I don't own Merlin.
Sir Gallahad helped the sailors as they filled the water barrels at the bottom of the water fall. The barrels were soon filled and the lids placed on top. The small group headed back toward the beach, each barrel being rolled by two people each.
The knight listened as the small group chatted away. He smiled slightly and looked around, slowly the smile slipped from his face. He placed his hand on the pommel of his sword something was wrong.
"Captain Jahan?" Galahad spoke.
"yes Galahad, What is it?" Jahan spoke not turning around.
"do you hear that?" Galahad asked.
The sailer paused and listened for a second, all they could here was the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind.
"I only here the wind," He said turning to Galahad.
"Exactly," Galahad said looking around as if expecting something.
"Galahad, What?"
"uh, Captain? What happen to the birds?" Ben asked nervously.
Jahan turned to Ben confused at his question, then he looked around. He realized why Galahad was concerned. The birds that they had heard on the way to the water fall were gone.
"men keep your eyes open, let's get this water back to the beach" Jahan ordered as he placed his hand on his sword hilt.
Both the Captain and the knight were on high alert, that many birds didn't just disappear for no reason.
Danius stopped pushing the water barrel and straightened as he turned looking passed Jahan and Galahad.
"hey," Groban complained at the sudden lack of help.
Jahan was about to reprimand his man but was cut off.
"uh Captain, what happen to the mountain?" Danius asked.
"what" Jahan said as he and Galahad both turned to see what Danius was looking at.
The mountain that they had been at the bottom of getting water from just ten minutes earlier was gone.
They had been able to see the entire time they had been walking toward it from the beach, there was no way they shouldn't be able to see it now. Jahan swore.
"damn it, not again," Jahan said moving to help push the water barrels.
"come on we need to get the water back the beach and get off this Island"
Galahad moved to help with the other barrel, right now there wasn't anything he could swing a sword at but he could help with water.
Galahad looked around as he and the sailors returned to the beach, the tree's started to fade behind them. The sailors moved quickly getting the water into the boats. Galahad spotted Gwaine on his knees in the sand staring at an empty spot in front of him. The map held down by small stones on a large rock to his right. He ran toward his friend calling out to him as he looked around for Merlin.
"Gwaine, we have to go," Galahad said as he reached him.
Gwaine didn't seem to hear him, he just stared at the empty air.
"Gwaine, come on," Galahad said grabbing his arm and pulling him up and stepping making him look at him.
"Gwaine we have to go, where is Merlin?" Galahad asked.
Gwaine blinked and looked at him at Merlin's name.
"I failed, I was supposed to protect him. I failed" He said.
"What are you talking about?" Galahad asked
Gwaine wasn't making any sense, and were was Merlin? Jahan called to them from the boats, they needed to get off the island. The forest was nearly gone and the rocks were fading. Damn it where was Merlin?
"come on,"Galahad said grabbing the map and rolling it up he shoved it into his belt.
"Merlin" He called out looking around for the warlock as he pulled Gwaine toward the boats.
Jahan and Groban waited for them while Ben, Ari, and Darius were already rowing away from the island.
"He's gone, it took him," Gwaine said after the third time Galahad called for Merlin.
"what took him? Jahan asked as the two knights reached the boat.
"The Pheonix, it took him and vanished into thin air," Gwaine said.
"what, how, why?" Galahad said.
No, He couldn't be gone. Galahad looked around expecting to see Merlin running toward them, Gwaine couldn't be serious it had to be a bad joke or a mistake.
"come on we need to go," Groban said as the rocks and the trees completely vanished and the sand started to turn into water in a cascade effect from the center of the island. Jahan and Galahad jumped into the boat pulling Gwaine in with then just as the sand under them turned to water.
Gwaine still in shock stared at where the island had been as the boat was rowed back toward the ship. Merlin was gone and it was his fault, he had been responsible for him and he had just stood bye while he had been taken away by a large firey bird.
It was a normal sunny with a bit of light snow day in Camelot when Gwaine and Galahad rode slowly back into the city. Merlin's unmounted horse was tied to Gallahads horse's saddle horn. The two knights dismounted when they got to the stables wordlessly handing the reins over to the stable hands.
Leon, Elyan, and Percival met the two returning knight at the walked up the stepped to the castle. The welcoming smiles fell from their faces when they noticed Gwaine and Galahad didn't have the look of someone who's quest had been successful, ad to that the lack of Merlin and the three knights started to worry.
Morgana who had been visiting with Gaius and reading a book on magic herbal medicines that the physician no longer had to hide, walked with Gaius and Leon who had come to tell them that Arthur wanted to see them in the council chambers. Morgana was worried, Leon hadn't seemed like he was bringing good news but she couldn't get him to tell her what Arthur needed with them.
When the three of them walked into the room the first thing Morgana noticed was Arthur trying to comfort a crying Gwen. Morgana rushed around the table to her friend and her brother, both were visibly upset. Gaius looked around noticing that it wasn't just the king and future queen who were upset.
"Gwen, what's wrong?" Morgana asked
"Arthur what happen?
Arthur sighed and looked at his sister, stood and moved to adjust the seat beside Gwen. He gestured to the seat silently signaling that Morgana should sit down. Morgana frowned confused as she sat down and looked at him, She glanced at Gwen putting her hand over hers. Morgana looked around at the others in the room, Gaius looked just as confused as she was, his eyes were on someone sitting at the table.
The seer's eye followed his gaze till they landed on a despondent looking Gwaine sitting in his seat, Galahad sat be side him his head in his hand. Morgana sat up straighter looking around the room for another familiar face that she didn't find. Gaius looked and failed to find that face aswell.
"Galahad, Gwaine?" Morgana asked
"when did you get back? where's Merlin?"
Morgana looked around half expecting him to walk though the door but at the same time somehow knowing he wasn't going to.
Gwaine hung his head even more than it already was if that was possible. Galahad looked at her and opened his mouth to speak but then closed it looking at Arthur.
"let me guess," Morgana said her eyes already starting to water because she knew she was just refusing to accept what no one was saying cause no one said it yet.
"Merlin, being Merlin insisted on helping the stable hands with the horses"
"Morgana" Arthur spoke calmly taking her hand.
Morgana turned to look at her brother, he looked like someone had kicked him. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. The lack of Merlin was getting more noticeable in the room.
She turned to Gwaine and Galahad.
"What happen?" She demanded.
"It was my fault, He was my responsibility," Gwaine said not looking up.
He explained what had happen, how the phoenix had flown out of the map and disapeared with Merlin. The knight blamed himself for loosing the young man. Gallahad explained how the island started to fade soon after they had gotten the water. Once they had returned the beach were they had left Gwaine and Merlin therre had been no time to look for the missing warlock before the island disapeared completely.
The ship had circled were the Island had been for days before Jahan reluctanly turned the ship back to Eire. Gwaine had almost started a one man mutiny, Gallahad had to stop him from taking one of the long boats and trying to stay behind. He understood, Merlin was his friend too but they had no way of knowing when the island would reapear or if Merlin would even be there.
"I thought the point of him not doing things alone was so that stuff like this wouldn't happen," Gaius said as he sat down in the seat Percival pulled out for him when he noticed the physician's legs buckle.
"I am so sorry," Gwaine said.
"I should have"
"Gwaine it wasn't your fault" Morgana cut him off.
Gwaine looked up meeting her eyes, her eyes watered with unshed tears but there was no blame in them.
"She's right, from what you reported there was nothing you could have done," Arthur said.
Morgana looked at the map sitting rolled up in the middle of the table, Galahad had hung onto it.
She didn't know why but she was glad he did, something in her gut told her they needed that map still.
The young seer reached over and picked up the map.
Suddenly an image of Merlin flashed in her mind, she dropped the map started by the vision.
Merlin stood in the middle of a large room full large mirrors floating in the air. The mirror reflected the room and each had a stone reflected in it. The Phoenix had put him down and disappeared through one of the mirrors leaving the warlock alone.
He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. Was this some sort of test? Had he said the spell wrong?
Merlin turned looking around as he went over the words of the spell in his head. The room was silent and dim. The only light came from the candles being reflected by some of the mirrors, it didn't give a lot of light but it was bright enough to see properly without straining his eyes. Merlin wasn't certain how big the room was. He couldn't see the walls nor could he tell if it was because the room was unusually huge or if it was a trick of the light, there were no windows and the only candles he could see were the reflections in the mirrors.
"Hello," he called out.
"Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello" Merlin covered his ears tightly as his own voice echoed back at him louder than he had called out.
'alright' Merlin said to himself 'no loud noises, got it'
The young warlock looked around unsure of what to do next. The phoenix had brought him to this place for a reason. He just hoped that reason wasn't to keep him in a weird mirror prison from which he would never escape. Arthur would never let him hear the end of it, Merlin could almost here him now.
"Well Merlin this just goes to prove I was right," Imaginary Arthur said.
"you are such a girl, you've not gone from Camelot for a week and already you need rescuing"
"I am perfectly capable of rescuing myself thank you, " Merlin said to imaginary Arthur.
"it's not like I haven't done it before"
He shivered as a cold breeze blew across his skin, it seemed to carry a voice that sounded like a hundred whispers echoing in his ears.
"you have been shown the path Emry's, find what you seek and only what you seek"
He turned in circles looking around confused, he couldn't figure where the voices were coming from.
Merlin stepped forward slowly maneuvering around the mirrors. He observed the reflections in the mirrors and noticed some differences in the reflections. The differences were not much, just slight differences in color of the stones that reflected in them.
Merlin approached another mirror observing the stone. It had a yellow tint similar to the coloring of the eye's the phoenix when it had flown straight at him. He leaned forward focusing more on the stone, it looked similar but something was off about it. He turned and look at the stone in another mirror this one was slightly different from the first one.
The warlock turned to another one to see another stone this one was a bit bigger and the coloring just a bit darker, he glanced over and noticed another mirror had a stone in it that look like the first one. Merlin turned to see the first mirror a bit of the frame from the mirror he had just been looking at reflected in it.
He thought for a second getting an idea, he raised his bent arm and waved it in front of the mirror. Merlin smiled when his arm reflected in both the mirrors that had the same looking stone but not the ones that had the different looking stone. He dropped his arm as he looked around the warlock figured out the mirrors now he just needed to find the right reflection.
Merlin counted several different stones, each looked like the other with just slight differences. His eyes landed on a reflection with a stone that looked like the yellow formed the shape of a flame with what look remarkably like a birds eye. His mind went back to the beach when the phoenix had flown out of the map. To the few seconds that he had been frozen watching as the large firebird rose up and swept down on him. That stone color and shape of the stone looked just like the phoenix's eye.
The warlock quickly found the stones second reflection in a mirror little ways across the room. He walked over searching for another as he did. His scanning eyes landed on one of the candles being reflected, He realized he wasn't actually sure how many candles there were. Unlike the stones the candle all looked the same.
"why didn't I think of that before," Merlin asked the empty room.
Merlin covered his ears as once again his voice echoed back at him getting louder with each echo.
The warlock held up his hand in front of the mirror and whispered a spell.
"earendal leoma" (light beam).
Merlin's eyes flashed gold and a small blue light formed above his palm. He lowered his hand leaving the light flouting in the air in front of the mirror, it hovered over and touched the glass of the mirror before sending out a line of light to another mirror which held another reflection of the stone and then to another and another. The beam of light traveled around zig-zagging through the mirrors while avoiding the mirrors that held the different stones. Merlin followed the light no longer needing to track the reflections in the mirrors.
The light led to a mirror that hung on a post that stood somewhere in the middle of the room. Where in the room he couldn't tell you since the warlock had yet to see a wall. Merlin cursed under his breath when he saw that the light had stopped at another mirror rather than the stone. He turned and retraced the light with his eyes, a pit dropping in his stomach at the thought he would have to retrace his path.
Merlin's eyes narrowed when his eyes landed on the second last mirror, he turned and looked at the mirror on the wall. There was something different with the reflection in the last two mirror, it wasn't the stone it was something else.
Merlin stepped closer to the last mirror and leaned in to get a closer look, he turned his head to look at the previous mirror and the mirror before that then returned his attention to the one on the post. Then he saw it, the difference in the reflection was because of a difference in the glass.
Merlin released the spell for the light that connected the mirrors and focused his magic on the area around the post. His eyes flashed as he cast a wordless spell making the area light up. He smiled as he was able to see the image better. The Mirror wasn't a mirror, it was a pane of glass with the phoenix stone sitting behind it.
He circled the post examining it with his eyes and hand feeling for something that would indicate a way to get in the glass case. Upon returning to the side with the glass after going around four times Merlin concluded that there was no way in. Merlin stepped back looking at the glass, he needed to get that stone, but how?
Merlin sighed,
"well nothing like the direct approach," He said to the glass.
Merlin raised his hand out toward the glass, he paused and took another step back. Then gave it a little more thought and took to more steps back.
He focused his magic on the glass bracing himself for the echo he was sure to be hit by. The glass started to shake, the glass started to crack then it shattered falling away. Merlin relaxed releasing the spell, he was a bit surprised the glass being broken hadn't echoed like his voice tended to do.
Merlin took the small pouch that He, Morgana and Gaius had enchanted with a spell to protect him from the energy draining power of the stone from his belt. He grabbed the stone and quickly placed it in the pouch. When he turned around his face fell as he saw the room, the mirrors that had been scattered everywhere were all breaking.
"oh this is not good," Merlin said as a wall of darkness moved toward him shattering the mirrors.
Merlin turned and ran, he didn't know what that dark moving toward him was but he didn't think it was a good thing. He searched with his senses both mundane and magical for a way out, Merlin felt his magic rising up to protect him.
Morgana bid Gwen good night and headed to her chambers for the evening. She and her future sister in law had been spending a lot of time together. The two women had lost someone that was important to each of them.
It had been a few days since Gwaine and Galahad had returned without Merlin. Arthur had fallen into a funk spending most of his time on the training field. He had gone through ten training dummies and Gwaine was the only one who would spar with him while he was in this mood.
The Knight had spent the first night in the tavern nursing a drink. He had ordered the ale and then just sat there staring at it. It had taken Percival and Elyan coming to look for him when he missed training for him to finally leave the tavern.
Morgana stopped when she reached the door to Merlin's chambers. She sighed and opened the door and walked inside. The map still sat on the table where she had placed it, a thin layer of dust was on the table. Not much but enough that it was obvious that no one had cleaned since Merlin had been here. Morgana wasn't sure why she'd put the map in his room rather than with the other maps in the map room or even the vault considering what was on the map. If you asked her she'd tell you that she put it where it belonged and Arthur would agree with her.
The seer unrolled the map and let her eyes skim over it, she told herself the map really should be in the vault. She loosely rerolled the map leaving the string that tied it closed laying on the table. She turned to leave not knowing what had possed her to come here. She took a few steps toward the door when she thought she heard something.
Morgana stopped and turned around and ran to the window looking for the source of the sound. She couldn't see anything it was too dark. Then she heard it again it came from behind her, she turned around quickly scanning the room confused. She could have sworn she heard the distant sound of glass breaking, but it sounded like it was coming from far away yet it was coming from inside the room.
Her eyes landed on the map, it was moving unrolling itself on the table. Her heart beat sped up as she saw a familiar light coming out of the map. Suddenly the light flashed bright causing her to have to throw her arm up to block it from her eyes. The sound of shattering glass filled the room as if every glass object in the castle was in the room and shattering.
When she looked again she saw a figure bracing himself with both hands on the table. She could see the rise and fall of his chest as he fought to catch his breath as if he had been running. Morgana stepped closer trying not to make a sound, she knew who it was she would know him anywhere. She knew she wasn't having a vision or imaging things He really was there yet she couldn't help being a little afraid that she was.
Morgana slowly raised her arm and placed her hand on his shoulder afraid to speak. Merlin straightened and turn quickly at her touch. His eyes gold and a spell ready to defend himself,
"Morgana?" Merlin spoke with a cross between surprise and uncertainty that it was her as is eyes returned to their normal color.
Morgana's eyes started to water and tears fell down her cheeks as she pulled him into a tight embrace. Merlin returned the hug unsure of what had happened or how he was back in his chamber's in Camelot, but his friend was visibly upset.
Arthur sat up in his bed glaring at the knight that had very noisily entered his room just as he had almost fallen asleep. Then he took a breath, he knew his knights wouldn't wake him up in the middle of the knight for no reason. Considering the look of shock on the mans face Arthur figure he should get up.
"Galahad what?" Arthur started to ask as he stood up from the bed.
"He's back sire" Gallahad cut him off.
"I don't know how but he's back"
"Who's back," Arthur asked, who's return could possibly warrant this kind of reaction from a knight or anyone.
"Merlin Sire"
Arthur ran down the hall toward the council room, he burst through the doors. Sure enough, there stood a confused Merlin surrounded by the knights of the round table, plus Gwen and Morgana.
The king walked over to his friend placing his hand on his shoulder he looked him up and down, searching for any sign of injury or that this man was not who he looked like. The look of shock on Merlin's face was almost comical when Arthur pulled him into a tight hug. Not that it was a bad thing but what was with everyone staring at him like they were seeing a ghost then hugging the breath out of him.
"Merlin" Arthur finally spoke
"how, were have you been"
"getting the phoenix stone like I was supposed to be," Merlin said
"getting the" Arthur sputtered.
Merlin looked around at the people in the room, Morgana had sent the guards that had shown up to investigate the noise from the room that was supposed to be empty to get the knights. The Warlock was thoroughly confused. They were acting like he had come back from the dead, and how the heck had he gotten back to Camelot.
"Merlin you got taken by the firey bird and disappeared into thin air," Gwaine told him
"I am so sorry, I was supposed to protect you."
Merlin looked at his friend a look of true confusion at why his friend was upset.
"Gwaine, it was nothing you did." Merlin told him.
"I cast a spell to be shown the path the the phoenix stone and that's what happen,"
Merlin told the group about the strangely large room and the mirrors.
"I'm still trying to figure out how I got back here, I know the map worked as some sort of portal that's obvious," Merlin said
"but, I was only there for maybe two hours. If anything I should still be on the Island or at least the Jahan's ship"
"Merlin" Galahad said
"you disappeared over half a fort night ago, and the island disappeared not long after "
Well that explained all the hugs and why he didn't end up back on the Island.
It took them a day and a half to reach the fisherkings castle in the middle of the perilous lands. This time, Arthur couldn't be talked out of going with him, He left Morgana in charge with Leon and Gwen as her assigned advisors until he got back. Something Agravaine had argued about, an agument Arthur had shut down by pointing out that Morgana was his sister and Gwen was the future queen and Leon was his head knight.
Arthur didn't know why but he knew that Merlin didn't trust Agravaine, his Advisor may not have told him yet but Arthur could tell.
The King and the two knights ,Gwaine and Lancelot that accompanied the warlock watched as the fisher king stood from his throne. Merlin kneeled and placed the phoenix stone in the fisher king's hand. The fisher king smiled as he closed his hand around the stone.
"thank you Emrys," He said in a gravelly voice Then he leaned closer and whispered to the young warlock as he slipped something onto his finger.
"This belongs to you now, I can think of no other who is more worthy"
Then, he took his last ragged breath and his body along with his clothing and the stone in his hand turned to dust.
Merlin stood up and stepped back from the pile of ashes and dust that was once the fisher king. He looked down at his hand, the Fisherking had slipped a signet ring on his finger. Merlin turned his hand over and looked at it. It was a gold trascilion the symbol of the Druids and the royal seal of Elmet.
Merlin wasn't sure what to make of what happen. The signet ring was meant to be given to the heir to the throne. why would the fisher king give him the royal seal?
Arthur stepped forward and placed his hand on Merlin's shoulder, Merlin turned his face to him.
"it will be alright Merlin," Arthur said believing the man silence was from sadness because of the fisher king's death rather than the confusion of being given the signet ring that would make him the next regent of Elmet.
"he's at peace"
Merlin gave him a small smile and nodded, He knew he should tell Arthur what the fisher king had done but now wasn't the time.
"I know," He said standing up.
"Come on we should head back home,"
Gwaine gave him a clasp on the shoulder, Lancelot grinned. the two knights wholeheartedly agreed, home sounded good.
Merlin stepped out the front door or the fisher king's castle followed by Arthur and the knights. They all stopped in their tracks when they saw the sight that waited for them. The once cloudy but rainless skies had let go a down pour, for the first time in over a hundred years it was raining in Elmet.
Yeah, this was kind of a long one for just wraping up the loose end that was the dept Merlin owed the fisherking.
