Chapter 20

Pacing towards Arthur, Merlin didn't dare take his eyes off the women. Compared to Morgana and Morgause, the problems he had with Vortigern were almost infinitesimally small.

Morgana, though as beautiful as ever, had a cruel look on her face so that instead of being enrapturing, the beauty was almost detracting. Her pale eyes were full of malice as she stared at Merlin.

Morgause was the same as ever, though she was dressed differently to the red dress or the suit of armour she'd previously worn. She was giving both Merlin and Arthur a speculative look, tilting her head to the side in a curious fashion.

"I think you should get out of here, Vortigern," Morgause suggested. "Before things start to get messy."

Vortigern nodded.

"Try not to hurt the boy too much. Remember that part of agreement, even if it was added after the original was struck."

"Do not worry Vortigern," Morgause said. "You will have the boy alive but I think my sister wants to teach him a lesson before we hand him over to you."

"Very well."

Vortigern looked at Merlin and sneered before turning around and leaving with his men, so that only Merlin, Arthur, Morgana and Morgause were in the clearing.

Merlin positioned himself in front of Arthur, who had returned to his feet, readying himself for the attack that he knew was coming. Arthur was glaring at Morgana.

"How could you?" he spat at her. "How could you just turn your back on everyone who loved you?"

"Loved me? I was poisoned by someone I thought I could trust, someone I told about my magic when I was afraid." Her scowl deepened. "But it turns out I wasn't the only one who had to fear Uther, was I Merlin?"

"You left me with no choice," Merlin said. "You chose to side with her and my loyalty is to Camelot and I have to protect Arthur. He was going to be killed by the Knights of Medhir and that couldn't be allowed to happen."

"Who says so?" Morgause asked. "Everything has its time."

"Fate says so. Have you never heard the prophecies, Morgause?" Merlin shot back.

"Prophecies?" Morgana sniggered, an action that didn't suit her at all. "Is that what you are Merlin, a magical prophet?" she taunted.

But Morgause was staring from Arthur to Merlin and back.

"No sister, I don't think he is."

She began to pace from side to side, looking at Merlin.

"So this is the meaning of the riddles that have been told for centuries. A boy is destined to help bring magic back to the land with the help of the boy who will one day become king of this land."

Arthur looked at Merlin.

"Are there really prophecies about that?" he muttered.

"Yes," Merlin whispered back.

"Dear me. Then you really are more valuable to us than it would have appeared," Morgause laughed.

"Morgause?" Morgana asked.

"My sister, it would appear that the amount of pain you inflict on the dear warlock, for warlock he most certainly is, will have to be slightly restricted. He could be of great use to us as well as to Vortigern."

"Don't you dare," Arthur spat, pointing his sword in Morgause's direction.

But Merlin had seen a different matter.

"Why do you call her your sister?" he asked Morgause.

"Because she is," the sorceress replied, plainly. "Though half-sister would be more accurate."

Arthur and Merlin gawped at the two women before getting a grip on the situation.

"How?" Arthur asked. "It's not possible."

"Oh it is, Arthur," Morgana said. "But I'm not at liberty to tell you. At least not yet."

There were a few moments of silence.

"So what's the plan then?" Arthur asked. "Are you going to kill everyone in Camelot? Could you live with that, Morgana? I know you don't think too much of my father but are you really going to slaughter people like Gaius and Gwen?"

Merlin had to give Arthur some credit. What he had just said seemed to have some effect on Morgana.

"They were your friends," Merlin continued for Arthur. "Gwen was extremely loyal to you and she worried about what had happened to you; and Gaius treated you when you had nightmares."

"But he knew," Morgana spat. "I know that he knew about my magic and he chose not to tell me the truth."

"That may be true, but could you really kill him, not forgetting Gwen?" Merlin said.

"All I have interest in is you and Uther," Morgana hissed.

She then began to chant a long incantation and after a few seconds, Morgause joined in. Merlin felt a rush of energy rush past him, heading towards Camelot. Within a few seconds, both Morgana and Morgause had disappeared in a breeze of wind, which travelled over the treetops towards the city.

"What on earth are they doing?" Arthur hissed.

"I think they might be going after your father," Merlin replied, turning cautiously.

Arthur muttered a string of profanities and began to run back to the citadel, and Merlin quickly followed.

"I thought you'd poisoned Morgana," Arthur grunted as they ran.

"I did but obviously Morgause healed her," Merlin said.

"You don't say."

Sprinting through the forest that separated them from Camelot, they pushed through the undergrowth and soon they came out of the trees right outside Camelot's front gate. Everything looked normal.

However, by the time they had sprinted down the street that led to the castle, Merlin and Arthur were convinced that Morgause and Morgana had already done something.

Merlin stared around the courtyard.

"No," he groaned. "Not again."

Everyone in the courtyard was lying on the ground, as if they were sleeping.

"It's the same," Merlin said. "They've used the same sort of spell, again."

"I take it that that means there's another magic source?" Arthur asked.

"More than likely."

"So we have to find out who they've used."

Merlin ran a hand through his hair.

"We need to find Morgana and Morgause first before they kill your father."

"He'd be in the council chambers."

Arthur then ran up the stone steps and down the hallway. After a moment's pause, Merlin followed.

"Can you guess why Vortigern joined forces with those two?" Arthur shouted to Merlin, whilst running up more stairs.

"Probably because they're all enemies of the king," Merlin replied. He stopped, a strange feeling startling him. It was almost as if someone was following them but he couldn't see.

"Arthur, wait." Up ahead, Arthur skidded to a halt and looked back at the warlock.

Closing his eyes and ignoring Arthur's indignant mutterings, Merlin let his magic reach out to search for whatever it was that had distracted him. That was when he felt it for sure. His eyes snapped open.

"They're following us," Merlin shouted and ran at Arthur, just as a dark cloud began to appear in front of him.

Shoving Arthur up the remainder of the stairs, Merlin looked back to see Morgana and Morgause's bodies condense from out of the smoke.

The smoke then flew at Merlin and Arthur. Arthur stared as Merlin pushed him to the floor and looked at the smoke, which hit an invisible wall. The prince could see that Merlin's eyes were flashing gold. The smoke then dissolved into nothingness and the men could once again see Morgause and Morgana.

"Run," Merlin muttered to Arthur and the pair jumped to their feet and fled down a narrow side corridor. After a short while they ducked in the shadows.

"Why on earth are we running?" Arthur asked the warlock, flexing the hand that gripped his sword. "You could have easily defeated them. You're the Leader of the Old Religion for crying out loud."

"We need to get back outside," Merlin whispered. "I'm not going to do anything serious in the city otherwise people might get hurt."

"I don't think now's a good time to get picky about the battlefield."

"Not if you don't want defenceless people to be injured."

"Ok then, how do you plan to get them away?"

"I'm thinking that if I engage Morgana, she'll fight me. I can tell she's dying to have a go at me."

"And how do you plan to engage her?"

"I'll annoy her."

"Can you sense where they are?"

Merlin closed his eyes and looked for the two sorceresses.

"They're heading towards the council chambers."

"Which is more than likely where my father is."

The men then ran back down the corridor and continued on the way to the council chambers, keeping an eye out for either Morgause or Morgana.

Outside, Merlin and Arthur leant against the door, panting slightly.

"I'm now wishing I had some sort of sword," Merlin said.

"As I said, you're the Leader of the Old Ways. You should be fine," Arthur replied.

"Let's hope so."

"Merlin."

Merlin frowned at the seriousness in Arthur's voice.

"Remember what I said about the hero thing not suiting you."

"Yeah, it was just after I'd saved your neck from the dragon and we'd found Ma'ab when she was pretending to be Una."

"Yeah, well...you aren't really that bad at the hero thing."

Merlin failed to suppress a smile.

"Thanks."

Arthur didn't reply. Instead he gave Merlin a meaningful look and the two quickly pushed the doors open. They stared around. No one was inside, or rather no one who shouldn't be inside wasn't.

A few of the knights were sat at the table fast asleep and one or two were on the floor as if they had been walking away from the table just as the spell had hit. At the head of the table was Uther, still clearly alive.

"Where are they?" Merlin whispered, as the two moved towards the king.

"Do you think I have any idea?" Arthur said. "They could be anywhere."

"But they were heading for here, so where have they gone?" Merlin said. "Unless..."

He looked at Arthur.

"Unless what?" Arthur asked.

"Unless they were waiting for us so that they could kill him in front of you."

"Very good, warlock," Morgause's voice said.

The pair stared around at the columns and the ceiling.

"And you've only just realised," Morgana's voice chuckled.

Merlin gave Arthur a look before he stepped forward.

"Where are you Morgana?" he shouted. "What have you done to everyone? Who's the source of the magic?"

"There is no source," Morgana replied.

"I'm not stupid; I know that magic like this has to have a source."

"We've only temporarily knocked them out. There is no source. Morgause was reluctant to do anything like that again. They should be awake in a few minutes or so."

"By which time you would have killed my father," Arthur muttered.

"Yes, Arthur," Morgana told him.

"Show yourself Morgana, or are you a coward?" Merlin said.

Arthur looked at him, thinking he was mad but a grin flashed briefly on Merlin's face. The prince understood this was what Merlin had been planning a few minutes ago.

"A coward?" Morgana cackled. "I'm not the one who was to cowardly enough to stand up to Uther."

"And look where that got you," Merlin retorted. "You're knocking out an entire city to kill one man instead of doing things nobly. In fact, you're not doing the right thing at all. Uther may prosecute magic but if you kill him that would make you as bad as him."

No offence he mouthed at Arthur, who shrugged.

"What would your father think Morgana?" Merlin continued. "Do you think he would be happy if his own daughter murdered his friend? I don't think he would and I don't think your mother would either."

He had finally gone too far. A black cloud flickered into appearance by the doors and Morgana literally jumped out of it, her face twisted with fury. Screeching a spell, Merlin felt himself fly across the chamber before he could react. His head banged into one of the columns. Clambering to his feet, Merlin felt that a numbing sensation was already spreading across where his head had met stone, diminishing the pain. Behind Morgana, Morgause had materialised, her expression sour.

Morgana was now treading slowly towards Merlin, her face filled with barely concealed malice.

"How dare you," she said in a soft and yet cold voice. "You have no idea about what happened all those years ago."

"I know some things Morgana, though they aren't my secrets to talk about," Merlin said, coolly.

Morgana gave him a disbelieving look that reminded Merlin of the old Morgana before she had turned evil. For a moment Merlin could remember what it had been like when all four of them, him, Arthur, Gwen and Morgana, had been friends. He recalled the times when Morgana had helped him prove Gwen's innocence, free Mordred and fight off Kanan at Ealdor. But now it seemed that a completely different person was standing in front of him. The Morgana that they'd known was kind and caring, not cruel and murderous.

The warlock was then distracted when Morgana turned on Arthur. Merlin guessed what she was going to do, to make him pay. Running at Arthur, Merlin was just in time to intercept her spell before it could harm Arthur. He felt himself fly into the air once more.

Arthur watched as Merlin dove in front of him, taking Morgana's spell for him. He was then shocked to see that the spell sent the warlock right at the windows. There was the noise of shattering glass and Merlin disappeared.

"MERLIN!" Arthur shouted. Dreading that Merlin was dead, Arthur didn't dare to go and look out of the window. He turned on Morgana and Morgause. "Are you comfortable with murder Morgana?"

"If it means that magic will get justice then yes," Morgana replied.

"Uther needs to be stopped," Morgause put in. "And anyone who protects him."

"You honestly don't know who Merlin really is, do you? Neither of you know," Arthur laughed

"He is the warlock that was prophesied about centuries ago. He was meant to protect you," Morgause said, slightly put off by Arthur's laughter.

"Yeah maybe but I'll tell you something else," Arthur continued. "I heard some things whilst I was under the curse that Vortigern's sorceress had put on me. I know that you can sense the Leader of the Old Religion."

Morgana turned to Morgause, looking confused. Morgause scowled at Arthur.

"What has that got to do with anything that's happening now?" she asked.

"Ma'ab is meant to be the Queen of the Old Religion. But what happens when you try and sense her now?" Arthur said, becoming serious.

Morgause closed her eyes and her eyebrows slanted in concentration. When she opened her eyes again she seemed startled.

"It's not her anymore," she whispered.

"Who's Ma'ab?" Morgana asked.

"I shall explain later," Morgause said, still looking at Arthur. "I still do not understand how this can be involved with now."

"I think you'll find out sooner or later," Arthur muttered.

"Though you can try guessing," a voice said from behind a column.

Spinning around, the three saw Merlin step out from behind the stone, not a scratch on him and definitely alive. He glared at the two sorceresses.

Then, without warning, Merlin disappeared and instead a bright light shone where he had stood. The light then flew at the two women. Just as it was about to collide with them, the two sorceresses shouted a quick incantation and disappeared in the same white light. The impact that Merlin's light had with Morgana and Morgause's was colossal. A wave of energy burst from them, sending Arthur to the floor. The rest of the windows shattered, showering half of the room with glass. Arthur knew that when they woke up, his father and the Knights would instantly know that they had been attacked by magic.

The lights that were Merlin, Morgana and Morgause shot suddenly out of one of the broken windows and flew over the courtyard and the houses outside the castle gates back towards the forest. Arthur gave a snort of exasperation and ran out of the doors. He was glad that his father was now safe (or as safe as he could be) but now it was Merlin who was in immediate danger, though Arthur had to concede that Merlin was more powerful than most gave him credit for.

Running down the halls, he noticed that some people were beginning to stir. Morgause and Morgana's spell was wearing off. A couple of them were actually attempting to stand up and they stared as Arthur ran past. They couldn't imagine what was happening.

Leaping down the stairs that led to the courtyard, he ran across the cobbled ground and down the street, nearly slipping over in the mud occasionally. At the gates he saw that one of the guards was trying to wake one of the others, though he seemed to be completely unaware that Arthur was approaching.

Continuing to run towards the forest, Arthur could swear that he heard shouting up ahead as well as the crunching of the ground. When he sped past a group of trees, Arthur found that Merlin was engaged with both Morgause and Morgana at the same time. None of them seemed to notice that he had arrived.

At that moment both sorceresses threw two individual spells at Merlin and he managed to block both of them. Looking at their faces, both Arthur and Merlin could tell that Morgana and Morgause were now becoming even angrier than they had been before.

For the next few minutes, it continued in this manner. Morgana and Morgause threw spell after spell at the warlock but he always managed to block them, no matter how many were thrown at him at the same time. It also became apparent that it didn't matter how frequently or from which angle they threw spells at him; Merlin was always ready.

Merlin then decided to use some more advanced magic. Stretching his hand out over the ground, Merlin felt another thrill of magic grip him for a few moments before its effect became visible. Part of the ground split open and three globes of different essences shot upwards and hovered, circling Merlin's outstretched hand. One was a ball of glowing fire; the second was a ball of solid ice; the third a sphere of dusty looking earth. They had a kind of eerie beauty about them.

It was then that Morgause noticed that Arthur had arrived and she gave Merlin a dangerous look before turning back to the prince, a malicious look crossing her face. Merlin seemed to realise what she was about to do and he lost concentration. Before he could stop the magic, the balls of the three elements went hurtling at the sorceress.

They collided with Morgause with colossal force, throwing her backwards until she smacked into a tree. Morgana shrieked in fury and Merlin stared at Morgause, evidently horrified by what he had just done.

Morgana looked from her unconscious half-sister to Merlin, her face distorted with a look of pure loathing.

"You will pay for this Merlin," she hissed, baring her teeth in anger.

Merlin didn't say anything but stared at her, his eyes full of apology.

"If you think that you have a right to punish us for taking vengeance, then you are so mistaken."

"Morgana, I don't. People are free to do what they want but you shouldn't expect me to stand by and watch you murder."

"Yet you seem capable of murder yourself. You're as much a monster as any of us."

Morgana then spat out an enchantment and a dark cloud appeared overhead. Looking up, they saw that the large, black shape of a dragon was taking form and flying towards them. Its roar echoed throughout the forest.

"How come I'm not surprised," Merlin muttered audibly, gulping.

"Camelot has been lucky until now. We have been merciful with our control of the dragon. But now that you have done this, Merlin, I will unleash a wrath on the kingdom like none before. Once it has dealt with you and your prince, it will crush Uther and Camelot," Morgana said, grinning with malice.

"Morgana, think. You're condemning innocent people, people who have nothing to do with this. It's what Vortigern did, but you know about that, don't you?"

"Of course. It was myself and Morgause who encouraged him to attack Ealdor as we knew it would draw you out, and Arthur would not be far behind. What we didn't take into account was that you had magic, which would be how you escaped. We promised Vortigern the death of the Pendragons and dominion over Camelot on the condition that he allowed magic back into the land and that he gave you, Merlin, to me. I have more than one bone to pick with you. And I'm afraid that I will have to overlook Vortigern's latest part of the agreement."

"Which is?"

"You, alive."

With that, Morgana was enveloped in a swirl of wind and she vanished within it, a spell that Merlin had seen used quite a few times. She vanished, taking Morgause with her.

By now the huge black dragon had landed and it stared down at the warlock and snarled a snarl that forbade death.