The Sorcerer's Shadow
In a land of Myth and a time of magic,
The destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of two young people,
Their names,
Merlin and Mira-Liana
The day was fair and quiet as a young man by the name of Gillie made his way to Camelot, intending to take place in the tournament that was occurring in Camelot. At first glance, he seemed to be like anyone else nor did he seem like he'd be much in a fight, but Gillie had a secret. He possessed magic.
He was not afraid to use that same magic through his special silver ring, especially when two bandits laughed at him and tried to steal away his sword. He was determined to be stronger, to be better than he had ever been before and nothing would stop him from meeting his goal.
XXX
In Camelot, Arthur was making his way across the courtyard with Merlin and Mira-Liana at his side. The twins were less than pleased with this new tournament as it just seemed like another way for Arthur to get himself killed and that meant saving his royal backside—again.
They walked past several practicing competitors and the guards who were protecting the tournament's prize money.
"Did anyone think this tournament through?" asked Merlin. "A contest open to all comers and one hundred gold coins as a prize…I wonder what kind of people are going to turn up?"
"It's a tradition, you two," said Arthur. "The tournament has been held once every ten years for centuries. Nothing to worry about."
They then walked past a warrior who was practicing with a double-edged axe who used that blade to send the head flying off a training dummy.
Mira-Liana stared at her husband like he'd gone mad. "Tell me he can't use that in the contest!"
Arthur looked unfazed. "He can use whatever he likes, love. It's an open tournament."
"What about the Knights' Code?" she demanded.
"It counts for nothing. The only rule is there are no rules," said Arthur.
The twins groaned and shook their heads.
"No rules means we're going to have to save your skin—again," said Merlin, sighing.
Arthur just laughed as he headed off to train.
I swear I'll never understand the point of this kind of thing, said Mira-Liana. What does it prove that you're the last one standing when everyone gets the crap knocked out of them?
Your guess is as good as mine, said Merlin. We'd better be on watch. Someone will probably be out for Arthur's head and use the tournament as a cover.
Our work is never done, is it? said Mira-Liana.
Nope, said Merlin
XXX
Later that day, Merlin was dropping off Arthur's armor as a favor when the two who'd stolen Gillie's sword came in and mistook him for a servant.
"Why, it's not the Prince of Camelot," said the bearded man.
Merlin chuckled. "No, I'm just dropping off his armor as a favor."
"But you're not royal, are you?" said the bearded man, looking down on him. "I've always wanted a servant." He lifted his boot and put it on the table. "Here, clean them."
Merlin frowned. "I'm not the Prince's servant, nor yours. And you're commoners, which mean you have no authority over me."
He rose up. He was an extended member of the Royal Family and Arthur's Chief Advisor, and he did not have to put up with this. But the man was persistent.
"I don't care who you are, you're just as common as we are, so clean them!" he ordered.
"Stay where you are," said Gillie, appearing in the doorway.
The two men looked up at him.
"I see you've decided to join us after all," said the bearded man.
"I think you should put that down, sir," said Gillie, beckoning to the bearded man's whip.
The two men laughed and Merlin noticed the boy's ring on his finger.
"Did you hear that?" said the bearded man.
"I heard it," said the bald man.
Merlin decided to interfere. "I'm sorry, this is my fault. Leave the boy alone."
The two men just glared. "Stay out of this!" the bald man said.
"Let me hear you say it again," said the bearded man to Gillie. "I'm not hearing it."
"I've said what I've had to say," said Gillie.
The bearded man just undid his whip and then Gillie took advantage of both men's backs turned to magically grab a sword, and the bearded man lunged for him. Gillie managed to use his sword to stop the attack.
"Watch out!" yelled Merlin.
Merlin's warning proved to be helpful as Gillie used his sword to yank the whip away. "Now, get out!"
"Oh, you're going to pay for this!" he shouted.
He tried again to attack Gillie, but was stopped by the presence of a very angry Princess.
"WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?" roared Mira-Liana.
She looked positively furious as she stood in the doorway of the room.
"Your Majesty," said the two men, bowing. "We were just—"
"I've got a clear idea of what you were doing! You were harassing and attacking my brother, who is an extended member of the Royal Family and my husband's Chief Advisor, as well this gentleman who tried get you two to back off," she snarled.
The two men backed up in fear as Merlin snickered.
"Such behavior will not be tolerated! You will leave my brother and this gentleman alone and you will not bother anyone else for the duration of your stay in Camelot, or I'll know and then I'll see that you're both disqualified from the tournament and then flogged! Is that understood?" said Mira-Liana.
The two men nodded and bowed again. "Yes, Your Highness," they said.
"Good," she said. "Now get out of my sight before I change my mind."
The two men immediately left, leaving Merlin, Mira-Liana and Gillie alone.
"Thanks for the warning," said Gillie, as he put the sword away. He bowed at Mira-Liana. "And thanks for stepping in as you did, Your Majesty."
"It's us who should be grateful," said Merlin.
"I appreciate you defending my brother," said Mira-Liana.
"It's all right, I've already had a run-in with those two," said Gillie.
"You have?" said Merlin.
He nodded. "Yeah, I know what it's like to be picked on."
"Well, still, thank you," said Mira-Liana. "I'm Mira-Liana and this is my twin brother, Merlin."
He smiled as he shook their hands. "I'm Gillie. It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise," said Merlin. "Well, we have to go, but we'll see you around. Good luck in the tournament."
Gillie nodded and the twins left.
XXX
At dinner that night, Agravain was present which was not pleasant for those who knew his little secrets. It was quite unpleasant when Agravain decided to bait Uther by discussing the tournament.
"Remind me again how many times you've won the tournament, Uther?" he asked.
"Three," said Uther.
"That's a lot to live up to, Arthur," teased Mira-Liana.
Arthur shot her a look as he sipped his wine. "Indeed."
"I believe I heard of your last victory. Word reached my father's kingdom of your fantastical feat," said Agravain. "You were a master in the arena. It's a shame I won't get to see it first hand."
Uther smirked. "Who says you won't, old friend?"
"I thought you said you were too old to take the field," said Morgana, trying to defuse the situation.
Everyone exchanged uneasy looks. Agravain was baiting Uther and the poor fool was taking it like a fish to water. Having Uther competing would be dangerous as there was the very likely possibility that Arthur would have to fight his own father, something he didn't want to do.
"It's not age that stops me, I'll still prove to be a match for anyone," said Uther.
"Well, we won't be finding out," said Arthur, without thinking.
Uther stared. "Why ever not?"
"Because I don't want you getting hurt," said Arthur.
Uther just laughed.
"Do you think you could still win the contest?" said Agravain.
"The kingdom needs him to rule, not to fight," said Arthur, quickly.
It was the wrong thing to say as Uther seemed even more determined to fight.
"Do you think I can't do both?" he asked.
"Well, you're not as young as you used to be," said Morgana.
"Besides, your company would be enjoyed in the stands," said Mira-Liana.
"We shall see," said Uther.
"As you wish, sire," said Merlin.
Arthur didn't look pleased as he rose up from the dinner table. "Well, if you'll excuse me. I must prepare for the tournament. Merlin, Ana, would you care to help me."
They immediately obeyed and followed him to his bedchambers where he sank down into his chair with a groan.
"Oh, that was a disaster," he moaned.
"Indeed," said Merlin. "What're you going to do?"
"I don't know what to do," said Arthur. "Except hope he doesn't get choose to fight, because if he does, he'll get himself hurt or worse, killed."
"We won't allow that to happen," said Mira-Liana. "If we need to, we'll protect him like we've protected you."
"Everything will be fine, we promise," said Merlin.
XXX
The following morning was the day of the tournament.
It was a large gathering, just like all the other tournaments but the number of competitors was even larger than ever because of the nature of the tournament.
Arthur was with the twins as he finished his preparations. He was fully dressed in his chainmail and armor and was armed with his weapons.
"How're you feeling?" asked Mira-Liana.
"Confident," he replied.
"Are you sure?" asked Merlin. "Because last time this tournament was held, three people died on the first day."
"Merlin."
"And on the second day…"
"Merlin!" barked Arthur. "Shut up!"
"Sorry," said Merlin.
Arthur sighed. "Look, I know you two are worried, but don't be. I can handle myself and if things get bad, you'll make sure I don't get killed. Everything will be fine, I promise."
Mira-Liana nodded as she kissed him. "It had better be. Good luck. I love you."
Arthur returned her kiss. "I love you too."
XXX
The trumpets were trumpeting as everyone rose up as Mira-Liana took her place beside Merlin in the stands. She was antsy as she'd only just found out she had another task to do due to Uther's split-second decision. She had to open the tournament.
She met her subjects from where she stood in the stands and smiled, which silenced the cheering crowd.
"It's my pleasure," she said, her clear voice ringing out. "To welcome you all to Camelot. This is a contest like no other. It is open to all comers, including our reigning champion, the King."
The trumpets went off again as Uther joined the crowd of competitors, fully dressed and armed, much to Arthur's shock and horror.
"There are no rules, no weapons are banned," said Mira-Liana. "The last man standing takes the prize. Let the tournament begin!"
The crowd cheered again as the tournament started.
The first two matches were brutal and ended quickly. Uther won the first battle against a man with a mace, Arthur won the second against a man swinging two blades, and the bearded man who'd harassed Merlin killed a foreign knight by cutting his head off.
But no one cheered for the bearded man's victory, he was only booed upon.
It then came to be Gillie's turn against a fur-wearing barbarian. He barely managed to block or dodge the man's blows, before the barbarian got his sword stuck in one of the stands.
Gillie then took a chance to use a spell to make the barbarian's sword sink in further and his magic didn't go unnoticed by the twins.
Gillie then knocked the man down from behind and secured himself a victory.
Merlin, did you see that? asked Mira-Liana.
I did, said Merlin. It appears our little friend's using magic to cheat.
XXX
After informing the others of what they had seen, the twins fetched Gaius and went to meet Gillie when the tournament ended for the day.
"Gillie!" said Mira-Liana.
Gillie looked up and then bowed. "Your Highness," he said.
"Well, that was a fine victory," said Gaius.
Gillie nodded, but continued walking.
"That wound will need treating," said Gaius, pointing to Gillie's arm wound.
Gillie shook his head. "No, it'll be all right."
"Gillie, this is our uncle, Gaius, the Court Physician," said Merlin. "He'll be more than happy to mend your wound. No charge whatsoever."
"Pleasure to meet you," said Gillie. He covered his wound. "But really, it's just a nick, I'm fine. Excuse me."
And with that, he walked off.
"He's using magic," said Mira-Liana.
"I know," said Gaius. "I suspected as much. His ring bears the mark of the Old Religion. Such rings are very rare, but they act as a conduit, a channel for magical powers."
"So, he does have magic like us?" said Merlin.
Gaius nodded. "He doesn't quite have your levels of power, you two. But to wield a ring like that, he must have considerable gifts."
They frowned.
"Well, he's braver than us, using magic in front of all those people, but still it's a huge risk," said Mira-Liana.
"Indeed," said Gaius, in agreement. "Is he brave or stupid? If Uther finds out, he'll have him killed."
"We're going to have to keep an eye on him," said Merlin. "If he's like some of the others we've faced, he might try and kill Uther or Arthur in the tournament."
XXX
Not even half an hour later, the warning bells went off and the twins found themselves with Uther and Gaius back up at the castle, examining a freshly-made scorch mark on a door.
"It's sorcery," said Uther. "There's no other explanation."
"You mustn't jump to conclusions, sire," said Gaius.
"What other explanation could there be?" demanded Uther. "The guards reported seeing an unnatural bright light. Its heat so intense, they could feel it at the end of the corridor. The scorch marks would appear to support their story."
"But they appear to have been there for some time," said Mira-Liana, as she gave Merlin a mental nudge.
At his sister's nudge, Merlin spotted Gillie's ring on the floor and quickly scooped it up before Uther could see it.
"Did the guards get a good look at this man?" asked Merlin.
"No, it was too dark," said Uther.
"How unfortunate," said Gaius. "But we see no evidence of magic."
Uther made a face. "But there appears to be a strange odor. How do you explain that?"
"It's coming from the grain store, there," lied Gaius, pointing down the hall. "It's ale cost, they brew it."
Thankfully, Uther accepted this explanation and walked off as the three of them headed to Gaius's chambers where Mordred was making healing potions for the competitors in the tournament. He knew of what had happened, having been told by the twins.
"It was clearly Gillie, judging by the scorch mark and strange odor," said Gaius.
"No doubt of it." Merlin held out the ring. "This was on the floor. He must've dropped it when the guards saw him."
"But what did he even do?" asked Mira-Liana.
"I think I know," said Gaius. "There's an old healing spell. It's crude, but it works."
"You have to heat the skin, it conjugates the blood and then it cauterizes the wound," said Mordred, as he bottled up a potion.
"Gillie's shoulder?" guessed Mira-Liana. She shuddered. Gille's healing method seemed to be a little too crude.
Gaius nodded.
"Well, no wonder he didn't want any treatment," said Merlin.
"You'll have to talk to him before it's too late," said Gaius.
They sighed.
"Let's hope he'll listen," said Mira-Liana.
"If anyone can knock sense into him, it'll be you two," said Mordred.
XXX
It was pouring rain and dark out by the time the twins found Gillie. He was in room at the Rising Sun tavern. They knocked on his door.
"Who is it?" said Gillie, sounding frightened.
They went inside.
"It's okay, it's just us," said Merlin.
Gillie looked relieved. "Hi. What brings you here?"
"We came to see about your arm," said Mira-Liana.
"It's a lot better, thank you," said Gillie.
"Can we have a look?" asked Merlin.
"It's fine. There's nothing to see," said Gillie.
They just nodded, not the least bit surprised by Gillie's behavior. He seemed wary of them and why shouldn't he be? He was a practitioner in Camelot where such acts were forbidden on pain of death and they held positions in the Royal Family.
"The way you fought earlier was incredible," said Mira-Liana.
Gillie smiled as he nodded. "Thank you."
"For someone of your size to defeat a man like that…" Merlin's cheerful tone faded. "Surely a lot of people are going to think you were using magic."
The twins gazed at Gillie's frightened face.
"You can rest easy, Gillie. We're not going to tell Uther," said Mira-Liana.
Gillie still looked scared. "I'm not using magic."
There was a moment's silence before Merlin held up Gillie's missing ring, not failing to notice the look on the poor boy's face.
"You don't have to fear us," said Merlin. He gazed at the ring. "It bears the mark of the Old Religion." He tossed the ring to Gillie who quickly caught it and put it on his finger with a sigh of relief.
"Where did you get it from?" asked Mira-Liana.
Gillie rose up. "My father," he said. "He left it to me."
"Did he have the same powers as you?" asked Merlin.
Gillie nodded. "He was a gifted man, but he would not touch magic. He vowed never to use it, he feared it. He wouldn't even let me talk about it."
The twins were intrigued and puzzled by this. Why would a practitioner fear the magic he'd been born with? It didn't make much sense.
"Why did he fear it?" asked Mira-Liana.
"He was scared Uther would find out," said Gillie, softly. "He was scared the King would discover he was a sorcerer. Even when he was attacked, he had three men on him, he wouldn't use it."
The twins sighed at thought of another family destroyed by Uther's blinded hatred and fear of magic. They knew the pain all too well as their own father had been driven away because of Uther and they'd grown up without a father's love and guidance.
"Is that how he died?" asked Merlin.
Gillie nodded and then looked determined. "I'm not going to be like him."
"Because you want to be proud of who you are?" asked Mira-Liana.
Gillie frowned at them. "What's with all these questions?"
The twins stood up, both serious and concerned.
"You remind us of someone," said Merlin.
Gillie frowned again, but this time he looked curious. "Who?"
"You saved my life and now we're trying to save yours," said Merlin. "You need to withdraw from the tournament."
Gillie refused. "It's an open competition. You're supposed to use whatever skills you have."
"Fighting skills," said Mira-Liana. "But you're not a swordsman or a gladiator. Fighting isn't your talent, magic is your talent."
Gillie stared at them. "Then why can't I use it?"
"Because it's banned," said Merlin.
"Without magic I'm a nobody," said Gillie. "People think they can kick dirt in my face. You can't begin to know what that's like. You have power, influence, wealth, people can see you for who you are. You don't know what it's like to be a nobody."
"You're not a nobody and we do know what it feels like," said Mira-Liana, frustrated. "We weren't born into our positions. We were commoners once. But things changed for us. You're not a nobody. You're special."
"If things can change for you, then let me try and change my life," said Gillie. "If I am special, then let me prove that, please."
They sighed in irritation. Their words had fallen upon deaf ears.
"If you continue to use magic here, you will be caught and Uther will have you executed, whether we tell him or not about your secret," said Merlin. "Think about what we've said."
They left Gillie alone.
XXX
The tournament continued on the next day and it was just as brutal, if not more than yesterday. But it seemed only to please the crowd as their cheers grew increasingly louder.
Uther and Arthur were doing extremely well; they kept defeating their opponents and winning each and every one of their fights, much to everyone's pleasure. But with their victories came a heavy price—Arthur was going to have to face Uther in the semifinals, something he did not want in the slightest.
Agravain seemed to be particularly eager for the father-son battle that would occur the next day, as he hoped one or the other, or even both would be slain in the fight. Not that he said so aloud.
Gillie, much to the twins' disapproval, had clearly decided to ignore their advice and not withdraw as they saw him fighting against the bearded man from before. The fight escalated quickly as the bearded man was savage and then his bald friend grabbed Gillie when he was pinned at the stands so the bearded man could stab him.
Before Gillie could be slain, he used a spell to send the bearded man flying and then head-butted the bald man and went back into the fight where he quickly slew the bearded man.
The twins gazed upon Gillie's horrified face as the crowd cheered him on.
As soon as they had a moment, the twins went looking for Gillie and found him sitting alone in the armory. He seemed to be either in shock or lost, they couldn't tell which.
"Gillie, you alright?" asked Merlin.
Gillie shook his head. "I don't know. I've never killed a man before. I just wanted to feel what it was like to be, respected." He shook his head. "But this…I'm not a killer. This isn't me."
Mira-Liana sat beside him. "Here, drink this. It'll help with the shock," she said, handing him a potion. "Drink it."
Gillie obeyed her and drank the potion.
"Have either of you ever…?"
"Yes," said Merlin, nodded. Although what they had done had been in either self-defense or in the defense of Camelot and their loved ones, it made little difference. "There've been a few times when we've had to kill to protect those we loved. We felt the same way you do right now. Killing takes a toll on the conscious. It doesn't get much easier."
"You need to withdraw, Gillie," said Mira-Liana.
Gillie nodded. "I'm going to." He rose up. "Thanks for the potion. I'll see you later."
He left the armory.
Do you think he'll stay true to his word? asked Merlin.
If he's got any sense, he will, said Mira-Liana. If not, we'll have to come up with another plan. We can't let him kill Uther or Arthur.
Agreed, said Merlin. I really hope he'll do as he says.
XXX
That night, Arthur was in a bad moon as he was dreading tomorrow's fight. He and the twins were having a private dinner in his bedchambers.
"Did you get Gillie to withdraw?" he asked.
"He says he will, but that's if he keeps his word," said Mira-Liana. She gazed at him. "You don't look well. Do you want a massage?"
"Yes, please," he said, gratefully.
He then took off his shirt before lying face down on the bed. He let out a satisfied groan as Mira-Liana massaged his back and he closed his eyes in contentment. He was stiff and sore from the past few fights and she seemed to make it all better.
"You're worried about tomorrow, aren't you?" asked Merlin.
"How can I not be?" asked Arthur. "What do I do? If I fight my father tomorrow, the way I can, I'll show him up; I'll humiliate him in front of his people. Or worse, I could wound him or even kill him."
"If he's anything like you, he won't back down, will he?" asked Mira-Liana.
"He's determined to prove himself," said Merlin. He grimaced. "I think you have to let him win."
Arthur sighed as he buried his face in his pillow. "I think you're right," he said. "But when he does win, he's going to be gloating and I'll never hear the end of it. Ahh! How do I end up in these situations?"
"I think it's best we don't answer that," said Mira-Liana, chuckling as she shared a glance with Merlin.
XXX
The following morning was the third day of the tournament. The trumpeters were trumpeting and to the crowd, it all seemed like great fun, but not to everyone.
Arthur was all set to put up a decent fight and then let his father win, unwilling to risk injuring or killing his father in the battle.
Father and son faced each other on the battlefield, quite calm and prepared for what lay ahead of them.
"Good luck," said Arthur.
"And you," said Uther. "You'll need it."
"I wouldn't be so sure, Father," said Arthur.
They were then given their shields.
"When I was your age, I conquered Camelot. I didn't inherit this kingdom, I won it," said Uther. "One day you'll be strong enough to take my crown, but not yet."
And with that, they began their battle.
There was an exchange of blocks and hits, but neither gained an advantage. Arthur backed off a little when he thought he was being too harsh and did the honorable thing of allowing his father to regain himself before they circled each other like wolves.
"Do you need a breather, Father?" said Arthur, trying to taunt him. He pretended to toy with him and be relentless with his blows as he knocked Uther to the ground. "As I once said, you need to sort out your footwork."
Uther didn't reply, he just got back onto his feet while he swung his sword. He staggered a little, which made Arthur pause as he watched Uther remove his helmet.
Wanting to be fair and honorable, Arthur did the same. They continued their fight and Arthur was cornered into a railing. He dodged another blow and then he purposely loosened his grip on his sword and allowed Uther to disarm him and he was quickly defeated.
Arthur accepted Uther's help to stand as the people cheered and then Uther gave them a salute as Arthur walked off the battlefield.
The twins met up with Arthur.
"Well done," said Merlin.
Mira-Liana cupped Arthur's face. "You did the right thing. We're proud of you."
Arthur nodded. "If he wasn't my father…" he cut himself off as he kissed her and then walked back up to the castle.
Gaius came up beside them. "Uther's made it to the finals. I think you should know who he's fighting."
Curious, they gazed at the battlefield only to have their blood run cold as rage filled them. Gillie was fighting the other finalist. He looked cocky and confident as he faced his opponent.
They could wager a guess as to what had happened—Gillie had let his ego go to his head when he returned to the tavern and allowed his arrogant confidence and foolish behavior to override his common sense.
The fight grew steadily worse as when Gillie was on the ground, he used a spell to knock down his opponent. Gillie had an advantage for a few moments before he was forced back onto the ground again. His own sword was nearly at his throat before he used another spell, this time to make the man's weapon grow hot and then Gillie used this to win the match.
His opponent was not dead, but badly injured and was rushed to Gaius's chambers for medical treatment.
XXX
Gillie's opponent would survive, but it was unclear for sure if he would remember Gillie's blatant use of magic. The twins persuaded Gaius to not tell Uther about Gillie as they wanted to try talking to him one more time as Gaius had taught them what magic was for and had given them the opportunity to become the people they were today.
They had to give Gillie the same chance. They to get some sense knocked into him. Gillie was using magic for personal gain and it was corrupting him. They had to stop him and protect Uther, but that did not mean they would hand him over to be executed. If they had to, they would interfere in the battle.
They found Gillie in the tavern, helping himself to drinks and bragging about his victories to the people in the tavern. But he immediately stopped when he saw the twins' murderous looks on their faces. He took them to his room where they shut and locked the door.
"What's this about?" he asked.
"Your opponent," said Merlin. "We thought you might like to know how he is."
"Is he all right?"
"Gaius thinks he'll pull through, but he might not have been so lucky," said Mira-Liana.
"It could've been me that got injured," said Gillie.
"We thought you weren't going to fight!" said Merlin.
Gillie just held out his arms. "You've seen the way people are now. They're showing me respect. Do you know what that's like?"
"Of course we do," said Mira-Liana. "But we got to where we are because we made good choices. Not because we did things so stupid as cheating in tournaments like you are!"
Gille glared. "I was wrong, you don't know what it's like. No one does."
The twins sighed before sharing a look.
Do we dare tell him? asked Mira-Liana.
I don't think we have a choice. It might be the only way he comes to his senses, said Merlin.
"Gillie, we're going to let in on a little secret. Something only a few trusted family members and friends know," said Mira-Liana.
Ignoring the confused look on Gillie's face, they joined hands and whispered, "Forbearno."
In their outreaching palms were tiny pyres of fire, flickering away and not causing any damage to their hands. Gillie said nothing as he gazed upon them in shock as tears came to his eyes.
"Before we found others who shared in our little secret and people who accepted us for what we are, we were just as alone as you," said Merlin.
"It can be difficult to be more powerful than anyone you know and have to live like a shadow, to be special and not have people know just how special," said Mira-Liana.
"Uther and the rest of Camelot may see us as the Prince's Chief Advisor and the Princess of Camelot, but they have no idea of what we've done, how strong we really are," said Merlin. "We know how it feels, we understand."
Gillie nodded. "Then you understand why I have to fight," he said. "If Uther is killed, so what? How many of our kind have died at his hands? How many more will? It's time those with magic fought back!"
They shook their heads. They had faced the same questions, the same situation more times than they cared to count. Uther was a problem, but they could not kill him. Murdering him, allowing him to die would accomplish nothing and it would make them no better than he was.
"Gillie," said Mira-Liana, but she was cut off.
"You may be people of power, but you can't tell me what to do!" he yelled.
"Gillie, you need to learn to use your magic for good!" shouted Merlin. "That is its true purpose! It's not meant for your own vanity!"
"I'm not going to apologize for who I am!" yelled Gillie. "You can stand at Uther's side and pretend you're less than him, but I'm not going to do that!"
They shook their heads as tears came to their eyes too.
"No, that's not what we do!" said Mira-Liana.
"No? You're defending the King! Protecting a man who would see you both dead if he knew what you were, what you could do!"
"WE'RE PROTECTING YOU!" yelled Merlin.
But Gillie, being the stubborn fool that he was, refused to listen. Their words fell upon deaf ears. "The two of you have been pretending for so long now, that you've actually forgotten who you are."
They shook their heads again. How could they forget who they were? Every day, every battle, everyone who knew of them, every situation similar to this was a clear reminder. There was no way for them to forget.
"That's not true," said Mira-Liana.
"Isn't it? It's time someone struck a blow for the likes of you and me, and if you're too weak, then I will," said Gille.
Their faces hardened.
"Then hear this: we will do what we think is right if we need to," said Merlin.
He and Mira-Liana left Gillie alone.
XXX
That night, they ran into the clearing and summoned the dragon, in desperate need of advice as while they had an idea of what they had to do, Gillie's words had still struck them and they needed some form of help.
Kilgarrah appeared just as predicted.
"I had thought the two of you had forgotten me," he said.
They laughed.
"No chance of that," said Mira-Liana.
"The problem is, you two, you wish to talk, but you do not wish to listen," said Kilgarrah. "As I recall, last time you ignored my advice and still saved the man who cost us our fathers."
"We know, but we didn't have a choice," said Merlin. "Arthur's time wasn't at hand and killing Uther would only make us like him."
Kilgarrah nodded as he took that into consideration. "You make a very good point," he said. "So, what reason do you have for summoning me this time?"
"You're a creature of magic, just like we are and only a creature of magic could begin to understand," said Mira-Liana. "Uther is to fight a young sorcerer in the tournament tomorrow."
"Gaius wants us to prevent him from using magic, but if we do that, then there's the chance that he'll die," said Merlin.
"Your choice is a hard one, Young Dragonlord and Dragonlady," said Kilgarrah. "Yet you, like I must hope that Arthur will bring about a new age, an age where you and I are respected once again. Arthur knows of your secrets, but if Camelot sees its king slain by magic, perhaps not even Arthur could bring about the golden age of which is spoken of in the prophecies. And I sense there is more to this than you are letting on. Something that is troubling you both greatly?"
They nodded.
"Gillie, the sorcerer, said we'd been hiding for so long that we'd forgotten who we really are," said Merlin.
"And you wonder if he's right. He is not. His words about the two of you forgetting who you really are could not be farther from the truth," said Kilgarrah, soothingly. "While you do not make it a point to declare to the world of what you are, you have not forgotten it. As it is seen in everything you do and how you act."
They were touched.
"Thank you," said Mira-Liana. "But what should we do?"
"To see one of your kin die is never an easy thing, but all great struggles demanded sacrifice," said Kilgarrah. He looked regretful. "I am sorry, you two, I wish I had some words to help you, but in the end you must follow your hearts and do what you believe to be right."
The twins nodded as they sighed.
"Some choices are easy, and some stay with you forever," said Merlin.
Kilgarrah nodded.
The twins thanked him for his help and as he took off, they headed back to the castle.
They knew what they had to do.
XXX
The following morning came the final day of the tournament. Uther was going to fight Gillie, unaware of the danger he was in, but would soon be out of as Merlin and Mira-Liana had no intention of allowing Gillie to win the battle. They took their places in the stands beside Arthur and Morgana.
Uther raised his blade in salute at Gillie. "For glory!" he said.
Gillie raised his blade too. "For glory."
And with that, they fought one another.
Uther quickly managed to disarm Gillie and nearly struck him with his sword before Gillie used a spell to make the King get his sword stuck in the ground.
Gillie then regained his sword and lunged for Uther, just as the twins grabbed hands and silently used a spell of their own to make Gillie lose his shield.
Gillie glanced at them and he immediately knew what they'd done, but there was no regret in their eyes as they gave him a very cool look.
Uther and Gillie continued their fight when Uther's sword became unstuck. Gillie was disobeying the number one rule about fighting: never attack in anger. His anger made him blind and vulnerable as Uther managed to pin him down, but then Gillie used another spell, this time to make Uther lose his sword.
Uther then found himself trapped as he was forced to keep his shield up as Gillie kept striking at him with vehemence and rage until he finally knocked Uther down.
Arthur rose up, but Mira-Liana made him sit back down.
We won't let him die, my love, she told him. Just watch.
Gillie struck his sword into Uther's shield and it would've killed him had Merlin and Mira-Liana not made the sword become stuck in the shield, saving Uther's life.
Try as he might, Gillie could not free his sword and then Uther shoved Gillie and the shield off of him, knocking Gillie onto the ground. Both men took advantage of this. Uther tried to regain his sword while Gillie grabbed his shield and as he did so, he caught the twins' eyes as they shook their heads.
He barely managed to defend himself from Uther before being knocked down and had the King's sword at his throat. But instead of killing the boy, Uther allowed him to live and then saluted his subjects as he was declared the winner of the tournament.
Arthur looked especially relieved as he joined in the applause and then mouthed, "Thank you," to the twins, as they rose up to meet with Gillie.
XXX
They found Gillie in his room at the inn, packing up his things.
"Gillie, we're sorry, but we had no other choice," said Mira-Liana.
"You did what you had to do," said Gillie. "And you betrayed your kind."
"No, that was you," said Merlin. "You betrayed us. You'd won, but you were going to kill the King anyway. There's no honor in that."
Gillie just stared as he sat down.
"You said it yourself, you're better than this," said Mira-Liana, as she and Merlin sat across from him. "Magic is not to be used for fighting like this. It's not meant to bring you glory. If you want respect, you have to earn it without magic like we did."
Gillie looked thoughtful. "I never understood my father. I thought that he was afraid of magic, but he wasn't. He was afraid of what it could do, how it can corrupt." He smiled. "I know now that he was strong, stronger than I could ever be."
The twins smiled.
"You have it within you to be strong, Gillie," said Merlin. "It's not always easy to do it, but in the end it's worth it. Believe us."
Gillie nodded as he slung his bag over his shoulder and smiled at them. "I'm sorry for what I did and said. I hope one day, I can be like you."
They rose up just as he did.
"We know it doesn't seem like it now, but one day magic will be permitted once again," said Mira-Liana.
"And when that day arrives, you'll no longer have to hide who you are. Your gifts will be recognized. We'll be free," said Merlin, smiling. "Maybe then our paths will cross again."
Gillie nodded. "I hope so."
"Oh, they will," said Mira-Liana. "We're kin, after all."
"Kin," said Gillie, as they shook hands.
The twins saw Gillie as far as the gate to the city, silently wondering if they really would ever see the boy again.
XXX
Dinner that night was a large feast to celebrate Uther's victory in tournament. Agravain was present once again, but everyone was in a good mood over the end of the tournament, so it was fine.
Uther was talking about his fight with Gillie as he sat down. "I thought that boy was going to kill me, but suddenly the old fighting spirit kicked in. I became one with the sword and my feet moved just right."
"And now you're champion once again, old friend," said Agravain. "This time I actually got to see it." He gave Arthur. "Maybe you could give your son a few lessons."
Arthur looked irritated, but said nothing as Mira-Liana gave his hand a comforting squeeze under the table.
Uther sipped his wine before speaking. "It was I who learned a great deal from our fight."
The twins smiled as Agravain looked puzzled.
"I fail to see what," he said.
"He's a far better warrior than you think," said Uther. "It is Arthur who should've claimed the prize."
Agravain gave a soft chuckle. "Yet, sadly he wasn't good enough."
Uther smiled. "Only because he threw the fight, so that I might save face.
The twins were surprised as Arthur nearly choked on his wine as he put down his goblet and stared at his father as Uther glanced at him knowingly.
"You knew?" he said, stunned.
Uther nodded. "I have followed your progress with a sword since you were a boy. I know your abilities better than anyone. I'm eternally grateful," he said, smiling. "I hope that when you are King and your own son, Merrick, is grown, he will afford you the same honor."
"If Merrick's anything like his father, he most certainly will," said Mira-Liana, smiling.
"Indeed," said Uther. "The most satisfying outcome of this tournament was that Arthur's actions have shown me that he is now truly ready to be King."
"A toast then," said Merlin, raising his goblet. "To you both."
Everyone raised their glasses and shared in that toast, feeling quite happy.
There had been difficult choices made in the past few days, but in the end their hard work had paid off and for the moment, everything was all right in the world and that was just fine.