AN: ALMOST late with this chapter...but not quite LOL (at least in my timezone it's still Thursday hehe)

Thank you all for the reviews! *air kisses* Hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review and let me know what you think!

Beta'ed by Nance. Read, and re-read for flow issues by IcarusLSU and Matthew1972. Song lyrics used, just like Merlin, are not mine :(

I heard from god today, and she sounded just like me.
What have I done, and who have I become.
I saw the devil today, and he looked a lot like me.
I looked away, I turned away!

~Five Finger Death Punch, Wrong Side of Heaven

Merlin stood outside the door, his breath coming in harsh gasps. Since the Orici had left, his dreams had become stronger. It had been as if she had acted as a buffer of sorts for the voice of the beast.

In his dreams he had seen it. He couldn't believe the size of the white beast. The way it stared at him...its large, unblinking eyes burned into his very core. They were as familiar as if he had looked into a mirror. The pain and desperation were tainted by an odd feeling of resignation. He knew he had to see her, face-to-face.

The corridors to the creature's cell were narrow and dark. The light that shone with a bright amber hue elsewhere in the city had turned to a muted grayish-blue in the lower levels of the building.

The center of the large palatial building was an open pit where the bright flames of the Ori gathered. It was the holiest of places for all who believed in Origin, and he felt honored to have viewed it firsthand. He couldn't understand why anyone would turn away from the peace it brought to their soul.

Except...when he was away from it, he could feel the fingers of doubt creeping in. That was why he felt it so imperative to see the creature.

A recent fluster of disappointment had welled up inside of him, though he couldn't guess the source. It had taken his breath away with the wave of emotional pain that had accompanied it. Shaking his head to rid himself of the feeling, he suddenly sensed others coming down the corridor and stood up straight. He held his breath as they acknowledged him with a nod and words of greeting before passing on their way.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he watched them go and failed to notice the Doci coming up behind him.

"I feel the conflict still residing within you."

Doing his best to keep his mind quiet, Merlin turned to the Doci. For a split second, Merlin thought he was looking into a mirror, but the vision was gone as quickly as it had come, and left him feeling as if he had imagined it.

The moment Adria had gone back to the Milky Way, the Doci had watched Merlin keenly...waiting for him to make a mistake. He'd used his power to change his form and appear to Aithusa in that guise.

It might have been the final straw needed to break the dragon, except that Merlin had been making his way to her at the time. When Merlin had finally gathered the courage to seek out the dragon, the Doci assumed he had found his opening.

"There is no conflict. The will of the Ori is all that I feel. My life is but to serve them in all their glory." Merlin proclaimed, almost feeling as if he fully believed it.

"For Litra said to Foylo: You are more than a son of your father. You are son of the earth, the sea, the sky. The power of the Ori is the fabric of this world, and you were born of that power." The Doci's face remained expressionless. "Our path is to walk in unison with the Ori, not merely to serve them."

There was a familiarity in the words the Doci spoke that went beyond anything Merlin had read. He could hear another voice in his ears speaking them with a much different meaning. It conveyed a feeling of love and hope that the Ori had not been able to give him.

"You were not going to the beast, were you?"

Merlin knew he could not lie to the other man, but centuries of twisting his own words was a skill that had not left him when the Ori had freed his soul. "It was merely a curiosity to see the creature. I feel her power connected to the Ori, though she is still unwilling to bow to their will."

"She?" He scoffed, "The creature has no gender. Its mind is that of a simple animal. In fact, I was just in there, viewing it. Sickly, ugly thing that it is. If it would give up its obstinancy, the Ori could help it. Heal it. Prove to those that resist that the Path of Origin is the way to enlightenment."

"Perhaps I could get through to the beast? 'Hannor Mir fell from above and learned to fly on the way down.' A push off the edge, may be all that she requires to believe in the power."

The Doci appeared to pause and consider the idea. "How would you consider facilitating this 'push'? Without the Orici to guide you, you are still too weak for such an undertaking."

"I believe I have a connection to her that can be of great value."

"'She' again? I believe this 'connection' you claim has clouded your judgement and led you astray. Take him!"

Armored hands clamped down on Merlin's shoulders, and his staff was pulled from his hands. In his focus to keep the Doci from entering his mind, he had failed to sense the guards who had passed earlier, coming up behind him.

He was sent to his knees as a shocking blast from one of their weapons hit him.

The Doci sneered and held Merlin's face up. The rancid breath of a man who was supposed to have died centuries ago was hot against Merlin's ear. "Perhaps, the truth is that you are the one who needs to learn to fly."

Forced to walk or be dragged, the Doci compelled Merlin's body against his will. He still couldn't grasp why a part of his own subconscious would resist. He desperately wanted to follow the path of Origin. It had given him the solace he'd longed for; filled the darkness inside of him.

When he gazed upon the creature and had seen her looking back, he knew that whatever the Ori had done to him had only been on the surface...like a bandage over a gaping wound, that had been held in place with his feelings for the Orici.

There was a connection he felt, every time the Orici was near. Now that she had left, gone back to the Milky Way to try and convert her mother again, the wound had begun to seep.

Morgana...The name she had spoken still played on the edges of his mind. Each time he thought of it, he also felt the beast's voice call to him, as if she was trying to tell him something. But, her voice was muddled and weak.

In his dreams, he could recall things from his previous life, but there were so many forgotten images; too many faces of people who were long gone that they could only have been a dream. Women, all beautiful with dark hair and dark eyes, smiled at him through various times.

One stood out among the rest, stronger and more accepting than any of the others. She was not the one who spoke to him in his dreams, but she was always there. Her dark skin and bright smile soothed him...accepted him. Even when he felt she was lost to him or he had pushed her away, she was there to comfort him and welcome him back into her arms...a gentle love filled with sassy quips and an intelligence that glistened in her eyes.

Sharp pain raced along his spine and hit every nerve in his body. His skull tingled and his muscles began to spasm. Over the roar of his own heart, he could hear the Doci quoting from the Book of Origin.

Out of the cacophany, a voice broke through. His eyes opened, and he saw her blue eyes as a mirror to his own soul.

Had the Doci been patient, and waited longer before dragging Merlin into her prison, the idea that her Dragon Lord had abandoned her once again might have had a chance to settle in. However, in bringing Merlin into the prison immediately after his own visit disguised as the Furling, he failed to realize that the creatures astute sense of smell would give him away.

Her eyes had shifted between the two men and immediately focused on the man who was her true Dragon Lord. "Take my pain and give me yours." She whispered into his mind.

Merlin tried to shake his head, as the Doci hit him again with the focused power. Screaming out in agony, he tried to resist. Merlin refused to burden the dragon with more, nor did he feel strong enough to take what she was offering.

The harder he fought against it, the more it appealed to his subconscious and the less resistance he felt.

The dragon roared, straining against the force field that held her. Merlin could hear the soldiers scrambling and a white mist settled over him.

He instantly felt cleaner, and more clear-headed. Strength began to return to his body, and he allowed himself to open to the dragon.

The Doci was yelling orders to his followers, and an electric charge hit Merlin full on. He felt the pain rush through him, but it was lessened by the connection he now had with the dragon. The edges of his vision began to darken, when another bolt arched through him.

Blackness overtook him and he felt himself begin to fall.

Arthur couldn't help his curiosity. There hadn't been much for him to do on the spaceship, except to wait...and think. Either of which were dangerous prospects, or so Merlin would have reminded him. He felt his heart clench, knowing his best friend was still in the hands of the enemy.

After what seemed like hours of watching Leon and the Asgard work with Sebryn's people on the failed weapon, he finally gave voice to his musing. "How did you get the weapon?"

Sebryn looked up from what she was doing, and rolled her eyes when she noticed Gwaine hovering a bit too close for comfort.

Since Percival had declared...somewhat reluctantly...that he'd like to meet the nurse, Cassandra, from the SGC again, Gwaine had decided the Furling princess was fair game.

To Arthur and the others' surprise, she seemed to tolerate his advances.

The former Marine finally admitted to his friends that the situation with Carolyn wasn't something he saw moving ahead, mostly due to his own reticence when it came to his own feelings.

"The sex is amazing," he'd said, causing Arthur's lips to pucker and Percival to flush, while Leon had laughed outright. "...But, something just isn't there."

It didn't appear that Gwaine was experiencing the same issues with Sebryn. Her initial infatuation with Percival had begun to grow into a solid friendship, which hadn't surprised any of the men from Earth. The way she had slowly started opening herself to Gwaine's flirtation caused more than a few raised eyebrows.

She elbowed him out of the way playfully, causing him to grunt.

"Well," she explained, "the ship came through and it activated. Some of my people were on patrol in that sector, and needless to say, they were a bit shocked when the Ori Mothership came through the Supergate with no one on it. We don't dare bring the whole thing back to the Nebula, as we have no way to absolutely determine if it's being tracked. So, they scavenged what they could from it. This weapon was clearly not of Ori design, so they made sure to nab it first."

She shrugged and went back to work.

Arthur was amazed. It wasn't often when a princess would be fighting in the front lines, or repairing equipment. It was just another reminder of how far from home he truly was. He enjoyed the company of his knights, but he missed his best friend.

Everything felt empty. It was all just a hollow representation of life, without Merlin at his side. He stared out the same window that had become his constant companion and watched as the smear of stars began to slow.

"Okay, people. Get ready!" Sebryn called out to her team.

Taking a deep breath, Arthur was relieved to finally pull himself away from the view. He could just make out the edge of a planet from the corner of the window. It seemed they had arrived. Automatically, his hand reached for his sword. His fist clenched over empty air.

Leon had been irate when he had noticed Arthur no longer had the weapon. It was almost comical; a complete departure from the mild-mannered knight the man had once been.

Gwaine came up to Arthur with a rifle, and had snorted softly at the look on the former king's face. "While we look for Merlin, I think Leon is going to tear that city apart for the sword. You're going to be lucky to get it back, when he does find it, without some sort of lecture about keeping it safe."

Grinning, Arthur glanced over to the tall, blond knight. "I think you're right. But, if I find it first...and who said we're going to be looking for Merlin?"

"Because I know you." Shifting his eyes, Gwaine made sure they weren't being overheard. "We're going to touch down and let Sebryn's people deal with the weapon, while we go hunting. Right?"

"Those weren't Gilgamesh's orders." Even now, Arthur was afraid to think outside of the proposed plan. He glanced at the closest Furlings, worried that they would pick up on his thoughts. A sigh of relief escaped him, when he none of them seemed to notice.

Gwaine smiled and rechecked his weapon. "My point exactly. The others are ready to create a diversion for us. We'll find him, Arthur. We have to."

He allowed himself a hint of a smirk, accompanied by minuscule nods to both of his other knights.

Outside the ship, dragons circled in the vacuum of space, ready to help protect the Asgard ship from any Ori attacks. According to Sebryn this was going to be one of the largest assaults they had made in centuries against the Ori, and the first one in the Dragon Lord's memory that would be done directly against their Holy City.

It didn't take a genius to see that everything could go very wrong, very fast, but Arthur held strong to his belief that they would prevail.

The city wasn't nearly as silent as it had been the first time the knights had ventured through it, and it caught the strike force by surprise.

The Asgard vessel had beamed them to the surface outside of the golden palace from where they had been rescued. Within it, they knew was the center of the Ori's power. Sebryn had told them that rumors stated it was an abysmal pit of eternal flames. Although, no one she knew had ever actually seen it.

As soon as the transport beam dissipated, they had to quickly duck for cover behind a building. Percival hefted the large discus-shaped, platform base of the weapon by himself, while the Furlings gawped at his strength. They rushed to grab the remaining pieces and hastily moved into hiding.

Not only soldiers, but common people of the city all appeared to be moving in the same direction. Some were enthusiastic and others fearful, but they seemed to share a common excitement similar to what Arthur had witnessed during his father's reign. He bit back the bile in his throat and he feared whatever spectacle it was that they were going to see.

His fears only grew when he overheard Furling and Merlin whispered among the people. He only had to glance at his men to know they had caught it, as well. It was time they split up.

"Sebryn..." Gwaine began in a whisper.

She held up her hand to cut him off. "I get it. Go save your friend."

He smiled and kissed her cheek, causing her to blush. Some of her companions had to stifle their snickers and she silenced them with a single glance.

Patting Arthur's shoulder, he nodded to his king before they pulled up the hoods of their cloaks and attempted to blend in with the passing crowds.

On the other side of the building spread a large courtyard, filled with people. In the center of it all, stones had been built into a large circle. Another ring was built inside of it, and a central pit stood vacant, save for a block of stone with chains attached.

The inner ring was incomplete, and the outer one connected to a long trough that stretched across the courtyard to a pedestal on the other side. It looked like some sort of ladle, waiting for a giant to come along and serve up a stew.

Gwaine felt his appetite disappear as he thought about it. He recalled Jackson and Vala's debriefing about the purpose of the rings and his heart sunk.

"What do you suppose that is used for?" Arthur asked in a hushed voice. "I doubt it's for watering their horses."

Gwaine pinched the bridge of his nose and turned away. He didn't know how to begin to describe the stuff he'd heard about. The fact that he knew Merlin's name was associated to this style of torture set his blood boiling.

So far, those present were only the guards and the people who had gathered to watch the show, but they didn't have to wait long for it to begin.

A Prior came out first, decorated with his large metal collar. If Gwaine had been in a joking mood, he might have mentioned how it looked like a tuning fork he'd love to shove up the Prior's ass.

Behind the man came a circle of guards. They split apart as they neared, and in the center they held a man's limp body.

Deep-seated fear clenched in his chest. Names of the unknown resounded inside him. Each called out to a gathered crowd, denouncing the accused for witchcraft or heresy. Merlin had once counted himself lucky to have been born after the height of Uther's Purge, but as the years passed, he had witnessed the same suspicions taking even more lives time and again. He flinched each time a pyre was built and another soul burned to ash.

He had been personally subjected to the tortures of the Inquisition, becoming one of the named - although he had not met his end from the flames. Merlin had tucked himself away from the world near the end of the witch trials; no longer able to save even the most innocent from feeling the heat of the flames lapping against their skin.

It appeared as if his luck had finally run out.

Although, it wasn't for his sorcery.

A large stone circle took up most of the courtyard. Trenches created gaps between the rings. He had been stripped to his trousers and chained with his arms behind his back to a cold stone block.

They ached from their stagnate posture and from the wounds across his body, inflicted by the Doci in order to 'drive the doubt' from him. Merlin had refused to yield. He knew that no matter what he might say, the Doci was determined to be rid of him.

It had become evident that the Doci was set on a course against the Orici whom he was supposed to follow; believing her to be too soft-hearted and usurping his place as the most loyal of the Ori's followers.

After he had forced the remnants of her soul to the forefront, the Ori had made certain to burn any lasting memory from her. They had somehow severed the weak bond Morgana once shared with the dragon.

She had once been kind, and was disgusted by the idea of people being destroyed for things beyond their control. Now, she was worse than Uther had ever been. Adria's beliefs were based in her worship of the Ascended beings, not in a need to right a wrong or exact revenge for a lost love.

Merlin could feel Aithusa, still trapped in her dungeon, and there was no longer the gaping chasm between them. Her breath had set him free and he finally had realized what fools they had both been.

Morgana's attempts to return Aithusa's gift had twisted and maimed the dragon more than it had helped; consequently rippling the effects into Merlin. It wasn't until the Ori had Morgana's body in their clutches that the final link between them had become tainted.

Being in Aithusa's presence again had healed them both, though Merlin's body still bore the marks left by the Ori.

It seemed that the Doci had taken matters into his own hands. The leader of the Priors was up to something, although Merlin had yet to figure out what.

Days of torture had not broken him, as the Doci tried to break them both. The link they had formed was unbreakable. Merlin shared in her sorrows, and she shared in his pain with one common goal. They would survive this, and figure out what would happen next later...or they would die together.

Thoughts of his wife and friends played through his mind. He hoped they were safe. He'd made sure to activate the Rings and send the men away, but he worried about Martha and the others back on Earth.

She would survive, he knew. One of the things he admired most in his wife was her ability to carry on. The world had crumbled around her during her time with the Doctor, and she had prevailed.

He came back from his mental ramble in time to see the Doci raise his staff. The long trough that ran out from the circles was suddenly aflame. He could sense Aithusa tense, as she watched through Merlin's eyes.

The fires ignited the circles. First the outer one, then the inner. They crept toward him and he began to feel their heat.

The chains bound him from calling forth his magic, and his mind was still too unfocused to concentrate on anything more. He blamed himself for all that had happened, and guilt for failing Aithusa clouded his mind.

The irony was not lost on him. He'd finally found his common bond with Aithusa, only to perish because of it.

His skin was pale, and marred with symbolic scars on a slender frame. A dark head of hair hung down, as if the man was already dead. A pair of guards began to drag the body forward, and his head rose slightly, indicating at least a bit of life left.

Arthur choked on a gasp as he recognized his best friend. He automatically reached for his sword, and his hand came up empty.

Gwaine grasped his arm and shook his head. For the moment, there was nothing they could do. They were outnumbered and outgunned, surrounded by dozens of guards and at least twice as many devout followers of the Ori.

"When Vala was put in that crucible, they left her out there for days before the fireworks began. They gave her a chance to 'see the light,' so to speak. We're gonna have to wait and hope for a better opening."

"Fireworks?" Arthur asked, not understanding the implications.

Merlin was dragged into the center and forced into an upright position on his knees. His arms were attached to the chains in the center, and he was left there as the Prior began his rhetoric from the Book of Origin.

Despite Gwaine's assurance that they would have a better chance to save their friend, he soon realized that this situation was much different. Merlin wasn't going to be given a chance to repent as Vala had.

The Prior stepped forward with an evil gleam in his milky eyes. "This man has forsaken the gift the Ori bestowed upon him. He has chosen to align himself with a creature of the Resistance. For that, there can only be the cleansing fires."

As if by magic, the end of the arm that extended from the circle lit up.

Arthur watched in wide-eyed horror as the flames crawled down to the outer circle and spread throughout the ring.

Suddenly, he was a young boy standing next to his father on the balcony overlooking the courtyard. Below him, a young family was tied to a stake - proclaimed to be sorcerers - and the pyre beneath them was set ablaze.

He'd never felt more impotent since he had at that moment...until now.