"Mum!"

Hunith was fast, lightning fast. Her blows upon the brittle magical shield were fierce and unrelenting. Her hooves pounded with the power only a beast could produce but with the strategic accuracy of a human. Merlin was flinching with each strike, each blow weakening the shield further and further. He felt his magic drain from him to the shield, doing his best to repair it before his mo – the monster – broke—

The shield shattered.

Hunith quickly launched her tail at Merlin, but Arthur was faster, slicing its head off. Merlin watched in shock as the blade's magic hastily ate at her tail, purging the darkness and purifying it with light. Hunith turned one of her heads and saw the light traveling down her tail. She lifted her back leg and gripped onto her tail firmly, before ripping it out. Arthur took another swing at her but she quickly evaded. Hunith let out a fierce roar, sending a shock wave at both Arthur and Merlin. Hunith flew high into the sky, Merlin falling back on his arse from the roar, his hands no longer glowing with the defensive magic he had been producing. He panted weakly as he squinted against the sunlight, Hunith using the light to swoop down, trying to catch them off guard.

"No, no," Merlin whispered. "Mum, no."

Hunith flew down, her speeds reaching supersonic, a wave of mist forming around her body, wings pulled in tight. Her body was propelled by Richard's hate and magic.

Merlin felt his magic boil and over flow, coursing through his veins and pouring into the word. Time slowed down and then came to a screeching halt. Hunith was only inches from Arthur, hooves extended, ready to collide with him, to kill him.

Merlin quickly ran to Arthur, not knowing how long this advanced magic would last. He pulled his stiff body and dragged him out of the way, before his magic lost hold and Hunith zoomed past them, a sonic boom deafening them. Hunith hit the ground hard, stirring up dust and debris. Merlin's hands shot up to his ears, repairing the damage and then to Arthur's, who was sitting on the ground, dazed. Merlin pulled him to his feet and carried him off as far as he could before Hunith emerged from the rubble.

Arthur found his footing and stood up, his sword still in hand. Merlin and Arthur flinched as Hunith screamed and shot out from the dust cloud. Merlin was trying as hard as he could to remain rational, but he couldn't stop feelings of betrayal from poisoning his mind. Merlin thought about the times he was sick, and she had nursed him back to health. He thought about her smile, and her love for him, how he had supported her when she married Richard.

Richard.

Merlin's fist clenched tight. He felt raw hate flow through him. His iris glazed golden and he let his magic explode, filling the ground and air around him.

The ground is consistent with 20% iron and 45% carbon, 2% of which isn't bonded. If I can just...

Merlin's magic became stringy and whipped through the ground, severing the bonds between the carbon and its partners. It flowed and picked up every atom of Iron it could get.

"Arthur, hold your sword out straight, and don't move," Merlin commanded.

"What?" Arthur asked, confused. Hunith scratched in the air and bolted at Arthur again.

"Just do it!" Merlin screamed. His magic continued to flow and began to melt the iron, fusing it with the carbon.

Hunith was getting closer and closer. "Just a little longer," Merlin whispered. Hunith was longer at breakneck speeds but her velocity would surely kill Arthur. Merlin continued to mold the iron and carbon, turning it into steel, mixed with the threads of his magic, Merlin finally had his weapon. Merlin lifted his eyes to see his mother, but this time he didn't see her abominable shell, he saw her, her soul. He saw her pain, and her agony, he could see her being consumed by the dark magic that embodied the creature she was trapped in. He felt so sorry for her, but he remained vigilant and with the flick of his wrist, unleashed his fury.

Millions of tiny ropes of steel and magic shot from the ground, invisible to the naked eye but deadly. They rose into the sky, piercing Hunith's body and wrapping through her muscles and bones, cutting off her nervous system and giving Merlin complete control. He could see his magic entwine and he made sure that not a single thread pierced his mother's soul.

Merlin panted as he pushed his magic to its extreme. Hunith was still traveling quickly at Arthur, but this time it was Merlin was in control. He slowed her down and quickly landed her on the ground, only meters from Arthur.

Merlin was struggling for control. The magic inside of Hunith was powerful, but Merlin was stronger.

"Now, Arthur, now!" Merlin cried.

Arthur didn't hesitate. He quickly ran at Hunith and trusted his sword firmly into her chest, deep into the body of the creature. Merlin could see the blade, how deep it ran. It pierced the creature's heart but most importantly, it pierced his mother's soul. He could instantly see the power of the blade go to world, the wound shining at the edges as it ate away at Hunith's evil armor, growing brighter and brighter until she gave off light brighter than the sun. Arthur turned away but Merlin watched as Excalibur's magic cleansed; stripping sin away until Hunith she was just a woman, laying in a pool of black sludge.

Arthur opened his eyes to find Merlin holding Hunith in his arms. He didn't approach, for what was being said and heard was not for his ears. He quickly folded up his blade and placed it in his back pocket, taking a deep sigh and sitting on the ground.

"Mum," Merlin cried. Hunith opened her eyes slowly. Her body was volatile, twitching and bulging from the aftermath. Merlin was using his magic to hold her together, but his strength was fading fast. Hunith looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Merlin... my boy." Hunith groaned. "I'm so sorry. I d-didn't... mean –"

"Shh, Mum, no." Merlin caressed her face, tears pouring from his eyes. "D-Don't talk okay. Save your strength."

"Merlin," Hunith continued. "The things I-I did... children..."

"No! Mother, it was not you! It was Richard! You know that!" Merlin cried. Hunith was becoming more and more unstable. "Arthur!" Merlin yelled. "Arthur, come quick!"

"Merlin, I did such horrible things," Hunith confessed.

"No, no you didn't mum. You just hush okay? Arthur!" Merlin yelled, his voice breaking.

Arthur ran to Merlin and knelt beside him. He could see that Hunith was not long for this world.

"Arthur, please, help me!" Merlin cried.

Arthur looked at him shocked. "M-Merlin, I don't know what to do!"

"Don't you have a magic crystal or something? Please – No! Mum! No!" Merlin turned to his mother as the last of his magic left her.

"Merlin!" Hunith cried, her voice barely above a whisper. Merlin was holding her tight in his hands. "Help! Help me! I don't want to –"

Her body froze solid, a crack of light forming at the center of her forehead. It quickly spread through her face, down her neck, and throughout her body.

"No! Mum, please! Please!"

In a swift instant, Hunith's body exploded into a million gold orbs, but, unlike Kilgharrah, she did not swirl around the blade of Excalibur, instead, she gently rose into the sky, towards the sun. Merlin cradled the air where she was just moments ago and slouched against Arthur.

"I'm going to fucking kill him," Merlin whispered brokenly to Arthur. Arthur was holding back his sobs; silently crying next to him. Merlin had never felt more angry and helpless. His mother, his own mother needed him, but Merlin couldn't save her. Richard was to blame. He took everything from Merlin, everything.

Now he was going to pay.

"I'm going to fucking kill him."

Arthur pulled the tent entrance back just enough to allow room for him to slip through. The final discussions had not gone well, and if anything, the situation for Camelot's army had now become dire. There would be no final peace treaty, no final agreement to spare their men from battle, no more council sessions on tactics and weapon numbers and food stores. They would fight tomorrow.

The king unbuckled Excalibur's sword belt and lay it against the table that had been set up, a table that was now free of plans and maps, and with one final glance to it, he unfastened his red cape with the Pendragon crest.

"How was your day, dear?" Merlin asked from the bed, a smile curling at his lips. He was stretched haphazardly across it, watching Arthur snap out of his thoughts with bright blue eyes.

"Gods, Merlin," Arthur said, a hand stretched towards Excalibur on the table, ready to pull on the defence. He hadn't known Merlin would be back. "I thought you were with Gwaine, figuring out your strategy for—"

"We no longer have a strategy," Merlin said. He reached for Arthur, who came to sit on the mattress in front of him all too willingly. "He's itching to fight."

Arthur sighed. "Merlin, you promised."

"I did no such thing," Merlin insisted, his voice high as he stuck his chin out a little in his defiance.

"I don't want you up there alone, Merlin!"

"I wouldn't be alone." Merlin rolled his eyes, stretching a hand up to wiggle his fingers in Arthur's face. "Well, I will, but not really."

"Your magic," Arthur said, trying to be patient as Merlin wiggled his fingers, "is not a person."

"It is too," Merlin answered petulantly. He twisted onto his side and gracefully slid off the bed. He pulled Arthur up. "Arms."

Arthur lifted his arms, and let Merlin undress him from the restraints of his chainmail. Merlin had not been his manservant for years, but this was familiar, and Arthur needed everything familiar he could lay his hands on right now. "You dismissed George," he said, unquestioning.

"Of course," Merlin replied, wrinkling his nose in his distaste for the man. "I bet he's ready to fling himself into the fire in fright of having nothing to do."

"He's a good man."

Merlin grunted as he set Arthur's chainmail against the side of Excalibur. "He asked me what the cloth said to the man made of brass earlier."

Arthur cocked an eyebrow. "Man made of brass?"

Merlin nodded his assent, working on the strings of Arthur's breeches now. "Mm."

"I think I've heard that one."

"Lucky you," Merlin drawled, letting Arthur kick his way out of his breeches. He lifted Arthur's shirt, his hands running along the planes of the king's chest longer than was strictly necessary, the way they did when Merlin was his manservant, long before any of this.

Arthur tried to find Merlin's eyes, but Merlin was distracted, folding Arthur's breeches and his shirt while Arthur stood in his undershirt he had dressed into for added warmth and his undershorts. It was nice, quiet like this, easy with the conversation flowing between them like it would in his chambers back in Camelot as it had been for years.

Arthur, of course, was the one to break it. "I don't want you up there."

"And I don't want you on the battle field leading your men to their death."

"I have to. I'm the king."

"And I'm the Court Sorcerer," Merlin said. "Your only magic user." He stood before Arthur, challenging him, the unsaid words 'probably your only hope' hanging between them. "I have to be there, just as much as you do."

"You will take Gwaine."

"No," Merlin said. "Gwaine wants to fight. He doesn't want to stand around where there will be no threat. He wants to fight, with you, and Leon, and Percival. Your knights. Your men. He's one of you. He'll be unbearable. I'll fling him off the cliff."

"Then I won't allow you to be up there. I'll send you home."

"Okay, then you are coming with me."

Arthur scoffed. "Absolutely not!"

Merlin smirked. "Then we've reached a moot point."

"But—"

"Come on. It's time to sleep."

"But—"

"Big day tomorrow," Merlin continued relentlessly. He grasped Arthur's fingers and pulled him over to the too-big bed. It was probably bigger than the one at home. Bigger, enough for Camelot's monarch, but cold and only easy for travel. They fell onto it with ease.

Merlin swung his leg over Arthur, sitting atop of him. He needed to get his words across, to get it into his prat's thick skull. "I know you're worried, but I've been protecting you for years. I can handle myself."

"I don't want you—"

Merlin covered his hand over Arthur's mouth. "Let me finish. You need to know, even if I have been saying the same speech for years already. No, Arthur, listen. If you go, I go. I won't be where you are not."

Arthur grabbed for the front of Merlin's shirt, yanking him down, pulling him so close that he effectively forced him to release his clamp over Arthur's face. He twisted his fingers into Merlin's, holding him in place. "But you won't be with me," he growled, his face inches from Merlin's.

"Oh, I will be."

Arthur frowned. His lips parted and then closed several times, trying to find the words, before his expression lifted and then became accusing. "You're planning something."

"Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies," Merlin said, and then he smiled a tiny wicked.

"I hate you."

"Well, I love you," Merlin said, and he closed the distance between them. The kiss was born on long association, very compatible, but desperate and unrelenting at the same time. It still said a thousand words, every day, several times over. Arthur wondered just how long they had been going on like this, and then found that he didn't really care. No amount of time would ever be enough. He only cared for the way Merlin was rocking into him and the way he was squeezing his hand.

"You promise," Arthur said through a gasp when they broke for air, bringing their entwined hands to his face.

"Promise what?"

"Just promise," he said against their hands before burying his face into the crook of Merlin's neck, who nosed into his blonde unkempt hair. He shifted and rolled so they fell onto their sides, as close as they always were, possessive and sweet.

"I'm more than capable. You'd think you'd be used to it after so long," the warlock mused to himself. "I promise."

"Good." Arthur kept his hold on Merlin. This was the vulnerability he only showed here, with him, because Merlin was the only certain thing in Arthur's life, who Arthur loved with his whole being.

"Now you promise."

"I don't need to promise," Arthur said, his fingers trailing patterns on Merlin's back. Not patterns. Secrets. Words. Words only for Merlin.

Merlin pulled back, and ran his finger along a dark shadow that lined the underneath of Arthur's eye. "You promise that you come back. You won't be reckless. You come back to me."

Arthur smiled. "I'll always come back. I promise."

"It seems we have visitors."

Richard turned around slowly, and Merlin and Arthur flinched slightly at the corruption of the other man's flesh. Most of it was missing, the rest black as if burnt, and his face was missing both cheeks, a permanent toothy smile stretching across his face. Arthur drew his sword and Merlin raised his hands, glowing a gentle red, ready for the upcoming fight. The chapel was more decorated than Merlin had expected. Tall roman style pillars rose to the top of the ceiling, and the windows were multicolored stained glass, picturing people Merlin didn't know. It seemed that the color in the chapel was preserved, when just outside the world was almost black.

Richard chuckled at the sight of Merlin and Arthur ready to fight.

"Do you really think a bunch of kids are going to kill me?" Richard laughed into the air. Dark tendrils of magic were emanating from his body; a thin dark purple aura surrounded him. Merlin made note, marking that line as the beginning of his 'unholy armor'.

"Did you like what I did to your mother, Merlin?" Richard asked. Merlin pupils became pinpricks and his face twitched.

"Did you like how I molded her skin? Her tits were too small for me, her cunt too dry. I think it was a great improvement."

"Merlin," Arthur muttered under his breath. "Merlin, do not fall for it."

"She was such a better fuck after her transformation. I would have her eat a child, right? And then use the kid's blood as—"

Merlin's magic propelled him towards Richard. His hands were ignited with flames, fists clenched. He soared to the top of the chapel and held out his hands, letting his magic roar through his flames. Ball after ball of fire collided with Richard's body and Arthur was knocked back from the waves of heat and wind that followed each collision.

"Ha ha ha. My turn."

Black jolts of electricity shot out from the smoke at Merlin. He was swift, dodging one, two three, four strikes. But upon recovering from his final dodge, he realized he was pinned against the corner of the ceiling. Arthur pulled a green crystal from his pocket and smashed it on the floor, its smoke rose and filled his nose, ears, and eyes. He felt it flow through his body, making him as light as a feather.

"Gotcha!"

Merlin closed his eyes at the impending strike, but opened them quickly when he felt Arthur directly in front of him. Arthur was holding his blade high, apparently having deflected the attack. Richard growled at Arthur's meddling.

"Cheeky little fuck," Richard gritted through his teeth.

Arthur looked over his shoulder.

"Ready?" Arthur asked.

Merlin nodded, and together they both rushed Richard.

Arthur was the first to laugh a swing. His arm was fast, but Richard was faster. Each swing of his sword was met with an equally elegant dodge. Arthur's sword swiped at Richard's head. He'd lean back and the blade would glaze just an inch over his skin. Arthur would swing up and Richard would flip backwards onto a wall. Merlin quickly joined the fight, at time's he would amplify the edge of Arthur's blade, at others he was adding his own physical attacks that we're magically enhanced. Together they danced, blow after blow was launched and evaded, Richard laughing at each close attempt.

Arthur took a few steps back and swung his blade fast, a blade of light launching from it. Richard began to jump but Merlin quickly made chains from the tile on the ground, holding him in place for a brief second. Richard crossed his arms over his face and the blade passed through him.

"Yes!" Arthur exclaimed. Merlin dropped down from the air beside Arthur, standing proud in triumph.

But Richard shrugged the attack off. His shell was damaged slightly but black sludge quickly filled in the gaps, healing the invisible armor. Richard tapped his foot impatiently and licked his lips.

"I'm growing bored, boys! MY TURN!"Richard screamed.

Richard disappeared and then reappeared behind Arthur, he grabbed Arthur's left arm and twisted it behind him.

"Fun!"

Richard extended his leg and kicked Merlin in the chest, launching him into a pillar behind him. Merlin collided with a loud crack, and fractures split up its concrete texture.

"Merlin!" Arthur screamed, but he was quickly silenced by Richard's voice. His arm still being twisted behind him.

"Don't worry, you're next." Richard chuckled.

Arthur felt pulling and then screamed as he felt his shoulder dislocate from its socket. Richard picked his body up from that same arm and threw him across the room. He turned to Merlin.

Merlin weakly groaned against the hard tiled floor. He felt himself lifted.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked weakly, his eyes foggy from the impact.

"Not quite," Richard mocked. He placed his hand on Merlin's throat and held him against the pillar.

"You know what I'm going to do to you? You little shit!" Richard screamed. He began to pour his dark magic into Merlin. Black tendrils of hate and sin began to snake their way into Merlin's body, tugging on his soul, burning his skin. Richard licked the side of Merlin's face, smacking his lips. "I'm going to fucking eat you. Just like every other fucking pig like you. Then... Then I'm going to move on, move on and keep eating, until I'm God. Do you under—"

"You killed my mother and my friends" Merlin struggled to say under Richard's grasp, his grip tight on Merlin's throat. "I'm not going to let you get away with it, you're g-going to die."

Richard laughed.

"And who is going to stop me?" Richard mocked.

"Me!"

Merlin felt Richard's grip loosened and he slid to the floor, coughing. Richard stumbled back and began to scream. Merlin's eyes cleared up and he could see a large silver blade protruding from Richard's stomach. Richard turned around to see Arthur, who was barely standing, laughing at him.

"Gotcha!" Arthur mocked again, a light laugh leaving his throat. His eyes connected with Merlin's and they shared a brief smile.

Richard pulled his hand back, twisting his flesh into a sharp blade. Arthur couldn't see—he was looking at Merlin.

"And I got you," Richard whispered.

"No!" Merlin screamed and held out his hand, sending a shield on its way… but he was too late. Richard's hand was imbedded deep in Arthur's stomach, the blade exiting out through his back.

Richard groaned and twisted his hand, shredding more of Arthur's insides. A trickle of blood dripped from Richard's arm, spilling onto the floor. Richard pulled his hand back and he staggered backwards and Arthur did the same with his hands clenched around the hole in his stomach, gentle whimpers leaving his lips. Arthur turned to Merlin and reached out, before he and Richard, both, fell to the floor.