Sorry for not updating yesterday, I started proofreading late and could barely keep my eyes open. And now I've got to go help my mom with lunch, enjoy! :)

CHAPTER 10
Ashes We Were, and Ashes We Become

The clouds have gathered up in the sky and got darker as Arthur, Gwaine and Merlin with Gobeithio travelled back to the ruined castle of Morgause and Morgana. The sun was hiding behind those clouds and the previously warm breeze turned into cold wind. And then it started drizzling.

Gwaine was sitting behind Arthur on his horse and Merlin was riding his horse alone. Well, alone if it wasn't for the little dragon who's made it his mission to try and balance on Merlin's shoulder while they were galloping toward the castle. Merlin was mostly fine with it, but he often got worried and tried to slow down to put the dragon into his lap instead.

Kilgharrah hasn't flown away like he often liked to do. He stayed with the group and was flying above them and around, staying close. He said Merlin would summon him again anyway and to be honest Merlin couldn't argue. He knew it was true. They needed at least one adult dragon on their side.

The dagger was in Merlin's belt. Arthur wanted to take it, but Merlin was the one who had to sacrifice Morgause and so he kept it instead. It had to be him who'd kill her, Kilgharrah already explained that to them when they first talked about the dagger. And Merlin wasn't happy about that, but what wouldn't he do for Camelot?

When they finally reached their destination and found themselves in front of the lake, Kilgharrah landed on the hill next to the waterfall. They rode into water again and this time, they took the horses with them into the cave. The tunnel inside was wide enough for the horses anyway and who knew what was about to happen? They might need to run away quickly after the fight...

Merlin used his magic again to enlighten their way and a few minutes later, they found themselves in front of the castle. The dead blood guards were still there. They didn't hear anything, so they couldn't know for sure whether Morgana had woken up.

They dismounted and tied the horses to the trees around the cave and then they started walking towards the castle, ready to face whatever and whoever was inside.

In the meantime, it stopped raining.

Kilgharrah appeared above them in the sky and Merlin smiled as he saw him. He must have felt so free when he was up there. Just flying around, and not being locked up under the castle. He hoped to see more dragons fly around like that in the future.

Especially little Gobeithio.

xoXÖXox

Morgause was furious. More than furious. The dagger was stolen, she couldn't control her dragons anymore, her blood guards were all dead and her own sister was unconscious, lying in her bed. And all thanks to that stupid serving boy, Merlin.

Who cared he was this almighty Emrys? Who cared that according to legends he was the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the Earth? Morgana once told her Merlin wouldn't hurt a fly. That had a good heart, and that that was his weakness. He cared too much about people. And Morgause had to use that weakness against him somehow.

Another weakness he had was Arthur of course. Morgause knew they were together now and she had to use that to her advantage too. She had to hurt Arthur somehow, make Merlin weak. Make him cry. Make him feel exactly what she felt when she found her sister behind that altar, bleeding.

And who was to say that Merlin was already the most powerful sorcerer? Who was to say he was more powerful than her? From what she heard, he used to live in a village and he spent his entire life trying to hide his magic. She was older than him, and what was better – she never had to hide her gift, she spent all those years practising it and getting better.

Merlin couldn't have been more powerful than she was, even if he might have had a natural talent. What she had, was her anger and that was something that would keep her fighting, no matter how desperate she would get. No matter how hurt she would get, no matter how close to death she would get – she'd always keep fighting.

To avenge her sister, poor Morgana, who was still in the castle, unconscious.

Morgause knew Merlin was going to come back. She didn't know everything about the dagger, or what he would need to do in order to reverse the ritual, but she knew he wanted to do just that. She knew he wanted to stop her – because he had a good heart.

And that's why she left the castle and hid in the forest around the cave and the castle. That was the first reason, the other reason was that she wanted to maybe find some herbs that would help Morgana. She wasn't the best physician, but she knew a lot about herbs and their usage. Many herbs were used in healing magic too.

She was standing behind the trees when she heard them. The hooves of their horses against the cave ground. She quickly hid behind a tall bush to get a better view and then they finally left the cave. She spied on them as they tied their horses to the trees and started walking closer to the castle.

She was doing whatever she could to stop the urge to attack them now. She couldn't attack them just yet, but soon, she told herself. Soon.

She noticed a few things. First, Merlin had a little dragon on his shoulder. She wasn't sure why he needed a newborn dragon to reverse the ritual, but it was another proof he was a Dragonlord. It made Morgause nervous because she didn't know everything about the dagger. All she knew was that Merlin was a Dragonlord and that he must have been connected to the dagger in some way.

Second thing she noticed was that the dagger was on Merlin's belt. She couldn't be happier to see it because that was exactly what she needed right now. She needed to steal the dagger back and call the dragons. She didn't care if they were attacking Camelot, she needed help. She couldn't beat them all on her own.

And then she noticed another thing. There was a dragon up in the sky. The not dead kind. She knew he was alive because he was slightly bigger than the ones she had resurrected and he wasn't attacking Merlin and the others. It meant that Merlin was commanding him.

If Merlin had a dragon by his side, so could she.

She reached out her hand and silently uttered a spell. The dagger in Merlin's belt moved slightly and fell on the ground behind them. None of them noticed anything and they entered the castle.

"Perfect." Morgause smiled. When she was certain all of them were on the courtyard, even the dragon, she left her hiding place and rushed out of the forest to pick up the dagger.

As soon as she held it in her hand again, she felt the power of it. She smiled widely and closed her eyes, immediately commanding the dragons to come and help her.

"I command you dragons." She whispered. "Every one last of you has to return to the place you saw first after your death. Leave Camelot and come and help me. Take your revenge on the traitor Dragonlord, he's here."

As soon as she said that, she felt the power of the dagger increase. She smiled. Her plan might have been sabotaged by that stupid boy and his prince, but not for long. He couldn't control the dragons, she could. And once the dragons would kill him, there won't be anyone to stand in the way of Morgana becoming the queen of Camelot.

Morgause then put the dagger into her belt and went closer to the castle, took a deep breath and opened the door to the courtyard.

xoXÖXox

Leon was looking over the walls with a devastating look on his face. So many knights were dead. So many were injured. The castle was almost ruined and there was smoke coming out of the Lower Town and the courtyard. The army below the castle had no more arrows to shoot so they just tried to build up more ladders.

"Sir Leon!" Someone called and Leon turned around. It was one of his friends, a knight that had climbed up the wall to help with the ladders earlier. "Look! The dragons are leaving!"

Leon raised his head as he looked up and a huge smile appeared on his face. "They really are!" He exclaimed. He felt new fire ignite inside of him, new determination to win. He turned to the other knight and smiled. "We can still win, sir Aldwyn!"

They both turned back to the walls after they shook their hands and started defending Camelot with new enthusiasm.

They still had a battle to win.

xoXÖXox

As Merlin entered the courtyard, he immediately felt alert and turned around just in case something or someone was waiting there to attack them when they weren't looking. The dead blood guards were there too, just like outside the castle.

Arthur and Gwaine unsheathed their swords and continued walking across the courtyard.

"Morgana's gone." Arthur said as they got closer to the altar.

"Morgause probably found her." Merlin nodded. "I don't know if she's awake yet, maybe I hit her harder than I should have." He said as he walked over to the altar and put Gobeithio down.

The little dragon made a disapproving sound, but Merlin pointed his finger at him. "Stay here and hide behind the altar after the fight starts. You can't breathe fire yet nor fly and try not to get hurt, okay?" He smiled down at him and even though Arthur and Gwaine snickered a bit, Merlin ignored them.

Gobeithio spread his wings and jumped a little into the air, which made Merlin smile sadly. "No, I can't teach you how to fly right now." He told him. "But I'll teach you after this is all over, okay? I promise."

"Do you think he even understands you?" Gwaine asked.

Kilgharrah that was looking down at them answered. "Dragons are intelligent creatures. He understands."

Gwaine jumped a little as Kilgharrah answered because he didn't expect him to answer from so close behind him, but when he turned around, he noticed one more person in the courtyard with them.

There, in front of the door, stood Morgause. The High Priestess. "Morgause!" Gwaine yelled as everyone turned around.

Gobeithio jumped off the altar and hid behind it, just like Merlin told him to do. Arthur and Gwaine both pointed their swords at her and Kilgharrah spread his wings to fly into the air

Morgause ignored all of them though. She only saw Merlin - she was so blinded by her hatred for him. She smiled evilly and reached out her hand to cast a spell on the young warlock, when suddenly Kilgharrah breathed fire down at her.

She managed to make a shield with her magic just like Merlin did when the dragon wanted to kill Arthur before. Kilgharrah frowned and wanted to try again, but before he had the chance, a roar sounded in the sky.

Everyone stopped and looked up, only to see the dragons returning. All of them. Merlin's eyes widened and as he looked back at Morgause, he noticed the dagger on her belt. "She has the dagger!" He said so Arthur and Gwaine could hear him.

Kilgharrah flew higher and started distracting as many dragons as he could. He breathed fire at them, but because all dragons were fireproof, it didn't help much. They fought though. Some of them fought him, and the others landed on the courtyard or flew around, trying to defend their mistress.

"You hurt my sister!" She screamed at him. Merlin frowned.

"I wouldn't have had to hurt her if you hadn't corrupted her. She could have learned how to use magic for good!"

"And you'd have been the one to help her?" She laughed. "I was the one who really helped her! I was the one who taught her everything important about magic!"

"By making her hate her friends and family?" Merlin yelled back.

Morgause didn't even laugh this time, she just reached out her hand and made a fireball. "I'm her family too! Uther and her friends would hate her if they knew she had magic! Uther would have killed her!"

Merlin couldn't argue with that one. He couldn't see into Uther's mind, but even though the king loved Morgana with all his heart, no one could predict his actions.

The fire in Morgause's hand was reflecting in her eyes. She threw the fireball at Merlin, knowing well that it wasn't nearly enough to get rid of him. Merlin stopped the fireball with his palm and turned the direction of the fireball back at Morgause. She stopped it without a problem just like him.

As they got closer, she smirked. "I never though you'd be so powerful, Merlin." She said, trying to distract him.

"Is that why you cursed me with those nightmares?" He asked. Frankly, he wanted to know the reason why she did that. He knew she wanted to get rid of him because apparently Morgana hated him, but he didn't know why she used nightmares to do that. What was in it for her?

She smiled, completely ignoring the dragons that were breathing fire all around them. Merlin hoped Arthur was safe. "We didn't know you had magic back then." She answered and then looked up at him. "But Morgana told me Arthur cared about you. And until the lovely hunting trip in the woods a few days ago, I didn't know exactly how much he cares about you."

Merlin's cheeks got red a little bit. "Why then?" He asked again.

"I wanted Uther to be weak. And he would only be weak if Arthur died. And Arthur would die only if you would die and weren't there to protect him. Those nightmares should have killed you."

"But they haven't, have they?." Merlin smirked.

"You always like to doom our plans, don't you?" She frowned. "Astrice!" She yelled with her palm pointing at Merlin.

Merlin wasn't prepared for an attack, but he should have known better than to start talking with his enemy during a battle. Who the hell did that? Oh yeah. Merlin.

He flew backwards, thankfully landing on the ground and not hitting the altar that would have broken his spine. As he landed, he noticed Arthur standing above him. The prince immediately helped him stand up, and that was when he noticed Arthur wasn't using Excalibur, which was a good thing – if he fought the dragons with the special sword, he would have been able to kill them. And Merlin would probably pass out again and he'd miss their only chance to defeat Morgause.

"Are you alright?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah," Merlin mumbled as he stood up and immediately had to block another fireball. "Just fight and stay alive!" Merlin yelled at Arthur, hoping he was still listening.

Merlin started slowly going to his left, avoiding a dragon. Morgause went to the her left too, so she could always be on the opposite side of the warlock. They started circling around each other, and Merlin smiled when Morgause ended up in front of the altar.

Exactly what he needed. Well, he didn't know if Gobeithio understood the situation or was even paying attention, but he was their only chance now.

Morgause raised her hand for another spell, when Merlin noticed the little dragon peeking from behind the altar. Gobeithio managed to jump up on the altar, using his wings and his little legs. Merlin started preparing a spell in the same time as Gobeithio ruined Morgause's belt with his little claw.

"What?" Morgause cursed and turned around, only to see the little dragon jumping off the altar and picking up the belt with the dagger, running away. "No!"

"Hey, Morgause!" Merlin turned her attention back to him so she would abandon the idea of chasing his little dragon and he smirked. "Cume þoden! Gespurn peos haegtesse!"

A sudden whirlwind appeared on the courtyard, quickly making its way towards Morgause. Her eyes widened, but she managed to destroy the whirlwind with a spell that Merlin was not yet familiar with. Merlin now knew she was more experienced than he was.

He frowned, but then suddenly a dragon landed right in front of him. "You cannot fight us, young Dragonlord!" The dragon told him and breathed fire at him. Merlin immediately made a shield around himself with his magic and risked running towards the dragon.

He managed to run under his stomach and tail, between his legs and the dragon didn't see him because he was still breathing fire. As soon as he made it on the other side, Merlin saw Morgause chasing Gobeithio again.

"Leave him alone!" Merlin yelled and reached out his hand. A strong wind hit Morgause and she flew into the air and hit the ground. Gobeithio was saved and started running towards Merlin with the dagger in his mouth, but Morgause was already standing up again.

Merlin had no idea where Gwaine was or where Arthur was fighting. He hoped they were alright because the dragons on the courtyard were making this fight much harder than it had to be. The dragon that Merlin ran under flew up into the sky to fight Kilgharrah, but Merlin couldn't look up and check if Kilgharrah was alright.

He had to fight and save Camelot.

Gobeithio handed him the dagger that he carried in his mouth. Merlin quickly took it and sent him back to hide behind the altar. He gripped the dagger tightly in his hand as Morgause was coming closer to him.

"Do you really think you can win?" She asked him. Her voice was full of rage and uncertainty and her hair was tousled. She knew well that she couldn't control the dragons without the dagger, but that's exactly what she didn't want to acknowledge. "I have dragons!" She yelled at him as she looked around and saw three dragons on the courtyard. "And they're fighting your precious Arthur and that other peasant! They won't last much longer! My dragons are stronger than you! You only have one old dragon and a baby!"

"And yet that baby managed to steal the dagger from you." Merlin raised his voice. "You no longer control the dragons. You're powerless!" He yelled, but she just shook her head.

"I still have my magic!" She raised her arms into the air and started using her magic again. "Forbærne yfel! Forbærne! Ácwele!"

A circle of fire appeared around Merlin, trapping him inside, while Morgause sent a few fireballs at him. Merlin put the dagger in his left hand and used his right hand to stop the fire balls, sending them back at Morgause.

Then a pain filled shriek sounded from the sky above them, making Merlin stop. Everyone looked up, even the dragons that were fighting Gwaine and Arthur, and even Morgause.

It was Kilgharrah. The old dragon was slowly flying away from the castle, to the opposite side of the cave and the waterfall. There was a cut on his left hind leg and it was bleeding. "Kilgharrah?" Merlin whispered as he realized the dragons were no longer distracted by his old friend.

He quickly looked back down at Morgause, only to see a fireball dangerously close to his face. His eyes widened and he managed to crouch down just in time for the fireball to miss him. When he saw another fireball in Morgause's hand, he quickly got rid of the circle of fire around him and started running towards her.

It was now or never. Morgause sent the fireball at him and then she paused, looking at the courtyard behind Merlin. Merlin stopped running and turned around, thinking there was a dragon wanting to kill him, but it was the exact opposite.

The three dragons that were on the courtyard stopped fighting and breathing fire. Another two landed down and looked sad. He had no idea what was going on, and neither did Morgause. Two dragons flew after Kilgharrah and that was when Merlin understood. The dragons stopped fighting because they hurt the last adult dragon that was still alive. That was never their intention, and Morgause wasn't controlling them right now, so they stopped.

Which made Merlin smile as he turned back to the High Priestess. She was frowning at him. "You can't win!" She yelled at him. "You can't! Camelot will be ours, you'll see!" She said.

In that moment Merlin noticed Gwaine who was slowly making his way to Morgause. She noticed that though and sent him flying against the hard ground, but it was enough time to distract her from Arthur who she hasn't noticed and who was also walking towards her.

Merlin smiled and started running towards her again. The dragons weren't even trying to defend Morgause anymore, and just as she turned back to Merlin, Arthur grabbed her shoulders to keep her in place and the young Dragonlord was already close enough to take the dagger in his right hand again and stab her in the stomach.

She cried out as her eyes widened in pain. She weakly touched the hilt of the dagger with her trembling fingers, looking down and seeing blood.

"It's over, Morgause." Merlin told her. Arthur was standing next to Merlin again, taking his hand and entwining their fingers gently. Merlin didn't even realize his hand was shaking and that there were tears in his eyes.

"Morgana," Morgause hissed at them as she fell to her knees and on the ground. "She's the queen." She coughed blood and then the dagger started shining with bright blue light and Morgause breathed out, for the last time.

"I'm sorry," Merlin whispered. And then that feeling came again. That strange feeling running through his whole body, it was overwhelming. It was coming from his heart and then through his arms, legs and fingertips, and for some reason he knew his eyes have turned gold.

He heard Arthur saying something and he was aware of Gwaine coming to them. But he didn't hear a word of what Arthur was saying. He only felt the painful feeling.

Then he heard a cry. He turned around, barely keeping himself up and he saw the dragons on the courtyard. The dead dragons. They were crying out in pain as they shined blue and slowly disappeared in a strong wind up into the sky.

Merlin cried out and felt Arthur's hands around him as they both fell down on the hard ground. He felt the pain of the dragons, their anger and sadness. He felt everything. Everything at once and it was so overwhelming and painful that he couldn't hold on any longer.

He heard someone cry "No!" and then he heard a dragon's roar, but it was coming out of his own mouth. He felt something little, but quite heavy jump on his legs and touch his arm – was that Gobeithio? He felt cold and he felt hot and he was trembling. What every Dragonlord should have felt right now had they still been alive, was now only for Merlin and Merlin alone to feel.

And it was too much.

Soon the sense of reality and pain faded from his mind and he couldn't see or hear anything. Everything turned dark and after the exhausting fight, he welcomed it without hesitation.

He passed out.

xoXÖXox

She didn't know if she was dreaming, she only knew there was darkness. She didn't feel cold though, and she didn't feel pain. And as she became aware of her own body, she realized she was lying on something soft – her bed perhaps?

And then she heard all those the strange sounds. It reminded her of the tournaments in Camelot. Pounding against the ground, swords clashing... but she didn't hear that. Not exactly. And she wasn't in Camelot.

Her eyes opened and widened as she realized what was actually happening. She was weak, but she managed to drag herself out of the bed and towards a window so she could see what was happening.

Out there, on the wet courtyard – it must have been raining while she was sleeping – was Arthur, holding Merlin in his arms who appeared to be unconscious or dead. Some peasant was standing over them and there was a little dragon. And their revived dragons, all disappearing in whirlwinds. She stared at the huge bodies of the creatures disappearing in the strong wind, and then when the whirlwinds were gone, she realized there was one other person lying on the courtyard.

Next to the altar was Morgause, with the dagger in her stomach and a pool of blood all around.

"No!" Morgana screamed.

xoXÖXox

Arthur turned to the window as he heard his sister's scream, but he didn't really care. He tried to shake Merlin one more time, but it was pointless. The boy went limp in his arms with his head heavy against Arthur's chest.

"Merlin?" He called his name again, but there was no response. Gobeithio suddenly touched Merlin's arm with his head, startling the prince. The little tilted his head to one side, looking at Merlin as if he was confused.

"He passed out again, didn't he?" Gwaine asked. "He woke up moments later when you killed that dragon, Arthur. Don't worry."

"But this time it was all of them." Arthur mumbled. "All of them are dead now. No one can know what it did to him."

"He's still breathing." Gwaine pointed out, putting a hand on Arthur's shoulder. Then he turned to look at Morgause's body and realized the dagger was still in her stomach. "I'll get the dagger."

He ran towards Morgause just in time to see Morgana limping from the door that was partly hidden behind the pillars, looking at him with rage in her eyes. He quickly pulled out the dagger and ran back to Arthur, patting his back hurriedly. "We've got to go, Morgana's here." He said.

Arthur nodded and while Gwaine took Gobeithio into his arms, Arthur lifted Merlin up and with his head pressed against Arthur's chest, they both ran as fast as they could out of the courtyard.

They heard Morgana's loud cries and just as they left the castle and reached their horses. Then they heard the glass in the windows of the castle shattering. Morgana's sorrow was so strong and full of magic that she almost destroyed the entire courtyard.

But there was nothing she could do about it. Her sister was dead and she has lost the battle.

TBC

Spells I used:
- "Astrice" - means "I strike" and was used in episodes 1x13, 2x01 and 2x12.
- "Cume þoden! Gespurn peos haegtesse!" - "Cume boden" means "Come whirlwind" or according to Merlin Complete Guide: "I summon the wind". It was used by Merlin in 1x10 The Moment of Truth, when he created a whirlwind to save everyone. "Gespurn peos haegtesse!" means "Strike this witch!" and it's part of a spell Merlin used in 4x06 A Servant of Two Masters, to fight Morgana when he was old.
- "Forbærne yfel! Forbærne! Ácwele!" - "Forbærne yfel!" means "I burn you, moral evil!" and was used by Edwin in 1x06 A Remedy to Cure All Ills, when he put fire around Gaius. "Forbærne! Ácwele!" means "Burn up! Destroy!" and was used by Nimueh in 1x13 when she sent a fireball at Merlin.

Well, I hope you liked the chapter and enjoyed the magic fight! :D