Chapter Twelve

Those who Burned

Morgause must have seen the realisation in Merlin's eyes as he stared at her, because before him or Arthur could say or do anything else there was a flash of blinding light and Merlin was thrown backwards onto the ground. At the same time he heard Arthur cry out and moments later the sound of a sword being unsheathed.

Dazed for several seconds Merlin quickly pulled himself back onto his feet. Morgause too was now standing and was no longer behind the table, she was advancing on Merlin muttering ancient, magical words under her breath, a wizened hand reaching out towards him. Before she could cast another spell however Merlin threw out his arm and his eyes flashed with gold. Morgause saw the bolt of blue energy coming towards her and ducked out the way just in time. The blue fire bolt smashed into the cave wall behind her and suddenly the air was filled with dust and a few rocks tumbled to the ground. When the dust settled Merlin saw the old woman was slowly changing before his eyes. The hair was thickening and becoming less grey, the wrinkles were fading and the eyes were now sharp and bright. The transition between old and young and the look of rage on Morgause's face made her almost frightening.

Before anyone could cast another blow however, there was the sound of running footsteps behind them.

"What's going on? I heard noises-" Morgana began, her eyes wide with panic and worry and she hesitated when she saw Morgause in her half-old, half-young form. But Merlin wasn't quite convinced by Morgana's acting.

"You know perfectly well what's happening," He said. He knew there was no way Morgana could have brought Morgause to them by accident.

Arthur however couldn't see what part the King's ward played in all this. "What are you talking about Merlin?" He snapped before turning to Morgana, his sword gripped tightly in his hands, "Morgana stay back, this woman's dangerous."

But Morgana had provided a good distraction for Morgause, and with a simple flick of her hand Arthur's sword suddenly flew out of his grasp. The façade was almost gone now, Morgause's cascade of golden blond curls were returning and the wrinkles had all but disappeared, however the anger was still there in her bright eyes. She advanced towards Arthur, but with an outstretched hand and a flash of gold in his eyes Merlin threw her backwards and she crashed into the cave wall.

There was a cry from behind Merlin and Arthur. A terrible scream, one of anger and betrayal and fear. Merlin felt something slam into his back and he fell forward onto the cave floor. He held out his hands to catch his fall and winced as he felt hard stones graze his palms. He turned to see Morgana standing over him, a look of pure hatred on her face.

"You...you Liar, traitor. Leave my sister alone," she growled. Merlin had never seen such a terrible look in Morgana's eye, not even when he had poisoned her. She was so angry she could hardly get her words out. She knew now, there was no way of giving an innocent explanation to what had just happened. She saw Merlin use magic to attack Morgause.

"Sister...Morgana, what are you talking about?" Arthur demanded, utterly confused. "Morgana, did you just..." his wide eyes went from Merlin, who was pulling himself up from the ground, to Morgana, who still had her eyes fixed on his manservant.

"How could you? How could you?" She said in a voice barely above a whisper. "I trusted you for so long, I begged you for help when I was so afraid, and you never told me, you never said. You would try to kill one of your own to defend this Prince. I thought my attempted murder was your greatest betrayal, but I was wrong."

Merlin was now on his feet again, he stared straight back into Morgana's hate-filled eyes, and he did not blink. "I had no choice, because I was told you would one day become this and I couldn't save you."

"You could have tried." Morgana hissed, she seemed to have forgotten about Arthur and Morgause. Nothing else mattered now apart from Merlin's betrayal. "If you really thought I needed saving you could have tried. But you didn't, and all I needed saving from was your lies."

At that moment Merlin heard movement behind him and Arthur called out a warning. He whipped round just to see a flash of gold in Morgause's eyes and the rocks that had fallen before lifting themselves into the air. They hung around Morgause for a few moments then propelled themselves at Merlin. He tried to duck out of the way but was too slow and felt something collide with the side of his face. It wasn't the full force of the flying rubble but Merlin's head suddenly burst with heat and pain and he stumbled, disorientated. He felt a trickle of blood run down his face. He quickly recovered himself though, and when he saw another rock come hurtling towards his face Merlin held up his hand and one word caused the rock to burst into dust. He heard Morgana cry out with frustration and rage and he turned to face her just in time, this time avoiding the burst of energy she sent hurtling into the cave.

While Merlin was focused on Morgana Arthur, who had picked up his sword, advanced towards Morgause, sword aimed at her chest. She laughed at his feeble weapon though, and with a flick of her hand Arthur found himself sprawled on the cave floor, unhurt but dazed and ashamed. Before he could find his feet again he felt the sword being pulled out his hand again by magic. He looked up to see it fly into Morgause's outstretched hand. But with a cry of pain she dropped it again, clutching her hand. The hilt was burning with an invisible fire, but when Arthur leaped up and grabbed the sword again he didn't feel the heat. What he could feel however was his magic churning inside him, running through his veins like blood, and even though a few moments ago the Prince was terrified by it, he now felt empowered.

Arthur paused and suddenly remembered Freya's words. He closed his eyes for a moment and took several deep, slow breaths. He felt himself calming, he felt in control. Then he opened his eyes and stretched out his hand. He didn't know how he did it but somehow he willed himself to, and a burst of fire suddenly flew forwards and hit Morgause in the stomach just as she was preparing another attack. It wasn't powerful enough to injure her, but it was enough to leave her winded, astounded and even more angry than before.

Morgause looked like she was about to give Arthur a fatal blow with her magic when she heard her sister cry and she turned. Merlin, dust and sweat plastered on his face and blood drying on his temple, had thrown Morgana against the wall of the cave and she had taken the full force of the blow on her shoulder. Her face was now contorted with pain and she clutched her shoulder where she had fallen against the cave wall.

"Morgana!"

There was a shout from the entrance of the cave, and everyone turned to see Gwen and Freya rush inside, utterly confused about the carnage that was surrounding them.

"What's going on?" Gwen demanded as she rushed to her mistress. She hadn't seen Morgana use any magic, just Merlin standing over her as she cried out in pain. Freya immediately went to Merlin's side.

"Merlin attacked me," Morgana snarled, she was clutching her shoulder and her dark hair was in disarray. She looked like a furious, wounded wildcat.

Gwen looked up at the young Warlock, "Merlin is this true?" She demanded.

"It's true," Merlin admitted, "but it was only in self defence. Morgana attacked us first."

"He's right Gwen," Arthur added, him and Morgause's fight suddenly completely forgotten. He looked so solemn, as if Morgana was dying in front of his eyes. "I saw it happen, Morgana attacked Merlin from behind. She used magic."

Gwen looked back down at Morgana, "No...how?" She whispered.

"You just saw Merlin use magic, yet you don't seem surprised at all," Morgana muttered. Gwen hesitated at these words, and with that Morgana's fury turned towards her maid. Her words dripped with malice. "You knew, didn't you? You knew that Merlin had magic! You knew and you didn't tell me. My own maid had deceived me and lied to me. Yet when you hear that I have used magic you look so shocked, as if I have committed some dreadful crime." She sat up a little further, clutching her shoulder, Gwen flinched as if the words were causing her physical pain, but Morgana now turned to Arthur. "And you, Arthur, you knew as well didn't you? This is only a revelation to me and no one else. So why is Merlin's body not swaying lifeless from the gallows or burning into embers in the castle courtyard?"

Arthur didn't answer these questions. When he spoke his voice started to break. He looked like he was going to cry. "You lied to me Morgana. You led us to this cave, you attacked Merlin when his back was turned, you...you have magic, and you didn't tell me. You never said anything and now you attack my friend."

"He shouldn't be your friend. And why am I in the wrong when you didn't tell me about Merlin's magic either?" Morgana pointed out, trying to elbow Gwen out of her way, despite the pain this caused her. Gwen didn't resist, she backed away from her mistress, looking as if she had been delivered a severe blow to the heart. Once Gwen stepped away Morgause came forward and kneeled beside her sister. "Neither of you did. Why don't you hate him? After all you had been told about magic by Uther I had lived in such fear, I had no choice to keep silent. Yet when you know about Merlin's magic you accept his as a friend and you look me as if I am the enemy. He is an enemy too, in the eyes of your father. He should be dead."

"I did hate him at first and thought he was the enemy," Arthur admitted, his head bowed and his voice filled with mourning, as if he was confessing his sins to the grave of a loved one. "I had seen and heard so many things to make me believe the words my father said, but I have always thought there was more to magic and I have realised that not everyone who has magic are evil. I have learnt to understand why he hid it and that he is committing no crime having magic, at the end of the day he is still my friend. Perhaps I would have seen your magic as a crime at first as well, but you are like a sister for me and however long it took I would have forgiven you and loved you for it. So why do you attack my friends and talk to her as if you are on her side?" He gestured towards Morgause.

"Because I feared what you would say and what your father might do," Morgana said. No one knew if the tears in her eyes were from pain, anger or sorrow. She turned her head to Merlin now. "But I don't understand why you haven't done the same. How could you side with the people who have let so many of our kind die? Why did you lie to me when you knew I was so afraid of having magic? Why did you turn against me and betray me?"

"I used to be the same as you Morgana," Merlin admitted, "I was once terrified of my magic, but I did not turn my fear into hate, I turned it into hope. Hope that one day we wouldn't have to live in fear, that one day Arthur would become King and that people with magic could be free at last. If I became like you that would never happen."

"You came with us Morgana, you offered me help to find a cure for this curse, was it all a lie? Were you ever trying to help me? Were you working with her all along?" Arthur asked weakly.

"She was," Morgause said, speaking for the first time since Gwen and Freya came into the cave, she sounded proud. "And she not only lied to you, she helped me curse you."

"What? No, Morgana, tell me she's lying," Arthur said in a voice hardly above a whisper. This was all too much to take in for him, and now Morgana had confessed her final betrayal. She was the reason why he had fled Camelot, why he was burning from the inside and why he had just been told that there was no cure. Merlin's secret was difficult enough to accept, but Morgana was like a sister to him and she had given him a curse that would kill him. A single tear trickled down his pale cheek, he no longer felt hot, but ice cold.

"Who are you?" Gwen demanded, gazing at Morgause, who was kneeling next to Morgana, the place Gwen felt like she should be.

Morgause stood up and held herself tall and proud. "I am Morgause, one of the last High Priestesses of the Old Religion, daughter of Vivienne and half sister to Morgana. I saw many people suffer and die because of your beloved Prince and honourable King, they shall suffer no more. It is time for Uther and Arthur Pendragon to pay the price for what they have done."

"Morgause reached out to me when no one else did," Morgana added. Gwen looked particularly heartbroken at these words and Merlin couldn't ignore the regret that flooding over him like an overflowing river. He should have been the one Morgana turned to, he shouldn't have kept his secret from her. This was all his fault.

"Sisters..." Arthur muttered, he too looked completely astonished at these words, but then he realised there was something else Morgause had said. "Wait...what have you done with my father?" He demanded.

Morgause smirked at Arthur, "It is not what we have done, it is what he did to himself and what you have done. He weeps for the son he thinks he has lost and he sees the faces of the murdered, even with his waking eyes. The King is broken and he could not hold onto his throne, so we took it for him. Now you will burn with those killed by your father while he fades to nothing. There will no longer be a ruler on the throne who will murder the innocent. Camelot belongs to Morgana and me now. You might as well slither off into this forest and die somewhere underneath a tree, grateful that you have friends beside you, as many other people who burned did not. I spoke the truth, Camelot is fallen, there is no cure and there is nowhere for you to go back to."

"Morgana...we were your friends, how could you do this to us?" Gwen whispered. "Uther loved you..."

"No he didn't," Morgana spat, "and he would have hated me if he knew what I was, he killed your father remember, he deserves to fall."

"But you shouldn't sink as low as him," Freya said, speaking for the first time, her expression unreadable.

Morgause turned her attention to Freya, angered by her words, but Merlin distracted her. "We'll stop you," he said, his voice shaking a little with grief and anger, he had been suspicious of Morgana and had been warned about her, but still the truth made his whole body tremble. "Whatever you've done to Arthur, whatever has happened to Camelot, we will put an end to it."

Morgause gave him a cruel smile, "This has gone too far, no one alive can stop it now."

Merlin hesitated, looking around at the others, then realised something. "But at this moment you are far away from Camelot, you are outnumbered and we are blocking your escape." He pointed out.

Morgause glanced around at the people facing her, but her smile barely wavered. "We shall see," she murmured. And she moved forward to stand between Morgana and the others. She raised her hands, gold danced in her eyes and she began to chant. Her voice filled the cave, bouncing off its walls, growing louder and louder. The ground began to shake, rocks began to tumble down from the ceiling.

"Run!" Merlin cried out, Gwen and Arthur seemed too shocked to move but Freya pushed and Merlin pulled them out of the cave just as a cascade of boulders fell where there had just been standing.

For a moment the world was filled only with rocks crashing to the ground, then nothing but dust, leaving the four companions choking. As soon as it started to clear Merlin rushed forward. The boulders hadn't completely blocked the entrance to the cave and he heaved them out the way, ignoring the stinging pain in his hands as he did so.

However he already knew what he was going to find when he had cleared the way. Dust-covered clothes still hung from the ceiling and the table was still there, but Morgana and Morgause had disappeared.

I must admit I struggled with this chapter, I'm not very good at writing action and I found it hard to put down in the right way and the right order all the revelations that then followed. I was also worried about the characters being OOC, but I got it done eventually and I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, please review :)