and powers'." Arthur put into air quotations.
"How do you know about that?" Lancelot fixed his eyes on the woman. While Arthur was mind blown at the fact not only did Lancelot actually know something about what this crazy lady was speaking of, but knew something about Merlin he didn't know.
"I am his mother." Hunieth said.
"Arthur we would appreciate some privacy if you wouldn't mind." Lancelot requested.
"Of course..." Arthur said confused. He got up and left the house but kept his ear pressed against the door in curiosity. Must have been an odd sight for passers by, 'oh look its the prince! Eavesdropping on citizens...?'
Arthur could only make out faint whispers.
"I know ...Merlin is ...and..." Lancelots voice could be heard.
'Merlins a what?' Arthur thought, 'a blacksmith? A thief, a trader?'
"He...live...druids...destiny...Arthur..." A females voice was heard.
'Holy shit, what the hell did I just hear' Arthur thought removing his ear from the door just in time as to not be smacked in the head from it opening.
"Well Merlin has committed suicide." Lancelot said to Arthur.
"WHAT!" Arthur freaked.
"Just messing with you, but I seriously have no idea where he is, she said he stopped by but then left without telling her where." Lancelot said.
"We should head back to Camelot, your father is probably wondering why it's taking so long to obtain candles from 'some town' as you phrased it." Gwaine spoke up.
"We ride at first light." Arthur announced.
Elsewhere Merlin had set up a very nice camp. Because Arthur wasn't around his magic could be used whenever he wanted, thus Merlin had a lovely purple traveling tent with a salamander embroidered onto the side using magic it was the size of a house, a roaring fire that twisted shapes between a dragon, unicorn, you name it and plenty food. Merlin was feeling good. Though scared teen watching off in the distance as the fire changed shape was not.
The next day Merlin made it back to Camelot before the prince.
"Merlin your back!" Giaus said happily.
"Well the druids said that I must be the one to fulfill my destiny so your off the hook." Merlin grinned cheekily.
Several hours later the knights arrived only to be surprised by Merlin already being back.
"Merlin where were you?" Gwaine asked.
"I had to get away all the stress was bringing me down." Merlin figured it wasn't an entire lie.
"Well it's just good to have you back." Arthur stepped forward.
Merlin had the best sleep in weeks that night. The next day Arthur was awoken by the sound of, "Arttthhhhhuuurrrr, your gonna get fat if you keep sleeping in like this."
"How am I going to get fat." Arthur groaned.
"The time you spend sleeping could be spent burning off all that chubs." Merlin said poking the prince. The day continued in a somewhat regular routine until the king had been summoned to a hearing, thus the prince, knights and Merlin were all there as well.
"What is it, speak the truth." Uthur said to the teen.
"I saw it a day ago..." She said shaking.
"Saw what?" Uthur asked.
"The fire, it was, changing shape... it was a dragon and a horse."
"Are you suggesting sorcery?" Uthur asked, now quite entrigued.
"Yes..." She said.
"What else did you see, was there anything to identify the socerecer by?" Uthur questioned.
"No, well except for a purple tent with a golden lizard sewn on the side." The girl said. Merlin's eyes widened and he swallowed as his mouth became dry.
"Thank you, that will be all." Uthur said.
"We must do all we can to eradicate them!" Uthur announced. "This has gone on long enough tonight every house will be searched, leave no stone un-turned!"
As soon as they were dismissed Merlin raced back to his room. He gathered up the tent and hid it underneath the floor board with the rest of the magic books and tools.
'knock, knock'
" Hey Merlin, Giaus, sorry that we have to do this but it's standard procedure. " Arthur said as just he Leon, Gwaine, Lancelot and Percival entered the room. The room was searched but not very throughly. Just as they were about to leave Leon slipped on a loose floorboard.
'Ohshitohshitohshitshitsickles' Merlin thought.
"Are you alright?" Giaus ran over to him immediately.
"Yeah I'm fine but you should get this fixed." Leon said holding up the board that came loose just as he was about to put it back on he looked down and saw a bundle of purple. "What's this?" He said pulling it out. Out flared the tent with its shining golden salamander.
"Nooo..." Leon said. Being the only one in the room who could see the salamander from the way the tent was being held.
"Merlin is this yours?" Leon asked.
"What, that, never seen it before, what is that thing anyways?" Merlin said rather quickly. Leon dropped the tent and looked back into the hole in the floor. Pulling out an old book he read aloud the cover.
"The magic of enchanting weapons?!" Leon read, pulling out more books and reading more titles like, "Transforming to animals" and "advanced sorcery"
"How did these get here Merlin?" Gwaine asked.
"Do to the angle of the sun and the speed and direction of the wind, I have no idea." Merlin said.
"Merlin are you a sorcerer?" Percival questioned.
"Why just me? No Giaus are you a sorcerer?" Merlin said.
"Just answer the question." Arthur said.
"No of course not" Merlin said.
"Really? then how did these get here?" Leon questioned.
"They're mine." Giaus spoke up.
"What!" everyone in the room said.
"Yep, sometimes I get bored and think commiting crimes is fun." Giaus said.
"Giaus be serious, these couldn't be yours you were with me the whole time during when the incident of sorcery occurred. ",coming to a realization "but Merlin wasn't..." Arthur said
"Merlin you can't escape it, I think it's time." Lancelot said.
"Your right I can't keep doing this." Merlin said. Taking a deep breath he spoke to all the expectant faces. " I am the powerful Emrys, last of the dragon lords, Arthur you and I have a destiny together. It states that we will bring back magic to Albion. I should probably explain that not all magic is evil, first of all I have saved countless lives for example, stoping the undead army, stopping the dragon, saving Arthur's royal arse over and over. "
"Prove it." Arthur said.
"Prove what?" Merlin asked.
"That, first of all you do have magic , secondly that magic can be used for good." Arthur said.
"It really can, on the first day I met Merlin he saved my life." Giaus said.
"Remember Merlin is still Merlin no matter what happens." Lancelot said.
" You knew didn't you." Arthur said to Lancelot.
"It was the only way to keep Merlin safe." Lancelot explained. Before the conversation could continue golden swirls erupted from Merlin's hand , flowing and twisting around the room. Everytime it hit the floor a flower would sprout, every flower was glowing a vibrant blue. The groups attention turned to the magic before their eyes.
"You know that wasn't really proving magic is good." Arthur said.
"Well first there has to be something bad to prove it is good, besides creating flowers are pretty good and most definitely not evil." Merlin reasoned. After a stressed silence a voice had spoken.
"I will not execute him." Lancelot said.
"Me neither."Gwaine spoke up.
"Nore I." said Leon.
"Count me out of the killing Merlin team." Percival said.
"Well it's obvious what we can't do." Arthur finally said.
"But what do we do?" Gwaine said.
"We do nothing." Arthur said. "We will act as if this never happened until I take my place on the throne." Arthur said. Merlin felt proud of his friends, for accepting who he was and what he was.
"Now Merlin there is one thing." Gwaine said.
"What?" Merlin asked.
"Can you conjure me a beer?" Gwaine laughed.