Middle of the all greenery was laying pale, haggard man. Lancelot stared his friend. Merlin was sleeping His chest rose and fell with a steady breath, but he sure doesn't looked good.

"Is he really alright?"

The old woman behind of him smiled. She leaned heavily on her stick.

"He will be. This was bound to happen. Without this, he can never be that Merlin who he has to be. Morgana did him a favour though. She released one part of his powers, and that makes the rest of this easy to him."

Lancelot glanced over his shoulder. "Easy? What Freya told me, it didn't sound easy."

The woman put her hand on Lancelot's shoulder.

"You worry too much like always. Give him some credits, will you Lancelot? Trust him."

Lancelot watched again his friend. "I trust him, but I still can't believe what you said me about him."

"And the truth is that nether that he." Woman sighed. "Now, it's about the time wake up Merlin."

And when she said that, Merlin opened his eyes. He looked around confusedly.

"Welcome to the Avalon." Lancelot grinned. Merlin stared him.

"Lancelot?"

"It's me, this time, it really is me." Lancelot laughed with joy and helped Merlin up. They hugged and Merlin moved his hand over Lancelot's shoulders.

"How you can be here? And how I can be here?" Merlin asked suspiciously. Then he noticed the woman who shook her head.

"No, Avalon isn't the place for dead. In here the time is stopped. But I can make some exceptions. Like Lancelot. He is here because I called him back. He can choose do he stay and wait or move on. Freya is bounded to lake because she made her own choice. Because she asked that she can be near of you. "

"And who are you?" Merlin asked suddenly very quietly. The power around the woman was different. Magical, but not the way he knew the magic. But she ignored him, instead she asked.

"Do you know what place Avalon is?"

Merlin let Lancelot go and shook his head. "Only what I have heard. And that isn't much. And Freya never told me anything."

She nodded and waved her hand that he should follow her. Then she offered her hand and Merlin moved beside of her to help her walk. Lancelot walked behind of them.

"Avalon is the heart of Old Religion. It is also one of the gates what leads us the heart of magic. And that path you will have to take."

"I died. Didn't I?" Merlin was puzzled.

"Yes, you died. Or do I say, some part of you died. You have no idea how complex creature you are. Part of human, part of dragon, part of magic itself. In your veins flow very old blood. Blood from the time when this world's things were different. Back then here among us walked some immortals. Their magic and science was very different than us. Eventually, their own war destroyed them. Only a few escaped, and they decided to choose the way of mortals. But their blood is still strong, and one part of it has come to you, and your own powerful magic has given rise to it."

Lancelot studied Merlin who listened carefully, but he seemed frustrated.

"What you mean? Am I immortal then? But I'm dead! I don't understand."

The woman was patient and didn't cared Merlin's outburst. She continued patiently.

"You will. Soon. You have to go back Merlin, without you we loose everything. We need you to chance the way of magic itself. And to do so, you can't stay here."

"But if I'm dead, I can't go back."

The woman stopped.

"Listen." She pressed her hand over his heart. "Don't you feel it?"

Merlin fell silent. His eyes widened with amazement.

"It's… beating."

"So you are not dead, or like I say, part of you isn't. Your magic keeps you alive in here Avalon. And because you have to go back where the mortals are, you have to prove that you are worth of it. Worth of your immortality. To do so you have to come here. And you couldn't come here if I couldn't call you, and that's why one part of you had to die. You had to let go of your mortality."

Woman smiled with satisfaction. Lancelot sighed; he knew that Merlin couldn't get anymore out of her. She was always like that. Explaining things like everyone should have knew already the answers. But Merlin didn't tried to do so. He though and asked.

"And how I do that? How I can gain the immortality and go back?"

In his voice was hint of power. He looked suddenly calmer and confident. The woman looked satisfied.

"Like I said. You take the path to face the magic itself. Now, I think that Lancelot would show you the way. After you have accepted who you are Merlin, and what you are and what is your true destiny, you are always welcome here. And then we can talk more and I can show you the miracles of this world." And when she still spoke, she slowly disappeared.

"Lancelot?" Merlin glanced at him and Lancelot shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh, don't ask. I can't understand all of it. But to say, you are special, like always my friend. Come, I show you the way to the cave."

"What cave?" They continued their way.

"The portal, or something like that. Do you know what are you doing?" Lancelot asked. The more he observers Merlin, the more he realized this had changed.

"No. Most of the times, no." Merlin admitted. "Like always, I go with the flow. Maybe after this, I know what I'm doing. Now I only know that I have to this. So, what is your choice?"

Lancelot smiled.

"I think that I will wait. And if you managed to wake yourself, like she said, we can meet again." He stopped and pointed forward. "There it is. I can't come closer."

They stood side by side a moment, saying nothing.

"Are you ready?"

"No."

"Then I wish you good luck."

And Merlin stepped forward, and faced himself.