Title: The Art of Falling
Chapter Seven:
...
The air is so thick, it's almost painful to breathe for the Queen of Camelot. Tears collect in her eyes as she stares at the disguised man she had come to trust and feel so much for. Her heart aches inside her chest, worse than any pain she's ever felt in her life... shamefully, worse than the pain she felt when she lost her father as well.
How did she not see this coming? All the knowledge he had on Morgause and her castle, the way the guards at the front gates of Molgiath seemed to recognize him,the fact that he insisted they travel alone without her army... all of it! She had been so blind, and naive, and stupid! Most of all, she's so absolutely confused. She does not know where the lies began, and she has no way of telling whether the looks they shared and all the things he had said about her were true or not.
Morgause laughs as she descends the stairs in front of her throne again, her eyes wide with excitement and glee. "Oh, did you honestly think that he was on your side?"
Morgana ignores the Witch, her heart pounding in her ears as she continues to stare directly at Merlin... or is it Dragoon?
"You bastard!" Arthur shouts angrily at the warlock while struggling against the guards holding him. "You lied to us!"
"How could you?!" Gwen cries.
Merlin says nothing as he continues to stare into Morgana's tear-filled eyes.
Morgause laughs as she leans down in front of Morgana and smirks. "You've got nothing to say to the one who so willingly brought you all here?" She shakes her head in mock disappointment. "How ungrateful."
Morgana turns her eyes away from Merlin to glare at the Witch, her tears streaming down her face. Through gritted teeth, she says, "Just get on with killing me... but mark my words, justice will find its way back to you."
"Kill you?" Morgause laughs and shakes her head as if she were speaking to a child. "Oh, I'm not going to make it that easy." She turns and walks towards Arthur. "No, that's much too boring." She smirks as she grabs Arthur by the jaw. She then looks at Morgana and smiles widely. "I think I'll make you watch as I skin your beloved brother alive... and then I'll move onto your little friend over there." She points at Gwen. "I want to see the look on your face as the screams of your loved ones fill the room."
Morgana makes to lunge for the witch, determined to do as much damage as she can, but the guard behind her is too strong and surprisingly fast. He yanks her back, gripping her arms tightly. "I'm the one you want, so just let them go!" She yells angrily.
Morgause laughs, "You're right... you're the one I want, but I also want your brother, your friend, and your entire Kingdom as well. I want you both to feel the pain that my kin felt when your father slaughtered them all. The pain they felt when he so ruthlessly executed them without trial, without reason, and without a second thought."
Morgana was at a loss for words. There's no way out of this, and all she can do is look up at Merlin, still standing in the same spot and staring at her. She shakes her head slowly, says nothing, but knows that her eyes convey every question, every ounce of pain and anger that she feels towards him.
"Now," Morgause begins again, "I think I've had enough of this boring conversation." She turns, pulling back her cloak and taking out a dagger from a sheath at her side. "This blade was given to me as a gift... forged in Dragon's breath, and the only blade that can kill an immortal like myself." She smiles as she admires it. "But even then, the fact that I'm a high priestess ensures that when I die of this blade, I would still be able to return. My body will die, but my spirit and my magic remains, finding a way back." She then looks down at the Queen and chuckles. "They say this burns the skin off of anyone who isn't immortal."
Morgana grits her teeth. "You will not get away with this." She didn't know what else to say.
"Oh sweetie." Morgause laughs. "I already have. Let's begin, shall we?" She grins wickedly as she admires the sharp blade in her hands. "I think I'll start with your brothers handsome little face." She says. The Prince swallows hard and closes his eyes, accepting his fate.
Gwen wails, Morgana cries out in rage, and then something else happens.
The guards behind the kneeling Queen, advisor, and Prince, are suddenly thrown like rag dolls from their places, and harshly into the wall. Not a moment later, Morgause cries out in pain as she drops the dagger in her hand and hisses as she stares down at the burnt and bleeding flesh of her palm. "What the- what is this?" She glares around the room with narrowed eyes.
Morgana and Gwen stare in confusion as Arthur huffs a sigh of relief. He'd nearly just lost his entire face!
"I think..." another voice echoes from behind the Witch. "I've heard enough from you to last a life time."
Morgause whirls around, eyes wide as she stares at her oldest and most trusted advisor. "What the bloody hell is going on?!" She snaps angrily.
The elderly man smirks as he shrugs off the cloak over his shoulders and sighs heavily with a smile. Morgana, Gwen, and Arthur all watch silently in confusion, not having a clue as to what's happening.
"I think it's time you learned the truth, Morgause."
The witch sputters, "What are you talking about?"
The warlock looks away from her and towards Morgana with a twinkle in his eye. "I've waited eight long years for this moment." Closing his eyes briefly, he smiles to himself before opening them again, a gold glow forming in his pupils as his body begins to change and morph back to his original form.
Morgause gasps, eyes widening in horror as she take several steps back. "Merlin?"
Merlin looks directly at her, his face blank and his eyes still glowing. "It's true I was your most trusted advisor..." he begins, and then his face breaks into a smile. "But the trust was on your part. And if you hadn't been so caught up in yourself, you would've noticed how my advice had always been against your horrible judgement."
Morgause's eyes are beginning to bulge as she tries to process what's happening. "Wha- you- how-"
"Use your words, Morgause... I'd love to hear how you sleep every night, knowing you'd murdered countless innocent people, including your own kin when they refused to serve you." The warlock pauses, and with a flick of his wrist, breaks the chains around Morgana, Arthur, and Gwen's wrists. He turns his attention back to Morgause, who is still staring disbelievingly at him. "We've discussed everything about war and taking over all the other Kingdoms, but never anything about the empty, black heart you don't really have." He walks slowly down the steps towards Morgause as Morgana and the others all rise to their feet and stare between the warlock and witch in confusion. Morgana quietly stoops down and picks up Morgause's discarded dagger. Luckily, the witch was too distracted and shocked with Merlin to notice her.
"I- how are you here?!" Morgause shouts angrily, her face turning bright red in rage.
Merlin raises his arms and quirks an eyebrow at the witch. "Are you blind? I've been here the whole time. Whispering in your ear, convincing you to trust me. I've been right here, hiding in plain sight since the day you thought I saved you from that Dragon... the one you thought was blind."
"What?!" Morgause glares. "It is blind!"
Merlin snorts, "It's not... you just chose to believe Dragoon." He shakes his head at her and laughs. "To be honest, I'm quite surprised with how easy it was to manipulate you all these years." He smirks. "It shows just how shallow and desperate you are for power. For recognition. For attention." The warlock frowns at her. "I pity you."
Morgause is enraged by the man's words. "How dare you! I am a High Priestess, chosen by the Triple Goddess herself!"
Merlin rolls his eyes at that. "Yes, and then you turned around and unashamedly used the gift you were given to heartlessly murder everyone who didn't adhere to your commands... much like a child throwing a tantrum when mummy doesn't give them what they want."
Morgause's eyes glow gold as she thrusts out her hand, sending a blast of yellow blur from her fingertips towards the warlock.
Without so much as a flinch, Merlin deflects it with a wave of his hand. "Have you forgotten who I am, Morgause?" He shakes his head at her. "The boy who was once your friend? The boy whose innocent mother you murdered because you were a selfish little girl? The boy you could never beat?"
"Don't speak to me as if I am a fool!" The witch bellows.
"You are a fool!" Merlin snaps.
Arthur takes Morgana and Gwen by the arms and pull them away before pulling Prince Gregory with them to a corner. It's clear that a very dangerous and deadly battle is about to ensue shortly between the warlock and the witch.
Morgana stares at Merlin, not sure of what to think of him. How did Morgause not know that he was Merlin the whole time? Had he used them all to get revenge on Morgause? But then, he didn't exactly need them... something wasn't adding up.
"You were once my best friend, Morgause." Merlin says sadly. "I used to think that we'd grow up together, learning from each other and building each other up." He narrows his eyes and shakes his head. "But that changed the moment you decided that you were better than everyone."
"If you hadn't stood in my way, we'd still be friends!" Morgause screams at the warlock. "We could've been at the top of the world together!"
"By burning and murdering people?"
"If that's what it takes!" Morgause points towards Morgana, Arthur, Gwen, and the still unconscious Prince Gregory. "But your compassion towards the likes of them made you weak! After all these years, you still choose them over our kind! We're the same, Merlin! Don't you see?"
Merlin scoffs at her and rolls his eyes. "I am nothing like you, and I will never be like you. I don't choose who I care about based on whether or not they have magic! That's the difference between me and you." Merlin begins walking towards her as he continues, backing her up into a wall. "You use your gift to strike fear in the hearts of people around you, murder anyone who stands in your way, and discards any form of advice that any sane person has to offer you. That, is why you're alone, that is why you have no one to love you, and that, is why, despite all the power and magic you have, you will never be happy."
Morgause's eyes are wide and glassy, her mouth agape as she stares at her former friend. "My people love me." She tries to argue.
Merlin shakes his head at her and his expression turns sad. "No they don't... the people in your Kingdom are terrified of you. In fact, they're not even your people. If given the chance, every single person in your Kingdom would leave. No one would stay, because the only reason they're here, is because they're afraid of what you'll do to them and their families. You try to act tough and merciless, but inside, you're just a scared little girl, Morgause..." Merlin finally stops in front of the witch as she presses her back against the wall behind her. "If you don't come to your senses, you will die alone." He finalizes, then turns and begins walking away.
Morgana and the others are still watching with wide eyes, having not expected to see a nearly devastated Morgause. The woman had just been laughing and threatening them a few minutes ago, and now she's leaning against a wall, shaking.
As Merlin approaches them, Morgana finds herself unable to choose whether to slap him or hug him. She finds that she won't be doing neither any time soon as a streak of red suddenly hits the warlock, sending him flying towards the corner of the hall. A cry leaves Morgana's lips as she turns her eyes towards Morgause, finding the Witch grinning as she moves towards the spot where Merlin lays still.
"Is this your plan, Merlin?" Morgause moves closer to the warlock, then gestures towards the three from Camelot. "To bring your weak, useless friends here to distract me? To try and talk sense into me?" She lets out a high-pitched laugh. "You're even more pathetic than I remembered." The witch holds out her hand and begins to speak the beginnings of a spell, but suddenly, she's being blasted back, her body flinging across the hall like a sack of potatoes.
Merlin groans as he gets up off the floor and rotates his arm back and forth. "You know, I was going to let you off easy, Morgause." He sighs and walks towards the place where the witch is getting to her feet. "I was going to just let you rot in a cell for all eternity, but now... now you've pissed me off." Without warning, the warlock throws a ball of fire from the palm of his hand towards the witch, watching as she leaps out of the way and it explodes against the wall.
The warlock backhands a spell from Morgause and fires one of his own towards her. They continue back and forth, running around the room as Morgana, Gwen, and Arthur watch on in a mixture of horror and awe.
Arthur turns his head towards Morgana and gives her a wide eyed look. "I think it's time for us to leave."
"What about Merlin?" The Queen asks uncertainly.
"He betrayed us!" The Prince hisses. "Lied to us."
Morgana looks at the warlock, watching him dive out of the way as Morgause aims another nasty red spell at him. "I don't think he did." She says, turning back to give her brother a pleading look.
Arthur sighs exasperatedly, "Even if he didn't, we're not much use here."
Gwen suddenly grips Arthur's arm and gives both siblings a panicked look.
"What is it?" Arthur asks curiously, but stops speaking as he turns his head towards the door. The sound of thunderous footsteps could be heard, moving closer and closer towards them.
"Morgause's army." Morgana concludes.
Arthur turns, looking at Merlin. "We need weapons!" He shouts across the room.
Without losing an inkling of focus, the warlock waves an arm towards them.
Arthur's eyebrows furrow for a moment before he notices several objects flying towards him. He gasps as a sword stops abruptly, inches from his face before he realizes that it's his own sword. The other two weapons are immediately equipped by the Queen and her advisor.
Just as the three turn towards the doors, a loud bang startles them, followed by the sight of the huge doors being forced open by a large, wooden battering ram.
Their eyes widen as heaps and heaps of armored men force their way through, armed with weapons of their own.
Arthur swallows hard as he looks between his sister and the love of his life. "There's no way we'll get out of this alive." He tells them.
Morgana smiles at her brother and shakes her head. "You're horrible at pep talks."
Gwen laughs as she grabs the Prince by the front of his borrowed shirt and kisses him square on the lips. When she pulls away, Morgana is already running towards the first two soldiers of Morgause's army, cutting down the first, ducking under the second one's blade, and knocking him out cold with a well aimed punch to the back of the neck.
Gwen smiles at her Prince. "I love you."
Arthur smiles widely back at the love of his life. "And I love you."
"Good." Gwen smirks, then nods towards Morgana, holding her own like a well trained Knight. "Now let's go kick some ass."
The couple run towards the growing number of men, slashing, cutting, stabbing, and clearing their way towards their Queen.
...
Merlin quickly wipes the sweat on his forehead as he grins at a stumbling Morgause. She grows weaker and weaker with every spell he aims at her, biding his time and paving the way for the final blow. He glances at his friends from Camelot, watching as they continue fighting, back to back and refusing to give up. He waves his arm towards Morgause's army, a gust of wind forming in its leave and flinging hundreds of soldiers against the wall.
Merlin's eyes connect briefly with Morgana's her face sweaty, her eyes wide, and her clothes torn in several places. His heart lurches as a small smile forms on her lips, and she nods towards him. Beautiful.
"MERLIN!" Morgause's voice slices through his moment with the Queen of Camelot, and the warlock looks at the witch.
"Back for more?" He asks wickedly as he crouches a little and holds his hands out at the ready.
Morgause laughs, though Merlin could tell she was worn out. "You'll never win." She says through gritted teeth. "My army will crush your little friends, and then I will crush you as well."
Merlin laughs at that, then waves an arm again towards Morgause's gaining army. Her men yet again are blasted away from the small circle in the middle of the throne room. "There's only one flaw there, Morgause."
"And what is that?" The witch asks seethingly.
Merlin smirks, "You're not the only one with an army."
Before the witch could ask what he means by that, a loud, ear splitting screech stops everyone in their tracks.
Morgause's eyes widen towards Merlin, for she knew exactly what that screech belong to. Not a second later, the side windows are shattered to pieces, and a large brown dragon bursts through the side of the castle, sending a stream of fire from its snout, and out towards the double doors.
"NOOOO!" Morgause screams in horror as she watches her men get incinerated. Her men scream in pain, some collapse to the ground, some run around blindly, flailing their arms in the air, and some, mainly the ones at the front, crumble into a heap of ashes.
Merlin shakes his head at her. "I told you a long time ago that this path would be the end of you."
Morgause turns murderous eyes towards Merlin, "Your one dragon won't be enough for my legion of men." As if on cue, hundreds and hundreds more men begin closing in around the castle throne room, shooting arrows and throwing spears at the great dragon as the three from Camelot take cover behind a wall of debris.
"Funny you should mention that." Merlin blasts the witch off her feet before turning towards the great dragon. "Kilgharrah! Call Aithusa!"
The dragon swings its giant head towards the warlock and glares while it slams one of its wings towards Morgause's men, blowing them halfway across the front steps of the castle. "You're the dragonlord, Merlin!" It snaps.
Merlin rolls his eyes and looks up at the ceiling. "O drakon, fthengomai au kalon su katerkheo deuro!"
The room goes quiet, and Merlin notices Morgause getting back onto her feet, blood seeping from a gash on her forehead.
"It's too late." The witch calls, "by the time your second dragon arrives, my men will have overpowered your dragons, and I will have your head."
Merlin merely quirks an eyebrow at her. "I've planned this day for eight years, you idiot. You think I didn't call my dragon already?"
Morgause's eyebrows furrow, then widen in shock as a second, white dragon breaks through behind the great dragon and lands beside it.
Morgana, Arthur, and Gwen feel a sense of relief and joy as they watch the white dragon bow low towards the warlock, revealing Sir Leon, Sir Gwaine, Sir Perceval, and Sir Elyan on its back. The Knights dismount rather shakily before making their way quickly towards their Queen.
Arthur grins widely. "Now it's a party."
"What are you doing here?" Morgana asks her Knights as Kilgharrah and Aithusa continue incinerating Morgause's army.
Sir Leon nods towards Merlin. "The message he sent about the bandits in the forest contained a hint about a second message with a bar wench in the next town. She told us that you're all in danger, and are in need of the dragons help. It took some coaxing, but we finally managed to get the creature to give us a lift here."
Morgana shakes her head as she looks at Merlin. He and Morgause are back at it again, throwing spells at each other. She wonders just how detailed his plan has been.
A roar of battle cries from Morgause's army draws their attention back to them, and the battle continues. The dragons do most of the work, spitting fire across Morgause's castle, burning nearly all of her men to a crisp, including most of Morgause's castle.
As the group from Camelot continue to fight off the rest of Morgause's men, Merlin exchanges a silent conversation with Kilgharrah.
"It's time, young warlock."
"She might not be ready." Merlin replies telepathically.
"It's now or never. The prophecy must be completed for her to rule."
Merlin continues blocking Morgause's spells as he looks across the throne room towards Morgana.
Kilgharrah roars at a group of soldiers, scaring them away, and then turning towards Merlin and nodding its head. "Are you ready, young warlock?"
Merlin nods, "I've been ready for eight long years."
"There may be no saving you after she-"
"I know." Merlin cuts off their silent connection and blasts Morgause off her feet yet again.
"Morgana!" Merlin races across the room and pulls her away from their small group. She turns abruptly, looking up at him. "The dagger."
Morgana's eyebrows furrow in confusion for a fraction of a second before she looks down at the dagger she took from where Morgause had dropped earlier. She pulls it from the belt around her waist and looks at Merlin questioningly.
The warlock smiles at her and nods towards Morgause before looking back at her. "It has to be you."
"What?" She asks alarmed.
"The prophecy." Merlin says softly, and the room around them suddenly seems far away. "It's always been you."
"What do you mean?"
Merlin looks at he dragon and back. "To unite Albion, you have to finish it."
Morgana shakes her head, "You waited eight years-"
"For you." The warlock interrupts. "I waited eight years to deliver you to this very place because you were born to rule over all of Albion. To do that, you have to be the one to put an end to the evil standing between you and Albion."
Morgana's eyes are wide as she stares at the warlock. "You said you didn't know the rest of the prophecy."
Merlin smiles at her, but Morgana could tell something was off about it. "You will be the greatest Queen this world has ever known." He says softly as he takes her free hand in his.
Morgana stares unblinkingly into his blue eyes. "And what will you be?" She almost fears his answer.
Merlin shakes his head at her. "I'm afraid I can't answer that."
The Queen's eyebrows furrow at him as she opens her mouth to ask what that means, but a cry of rage interrupts her. The Queen and the warlock both turn towards the cry, watching as Morgause gets to her feet and glares murderously at the two of them. "You have to do it now." Merlin tells her as he begins to move towards Morgause.
The warlock sends a streak of red towards the witch, but Morgause dives out of the way before sending one of her own spells towards him. Morgana uses their distraction to move around the room and closer to Morgause.
Merlin keeps the witch distracted enough to let Morgana sneak up from behind her.
"I want you to know!" Merlin calls to Morgause. "That no one will remember you after today."
Morgause looks angered and confused as she wipes some of her blood off her face. "After I kill all of you, everyone will remember me!" She screams back.
"Not if I kill you first."
Morgause's eyes widen in shock as she whirls around to find Morgana standing inches away from her. The witch sneers, "No mortal blade can kill me, you-"
Morgana doesn't let her finish as she rams the dagger in her hands into Morgause's heart. The witch gasps out loud, her eyes growing wide as she stares at the woman before her disbelievingly. "You- you-" she looks down at the handle of her own dagger, sticking out of her chest, and her eyes widen in horror. "No." She whispers weakly.
Morgana smiles as she takes a step back and watches the evil witch drop to her knees. "Your reign is over, Morgause."
"No." Morgause keeps repeating, even as her veins begin to deteriorate right beneath her skin. "You- you can't."
Morgana finds a huge weight begin to lift from her shoulders as Morgause sinks further and further to the ground, and her army begins to notice. The Queen turns her head towards the cries of victory from her friend, brother, and Knights as the witch's army begins to quickly disperse at seeing their own Queen die at the hands of another.
She couldn't help but smile widely as Morgause releases her final breath into the air. Morgana's eyes leave the witch, searching for the warlock who made all of this possible. Gwen and Arthur hurry to the corner of the throne where they'd hidden Prince Gregory as Morgana moves towards Merlin, who is smiling widely at her.
Just as she reaches him, the warlock congratulates her. "You did it."
Morgana nods. "I guess I did."
The warlock's face contorts oddly. "Good."
Before Morgana could thank him, the warlock suddenly falls to his knees, and Morgana gasps in shock as the warlocks veins begin to deteriorate under the skin of his face, much like Morgause.
"No... No!" Morgana screams as she falls her knees and takes Merlin's face in her hands.
Merlin smiles weakly at her as his skin grows paler with every second. "I- I'm sorry I lied." He whispers softly.
...
A/N: So sorry for the cliffhanger again! All will be explained in the next chapter! Hope you liked this one. It's long and a bit of a drag, but I'm rushing things so much right now because I've got a work promotion coming up and I really need to be on my A-game for the next couple of weeks. Don't worry, I won't take forever to update! This fic has about 2 more chapters or so, so please bear with me! Thank you for reading, and please let me know what you think of this chapter!
-McDiggin'It
