In a Mirror, Merlin.
Divergence.
The hovel was in chaos, or rather the flimsy structure it had been reduced to. The rickety old wooden house had been virtually knocked down or burnt to the ground during the duel. After Merlin had made his presence known and felt, he had unleashed his aura against the witch and her pathetic little lackey before he had released Morgana and engaged her in a terrible duel. Agravaine was left cowering, trying to cower out of the way while the two sorcerers battled it out, his eyes never once leaving Merlin or Morgana.
He had known Morgana was powerful, of course he had seen her lose her temper dozens of times and it was always a frightening experience given how he had no magical powers of his own, but witnessing this…
Meanwhile Morgana was struggling to fight off against Merlin. When she had spent a year with Morgause, Morgana had learnt about the basics of magic and she had been her sister's willing apprentice; the Isle of the Blessed, the once centre of magic until it was destroyed by Uther, was the perfect place for a sorceress to learn her craft.
Morgause had taught her much about scrying, potions, but most of all her half sister had trained Morgana into becoming a powerful magical duellist. Granted, Morgana would have preferred to have spent another year honing her skills and abilities with her sister, or maybe with some of Morgause's allies who wanted nothing more than to destroy Camelot and reduce that bunch of savages to the level of slaves, among them Uther and Arthur.
And she had.
It was always a good idea for a training sorcerer to learn different magical arts from a variety of teachers if possible, if they were serious.
While Morgana had been learning under some of those sorcerers and sorceresses, all embittered and angry with the Great Purge, with how Uther and his knights had rampaged everywhere to commit genocide against the peaceful and kindhearted druids to the great dragons Morgause had been a serious scholar of lore of the Old Religion's darkest arts, and she had passed on her knowledge to Morgana.
Upon her return to Camelot, Morgana had continued to hone her magical talents and skills. It wasn't as if she couldn't find time to herself; with how high she was in Camelot society at the time before her exile, Morgana had time and privacy to practice her magic.
But Merlin?
She'd barely had five minutes to assimilate the fact Merlin was a sorcerer himself before the attack came, and when it had…
Morgause had shown her how to unleash her aura. Sorcerers did that primarily to feel the ambient magical energy in the Earth, but they could also use it to frighten and intimidate other sorcerers to remind them who was in charge. Morgana remembered how proud her sister was when she had mastered the ability; Morgause had commented and congratulated her on her power before showing her own power. Morgana was both proud and elated to know she and her sister were both powerful with the Old Religion, but Merlin's power seemed otherworldly, and it was taking all of Morgana's magical proficiency to keep up with him.
"I never imagined you to be a sorcerer, Merlin," Morgana said conversationally; she had a great deal to say to the traitor who had not only betrayed her, but other magical beings as well, and she wished she could muster some energy to shriek at Merlin for all the things he was responsible for, but he wasn't giving her a chance. Besides she needed to conserve her energy for the fight.
"I never wanted any of this," Merlin spat as he got involved in the fight. Morgana gasped in shock as the wave of magic slammed into her, and she quickly went through her repertoire to defend herself.
"But you've got it," Morgana's mind was racing; while she was incanting her spells mentally in order to get them out quickly, Merlin didn't seem to have any technique beyond a few spells and curses. She pushed those thoughts aside for now; she could ponder the mystery that was Merlin much later. "How long have you been a sorcerer?"
"I'm a warlock, and I've been one my whole life."
A Warlock? Morgana's mind flashed to the lessons Morgause had taught her. Warlocks and witches were sorcerers who were born with their magic. Morgana herself was a witch. Her powers had not manifested themselves as anything except those damn dreams everyone in the Citadel knew about but ignored beyond a few looks of sympathy, but it wasn't until Morgause appeared her powers did as well, and she had been terrified out of her wits. She knew how magic was viewed in Camelot, thanks to Uther everyone viewed magic as corruptive and evil.
Morgause had commented it was probably her inner fear of her magic being discovered which was one of the reasons why her powers had not manifested themselves until her adulthood. Morgana had seen the logic of her sister's theory, but a part of her was annoyed she couldn't have learnt about her magic's existence long before, although she has to accept the fact if it had and she'd cast a spell, Uther would have likely killed her, daughter or not.
But Merlin didn't have that excuse. He had grown up in a village with his mother. There was no doubt at all in Morgana's mind Hunith knew about her son's powers. But surely he had gone through the same thing she had? Surely he had been terrified and afraid for his life, but why would he allow somebody else to go through the same hell? Morgana simply could not understand it. But she was going to get to the bottom of it.
"You've got magic. Why didn't you tell me, Merlin?" Morgana punctuated her question with a very fast, very brutal spell chain.
Merlin dove out of the way. That alone gave Morgana a clue…
"Answer me, why didn't you help me, Merlin?" Morgana's voice rose with every word of her plaintively asked question.
Merlin sighed and he dropped his eyes for a moment, shame crossing his features, "I sometimes ask myself the same question."
Morgana frowned. That was no answer, but then she thought about it…. Had someone told Merlin purposefully not to help her? That would explain a lot; Merlin did think on his feet, and he was capable of making his own decisions, but if someone got to him… "Who was it, Merlin?"
"The Great Dragon," Merlin replied.
Morgana's eyes went wide. As the former ward of King Uther, Morgana had known more about the Great Purge than most of the Kingdom. Thanks to her tutors, Morgana had learnt only too clearly what had happened to the dragons. One of them had been kept as an example and chained up, to show case all magical beings were no longer welcome, and a heavy price awaited them if they were found. But how had Merlin found one? Why would it contact him in the first place?
But what gave it the right to tell one sorcerer to not help another?!
"A dragon told you not to help me, and you believed and trusted it?" Suddenly a thought popped into her mind and she narrowed her eyes slyly. "Hold on, the Great Dragon, you say? The same dragon who nearly destroyed the city?"
Merlin nodded as he kept his hands raised, the look in his eyes making it clear he was still prepared to fight but he seemed willing to talk. "You know about that? Morgause?"
Morgana smiled as she remembered how Morgause had been delighted with the destruction caused by the dragon. At first Morgana had been horrified, but as the attacks against Camelot increased, her horror faded and her delight the ones who had spent 20 years harming and killing sorcerers and magic were beginning to pay the ultimate price for their sins.
But at the same time, Morgana wondered what would possess a dragon to tell Merlin to not help her. It was the one thought going through her mind, along with the hurt and the betrayal she was feeling; she had thought Merlin poisoning her and ransoming her safety to Morgause was bad enough, but hearing this.
"Why would a dragon tell you not to help me, Merlin?"
Merlin licked his lips. At this point the destiny of the Once and Future King being Arthur Pendragon was on shaky ground, but Merlin wondered how much he could tell the witch without her learning too many details. Merlin had always had doubts about Arthur becoming the Once and Future King, and while his recent actions were committed out of anger and loss, the last thing he wanted was to paint a large target on Arthur's back.
"He told me you were destined to become an enemy, Morgana," Merlin replied at last, the memories of how Morgana had begun fearing for her life coming back to haunt him while being more than aware the woman herself was right in front of him, now a fully trained and very dangerous sorceress. The brief 'truce' between them was not going to last. Soon she was going to lash out, and he could not blame her.
And, judging from her face being set in an angry mask, Merlin knew he was moments away from being attacked again.
"An enemy?" Yes, she was incandescent with rage. "An enemy? I don't suppose it ever once occurred to you that destinies can be shaped, and only the actions of the present shape the future? How dare you put all of this down to destiny! The smartest thing to have done would have been to ignore the dragon and try to help me, and even if I did become a threat it would have been on my own choice, not because you had pushed me there, and you did push me there, Merlin. I know the dragon wasn't the only one responsible; he and Gaius both told you to not tell me and teach me about magic? I know Gaius had a hand in this, because I know how you two are close, and Gaius would have told you to stick your head in the sand, and ignore what was happening around you until it was too late!"
While the slight against Gaius angered him, Merlin didn't bother responding to the accusations since Morgana had a point. He had been uncertain, torn about what to do, and until the last moments he gave Morgana to Morgause, ensuring her fate was sealed.
And why was that?
Because of his uncertainty and his cowardice. His faith in Gaius and in Kilgharrah. Well, look at where all of that had bought him. If he had helped Morgana, made it clear she was not alone, she would not have allied with Morgause the way she had. This was all his fault.
But Morgana was not finished.
"I get the feeling, if someone who you know is destined to be a threat, you will repeat your mistakes," Morgana sneered at him, but Merlin was struck dumb for the first time when he saw visible poof of Morgana's pain.
She was right.
Would he learn from his mistakes?
Morgana was standing right in front of him, but there was still Mordred to consider. Merlin closed his eyes as he reflected on the last words the young but scarily powerful and smart druid boy telepathically said to him. God, he had turned one into an enemy, and Mordred - wherever he might be - could well be on his way to becoming the second one in the prophecy, but instead of gaining two allies helping him by being honest and on their side, he could have turned them against what he was trying to do.
And for what? For a destiny that might or might not be possible right now?
Morgana decided the time for chatting about their past mistakes was over, and she once more went on the defensive. She struck out so violently the remaining walls and the roof of her hovel began shaking at the power unleashed. Taken aback by the sudden attack, Merlin barely had time to stop the spells from hitting him, and he cursed his lack of experience with magical duelling.
All of these years Merlin had been relying on blind luck just to stop a crisis from starting while juggling the chores Arthur and Gaius heaped on his shoulders without allowing him the time he needed to properly go through the grimoire Gaius had given him long ago. He should have made the time, because now was a real test.
As the fight wore on, Morgana realised why Merlin was holding back. While she had the benefit of a series of teachers in Morgause, and other sorcerers aligned with Morgause's agenda, and time, Merlin had been a manservant of an ungrateful and spoilt prince who heaped so many ridiculous chores onto his shoulders. The duties of Gaius hadn't helped either, and as a result time would be a precious commodity for Merlin. But it made sense to Morgana the warlock would have been too tired to pick up any kind of magical book, or spend half an hour or so practicing magic and developing his repertoire.
A wicked smirk crossed her face. Morgana didn't doubt Merlin was more experienced in magic compared to her, and more powerful and perhaps more creative since he could control magic with his thoughts alone which gave him a couple of edges, she had a greater training in spells. She likely knew ways of causing him pain that were beyond his abilities and knowledge to dispel.
Quickly Morgana ran through her mind her repertoire of dark magic spells she could use. She pushed away the ones which were more common. She wanted something that was obscure enough that nobody but really proficient sorcerers could know about it. And with the damage inflicted by Uther - Morgana never expected her bastard father would give her such a benefit of the Great Purge, but miracles did happen - that kind of information could be really hard to come by…
Unfortunately for Morgana a few seconds earlier, Merlin was starting to see he could not keep this fight going forever. When he had attacked Morgana, he had relied on the initial element of surprise, and his sheer power. But that quickly revealed he had made a mistake when Morgana had fought him back, and he needed to rely on his mental control to fight back. So far he had exhausted his spell repertoire's defensive spells - once again he cursed Gaius and Arthur from really spending some time to himself so he could read the grimoire; it was messes like this which really pointed out just how limited his magical knowledge was.
But what worried him the most was while he could control magic with his mind alone, there was only so much he could do without really knowing what he was doing. Morgana had had plenty of time to study magic, whereas thanks to Arthur's stupid and pointless chores, hunts, and quests, he hadn't been able to get halfway through that damn book!
Suddenly Merlin saw the wicked smirk on Morgana's face.
What was she doing?
A horrible thought sprang to the forefront of his mind. Had she realised his weakness? As soon as the thought popped into his mind, Merlin realised he would have to stop this fight. Now. His mind raced as he tried to think of a good enough way of doing that, but he knew his options were limited. He could dig into his elementary magic knowledge, for a wind or - YES! That might be it!
With barely a conscious thought although he had put some thought into it, Merlin waved his hand. The walls of the house and the house caught alight, and flames sprang from the walls. Morgana was so startled by the flames she let out a stunned scream of fright, and she lost the concentration for the spell she was preparing to cast as a result.
Merlin stepped back until he was standing just outside the hovel, but he was already casting the whirlwind spell. "Ic her accigie ænne windraes! Færblæd waw! Windræs ungetermed: ge hier! Ic de bebeod mid ealle strangesse daet du geblawest ond syrmest strange! Gespurn peos haegtesse!" He finished with a yell.
The whirlwind mixed with the fire inside the hovel, and while the flames made it difficult for Merlin to properly see, he could see that Morgana, trapped in a proverbial corner, had knocked down one of the walls and escaped through that. What happened to Agravaine, Merlin did not know and he didn't care.
With a heavy heart, Merlin turned and walked away. He didn't know if Morgana had survived or not, but he could still hear the whirlwind behind him. The hovel continued to burn.