Bran looked around, but he couldn't find Merlin. He was gone.

"Hunith, Hunith! My lady!" He ran to wake Merlin's mother, who woke and stood quickly, her face pale.

"Bran. What now? Is something wrong with Merlin?" Her voice almost broke.

"He's gone."

"Gone?"

"I mean left."

"Left?" Hunith looked around bewildered. "How, how did he ..."

Bran didn't stop to think about it, but rushed to the door. He had only grabbed the door handle when the door was pushed open, and he fell.

"Merlin!"

"Arthur? What are you doing here? "Bran said, and crawled up.

"I had a strange feeling. Just like I have heard Merlin's calling." Arthur looked around.

"He's gone. Left. Where would he go to Arthur?" Bran announced him. Arthur stared at him in wonder and then he got an idea. He turned around and left running. Bran and Hunith followed him.

"Where are we going?" Bran yelled after him.

"Up, up the castle, to the great wall. He always wants to see the sky. That's why I gave him that room." Arthur rushed forward. Fear filled his heart. He couldn't understand what was going on, but he had a pressing need to see Merlin now. He ran through the corridors, up and up, up toward the highest rampart. It was, for them both, a place where they could clear their thoughts and enjoy a moment of peace. There, they discussed issues without fear that someone would overhear them. There, Merlin would have been able to spend time for hours, just staring at the sky if Arthur wouldn't have been seeking him back in.

"Merlin!" He called him when he stepped outside. Then he stopped.

"Merlin…" His voice was now just a whisper. What he saw almost stopped his heart.

Merlin glowed. He was wearing only his pants, he had torn off everything else. His skin's convoluted patterns were pulsing in the darkness. It was simultaneously terrifying and beautiful. Merlin's gaze was directed toward the sunrise, and the golden light mixed with silver shine. Arthur couldn't move. He stared, astonished and scared, words stuck in his throat. He heard, behind him, the others come out, but they, too, fell silent. Suddenly the patterns exited the skin. They began to revolve around Merlin, dancing wildly. Merlin raised his face and deep in his throat, he made a raspy voice, low and deep, full of power. Arthur dimly realized that Merlin was talking in the old language.

And they could hear the distant response. A roar that was very familiar, and made the hairs on Arthur's neck stand up.

"The Great Dragon." He whispered, and indeed, the great creature appeared out of the clouds.

"Kilgharrah. Aithusa." Arthur heard Bran saying. "Now I understand. Merlin, he is becoming… He, he ..." Bran voice faded away as a blinding light filled their field of vision. Arthur turned away, covering his eyes.

When he felt the light eventually taper off, he quickly turned to look. But he didn't see Merlin. He stumbled backward. On the castle wall stood a dragon. Its scales shone silver in the light of the rising sun. Its narrow noble head turned to look at them.

"Arthur." Its voice was deeper than before, but it was clearly Merlin's voice.

"How ... how did you ..." Arthur took a hesitant step forward. Merlin turned gracefully to face him.

"I do not have a lot of time. I have to take back the Compass, or otherwise this will be my permanent form."

"What's going on Merlin?" Arthur demanded to know. Merlin's golden eyes reached him.

"Bran can explain to you everything he knows, but even he doesn't know everything. Enough, but I will have to tell you the rest. I want to tell the rest. I hope that you will let me explain." Merlin's eyes left him. "Mother."

"Oh, Merlin." Hunith whispered. She overtook Arthur and walked beside the dragon. Merlin dropped his head and Hunith pressed against it.

"Mother, I have to go. I have to hurry. My time is up. I can not be sure ..."

"Shh, my dear. Just go now." Hunith distanced herself from him. Arthur pulled her close to himself.

"Go Merlin."

And Merlin stood up, his huge wings spread out. His head arched up and with one jump, he was in the air and the wings hit the upward air current once, capturing the air. Arthur realized now, the third dragon. Small and white, who rushed towards Merlin and was flying around him. Wings captured the wind and the dragons rose and headed south.

Very soon they were gone.

On the wall, everybody was silent.

Arthur looked at Bran, who seemed a little sheepish. But also afraid. "His time is almost gone." He said. "If he is not there on time he…"

"He will be back." Arthur said. He didn't know how he was so sure about it, but he was. One day Merlin would return home.