CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The chains were the only thing holding Kilgarah to Camelot. Uther's chains. How he hated the self righteous king. He always thought he was right when it came to sorcery and in reality, he knew very little about the old religion.
Kilgarah waited patiently for Merlin to keep his promise for the second time and return with the enchanted sword.
Kilgarah had learned to be patient, he had been locked up here for who knew how long, he could wait a little longer but the taste of freedom was hard to resist.
A noise, footsteps, and Merlin appeared sword in hand.
Kilgarah breathed a silent sigh of relief.
"You returned."
Merlin just looked at him.
"I gave you my word didn't I?"
The great dragon nodded and watched as Merlin took to the steps that lead down to the massive chains.
He stared at the metal for a very long time before looking up at Kilgarah with suspicion.
"Once I set you free, where will you go?"
"That's enough questions I think. You gave me your word, now please." He snapped irritably.
An uneasy feeling was forming in the pit of Merlin's stomach and he swallowed as he raised the sword and brought it down hard on the chains.
The magic that was embedded in the sword snapped the metal in half and Kilgarah roared as he flew from the rock he had sat on all these years.
Merlin jumped back and watched the gigantic wings unfold before him as he took off into the night sky.
Within seconds, the screaming started...
Morgana awoke with a start and looked to the window where a long, trail of fire could be seen aimed at the courtyard.
Her eyes widened and she jumped from her bed, pulling on her boots and robe and sheathing the small dagger at her side. She left the chamber and ran to find Gwen. She still cared for her maid after all.
She met her just as she had run from her chamber.
Gwen let out a breath of relief as she saw Morgana.
"Morgana! What is happening?!" She cried.
Morgana held her shoulders, trying to keep her maid's panic under control.
"I'm not sure but whatever it is we must remain strong."
Gwen nodded and Morgana urged her to follow her to the throne room. It was big, with a sturdy roof, surely they would be safe there.
Suddenly, Gwen stopped.
"Arthur! I've got to warn him!"
And she turned and ran.
"Gwen! No!" But her cry fell on deaf ears and she was out of sight.
For a split second, she thought of Uther and then banished her concern for him.
Her next thought was of Merlin and she found her feet taking her to Gaius's chambers.
She burst through the door and found Giaus staring out of his little window.
"Giaus! Where's Merlin?"
He shook his head and she saw the worry in his eyes.
"I'm not sure, he went out earlier tonight and he has not come back."
Morgana turned and grabbed a sword from the table that Merlin had had to polish for Arthur before tomorrow.
"Where are you going?" Giaus asked her.
"To find Merlin."
She went out into the courtyard and saw every single knight of Camelot armed and waiting for the danger.
Blockades had been put up to stop anymore harm, and people were running from their homes to the safety of the palace.
A loud roar rang out above and she looked up to see a great red dragon breathing fire and destroying everything in it's path. She was in awe of it, she had never seen a dragon before. But she had to focus, Merlin was still out there somewhere and she had to find him. The pain in her chest would not go away unless she she did.
She ran forward to the armory and almost jumped down the steps into the room that was normally filled with weapons.
"Merlin?!"
Nothing. She backed out of the armory and ran to the stables, maybe he was being a coward and was hiding amongst the horses.
She ran through hay and something else that felt quiet soft under foot but she forced herself to ignore it.
"Merlin?!" She called out. No answer.
Maybe he thought she was trying to kill him again, she was brandishing a sword after all and she should have listened to Morgause; kill him and he will not be a problem for her. So why was she trying to find him now?
She ignored the question and ran from the stables back into the courtyard.
Men were shouting all around her and one was even calling to her to go back inside. She turned her back and decided to check the lower town, it was the only other place apart from the palace that he could be and knowing Merlin, he would not be in the palace when he could have gone to Giaus.
People were running and getting in her way, she pushed her way through and called for Merlin over and over.
She stopped and found a boy trapped in his home by a large wooden beam that had fallen. It was then that he appeared and grabbed the boy from the burning house.
He knelt and the mother came running over, thanking Merlin and hugging her son. Merlin smiled and looked up.
He stopped smiling when he saw Morgana holding a sword.
"You're going to take this oppurtunity to kill me now? When a dragon is loose?"
She frowned at him.
"No, I came here to find you!" She called over the roar of the people and the dragon as it circled Camelot.
He stared at her with confusion marring his features.
"Giaus was worried! I had to come for you!"
Merlin took a step towards her and he saw a glimmer of the Morgana he used to know.
"Are you lying?" He questioned.
She looked apalled.
"No! We need to get back to Camelot! People are dying!"
He still refused to move and she threw down her weapon at his feet.
"For once, I'm willing to put differences aside, to call a truce untill the dragon is stopped, I give you my word, this is not a game."
Merlin stared at her and made up his mind with a slight nod.
He would have to trust her, just this once.
He picked up the sword and handed it back to her. She took it and ran back with him to the palace.
More fires had broken out and the dragon was relentless.
"There's no stopping it." Morgana said as she paused to look up into the sky.
Merlin shook his head.
"It's a creature of magic."
Morgana lowered her voice.
"Is there anything you can do?"
Merlin's blue eyes remained on the creature as he shook his head and his lips set into a grim line.
"No... the only person that can stop a dragon is a dragon Lord."
Morgana frowned.
She had never heard of a dragon lord before.
She looked at the palace and knew that she had to find Gwen.
"Come on, we need to find Gwen and Giaus and get them to safety."
Merlin found himself becoming more puzzled by her as the night wore on.
"Why is it so important to you? I thought you wanted the destruction of Camelot."
A cold grin played across her lips and the evil Morgana returned once again.
"No, I want to rule Camelot and I cannot do that if there is no kingdom to rule now can I?"
He bit back a retort and followed her back inside the palace.
Just before they got to the doors, the dragon made a snap decision and dove straight for Morgana.
Merlin shouted to her and she turned.
Kilgarah's claws would have ripped her to shreads had Merlin not baralled into her and knocked her out of the way.
She looked up at him in shock and he quickly moved off of her.
She only nodded her thanks and then went inside to get to Giaus.
Merlin followed her closely as she burst into the physician's chambers, sword drawn and was relieved to see Gwen there.
"Merlin!" Giaus shouted.
Merlin smiled at his guardian and Giaus gave Morgana a slight nod which she returned and then went to see Gwen.
"Gwen, did you find Arthur?"
She nodded and tears filled her brown eyes.
She had always suspected that her maid had feelings for the prince and now she was more convinced then ever.
She risked a glance at Merlin who was also looking at her. She frowned and turned back to Gwen, trying to keep her mind on something else besides the warlock standing a few feet from her.
"He went with the other knights to fight the dragon, Morgana. I don't think he will be able to kill it with only swords. If magic made it, magic should kill it."
Merlin heard what Gwen said and clenched his fists at his sides.
He didn't think that Kilgarah would do this but just because he was a dragon did not mean that he should be killed, surely.
Morgana nodded in agreement but being a magical person herself, she also didn't think it was fair to kill the creature. It had not killed anyone yet, just mostly destroyed homes and set things ablaze. But then, why did it swoop down on her?
She shook her head and focused on Gwen again.
"Arthur will be fine, Gwen, you have seen him fight. He is one of the best, have faith in him."
Gwen nodded and wiped the tears from under her eyes.
Giaus had been telling Merlin that only a dragon Lord could control a dragon and the last one he knew of was dead.
He had been an outsider and he had been running from Uther for a very long time but they found him and killed him without a fair trial but that wasn't the part that struck Merlin.
The last dragon Lord had been his father.
Giaus told Merlin that if his father had the ability then maybe Merlin did too, it was just a matter of finding it deep within himself and call forward the ancient language that only the dragons understood and listened to.
Merlin promised that he would try as they had no other choice but the hurt from not knowing his father was also eating Merlin up, but he pushed that aside to focus on the task at hand.
Giaus warned him not to tell Morgana, she already had enough on him that she could use to bring him to his knees.
Merlin went into his room and pulled up the floor board that hid his spell book.
He sat on his bed and flipped through it. He tried a few more books that Giaus had put in his room and he was just about to open one when his door opened and he dropped the book, kicking it under his bed.
Morgana stopped with a gloved hand on the door.
She had changed into her fighting clothes, complete with chain mail and black leather boots plus a metal guard that circled her stomach.
Her brow creased as she frowned slightly at Merlin.
"What are you doing in here?"
He shrugged and shook his head.
"Nothing. Just thinking."
She nodded but he could tell that she didn't believe him.
Before he could stop her, she dropped to her knees and grabbed the book from under his bed.
She frowned at the title.
"'Dragons and their masters... Do you know of a dragon Lord?" She asked as she glanced up at him.
He shook his head.
"No but I was hoping to..." He trailed off when she went to shut the door so they could have some privacy.
"Do you honestly think you can stop this dragon by yourself? Do you have any idea how powerful it is? Merlin, its suicide."
He nodded.
"I know, just like I know I cannot stop him." He stopped abruptly but maybe a little too late and she caught his expression.
"What makes you think its a 'him'?" She questioned suspiciously.
He shook his head and grabbed the book out of her hands, kicking it under his bed again and walking forward to leave his room.
She held up a hand to stop him and looked him straight in the eyes.
"If you have anything you wish to tell me, Merlin, now is the time, because once this is over, make no mistake, I will take Camelot." She vowed.
He stared at her and nodded before walking past her and leaving Giaus's chambers completely.
She could always tell when he was lying.