The Fall of Merlin

Merlin stood on the edge of the cliff. Her damp, matted hair stuck to her face and her pale dress was wet and slick with mud. Storm clouds raged overhead, pelting rain down upon Camelot, and a dense fog covered both land and sea. Her eyes narrowed like a hawk's. She could barely see the small island that sat on the horizon, inching closer with every second. A flash of red light struck the dismal speck, mimicking a lightning bolt.

"Merlin," Arthur called through the rain. She turned her head to look at him. He had already donned his armour. "I saw the lightning. We need to finish preparing for Morgana's arrival. She isn't far away."

"There is an island in the distance. It appears as if she is dragging the land closer to our shores. It's moving fast."

"Not wanting to get her feet wet, I suppose." A grim smile crossed Arthur's face. He walked toward Merlin so he could hear her better over the sloshing water. "Where will she meet the land?"

"The beach, within the hour. I'll go down and meet her. She'll cause less destruction if I do."

"You can't meet her alone. Remember your last encounter?"

Merlin scowled. "We will be the two most powerful sorceresses in all the lands!" Morgana had said to her the last time they saw each other. "Imagine it: the whole world kneeling at our feet. Think of what we could do." Merlin has been sorely tempted, both my Morgana and the allure of power.

"I know you loved her once," Arthur continued, "but you cannot overestimate her. She has had a year to strengthen her power."

Merlin's ears grew hot with anger. She knew what she had to do. Besides, she was as powerful as Morgana, if not more so. Morgana wielded dark magic, but she was not indestructible.

"I am not one of your damsels," Merlin told Arthur. "I will go to the beach alone."

"But my Knights and I..."

"You and your Knights are needed at the castle. I'll be f—"

"Don't say 'fine'," Arthur croaked out. "At least take Lancelot."

"Lancelot?" Merlin cried. "I don't need the help of that worm."

"He may be slippery, but he is brave and strong."

"I do not need a man to save me."

Stubborn women, Arthur shook his head in defeat. "Fine. Go. We will guard the castle."

Morgana's bare feet touched the sandy shore of Camelot. Water rush up behind her, licking her toes, before retreating once more. Rain poured down from the sky, her fiery hair now a dull flame resting on the nape of her neck. Water pooled in her cleavage, running downward and soaking her dress. And I had spent so much time picking this out the perfect outfit. Her hands skimmed down her front, her talon-like fingers straightening out her black gown.

She scowled as a few drops hit her face. Extending one arm behind herself, Morgana summoned her staff. Her fingers curled around the thick stem as it slammed into her palm. She pointed the staff toward the clouds and uttered a spell to stop the rain. The clouds parted, yet the sun remained hidden behind a veil of fog, it's rays escaping enough to shed light onto the beach. Inhaling deeply, Morgana stood straight, her eyes glowing black with ferocious power.

"Impressive trick."

A wicked grin crossed Morgana's face, eyeing Merlin's staff pointed directly at her chest. "Hello, darling."

"I'm not your darling."

"Love? Or maybe sweetheart? You used to like that one."

"Let's skip the foreplay, Morgana."

"But that was always your favourite part."

"And what was your favourite part? When you abandoned me or when you tried to murder your brother."

"Well, it certainly wasn't the part where my father died and made that boy King."

"Do not blame Uther for your despotic acts," Merlin scowled, her staff never wavering from its position.

Morgana's eyes flashed red at Merlin's words. As King Uther's firstborn, she was entitled to the throne. While being both a woman and the daughter of a witch did not bode well for her, Morgana was stronger and smarter than her half-brother. After her mother's death, Morgana focused less on magic and more on her education. She was taught Latin and politics. She was well on her way to being named Uther's heir when her father remarried and Arthur was born. Then Uther finally had the heir that he had always wanted and Morgana was forgotten. She resented Arthur. That resentment soon turned to hate. Taking that rage, Morgana raised her staff, the stone aimed at Merlin's chest.

"That brat means nothing to me," Morgana hissed. "And once I kill you, I will kill him too. Camelot with thrive under my reign, the reign of its rightful queen."

"You loved him once. Remember when we played together as children."

You mean, when you forced me to let him play with us?

"You were good, Morgana. What happened?"

"I was always this person. You were too blind to see it."

"I refuse to believe it."

The stone in Morgana's staff glowed amber. "Then you are a fool."

Merlin saw the beam of light before it struck her and ducked. The stone encased in her own staff glowed a deep honey colour as she muttered a disarming spell. Morgana flicked the spell away with a wave of her staff. Unrelenting, Merlin shot a curse at Morgana. "Laedere!"

Morgana dodged the bolt of orange light before it hit her. "You will need more than a few offensive spells to stop me." A similar flash escaped her own staff, hitting Merlin square in the chest and knocking her back.

A groan escaped Merlin as she quickly recovered from the attack. "I don't want to kill you, Morgana."

"Oh, that's no fun."

"You can surrender. Arthur is a kind, forgiving man."

Morgana hit Merlin with another spell. "I will not give my freedom to live under that pup."

Closing her eyes, Morgana summoned what was left of her power. Merlin may have won our last battle, but I will win the war. The magical energy whirl pooled around her, soaking into her flesh. Her eyes sprung open, red irises staring ahead.

A current of emotions swirled in Merlin's eyes as she clambered to her feet. Fear. Sadness. Acceptance. This is it. Kill or be killed. With two hands, Merlin grasped her staff tighter in her palm and summoned her magic, pouring its essence into the staff. Morgana eyed the array of blue light as the magic flowed through Merlin. "You can teach an old dog new tricks." Morgana's ruby eyes gleamed. Merlin's face remained stoic. Neither woman was sure who would strike first.

"Caedere!" Beams of energy pulsed through them and into their staffs as they both shouted the fatal curse. The stones of the staffs glowed bright, shooting deadly bolts of magic at each other. Their staffs remained pointed at each other, keeping the connection alive.

Merlin stepped forward in an attempt to remain steady. Beads of sweat accumulated on her forehead and every muscle in her body tensed. Morgana's arms began to shake and the steady hold she had on her staff began to slip. She willed herself to continue. It doesn't have to end like this.

But it did. "She betrayed me," Morgana said aloud. "She must die."

"Betrayed you?" Merlin cried. "I loved you and protected you. But you hurt everyone you came in contact with. You betrayed me."

A humourless laugh escaped Morgana's lips. "You turned your back on me when all I wanted was to claim what was rightfully mine. You chose your precious Arthur over me."

"The laws—"

"Fuck the laws!" Morgana struggled to hold on to her staff.

"Arthur was right," Merlin said, her eyes widening at Morgana's vulgar language. "You're not the Morgana I once knew."

"You are nothing but a pawn to him." Morgana's energy dropped as she did, her knees hitting the sand with a muted thud. Still, she held on to her staff, never breaking the connection. "Women are treated as second-class citizens, and yet you stand by Arthur's side and let it happen."

Merlin struggled with Morgana's words.

Maybe she is right…

No. Arthur is a good king.

But—

Do not give in to her.

Merlin shook the thoughts from her head. She knew that many of Uther's archaic regimes ended under Arthur's reign. Morgana was making more excuses to murder and destroy everything Merlin held dear. Right? Yes!

"Just give up, Morgana."

"Never," Morgana spat. "I will fight until I die."

Merlin hesitated a second before looking upon her lost love with pity and sadness. "Then you will die."

Merlin spun out of the way of Morgana's curse, breaking their connection. Just as quickly, she shouted, "Occidere!" and pointed her staff at Morgana's chest. The bolt of black light hit Morgana's heart. Her eyes widened and she was thrust backwards with the power of the spell.

The clouds blackened threateningly as Morgana's body hit the sand. Merlin inched closer, her staff still pointed at where Morgana lay, unmoving. A single drop of rain fell onto Merlin's face and ran down her cheek. As she stood above the lifeless body of her paramour, staring into her unseeing eyes, one thought crossed Merlin's mind.

Did I do the right thing?