Chapter 9: In which Gwaine gets another surprise
"I have magic."
"Don't be ridiculous, Merlin," said Arthur without turning around.
Merlin could see Gwaine and Lancelot's appalled faces but he decided to ignore them.
He took a step forward. The sunlight was making him blink. "I have magic. It's true. Wow… I can't believe I just said that."
Just to say those words out loud was making him strangely liberated and dazed at the same time. Or perhaps it was his wound and the lost of blood that was making him feel dizzy.
Arthur stopped short as he was about to get on his horse. "We don't have time for this."
"He's not well," offered Lancelot tentatively.
"I'm well enough to know when I'm being ignored by a prat," snapped Merlin.
But as he spoke, a wave of light-headedness took him over and he swayed on the spot, almost unable to stand. His legs were strangely unresponsive and his eyelids were extremely heavy now.
Arthur was watching him with concern.
"You're right, Lancelot. He must be out of his mind," said the prince.
He then took a few long strides towards Merlin. He was close enough to be able to stare at his nose.
"You need to tell us where the Stones are, Merlin."
"Why don't you let Agravaine find them and be done with magic forever?" he said defiantly. "Isn't that what you want?"
Arthur looked as though he was about to hit him.
"No!" Gwaine yelled suddenly. He stepped in between Arthur and Merlin. He was staring into the young warlock's face as though he was seeing him for the first time. "You'll die! All of those with magic will die. You don't want that. You're not a monster, Merlin. Tell us where the Stones are. Please."
Merlin closed his eyes in tiredness and resignation. Had he done a terrible mistake shouting out about his magic like that to Arthur and to everyone? It all seemed like a dream or a nightmare into which he was now trapped. If only he wasn't feeling so faint, at least he would be able to think straight…
"Follow the road, pass the main houses, keep going until you reach a stream, and then follow the stream up until you reach a clearing. The Stones are covered in moss and we used to sit on them and make a fire in the middle."
Gwaine took him by the shoulders just in time as he swayed on the spot and almost fainted right into the knight's arms. It took Merlin a few seconds to recover his senses. He glanced up over Gwaine's shoulder and tried to make out Arthur's expression. The prince wasn't concerned at all; instead, he was wearing a look of total disbelief.
"Did you just say that you have magic?" he blurted out.
"Now is not the time," said Lancelot in his usual even and soothing voice. "Sire, we have to hurry. Merlin's not well enough to ride. Gwaine can stay here with him."
Arthur considered the option for a moment, and then, without a word, he turned his heels and ran to his horse. He called the knights to him and they were off swiftly. They were out of sight before the dust had even settled down.
Merlin sank with his back to the stone wall and remained seated there, waiting for his strength to return.
"I don't know what's got into you," said Gwaine, peering into his face. "You kept this all bottled up for so long. Are you sure about throwing it all away now? If it was me I would have said something a long time ago, but then again I'm not you…"
"You haven't told anyone about your father being noble," argued Merlin in a weak voice.
"True," said Gwaine, sitting nonchalantly next to Merlin. "But if I did, it wouldn't change many things for me. Are you sure you're ready?"
Merlin snorted. "I'm not even sure he believed me."
"He will if you show him…"
Gwaine didn't finish that thought. Probably he had just realised that Merlin wasn't paying much attention anymore. The young warlock was feeling an increasing and overwhelming sense of urgency. He could almost see the thread of wavering magic in front of his waking eyes. It was calling him, pulling him, telling him to hurry.
"What is it?" said Gwaine.
Merlin did not reply. Instead, he struggled to his feet, grabbing his right shoulder as he stood, and then he took a few steps away from Gwaine. He braced himself for what he was about to do.
Placing his feet firmly apart and bowing his head, he reached inside him to find that deep well of power that he shared with the Great Dragon. As usual, the voice that came out of his mouth was partly his own and partly something else, something ancient and powerful; the voice of a Dragonlord.
"What did you just do?" yelled Gwaine as he was running up to him.
"Just… Don't move," Merlin replied shakily.
He was panting from the effort. Calling upon his Dragonlord power was always somewhat draining. But at least it had worked and soon after Kilgharrah was flying over their heads, swooping down and landing in front of Merlin in a swirl of wind.
"You're a Dragonlord too!" shouted Gwaine.
Merlin tried not to look too smug.
"I see you have entrusted your secret yet to another," the dragon said slyly. Kilgharrah was leaning in to get a closer look at Gwaine. "Strength, Courage and Magic," he continued. "The cycle is complete. Many things are changing now."
"I might have told a few others too," said Merlin. And then he added apprehensively, "Arthur."
Kilgharrah's large head came to face him, his tail sweeping the dusty ground as he moved.
"Like I said, young warlock, many things are changing."
"What do you know about the Four Elemental Stones?" Merlin asked without further ado.
The dragon straightened up. "That is ancient magic. The Stones are a gateway that opens up with magical blood. The blood is the key that can change the flow of magic into this world."
"Lord Agravaine is on his way to the Stones now," said Merlin to the dragon.
The reply that he got was a loud snarl. "That man cannot wield the Stones! Knowledge is not the same as true power. A High Priestess of the Old Religion could perhaps…"
"High Priestess?" cut in Merlin. "Like Morgause? She's seeking the Stones too!"
He could recall the words spoken inside his head. Soon, I will be all right again and together we will bring about the end of Camelot. Soon we will have the Four Elemental Stones and we shall have revenge.
The dragon became stern. "This is grave news. If she can channel the power of the Stones to her advantage, she will become so powerful that even you will not be able to stop her. Merlin, you cannot let this happen."
The young sorcerer nodded. "You must take us to Ealdor," he said gravely.
"Wait!" put in Gwaine all-of-a-sudden. "He's hurt. Can't you do anything for him? Aren't dragons powerful healers?"
Kilgharrah glanced from Gwaine to Merlin. "Hold still," he breathed out.
The wave of magic produced by the Great Dragon seemed to wrap itself around him like a warm blanket. The wound on his shoulder started prickling and itching, but decreasingly as though someone was putting out a fire. His head became less heavy and the throbbing stopped. The dragon wouldn't be able to take away the exhaustion, but at least he was much more alert now that he didn't have to deal with the pain.
"Thank you," he said, already on the move. "Now we need you to fly fast."
"If this is to become a recurrent thing, young warlock, I will draw the line at two people on my back," snarled the dragon.
Gwaine's expression went from shock to complete terror, but Merlin had already climbed unto Kilgharrah's scaly body and now he was leaning down to offer Gwaine his hand.
The knight grinned enthusiastically. "You've got to be joking…"
