A/N: So finally a new chapter. Sorry that it is a little slow, it will pick up soon. This chapter is long so bear with me. I will be posting another one later tonight or in the next few days depending on if i can get it semi edited before then. Thank you for those still reading, and a HELLO! to any new readers. Please REVIEW! I love to hear from you.

Chapter 44

Dragon Born

Cedric and Omari stayed behind a moment before they went on their way. They shared a long look and a small smile. They each new what was a stake here. That this was their most dangerous, and crucial, mission yet. Omari knew that she would fight, not for herself, the Dragons, or for her father, but for Percival, for what he believed in; Camelot and her people.

She could feel her brothers disapproval like a dark cloud hanging over her. Cedric didn't like that they were in the center of the Pendragons' war or that she was willing to put herself in danger over a man, and human one at that. She felt his emotions swirl inside him like a storm churned sea about to break against the shore. His thoughts screamed at her, as loud as if he had spoken them aloud. Demanding her attention. Even the thoughts he tried to hide from her, as if he could hide anything from her. They were twins and they were connected on a level not many had the ability to achieve, not unless a spell was involved, and they were never able to achieve the bond twins shared.

Cedric wasn't sure that they would see each other again if they chose to engage in this particular battle. Ever the optimist, Omari grumbled at him. There was a flicker of annoyance before he let it go. His mind was a mess. His emotions, which were usually calm and still, flipped and flopped inside his chest in violent fits, churning his stomach uncomfortably. Cedric had fought in enough wars and small battles that he knew that the out come wouldn't be worth breaking his vow. He knew how brutal and unforgiving war was more than anybody. All the mayhem and death. Oh, gods, the death. He had lost track of all the fatalities... he didn't want Omari to be one of them. He was terrified of the man he was already, and even more terrified at the man he would be if he lost her. He was the light to his dark, she was the good in him. Who would he be without that light, without his soul.

Omari loved her twin, but he could be a selfish ass sometimes, and often times than not, a suborn one. He couldn't keep her to himself just because he was afraid of that monster that lurked within him. Al Dragon born did. She knew she did. A hellion of one at that. The only difference between them was that she acknowledged hers, and he shunned his. He still refused to think that their help would make even the slightest difference in the outcome of this war, that their loyalty and only goal was to save the dragon, Athusia, but he never stopped to think about the reason they were here. And with Merlin Emrys and Arthur Pendragon, of all people! How can he not see that they were here for a reason. They could be what turned the tide. She knew deep down that she was needed in this war.

Omari turned around to fully face her brother, her carved staff held strongly in her left hand. She banged it on the ground once before she flipped it upside down. It shrunk down as she spun it and the staff transformed into her finely carved bow. The wood glistened a deep onyx, small veins of gold wove through the dark wood too form the same ruins of the old religion that were on the staff. It was a magic imbued weapon. Near indestructible. She glared at him for several tense moments.

"I'm going to fight," Omari stated. She waved her hand down her body to remove the spell that hid her armor. She wasn't sure if she would need it, but she had donned the armor anyway, knowing that she probably wouldn't be able to resist joining the fight. She had only hidden it from Cedric because she knew he would not be happy with her choice. The white -gold gleam of armor was a sight that captured the eyes of every mortal to behold it. It begged the eye to look at it, saying 'look just a little longer'. It rippled with her movements much like dragon scales and the gold and silver metal caught any light near by and reflecting it back in an almost rainbow sheen. The bracers on her arm had ruins of the old religion etched into it with light rolling lines. They offered protection and lent the wearer strength and agility. It also had a small reserve of magic in the armor to help heal if injured. The feathers of the arrows in her quiver stuck up over her shoulder. A variety of vibrant metallics. They were of a special kind, a quiver created by her ancestors to never run out of arrows. If you had magic as Omari did, you were able to enchant each arrow with only a thought to do what you needed. Like if you wanted to blow something up... not that she has blown anything up, yet.

Cedric looked at her silently, dark storm clouds gathered in his eyes. Omari wore the silver and gold armor of their people. She was dressed for war. Even her hair was done in the hair stile of their people. Her white-gold hair was swept back from her face in an intricate braid that wrapped around her head like a crown that then dipped down the back of her head to weave into dozens of smaller braids. The rest of her hair fell loose and twisted in light curls down her back. She looked like a Queen of War.

Cedric sighed. Maybe he could talk her out of this... They may not be quite mortal, but their luck was fickle. However, looking at her now, so willing and determined to put herself in harms way, he realized there was no talking her out of it. She was going to join in the fight with or without him.

There was a long pause. It seemed like he was going to argue with her further but finally he gave her one Curt nod. Omari released the breath she didn't even realize she was holding.

"Fine." Cedric snapped. "I'll find the dragon." He turned on his heel and made his way down the hill and towards the battle, berating himself for his harsh tone. He hadn't mean to snap at her but his fear came out as anger. He didn't turn back as he stalked away. He skirted around the battle field wanting and needing to be far back from the fighting. He didn't stop until he reached the tree line and felt Omari's hand ruffly pull him to a stop.

Omari froze when she saw her brother turn away from her and walk away, that was until her anger thawed her out and she race after him "Hey." Omari snapped, bewildered at his behavior he grabbed hold of his shoulder and turned him around. "You're not going to fight with me?"

Cedric glanced at the raging battle behind her. The sound of steel on steel rang in his ears as if he were in the center of it thanks to his enhanced hearing. He shivered. Goosebumps spread painfully over his skin. The sound of war called to him like a sirens song. It was difficult, even now, to refuse to answer its call. This is what it meant to be dragon born. To have a dragons soul and a human body. The twins were bread, unbeknownst to their parents, to be a man and maiden of war. His hand itched for his sword. He reached for it before he remembered that he no longer carried a weapon. He let his hand drop back to his side and sighed. He didn't want to want to be involved in the battle, and despite making a vow against violence and death, he found himself in the center of it more often than not. His heart started a frantic beat, pumping his blood through his veins in a mad dash.

Cedric looked to his twin, his life line to sanity, and held on to the connection. He saw his eyes mirrored back at him. It wasn't that he didn't want to help. He was desperate to join in, needed to feel steel on steel, hot blood on his face and screams in his ears, but still, he stayed back from the fight. He wouldn't risk it, couldn't risk her. Not after the last time he threw himself into battle. It didn't even matter that it was in defense of his kin, his home, it still haunted and hunted him to the point of exhaustion. He had decimated the enemy, going to the very gates off hell to do so, but he almost took his sister with them. And that... he would not do. He wouldn't corrupt her or help lead her down the bloody path of a warrior any more than she already was. It led to one place and one place alone. Death.

Omari heard his internal battle, even understood his fears, but she knew he was stronger than he gave himself credit for. She felt the tension radiating from him and the concern that bleed from him as if it were her own. Hesitantly she removed her hand from his arm. She looked at him sadly. He looked so young to her in this moment, even though they were technically centuries old. Their bodies were young on the surface but their souls were as old as the dragons that were housed within them, and this is what decades of anguish did to man, made him doubt himself.

Omari grimaced. "I understand." She nodded slowly. "Doesn't mean I agree, or that I am happy with your continued abstinence, but I understand." She wanted to say more, so much more, but instead she gripped her bow all the tighter and kept her thoughts to herself. She nodded once more, as if resigning herself to fighting alone, before she turned on her heel and ran to the nearest fight.

Cedric let his eyes follow her for only a few seconds more before he ducked around a large tree, his eyes affixed to the conflict. The temptation to jump in was too arduous to fight with a war raging around him. It was as seductive as lovers call. He and Omari weren't like others in their family. Where they were peaceful like the druids, Omari and Cedric were decisive, cunning and, at times, vicious. They didn't fear getting their hands bloody. He and Omari were different in ways their father couldn't begin to comprehend. They were stronger, faster, more agile and heal extraordinarily fast, more so than their kin, but what set them apart from their parents and their forebears was their unfortunate timing of birth: The start of the purge. It was a dangerous time for people who used magic, and even more for those who were magic. When they were born there was no life in them for most twins were stillborn. Their parents had cried out to the Gods of the old religion, their sorrow fulling their calls, and the Gods answered. Soon the babies color returned, their chests started to rise, and they started to cry. When they opened their eyes they changed from black to that of glowing hazel green. They reflected in the dark when light graced them. Their pupils were elongated and resembled that of a dragona eye. The essence, the spirit, or soul, and magic, of a dying dragon went into the twins, the nearest newborns born to the Dragon Keepers. Twins were rare. Even more rare was it that they survived to term, and that they each housed a dragon... their survival was never heard of. It was a rare thing, a rare blessing, bestowed on them. As payment for the Gods intervention their parents were to repay the old religion by raising their children to guard the dragons Uther had yet slain; Kilgharrah, Athusia, and the egg at the Dragons Keep. Housing a dragon was dangerous and thrilling, it made them powerful, near invincible, but also coveted and feared. Their unique ability had to be kept secret else others wish to use their power for their own gain.

~o0o~

Thirteen, Omari thought as she turned away from the dead mercenary she had just skewered through the eye. She knocked another arrow, aimed and sent it flying. She kept counting as she sent another mercenary crashing off his horse.

"Fourteen." Omari huffed. She sent another arrow, this time sending a sorcerer to the ground, clutching at the arrow embedded in his chest. Omari gave a very unladylike snorted. "Fifteen," This wasn't as fun as she had hoped it would be, too easy. Where was all the bad-ass-ery Morgana was know for?

Omari watched the gold fade from the sorcerers eyes with a sort of detached sorrow. Omari made a face when she noticed the sorcerers dull eyes staring lifelessly at her. The arrow briefly glowed as it absorbed the sorcerers magic. She reached down and, using her enhanced strength, tugged it free with a suctioned squelch. The moment she touched the shaft the gold glow fled the arrow and crawled up her hand, wound around her arm to get reabsorbed into the dragon like armor. The pendant around her neck glowed, the gold glow spider webbed over the onyx stone that was cradled at the base of her throat as it absorbed the magic runoff that the armor couldn't, storing it for a raining day. She felt invigorated, as if she had not had water in a thousand days and she had just drank from a fresh spring.

If only Cedric had chosen to fight with her he could be here to share this. The dragon in her roared for more, demanded justice for their kin. This power, this stolen magic is what was going to save that little dragon egg back home. In case the last dragon lord couldn't be saved, Omari wanted to be sure that there was a way to ensure the little dragon awakens. Together, Cedric and Omari might be strong enough with the aid of the magic she was harnessing, but without Cedrics help... there would be no hope. The twins were able to combine magic with out the help of a spell. They could create wonders but also be the source of great devastation. They could be kind, loving and protective, but also territorial and volatile, much like a dragon, and destroy as well as they create.

Omari chose to embrace all of herself, every single dark and gory part. The dark, the light, and the gruesome. It was all the same, the dragon and her were one and the same. They were both brutal and kind. Cedric shied away from the darkness in him rather than learning to live with it. Grow with it. He had so much to offer and he chose to run from it. It really pissed her off.

~o0o~

Cedric still felt Omari's disapproval through their bond; it was hard not to listen to her thoughts when they screamed at him. She was disappointed, wounded even, that he chose to take a vow against the fight. It left her alone on the battle field, vulnerable without her other half and she was fighting her resentment towards him. She was distracted.

Cedric stopped to glance back a the fight. His eyes strained to find Omari among the chaos. He found her in the center of the battle fighting along side five or so Camelot knights, shooting at anyone that came too close to them. She fought as ferociously, if not more so, than any other of the men around her. Her temper was rising, the dragon feasting on the death and chose around her. Cedric was thankful that the Camelot knights were willing to work with a person of magic when he couldn't bring himself to engage in the bloody war. Cedric swallowed down his worry and regret.

She will be fine, he assured himself. Housing a dragons essence gave the host the ability to live extra ordinarily long lives, they were pugnacious and resilient but their very bad tempers got them into trouble most often than not. Made them get lost in their blood lust. Add that with a dragons strength... in simple words, they were more than dangerous. Cedric felt that referred more to himself than his twin, and that was why he felt the need to stay as far from the killing as he could; for his safety and those around him.

Cedric watched Omari a moment longer before he used his magic to whisk him away and left her to take care of business. There one second, gone the next in a suction of air and lighting. He still kept a mental eye on Omari through their own special connection just in case she needed him.

Omari felt Cedric close by. She looked inward and followed their connection until she could see through his eyes. He was watching her. She turned to look for him but he had already disappeared. Even though he shunned his natural affinity for war to keep those around him safe she knew how much it cost him. At leas he believed staying his hand was the better thing to do but Omari knew the truth. Emrys needed help. Merlin needed them to bring him back and she believed they could help, at least block Morganas hold if only a little. But if they didn't step in to help turn the tide as they were meant to this wars out come would be far worse than that of Uther Pendragons Great Purge.

Omari knew what her brother tried to hide and totally denies. Cedric didn't trust himself, and it concerned him that he was able to do the things he has had to do. The things he was capable of doing scared him. However, Omari believed he was strong enough to control himself but instead he locked that part of him away. It wasn't right. Not for someone of their lineage. To deny who they were, what they were, was dangerous for both the Dragon Born and others around them.

Omari heard a shout and sighed. The archers fell back moving to get a better advantage, but they were intimidated and unorganized. She wanted to head to the front to help the last of the archers reassemble but a loud ominous rumble came up through the earth. She pushed past a few of Camelots knights that had helped her and glanced around. She noticed their attention diverted from the fight to Camelots wall.

Long cracks were creeping up the rampart sending bits of stone and debris raining down on those closest. Emrys was bringing it down stone by stone. Soon chunks started to fall to the ground like meteorites. Omari glanced desperately to the two men still atop the hill fighting to hold onto the spell that kept the wall intact. She hoped they could hold it together just a little longer. Please Gods, just a little longer.

~o0o~

Ranoue grit his teeth. He couldn't hold on any longer. Emrys attack was brutal, too powerful to fight against. Ranoue needed his magic for the fight ahead, for Arthur, not expending energy on keeping a stone wall erect.

"James," Ranoue strained. He looked at James through a haze of light. Their magic had encased them in a blue and gold sheen trying to protect them from the backlash of magic. "Release the spell."

"What?" James asked with panic

Ranoue grunted. "Let go!"

James glanced at Ranoue, indignation sharpened his light blue eyes. James new this was killing him, killing them both, but still the safety of Albion was worth the risk. "What about the wall?" James cried. Sweat dripped off his brow and into his eyes. James knew his noes was bleeding, and saw that blood dripped steadily from Ranoues' noes, too. "If it falls..."

"Let-" Ranoue coughed and tasted blood. "Let it fall!" He hollered hoarsely.

James turned back to the crumbling wall and yelled at it in frustration. Reluctantly, James let go of the spell. Not all at once but one strand at a time to prevent any too bad recoil. There was a snap as the spell severed. The magic slowly seeped back into them, their bodies absorbed it greedily. Their magic soothed the damages of the spell as much at it could. The connection between them retreated becoming less and less noticeable as the seconds rolled by until it was near non-existent. The web slowly dissolved with it and left the wall bare and exposed. Completely unprotected.

Ranoue and James bent over, hands resting on their knees as they tried to catch their breath. There was a slight pulsing deep inside Ranoue where his gift dwelt. It glowed and shimmered a magnificent blue inside the gold of his magic. The closer he looked the more he noticed it had a heart beat. He felt around the edges... it felt familiar. He dug deeper. Deeper still, until he found what he was looking for. It was James. A small heat filled Ranoue at the what this meant. A small piece of his magic was left behind. They had bonded. He knew it deep down that there was no going back. They were stuck together. He was terrified. He imagined the same could be said for James. A piece of Ranoue was left with him. He was sure James felt it too.

Ranoue mentally reached for James. His excitement and trepidation at how he would react had his heart pounding and his throat feel tight. Do you feel that? Ranoue asked. He waited, and waited until there was a nudge to the magic James left behind, as if awakening. It reached for him in a gentle caress. Almost reassuring in its touch.

Yeah, James coughed and tasted copper. He made a face. I know. A permanent bond has been established. James ran his tongue over his teeth before spitting out the gob of blood. He looked at Ranoue. Now what?

Ranoue shook his head and stood up, James followed. They glanced at he wall. It crumbled little by little, pieces of stone hurtled down on the men below. They looked over the battle field. It was a chaotic mess. James got the sudden image of hornets swarming an enemy hive, and realized it was Ranoue remembering something from is childhood, not something James remembered.

There was a sudden lull in magical activity all around them. Even the magic attacking the wall had seemed to come to a brief halt. Although the men with steel continued their assault the rumbling under their feet stopped and the cracks creeping up the ramparts ceased climbing. If either James or Ranoue had hackles they would be standing on end. The silence stretched eerily thin. The only thing they heard was the distant brutal sounds of war.

Ranoue and James glared at he wall suspiciously as they waited for their magic to build once more before casting a spell to alert them to any other magical attack on the wall or themselves. They searched the stone, running invisible hands over it, felling much like they were blindly groping in the dark, but there was nothing there to sense. There was only darkness, worse than darkness, it was the absence of light. It was terrifying. A black hole that pulled you in, demanding your surrender. They searched the abyss but found not a spark of Merlins golden light... nothing...until something stired in the darkness beyond them, a tiny blip in the background signaling that there was something there, something still fighting. It refused to be snuffed out. It pushed in on their magic, slow at first and then all at once they were overwhelmed. A familiar and pained voice penetrated their minds.

No! Get away. Not safe!

Merlin! Both Ranoue and James exclaimed. They tried to send him strength, magic, something but before they could reach him a darker force entered. Cloying and bitter it swelled over the light that was Merlin.

Merlin seemed to choke on his next words. N-no. M...Morgana, plea- his words cut off before Ranoue and James' magic was shoved away from Merlin, and away from the wall, by a brutal force.

Merlin is no longer available. Morgana's hateful voice assaulted them, she scratched against the inside of their minds trying to create deep furrows in their magic hoping to cause as much damage she could.

Morgana, Ranoue growled. He called to James and combined their magic to shield them from her attack. With a shove of their own they pushed Morgana from their minds and sent a small dose of their shield to Merlin hoping it helped him in some way.

Merlin seemed to glow brighter before the bond forced Emrys to take advantage of the defenseless wall. He charged in, ripping and tearing at the stone structure like a wild beast. The wall groaned and the ground rumbled. The noise seemed to cause the sorcerers to resume their attack, fiercer, wilder.

He's going to bring it down stone by bloody stone, James scoffed. Ranoue and James glance at each other before racing off to join the King. This was not good, not good at all.