Well, here is the next chapter. I know things have started a little slow, but bear with me, I expect there to be a lot of action in the future but I do have to build up to it. Enjoy.

- So, who are they again? - At this the girl lowered her head and the tall man gave a slight smile in Merlin's direction and said

- Do you not recognize me because it has been so long or because I look so different young warlock? No, wait, that title has been long outdated, hasn't it old friend? –

Chapter 4

Merlin didn't know what exactly it was that finally made the connection, was it the voice? The words? The fact that this was the same voice he had heard the dragon head in the red door speak with along with some static? Whatever it was, it fit, as incredible and impossible and unbelievable as it was, something in Merlin that was not to be denied was screaming that this was without a doubt his oldest and possibly wisest mentor.

-Kilgharrah?!... But...!You look...! That's...! How?! You were dying! - Merlin's thoughts were all jumbled together into one big mess and he just couldn't finish one idea before jumping into the other, this was all just too much to take in for one day.

- Is the how truly more important than the fact? - The warm smile Merlin received would have been lost on the features of the great dragon, and yet were clear as day on this human face that was looking at him as if seeing a long lost grandson return alive from a war that thought him dead.

Merlin couldn't help but throw myself at his old teacher, he hugged him hard, and started crying all over again. Merlin knew that the people he had seen before on the large auditorium, though very familiar and heartwarming to him, would most likely not have a single clue of who Merlin was, but Kilgharrah was different, he was the great dragon and Merlin felt that this was no reincarnation, even if he did look different there was no doubt in Merlin's mind that this was the same dragon that had said his goodbyes in front of lake Avalon. Kilgharrah knew, he knew what Merlin had gone through all those years ago, he knew exactly how long Merlin had been waiting, he even knew of all the sacrifices Merlin had made back in Camelot.

Back when Kilgharrah had the body of a dragon the hug would have been practically impossible, and not just in the physical sense, but also in the emotional sense. Back then there had always been the tension between a dragon lord and a dragon, Merlin had the power to submit the great dragon to his will, and even though the great dragon had always seemed willing to help, in Merlin's mind there had always been the doubt that maybe he did help because he had no other choice. But at the very end, when Merlin had been so devastated that he couldn't possibly have been able to give Kilgharrah another order, when it seemed most likely for them that they would never see each other again, when Kilgharrah could have done anything, laugh at him, criticize him, thrown in his face how this had all happened because he didn't heed the dragon's advice, he didn't. In those last moments all the dragon did was show kindness and express his regret that they would most likely never see each other again, so perhaps this time around, now that they were a bit more alike and there were no doubts to be had, they could truly become than a master and an advisor, perhaps they could truly become friends. By the way that Kilgharrah was hugging him back and giving him a melancholic smile Merlin thought that maybe he wanted the same thing.

When Merlin got his tears under control and finally stepped away from the hug he looked at the other mystery left on the room, the girl standing beside the great dragon. Now that he could see her up close Merlin knew that the girl, who couldn't possibly be more than 25, was definitely avoiding eye contact with him, and it wasn't the smell, otherwise she would have leaned away from Merlin rather than towards him while looking a little scared. Also, the expression on her face was definitely a mix of feeling with shame being the most prominent one, Merlin knew he had become better at reading people and that expression in her face was undeniable. And then the pieces of the puzzle finally came together in Merlin's mind, the pale skin, the shame in her face, the simple fact that she didn't even flinch when she heard the name of the great dragon and yet seemed so comfortable standing beside him.

- Aithusa.- Merlin couldn't help saying this with a loving voice and a soft expression with a smile on his face. This was not any dragon, this was his dragon, Merlin brought her to life and named her, even though they had spent little time together to him she was still practically his daughter.

This time it was the dragon that, after hearing her name being said in such a way by someone she loved so much and yet had hurt so deeply, couldn't help but hug Merlin as close as she could and cry.

- Merlin!... I'm so sorry!... I didn't mean!... I didn't want!... - Her voice was beautiful, it was the first time Merlin was hearing it and he realized that even while crying, even while being pronounced between sobs of pure anguish her voice was still smooth and soothing. Where Kilgharrah's voice was like that of a tree as old as the world giving wise advice to those smart enough to ask, Aithusa's was more like an infinite river whispering soft and beautiful secrets to those who were brave enough to come close. And yet, she sobbed out each word with so much pain that it broke Merlin's heart.

- No, shush. Don't cry, it wasn't your fault, none of it was. Everything's ok so you don't need to cry.- Merlin felt bad, he didn't like making people cry, even less this girl who he didn't really know and yet felt like they had been family for an eternity.

- Everything's all right Ai. Merlin is right, what happened back then was not your fault.- Then Marcus turned to Merlin looking very serious and continued. - You do understand, don't you Merlin? That what happened was no one's fault, that it all went the way it did because of everyone's individual choices and not because of a single one person or group? -

Marcus had sat down on a chair and Aithusa had stopped crying but didn't break the hug, they moved together and sat down on the couch facing Marcus, Kilgharrah squeezed himself next to Merlin and looked very proud of himself for accomplishing it. Merlin took a few minutes before he finally answered the question.

- Yes, I've known for a long while now. In all this time I have gone through what happened countless times and thought about it to no end. I came up with the conclusion that it was all circumstantial. At first I wanted to blame it all on someone so that I didn't feel like it had been me that failed, and I did, for a long time I blamed it on so many different people, dumped all the responsibility on them and just hated them until I just couldn't any more and had to switch to another because reason got a hold of me, but then some things happened to me and I was able to put it all in perspective and realized that if I blamed one person I also had to blame everyone else equally. It was everyone's fault, which is to say it was no ones fault.- It wasn't easy to talk about it but for Merlin it was a relief getting it out his chest, his throat was also enjoying the exercise and his old voice was steadily coming back.

- Good - the smile in Marcus' face told Merlin he was pleased and relieved with the answer - I suppose it is time for a good, long explanation of what is happening and where exactly it is you are -

- No.- It was Kilgharrah interrupting the conversation. - It will be better if we ease into it slowly, and there are things in need of urgent attention right now.- At this all three faces looked at Kilgharrah with curiosity, but it was Merlin that broke the silence.

- Like? - He didn't know what could possibly be more important than an explanation to why all the mess in his long life was coming together to form something so incredible?

- Like a long warm bath, a change of clothes, and some decent food.- As if giving approval to these words Merlin's stomach grumbled loudly. Hunger, now there was one thing Merlin hadn't missed too much. Merlin also had to admit, he was really dirty compared to those around him, he had left some of the dirt on Kilgharrah's tux and poor Aithusa, who was still hugging him, was going to have a ruined dress on her hands.

While Merlin lowered his head in embarrassment the others in the room smiled warmly and Marcus agreed with the idea. The moment they decided Merlin would take a bath first Aithusa jumped up with an exited look on her face and dragged him to the bathroom that was connected to the office by a door. Before the door closed Merlin heard Marcus say:

- I'll make a few calls for the food, the clothes, and an extra one to fix the mess in the entrance ceremony with the king's son.-

- They must be quite confused since you used your magic to hide his.- After hearing Kilgharrah chuckle the door closed and Merlin could hear nothing else.

Even though Merlin had never taken a bath in a bathroom like this one, he knew what most of the products were used for thanks to a few magazines he had read back when there was nothing else in the library that he hadn't read, but Merlin did not have the heart to tell Aithusa. She was excitedly pointing at each bottle and explaining what kind of wonders each one could do for him. This was more like the Aithusa that Merlin had first seen right out of the egg, a free spirit in a wide world, and less like the Aithusa he had last seen, a free spirit that had been trapped for longer than anyone who values freedom should. It made Merlin happy to see that she had healed from her old wounds.

When she finally stepped out, not without giving Merlin another hug, he got rid of his clothes and got into the bath tub full of warm water and soothing essences. He allowed the water and the comfort to wash away all of the dirt on his skin and the thoughts that were creating chaos in his mind and concentrated only on the effect the warmth had on his muscles and on getting himself clean. When he finished a slightly long while later Merlin felt like he hadn't in a long time, new, fresh, relaxed, to him it felt like the water and different products had washed away all of those years now behind him, like they had been nothing but a bad dream that was now fading to nothingness, but Merlin's stomach was not to be denied any longer so it gave another loud grumble. Even if there was no one else in the room he still blushed bight red, in the side he thought it was nice to have his healthy dose of vanity back.

Merlin found a clean change of new clothes besides the door and smiled as he put them on. It had been so long since he had used clothes that fit, were actually comfortable, and didn't make him itch all over, that Merlin had completely forgotten just how nice it felt.

As Merlin opened the door and entered the office feeling like a new man a moan escaped his mouth. The smell! Oh god the smell! It made Merlin's mouth water and his stomach whimper. Without even asking permission he sat in front of the center table and started eating off the platters that had been set up with a varied selection of delicacies, Merlin thanked the skies that he was lucid enough to keep his table side manners from embarrassing him. The food was absolutely delicious but the renewed body of Merlin's was overwhelmed by the simplest of flavors and now that he could really enjoy each spoon-full he had lost the ability to tell exactly what he was eating, maybe that was an ability that came with being a robot-like entity, if so, he did not mind losing it at all.

After finishing, while Merlin allowed all the food he had ingested to settle in his stomach, he noticed that everyone in the room was smiling at him and from the bottom of his heart Merlin was able to smile back honestly. He was starting to notice that both Kilgharrah and Aithusa were spotlessly clean again even though they seemed to be wearing the same clothes, when Marcus broke the comfortable silence.

- Now?- Both Kilgharrah and Aithusa nodded at him so he turned to face Merlin. - Go to the window and tell me what you see outside.-

Window? Merlin hadn't noticed the window before, but then again he hadn't notice pretty much anything before. The office wasn't just cozy, now that he looked around he could see that this was the dwelling of someone who obviously liked whatever it was he did here, there was a table with some open books and some papers in it, in the middle of the room there was a center table surrounded by a couch and some chairs, the rest of the space was covered by shelves full of books, some looked new, and others as old as the world, but none of them had a speck of dust anywhere near them, it was as if all these books were used at least once every week.

When Merlin reached the window he looked out and saw a beautiful city. Even though they were in what appeared to be around the tenth floor, from where he stood the end of the city was not visible except for an immense forest that was to the side, the buildings went on for miles and miles and he could also see some mountains to the side. The whole thing looked clean and spacious but there was something there, something Merlin couldn't quite wrap his head around. But it was all so normal, the houses, the forest, the parks, the floating castle,... Wait! What?! Was that really a floating castle floating in the sky?! He hadn't noticed it before because it was in the corner of his vision but Yes, unless his eyes were lying to him there was a big chunk of land the size of a football field floating above the city! Wait, then that meant that those cars he could see over on the street were really floating! Those tree were really walking by themselves! there really were some people on top of those clouds!

Merlin could now see that all the things his subconscious had originally attributed to his imagination were true, he realized that it truly was magic that he had felt when he had stepped through the door, and now that could see the occasional flashes of light all around the city he understood in exactly what kind of place he was but Merlin didn't only want to know what. So he turned around with his mouth hanging open and slowly formed the word.

- How?-

- I don't think we have had a proper introduction.- Marcus started with a wide grin in his face. - I am Marcus Dracoville, and this - He used his hands to gesture all around him and his smile grew bigger. - This is the First Great Magic Kingdom, Albion!