A/N: Hi guys.

So I'm back after nearly a year. I am sorry about the delay; I had my dissertation to write and submit if I wanted to graduate (WHICH I DID). Then I just couldn't get the will power to write anything once it was submitted. But I gave myself a kick up the bum and here we are.

I have got to admit, this chapter was a witch with a capital B to write. Witch vs Dragon following Merlin laws was difficult to write seeing as only a Dragonlord can defeat the dragon, everything else is slaughtered (See the last Dragonlord). So I ended up watching Merlin episodes, along with How to train your Dragon and Dragon Heart and Reign of Fire (among others) so think I got it ok. Still I'm not fully convinced this is how I wanted this chapter to go.

Once again this chapter is un-betaed. I don't have the heart to ask my super busy beta to do it.

So anyway, Thank you my patient readers, reviewers, and people who have put this in their Alert/Favourite lists. Enjoy the second to last Chapter of Inheritance.

Chapter 16

Merlin.

Of all the names the dragon before her had, including the one which terrified her with the echo's of her doom that was the only one she truly registered.

Merlin.

The name of the traitor who she once called friend, the only one who she know realised could of understood and helped her before she found her salvation in her sister.

Merlin.

The name of the clumsy farm boy who travelled to Camelot, of the eccentric boy who becomes manservant and friend to a prince turned king, the name of the worse actor who was hiding the biggest secret of them all.

"Merlin!"

Ambrousius did not need the screech of his human name to tell when his identity finally sunk into the witch's head. Nor did he need the fire ball that followed to tell she was angry.

He took the time, whilst the fire ball sizzled harmlessly on his scales, to look at Morgana. She was still as devastatingly beautiful as she had been on that night so many years ago when he first saw her, but now her beauty was marked by madness. Her once highly expensive court dresses and everyday wear had been replaced with a tattered simple dress and cloak, but she still looked as deadly as ever. Where it not for these minute changes, and the fact she was launching yet another fire ball at him, he could easily be fooled into believing that before him was his old friend.

But this was not the old Morgana, and he needed to get his head back in the game before the witch realised that her relentless bombardment of flames were useless and thus turned her attacks of a more flammable target.

Rearing up, the dragon flapped his wings once, reversing the latest attack from the witch back on her, following up with a blast of his own fire aimed towards the ground. He may be forced to kill the woman, but he was not cruel enough to give her the death she (and himself if he was honest) so feared, burning.

Quickly, far quicker than any of the watching warriors would suspect a massive magical lizard of being able to move, Merlin had the female Pendragon pinned beneath his claw.

Arthur was conflicted. Logically he knew Morgana must be punished for her crimes (and no matter what his darling sister said, her crime was not just possessing magic, although for the moment magic was still illegal. But there were still her crimes of murder, imprisonment, theft ...), he was in two minds as to how this was to be done.

On the one hand, he could allow Mer-the Dragon to crush/eat/barbecue the witch, which would remove responsibility from the king. But could he allow that. Should he ask Merl-the drag- FINE Merlin to do that? Could he place that on his friend, for no matter how much the idiot lied to him he was still his friend? And if he did, would it send the right message that magic, that Merlin, wasn't dangerous.

But if he didn't, he would be forced to place his sister on trial. And he would be forced to order her execution, for even though he truly wished to exile or imprison her, he knew that no prison would truly be able to hold Morgana, and if she was exiled, she was would just plot and return. There were also the families of her victims to consider, those who died also dissevered justice for the needless loss of their lives. But could his heart take it?

So it was easy to imagine how relieved he was when his draconic friend made it for him.

Merlin was going to kill her, that he was sure of when later others asked him what he did. One quick movement and her tortured soul would be sent to heal in Avalon.

What he was less sure of is why he didn't do it. As he stared down at the frightened woman below his claw, all he could think of was how this was wrong in so many ways.

Part of him, which continued his earlier thoughts. Screamed that this was his friend, no matter how twisted. He couldn't kill her, otherwise he truly would have betrayed her and her memory.

Another part, the Dragonlord within loathed killing her purely because it would hurt Aithusia. The young dragoness had found her first friend in the mad woman, and Ambrousius felt bad about ordering her away. And if he killed her, he would truly hurt his little sister/daughter/hatchling.

There was also Arthur and the knights to consider. If he did kill Morgana, would it make him a monster in their eyes? He was under no illusions that they didn't fear him at least a little and that even if Arthur accepted magic and him, there would still be major trust issues to deal with. And taking care of Morgana this way may only make them think he was no better than all the other sorcerers who kill.

The final part was so deep within him, that the Dragonlord didn't even consciously know he had acknowledged it. The part that was both him but not him yet whispered that this wasn't her time to die. That she still had a part to play in the grand schemes of destiny.

So it was with a weary sigh that Merlin removed this paw from Morgana, but wrapped his tail around the witch, keeping her in place.

"She is all yours, my king."

His first mistake was turning to look at Arthur.

In the dragons defence, no one was expecting what happened next. As everyone turned to face the king, wondering what he would do, a white blur came rocketing out of the sky, fangs bared and on a collision course with Ambrousius.

The black dragon was lucky Aithusia was as small as she was, otherwise he would have been seriously hurt. As it was, all Merlin felt was a slight thump as she collided with his head.

That was when he made his second mistake.

In the confusion, Merlin forgot the fact that he could just order the hatchling to stop so reacted on pure instinct to this new threat. He reared up on his hind legs, wings spread with his tail held out behind him, releasing Morgana from his clutches.

It didn't take long for the female Pendragon to take advantage of this, for as mad as she had become, she was no fool. Aware that she stood no chance against the larger dragon, she summoned a whirl wind to whisk her away.

Soon, she was gone, leaving behind a silent field, with a white dragon flying off to find her friend.

A/N: So that was it, the second to last chapter of my first real multi-chaptered fic.

Yes I wanted Morgana alive. I aimed this fic to take place between series 4 and 5 so I had to keep her alive (plus Merlin would have gotten indigestion if he ate her). If I do a sequel it will most likely try to bring it back to cannon as much as possible.

So before I go, here if a traditional fact/joke that has become common on this fic (This is a bit of a two for one deal).

Last year the train I was on was delayed because of a horse on the tracks. The decided he was just horsing around so told him to trot of too fields anew. (Sorry that was awfully punny but true)

So this is where I leave you. See you next time with the final chapter, where we learn what happens with Merlin the dragon, and if he is fated to remain that way for a long time.

See ya

The Owl Mage