Merlin should have known what to expect when he appeared in the middle of the village. He had heard the screams. Felt the pain. Now all he had to do was see it. As his eyes adjusted to the fires surrounding him he barely registered that his magic formed a barrier around himself so not to be burnt. Instead he focused on the bodies that now littered the streets of a place he once called home.

"Merlin," a soft voice whispered and he flinched when a hand wrapped around his ankle. Turning slightly so he could peer down at the poor person who would not likely live the night, his eyes met those of his mothers and the world came rushing up towards him as he fell to his knees. His hands shook as he cupped her face between his palms and he whispered words that made no sense to him. For his magic had slowly begun to take over and with it came the knowledge on how to be used properly.

"Sweetie, you must stop. It is my time," she told him quietly and raised her own hand to press against his cheek. He shook his head and clutched at her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm as he enchanted any spell that came to mind. "You do not have such power over life and death."

"You have no idea what I can do," he replied and squeezed his eyes shut. "You shall not die. I will not allow it."

"I may not know what you can do but I know you are a strong, handsome young man who has done me proud. If there ever comes a day when you forgive me and your Father for our sins then I know I can rest in peace. You did not deserve the life you lead, Merlin. You deserved so much more."

"Stop talking like it's goodbye!"

"We said goodbye a long time ago my Son, the moment I let them take you to that island was it." He ignored the dampness he could feel beneath his knees as her blood stained the ground he had once walked on as a child. "I will watch over you from the heavens," she said through her dry lips.

"Mother don't go," he pleaded and his eyes parted to look down at her. Only her eyes weren't looking back at him. Instead they were closed and her body lay limp on the ground apart from the hand he clutched to his cheek. "Moth-" his voice broke at the end and he turned to look around him. "Somebody ... help," he could barely get the words out as the blood soaked into his clothes.

"Poor poor sorcerer," a woman's voice sounded and he didn't turn around to face her. He wanted to remain at his Mother's side where his magic could be of use to him. There was still time. There had to be. "I remember being here once before, don't you? Your Father was dying and instead of ignoring me you begged me to spare his life. Offered your own in his place."

Merlin could feel his magic beginning to leave the air around his Mother's body, clearly realising that even though Merlin didn't want to give up, this woman was lost to the world. Instead the magic turned its attention to the woman behind him, recognising that she was the reason they had been trapped on an island for so long, that they hadn't been able to run free, that every night they stared in fear at a thin door because of the monsters that haunted their every waking moment.

"We suggest you leave," Merlin whispered in a voice that was not his own.

"We?"

Pressing a soft kiss to his mother's head, Merlin rose to his feet and turned to face her. Around his hands his magic turned to black flames and when his eyes inspected the new form of magic, he smiled. "You stuck us on an island for over a decade. Is it really so impossible to think that I wouldn't find some way of keeping the boy company?"

"You speak as if you are two separate entities."

"Oh you have no idea."

xox

Arthur set his foot back on solid ground slowly as his eyes looked towards a village that should be making some kind of noise. Instead he heard nothing. "Lancelot," he called and his knight was at his side a moment later. "Tell the men to be on guard and to search for survivors. You and-"

"Sire, I don't think there will be."

He turned his attention back to the village where Lancelot was looking at and because a tree had finally broken off from its roots, it had fallen to reveal a place where none could have survived. Arthur's grip on his sword tightened as he began to make his way through the ruined town and his eyes began to take everything in. Homes were burnt down to a crisp. Bodies littered the streets. Flames were now dying down after destroying what they could.

"What do you think happened?" Morgana asked quietly as she walked by his side.

"You said that all you could feel was rage earlier and that was the next clue for the tasks, maybe Nimueh had something to do with this."

"And if she did? Emrys is only here because we got him involved, it'll be our-"

"It's nobodies fault but hers if she did this. We are not to blame. We weren't to know the village would be destroyed if we carried on with these tasks. Now tell the men to spread out and look for Emrys, he'll be around here somewhere." Arthur only had to give a look to shut his sister up and she turned to face the crew, he on the other hand went straight towards the forest where Emrys often went.

It didn't take him long to find out that was exactly where Emrys was. After all, who wouldn't see the huge black flames that were consuming the forest and yet didn't produce any heat? Arthur hesitated before approaching such magic. He had no idea what it would do to him if he got nearer and Emrys wasn't exactly controlling it right now.

"He was so angry."

Arthur turned to see Nimueh leaning against one of the few remaining buildings that lived on the outskirts of the forest. She looked like she hadn't a care in the world ... apart from the look in her eyes and the way her hands clutched at her arms that were wrapped around herself. "What did you do?" Arthur asked.

"I knew by destroying his home that he'd get angry, of course he would, but I never imagined him to become like this. He shouldn't care this much. These people weren't really a part of his heart any longer, they cursed him out without a second thought."

The ground beneath their feet rippled and when Arthur looked up to speak to Nimueh he found her to be gone, the magic now increasing in size coming closer to where they stood. Arthur decided that if Emrys really wanted to kill him then the magic would have devoured the village by now and so with a deep breath he took a step through the flames.

What he didn't expect was for everything to just stop.

There was no sound coming from the village, no leaves falling from the trees or wind pushing through the branches. It was like time had stood still and had forgotten to include him. Sheathing his sword with the idea that nothing could harm him, Arthur made his way through the silent forest and approached the water where he knew his sorcerer would be. As predicted Emrys was there but instead of standing on the edge he was on the water, literally. His feet barely skimmed the waters surface as he stared down at the depths below.

"Emrys," he called.

Two black eyes snapped up to look at him and Arthur took a step back, which was returned with a smirk. "You should not be here. You are not welcome here. No one is welcome here but me." Emrys bent down and skimmed the water with his fingertips, "The depths are so dark. I wonder what it would be like to sink into them."

"Lets not do that alright?" Arthur said and crept forward hesitantly. "Emrys, what Nimueh did back there was unfair. I'm sorry that because of my quest your people were killed. I'm sure they didn't suffer-"

"They suffered. My Mother died in her own blood and the last words I spoke to her were that she meant nothing to me. That she was not my Mother. She died thinking I did not love her." His fingertips curled into fists and Arthur frowned, he hadn't realised Emrys's Mother had been one of the victims. He had not mentioned he had family here. "My Father died thinking the same."

"Your Father died a long time ago," Arthur commented as his foot slipped into the water. "Gaius told me that you had the symbol of a dragonlord, that your Father had to of died for that to happen. Your Father did not die this day. I'm sorry that your Mother-"

"My Father was killed today," Emrys muttered but his voice could have been a yell. "Balinor was my father."

Arthur stopped in his tracks and stared a the sorcerer who would no longer meet his gaze. Balinor was Emrys' Father. That made no sense. He had seen them stand together, talk together, they did not talk like Father and Son. Balinor had never suggested Emrys was his Son even when they'd carried his unconscious form into the village. However it would explain Emrys's reluctance to thank the man after being cured.

"I understand how you must be feeling-"

"No you don't!" Suddenly Emrys was directly in front of him as he stood his ground in the shallow banks of the water and Arthur looked up to meet his gaze. "None of you have anyidea what Ifeel. None of you have gone through what I have. None of you understand what it's like to have your parents leave you on a deserted island for twelve years and have nobody to talk to. To then come back and realise that they've all moved on, they didn't care what I had been through, that I had been alone. They just wanted to clear their conscience. I might as well have been a pet dog."

"Emrys, I doubt they saw you as a dog. Of course I have no idea what you've been through but that doesn't mean I don't know what pain feels like, what loss does to ones heart. I have never known my Mother and it eats at me every day."

"Rather that then having her die in your arms I expect."

"Emrys-"

"Stopsaying thatname!" Two firm hands grabbed him by the shoulders and Arthur hissed at the burning sensation he could feel against his flesh. Apparently Emrys couldn't control all his magic like he could do with the forest, this magic was hurting him. "I hate this world. I hate this place. You all treat each other like dirt and make buildings that don't need to be there. I can't breathe surrounded by those things. People shouldn't be locked up like that."

"They're not locked up. They choose to live like that," Arthur explained softly and put his hands around Emrys's wrists. "You are upset and angry, you can't run to your hole and hide from the world out here and that frightens you, I get it. Just take a deep breath, calm down and start controlling the magic inside of you. Otherwise my men will be harmed and I can't allow that."

"You'd kill me if I harmed them."

"Yes," Arthur answered honestly. "Just like I'd kill any one of them if they meant harm to the others. You are a part of my crew now, one of us, you will be treated as such. I let you into my world so please don't destroy it."

"Your world is a cruel, dark place," Emrys whispered and his grip loosened, the magic evaporating into thin air. Arthur let the breath he didn't realise he was holding go and Emrys sunk down into the water so he was eye level, his forehead quickly pressing against Arthur's as he closed his eyes. "She killed them Arthur. I'm alone. My parents, my people, they're all gone. I'm the last dragonlord and now I don't belong anywhere."

"You belong with me," the words escaped him before he could stop them and Emrys's eyes fluttered open. "It is not the place but the people that make you feel like you belong. We may not have known each other for very long but you belong at my side-" Arthur didn't even think when his head tilted so his lips brushed the sorcerer's, "-you feel right at my side."

"Arthur..."

His name was all that he needed to close the gap between them and suddenly he felt like the world was on fire. The desire he had been denying suddenly came to the surface and whilst Emrys's hands gripped him tightly, Arthur's were dragging the sorcerer's body closer. He had never kissed another man before and found that unlike a girl's soft, willing lips, Emrys's were firm and as determined as his own. Surprisingly Arthur found he preferred it like this.

The moment was cut very short however when the body in his arms went limp and Arthur caught Emrys before he fell into the water, his body now unconscious and cold. Arthur smirked a little as he lifted the sorcerer up into his arms, "Damn I'm good." Of course his words fell on deaf ears and there was nobody around to hear, otherwise he wouldn't have dared make such a joke. It was just not a Prince like thing to do.

With that in mind he carried Emrys from the water and out through the trees where his crew were waiting for him. The bodies had been dealt with and there was no longer any reason to stay, for now they would sail the open sea and hope their sorcerer would be alright.

Day 17

Merlin jolted upright as he escaped his nightmares and stared ahead as he tried to catch his breath, the only sound he could hear was his own heartbeat ringing in his ears. He'd been there again. Staring at Nimueh as she teased him about his Mother's death and then began to taunt him that he had yet to see the outcome of his Father's body.

He had felt the anger rising within him, known his magic would take over and yet for some reason hadn't cared. Why should he? He had nothing to live for now anyway. Deep down when he had left that island he hadn't been seeking new places, he had been searching for a way to get back here, to see his family and find out whether they actually cared for him. Yes he'd been angry, mostly hurt, but that hadn't meant over time he wouldn't have forgiven his parents. Now he wouldn't have the chance.

So he'd let go. Let the rage take over. Shown Nimueh exactly who she was messing with and now he might lose everything. The entire crew had seen what he'd done, seen the power he possessed with little effort, it was unlikely they would keep him onboard the ship. If they did it would be as a prisoner who wouldn't be trusted and-

His thoughts were cut off when a warm hand pressed against his back and his entire body tensed. He hadn't even considered to look around to see where he was. There were times he forgot he wasn't back on the island and he wasn't safely asleep underground.

"Emrys, are you okay?"

Turning his head to look over his shoulder he saw none other then the Prince of Camelot lying next to him on a bed that wasn't meant for someone of his own status. There was concern in Arthur's eyes as he pushed himself up and the hand rose on Merlin's back to rest on the back of his beck, fingertips now softly running through the ends of his hair.

"What's the matter?" Arthur asked.

Merlin considered telling Arthur what was plainly obvious but that meant opening up his heart, letting someone in when the closest thing he had to family had just left him in this world alone, he wasn't ready to move on yet. "Nothing," he lied and turned his head away, now staring into the darkness rather then at Arthur who was no doubt frowning.

"You don't have to be so brave Emrys, nobody but me is here. To everyone out there you'll still be the strong, powerful warlock that nobody will dare mess with-" at these words Merlin winced and Arthur seemed to sense those were the wrong choice of words "-what I mean is they'll respect you just like they do me."

"They'll fear me not respect me," he muttered.

"I know my men and that means when you walk out those doors tomorrow you'll have a lot of people talking to you, you won't be able to hide below deck anymore."

"I never-"

"Hush now, we have tomorrow to talk about everything. Right now you need to sleep."

Merlin suddenly found himself being pulled back down onto the bed where his head now rested on one of the softest things Merlin had ever felt. A small smile tugged at his lips at the thought of being asleep next to a Prince after everything they'd been through, "Hey Arthur-"

Turning his head to look at the Prince he found Arthur was already fast asleep, a light snore the only sound he now made. Merlin moved onto his side and studied the Prince, wondering how such a man existed. He'd never seen something so ... perfect. There was not a single fault Merlin could find. Not yet anyway. They still had a long journey ahead of them and that was enough time for things to fall apart.

"Goodnight," Merlin whispered and when his eyes read the word flying through the air he wasn't even surprised. His rage had passed, Arthur had helped him with that and now the next task was upon them. However that could wait until morning. For now he would sleep and hope his Prince could keep the nightmares away.