Chapter 7

"Warlocks and Dragons"

Merlin and Ryia were sitting on the ground, back to back, covered with fallen leaves. Their legs were bound with a rope and few metres of thin but surprisingly strong, strengthen by magic, chain circled their torsos.

It wasn't long after Ryia had been caught. Merlin had cried for her to run, and she did, but the knights were faster. Soon she'd been knocked out and had awaken only to feel herself being tied to Merlin with that blond witch Morgause whispering some spells that made the chain flash gold and tighten around them.

"I can't believe it!" exclaimed Ryia, when they were left alone on the small clearing in the forest.

"I'm sorry, its my fault. I shouldn't have drag you here" said Merlin and Ryia felt his shoulders dropped a little, at least as much as the chain let him.

"No, no, I was talking about Lady Morgana. How could she? Betray the Camelot and the King! Ally with some witch, and for what?" Ryia felt anger. Maybe she didn't know Morgana well, but she seemed to be so sweet when she'd met her first. And Gaius was saying such nice things about her, before her disappearance. Besides, Ryia was now a citizen of Camelot, it was her new home. It wasn't a surprise that she was afraid that soon there came army, Cenred's army! Not to mention their current situation – being tied up with a magical chain in the middle of the wood.

"Yes." Merlin's voice was grim. "I can't believe it too. I thought it would going to be alright, like it was before... before her disappearance."

Ryia turned her head a little, so that her mouth was just beside his ear. "What are you saying? What happened earlier, Merlin? I know you know something, you and Gaius know something more than everyone else."

Merlin took deep breath causing the chains to tighten around them.

"Morgana's a witch." he said after a minute.

"What?" she exclaimed. "How could that be? But... The King, surely he... He despises magic! Does he know? What of Prince Arthur?"

Merlin gave a short laugh. "No. They didn't know anything. I think that I'm the only person in Camelot that know it." And he told her about Morgana, how she'd found out about her magic, how she'd confided to him, than about Morgause and till that day with sleep sickness and ...the poison. He didn't really know why he told her that everything. Maybe because he needed someone to listen to him, to explain to. And somehow, Ryia made him feel relieved, like some huge stone was lifted from his heart.

"I understand, Merlin. You didn't have a choice. I can imagine how hard it was for you."

"It was."

Merlin was surprised when he felt Ryia's hand finding his own and giving it a squeeze, which he only after the short while, returned. They fell silent. The only sound in the surrounding were bird's singing and rustle of leaves. Both Merlin and Ryia were deep lost in their own thoughts and they only could guess what the other think about. If someone saw them, he could be puzzled why the bound with chains couple of young people act like they were on some picnic, while holding hands.

"What an irony..." Ryia mused. "King Uther is probably the biggest antagonist of magic in the whole Albion and yet just under his nose there is one who has it. And not just somebody, but his own ward."

"Yes, an irony, indeed." She felt that Merlin wanted to ask something more. Only after some interval, he asked. "Are you... are you against magic?"

Merlin dreaded her answer. He didn't want yet another person to believe magic was evil.

"Well, considering the fact we're here because of magic, probably I should say: yes, I am against it." Ryia gave a short laugh "But I won't, say it, I mean. Besides, it's not that magic is good or evil. It's all depends on the person who use it. Look for example at dragons. They are magic creatures, powerful, majestic but good at their nature. Yet some believed them to be beasts."

"Are you interested in dragons?"

"Interested? Well, you could say that, yes. I admire them. They are beautiful creatures, well they were. I wish I had a chance to see one someday.

"Maybe you will"

Ryia frowned at Merlin's evident private joke.

But in this very moment they heard a sound, some rustling, to be precise. Maggie had an uneasy feeling that she had heard it somewhere before.

"Someone's coming?" she asked Merlin, whose head was turning right and left, trying to localize the sound.

"I don't thinks so. It's rather some animal ...or animals... Oh, no..."

"What?"

"Er, I don't want to bother you, but..."

Ryia looked up.

"Not them again...", she groaned at the sight of dozens of giant scorpions.

"Ryia, I have to tell you something..."

"Ahh, can't it wait?"

"No, I'm afraid not. Especially in this circumstances"

"Merlin, I will listen to you, really, I will, but later..."

"Could you–– " but the girl interrupted him again.

"Now, we have to think of some way to get out of here and–– "

"Ryia, it's really important–– " Merlin was getting more impatient with every passing second and every foot the serkets were closing to them.

"Maybe if we try to get up together..."

"Ryia!" shouted Merlin which finally got her attention. "I have to tell you something important. Listen to me. I have ma––" but Ryia didn't hear the rest because sudden pain consumed her every senses. The closest serket stung her on the left side of her neck. She felt numb and soon the darkness overcame her vision.

Merlin was about to reveal his secret to Ryia and use magic to try to free them both, but he heard a sudden gasp from the girl and quickly turned his head just to see a retreating sting of one of the monster. Anger seized him, when he felt girl's head lolled down.

"Noo!", he screamed feeling his magic flow out him by itself. With a flash of his eyes the serket that stabbed Ryia was thrown away.

"Ryia?" Merlin said, writhing and trying to turn around when he felt the girl limply sagged, held only by tight chain and his body as a support. "Ryia? Wake up..." he started to panic, he wasn't quite aware how much time they have to venom for reach her heart and cause death, because one thing he knew – the serket's venom IS deathly.

"Min strengest miht hate þe tospringan!" he tried a spell, but the chain only glowed.

"Awendaþ eft wansæliga neat!"

The second attempt was more desperate, but failed as well.

Then Merlin felt Ryia started to tremble. He didn't know what to do, but he heard small moans of pain from his companion, he knew he must summon him.

"Ω δρακον, έάω μαλερός σοφόνους φθέγγομαι τείδε άναδικέω!"

And he waited. The giant scorpions were coming closer and closer. Merlin was exhausted. And Ryia stopped trembling. She stopped moving at all.

Then the sky darkened and leathery wings appeared above their heads. Then there was fire.

Ryia stirred, but didn't open her eyes yet. Her neck ached. In fact her whole body ached, but she couldn't remember the reason of it. Then she heard some voices.

"I didn't think you'd answer my call."

It was Merlin's voice. Some pale memories started to return to her.

"Merlin, I could not resist a dragonlord, even if I wanted to."

And who was that? Ryia was too dozed to recognize the words which flowed over her meaningless, but slowly, really slowly, everything came back to her. She remember now the chase after Morgana, then Morgause and the chain and those giant scorpions. Again.

The scorpions!

In a flash her hand was touching her neck, which made a sharp pain exploded from the wound and spread through the whole body.

She groaned silently, but apparently not silently enough.

"I can see your little friend is awake" said the mysterious voice.

Ryia tried to sit and looked around her surroundings. It looked like some cave. Then she saw Merlin who was already by her, on his knees.

"Are you okay?" he asked the first what came to his mind, though he was quite aware how stupid it sounded.

"Ah, it hurts. All over"

"The serket's poison is powerful. I have given you an enchantment that will help you heal, but it will take time."

Ryia peered behind Merlin to see who said that. She supposed it was he who saved them.

The she saw him.

What?! No... it can't be. Dragons extinct!

"Holly... she whispered "...Graal..."

She looked at Merlin, but he only smiled. "I told you that someday you'll see a dragon"

"Well, I didn't know that means only an hour later!"

"Actually, you slept for a few hours..." injected the dragon.

"Ryia, this is Kilgharrah."

"Well" she didn't know what to say, how one say hello to a dragon? "Er... um... it's nice to meet you."

"And so you, young friend of Merlin" said Kilgharrah.

"Wait, how did you know we're in danger?"

"The dragonlord called me."

"Who?" she asked confused.

Merlin thought it was time to reveal his secret. "Ryia, back in the woods... I was to tell you, that um... Ihavemagic" he said quickly and braced himself like waiting for something terrible.

"Eh, could you repeat?" said Ryia truly bemused. "Because it sounded like you've said that you have magic, heh, ridiculous, right?"

Merlin sighed and took her hand in his, palm up. Then looked at it intensively and whispered in ancient language "Blóstmá". His eyes flashed gold. Ryia hadn't seen anyone performing magic before. But she would never suspect Merlin for having it. Well, sure, the was something curious about him, but, magic? And just under King Uther's nose... like Morgana. She didn't think magic to be something evil though, especially now when she felt something on her palm, something soft. When she peered down, she saw the most symmetrical and red rose flower.

"It's beautiful" Ryia whispered.

Merlin smiled bashfully. "Really?"

"I am sorry to interrupt your sweet moment, but shouldn't you saving Camelot from the witch?"