Disclaimer: Merlin belongs to the BBC, I own nothing.

Summary: In the world where magic and reality are the cause of the same fate people are surviving in any possible way. The same could be said about Arthur and Merlin, who just like many in that time, were in search for vengeance. Or was Merlin searching for something else entirely. AU Mergana

AN: Here I am once more giving myself a headache over a Mergana fic. I am gluten for punishment. Anyhow this will be an alternative reality in which magic is the part of the world. There are creatures that come along with said magic and myths that live among them. The core of it is, as always, Merlin and Morgana and everything else is just gravy. Enjoy!

-oo-

Chapter 1

The wind was howling and the only thing that echoed through the forest was the sound of heavy footsteps. They echoed a tired and drained sound that seemed to be the only company of the figure that trekked through the vast forest.

The winter was near, he felt it on his body. He felt it even though he was wrapped in leather and a draped cape. He felt it in the trees around him, the howling of the cold air and the last bright green that the nearby buses were shining in. The flowers have already given up the fight and he knew that the others would soon follow.

Still his journey led him here and he was here for a reason. He mothered a fraise and soon after his hearing sharpened and he could hear a clash of swards in the distance. Yes he was getting near. He thought that his pace would get him there much faster but it seemed that he didn't calculate on cold being so strong in this time of year. Another sign that he wasn't used to this land but he will adjust in time.

He decided to quicken his pace and soon found himself on the clearing where the sound of sward being wielded was heard and he wasn't disappointed. There in the clearing was another man, covered in what he could describe a rather well crafted armor and a steel sward. The only thig he could see the man had lighter colored hair, which wasn't unusual in this land.

The man moved swiftly and deliberately and soon he saw against what he was fighting. It was a wyvern. A young one at that, with his small wing span and clearly smaller frame. The man seemed prolonging the unnecessary fight and he couldn't help but the feeling of annoyance passing through him.

He never changed did he?

"Is that all you can do? They claimed you are a beast. Show me those teeth."

The man shouted and was reworded for his effort as the wyvern doubled his vigor and attacked the unprepared man, but this one swiftly dodged in the last moment while slicing at the beast with his sward. Not fast enough as he could see his other hand dangling a bit unnaturally at his side. It looked like the beast got a piece of him after all.

He had showed courage he had to say and that was something not many could claim when they faced the beast. He himself had trouble with them, but he had learned the best way to defeat them quickly. As the beast flew over for another attack he trusted his hand out and whispered another incantation. His fingers felt the surge of power and his eyes burned brightly from the power of the spell.

The man turned in surprise towards him and in that moment his sward flew from his hand and into the beast head, slicing through it cleanly. He looked at the newcomer and the n back at the beast that fell from the sky and landed not from him, dead.

Instead of gratitude he saw an annoyed look pass over his face.

"You know I had him."

He halted a snort that wanted to come out and came towards the said man. He really didn't expect anything else.

"Really and that is all I get from saving your life?"

The man was whipping the blood from the sward and placing it back in its sheath. Still not paying full attention to the other one.

"Not bloody likely. He was my prey. How many times do I have to say it?"

The scoff couldn't be avoided now and he let out an exasperated sigh.

"It looked like that our little friend there was moments away from having his claws in you. Besides that is all I get after making this entire journey because you needed me? I am disappointed."

The man only met his gaze and the steel gaze always seemed to remind him that this man was supposed to be much more than he was, a leader for all he knew.

"Cut the charade Merlin, I had it under control. Must you always spoil all the fun?"

The man addressed shook the snow of his shoulders but the irritation he felt towards Arthur was something of a different matter.

"Must you always be a prat?"

Arthur only grabbed small ball of snow and chucked it towards him. With a wave of the hand the snow disappeared as if it never was there. Arthur only scoffed.

"I hate when you do that Merlin. Always showing off."

Sure he was the one showing off, even though it was Arthur who went to fight a wyvern by himself. A total clot pole is what he was.

"Stop with the childish act and let us get down to business. In your letter you said it was urgent."

Arthur shrugged before moving to sit on the near by broken tree. It looked like a small camp there, probably his before he was attacked by the beast. How unprepared of Arthur, to be in a clearing in this area before winter is a novice move at beast. But if he knew anything about Arthur is that the man liked to do things head on.

He went to join him in the camp and with his hand he lit a small fire for them to get some warmth into their bodies. This weather really seemed to have a special bite this year.

"You know I saw Lancelot awhile ago."

Lancelot, another one of their ragtag group that always had more posture as a prince than as a hunter. Guess you can't choose what fate makes of you. He only nodded in acknowledgment.

"Yeah. He said some he heard some crazy story about how there used to be a king Arthur in Avalon centuries ago. About how I could be his descended or some crap like that. I t was hilarious. You should've seen his face Merlin."

Ah yes Lancelot always had a flare for history and knowledge about everything Avalon. Merlin thought it came from the need to find some shape of home inside this wrenched land. He couldn't blame the poor sod. Still if he knew Arthur that was not why he sent for him.

"But that is not why you wrote me to meet here?"

He saw Arthurs face grow dimmer and shadows take over his face. He stared at the flames as if trying to clear his head from a recent nightmare and then he said the haunting words.

"I know where Morgana is?"

The shiver that went through his spine had nothing to do with the cold and he felt his power rise with his uncontrollable anger. Finally, his finger literally itched for a fight. Still, he said as calmly as he could.

"Where?"

It more sounded like a growl but what is there to say about a person that you loved and then she ended just vanishing one night after which they were hunted for taking the head of one king Uther. To feel nothing but despair for years as his friends one by one ended up capture or dead until there was no one but Arthur and him. Lancelot with a couple of others disappeared into the wind while they still could.

On the other hand, Arthur and he still lived in shadows and among beasts. There was no light for them in this world. They walked the path of darkness doing what was necessary to survive.

All of that was in gratitude to Morgana and as he couldn't suppress the blinding rage, Arthur probably shared, his damned heart only wanted to know why.

"She was sighted in Camelot. Some even claim that she was the queen."

Morgana, a queen? The young girl who shared bears with them and welded a sward as fiercely as she did her magic is now a queen.

I could never live a life of royalty Merlin.

Why would she do that, to them. To him. Why Morgana?

Because I wouldn't have you Merlin.

He needed to know. He needed to know before he unleashed hell on her.

-oo—

AN: So what are you guys thinking, more or leave it as it is? Let me know.