Chapter 9—The Grim Reaper
The knights and Merlin laugh at a joke told by Gawain around the fire. They look like brothers as Mortis comes back from the forest with an arm full of firewood. Their smiles fade slightly as the dark figure who is stealthy and blended with the night came back.
Mortis' eyes duck down back to the fire and kneels by it. The embers flare as the wood is thrown into it. It is very silent. Mortis' eyes look up at them briefly then at the smoke of the fire.
Mortis picks up the leaf of a certain flower nearby and crushes it in hand. Then, looking at Arthur and Gawain, Mortis sprinkles the pieces of leaf over the embers.
The flames shoot up in a rainbow of colors. The men can't help but smile at the spectacle and Mortis eyes betray a smile underneath the cloth.
"The Gorinians must have taught you a lot," Gawain says stupidly.
The smile in Mortis' eyes fall and look down at the rainbow flames again.
"You must excuse Sir Gawain here," Percival says. "He was dropped many times as a child."
Some laugh. Mortis nods and smiles a bit.
"But really," Gawain says in defense. "They must have taught you…" He briefly looks at Arthur. "Magic."
Arthur's jaw automatically tightens and Merlin looks at Mortis who is looking at him.
Mortis looks down then sits on the ground before the fire.
"Well? Have you?" Gawain asks quietly.
Mortis looks up into Gawain's eyes and shakes a head.
"I've heard stories though," Gawain says. "About assassins with useful magic, sometimes."
Mortis still shakes a head.
"Why don't you speak?" Leon says angrily.
Mortis looks at him seriously.
"He's only angry that you broke his nose," Elyan says.
Mortis looks down at the fire and stares. Then swallows.
"You do not need to lie for my benefit," Arthur says finally. Mortis looks him in the eye. "Actually if you do have magic it could help us get Guinevere back." He says this part quietly.
But Mortis looks at him still, eyes sad at Arthur's grief, and slowly the dark head shakes.
"But if it's so vital for you to protect the relic then why are you helping us?" Arthur asks suddenly. "Why protect us if there's only a risk for not only you but the world?"
Mortis looks at Arthur then wipes a gloved hand over the dirt, smearing it smooth. Then Mortis writes in the dirt "I'm meant to help you. You must stay alive. Morgana will try to kill you and Guinevere when she gets the Embolis."
"She cannot get the relic," Merlin cries at Mortis who is still avoiding his eye.
Mortis nods slowly. Then Mortis smoothes the writing over and writes again "I have a fake. She will see me destroy it. Camelot will be safe from the Embolis and myself when Guinevere is back."
Arthur looks up. "You're leaving with the relic," he says. "After all this."
Mortis nods sharply.
"But Camelot is the safest place for it," Elyan says.
Mortis swallows and writes again. "Not for the people. The Gorinians will come after me if they find I am in Camelot. Morgana will come after the Embolis at all costs. I am a danger. Camelot is better off without someone like me."
After writing it, Mortis quickly stands and turns, standing by the trees and out to stand watch. Leon reads it aloud. The knights look at Mortis' back and then one by one they begin to go to bed.
But as Merlin settles to his makeshift bed, he hears that Arthur has not moved from his place. "Some things are worth fighting for," Arthur says. "All the people of Camelot know that—I hope you'll stay."
Arthur goes to bed and Mortis stares at the bright moon, watching until it sets and its lover, the sun, comes to replace it.
Arthur rides first at the lead. They ride toward the castle looming over the horizon like a black sun. Merlin and Elyan are at Arthur's flanks and Mortis is in the very back. Arthur stops by the bridge and looks to Mortis behind him.
"What should we do?" Arthur asks him. Mortis stares only for a moment then rides up to Merlin and Arthur. Mortis takes Merlin's hand and puts the wrapped fake Embolis inside. Merlin feels a piece of parchment on it as well. Then Mortis looks Arthur in the eye.
"Go," Mortis says roughly, deeply and almost forced tenor.
Then Mortis turns the horse and rides in a different direction by cover of fog. As they begin forward, Merlin looks at the parchment. Written on it is the spell that could open an enchanted door—to enchant such a door takes powerful magic and to open it took equal as much. He looks up at Marx castle ahead-such an old castle could have such a door.
In the center of the foggy courtyard, the knights and Merlin assemble, without Mortis.
The fog shifts and Morgana is in the center, smirking.
"It is not wise for a king to lie as you do, brother," Morgana says.
Arthur stands forward. "Where is she?"
"Aw," Morgana mocks. "You want your precious servant girl, do you?"
Then Gwyn appears, chained, gagged and eyes wide next to Morgana. Arthur's eyes glue to her.
"We'll get you out of here, I promise," Arthur says.
"How sweet," Morgana says. She holds a hand out. "Now give me the Embolis."
Arthur swallows, hoping that what Mortis told them was true. Then he looks to Merlin.
"Merlin," he says.
Merlin slowly comes forward, the wrapped Embolis in hand. Then he unwraps it and shows the golden circle with markings of the old religion around it. He knows this was not the same one as the one Mortis showed them in the Darkling Woods—it has no power. He knows that Morgana's powers are not good enough to assess that.
Morgana comes forward eagerly pulling Gwyn with her. She pushes Gwyn into Arthur's chest and reaches to grab the Embolis.
"Finally," she hisses greedily. "It's mine!"
Merlin whispers the spell and all of a sudden an arrow flaming rainbow—just like the fire the night before—slices through the Embolis and it bursts into a million pieces.
"NO!" Morgana cries.
"Let's get out of here!" Gawain cries out drawing his sword.
They begin to back out but Morgana raises her hand and begins an incantation.
"GET OUT!" a voice yells roughly at them.
Just then masked and covered Mortis jumps before them, swords in hand. Morgana's spell rushes forward and fire shoots from her hands. The fire hits Mortis directly.
"NO!" Merlin screams out. But the fire is not killing Mortis like it should. It runs through Mortis, not in pain, but unfazed by the magical fire.
"COME ON MERLIN!" Arthur screams over the fire. Gawain grabs Merlin and they run from the castle. Once they're well enough away, Merlin stares as smoke rises from the castle.
Merlin jumps from his horse and stares at it. His present and future. Whatever that meant, it doesn't matter anymore.
