AN: I was super productive to day so you get another chapter!

Chapter 17: Suck it; I'm Emrys

Merlin heard someone call his name and he looked towards the voice. Stepping out of the shadow cast by the protrusion in the wall, were Flora and Libæna. He hoped they had not just seen what he did.

"What was that?" Okay so they did see. He mentally kicked himself but realised he didn't really have a choice.

"A little bit of magic. To keep the servants safe." He stood still as they walked over to him. "Aren't you suppose to be in the Great Hall, anyways? What are you doing out here?"

"You weren't even using your staff!" Flora flat out ignored his attempt to change the subject. "Where is your staff?"

"I sent it to my closet."

"You sent it? You just sent your staff halfway across the castle?" Her voice had begun to get a bit hysterical and Libæna just stood there in shock. "And you did something to that suit of armour so that it will protect the kitchens and I know that wasn't originally standing there so somehow you got it to walk over here. How bloody powerful are you?" she finally screamed.

"Very powerful alright!" Merlin shouted back. He felt a twinge of regret as she stepped back and he knew he was giving her a very dangerous look that did not belong on the face of a young boy. He sighed and called his emotions into check. "Yes, I don't need a staff to do magic, but it makes it easier. And right now, there is a small army of sorcerers breaking through the protection wards so you need to get to the Great Hall." He took them both by the wrist and walked them towards the other students.

"And where are you going?" Libæna asked.

"To help fight them off. Although hopefully we can talk them out of fighting at all."

"Let us help," Flora demanded. "If you get to fight, the rest of the students should get to fight."

"No." He didn't want to argue with them. "You all need to stay in the Great Hall. If the fight does come inside, then all the students can fight together and you will have a much better chance of not hitting each other." They reached the hall and he released his hold on their arms. "Now get inside." Flora opened her mouth to protest but Libæna cut her off.

"Flora. He's right. If these sorcerers can break through the protections that the founders put around the castle what hope do we have against them? Our best chance is to stay with the other students where we will outnumber them." Flora took a deep breath and nodded.

"Thank you," Merlin sighed.

"But we will talk later, okay?" Flora demanded. Merlin nodded his consent and once they were inside, he took off running towards the front doors, letting his disguise slip as he ran, only stumbling once or twice. Okay three times.

He reached the doors and saw the founders there; thankfully they had not been waiting long. They looked at him.

"What's the plan?"

"We walk out and meet them," he said softly. "Try to talk first. Get them to see reason, though I know how often that doesn't work. But if it does, great. If not? We try to keep the fight out here." They all nodded in agreement and with their wands firmly in their grasp, they followed Merlin out the great doors.

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The great doors swung gently open of their own accord and the five walked out and strode across the great lawn. They walked in a line, slightly curved. Godric and Salazar were in the lead, walking side by side. They each wore their cloaks of scarlet and emerald, their respective crests on the right shoulder. Godric also had his sword strapped on his waist, more as a show of power than anything though he was good with a blade.

To Godric's right was Helga. Her hair was frazzled from working in the greenhouse and her amber cloak had some dirt smudges. On Salazar's left, Rowena's sky blue cloak gleamed immaculately and her long hair was flying in the wind.

Merlin followed half a step behind on Rowena's left. He instinctively felt that this was not his battle; he was only there to back them up if needed. And although he was a Slytherin, he had dropped his Slytherin cloak in favour if one of his own design. It was midnight blue with a merlin falcon in flight on his right shoulder. He had considered a dragon for his Dragonlord heritage, but the dragon belonged to Camelot and his sense of humour won out.

All together they were an impressive sight to behold. They were met with a larger force led by a powerful sorceress and flanked by a few others of lesser power. In the ranks behind them there were still more magic users and a large group of hired cut throats.

It looked like the battle was very one sided. Five young adults, four wands and a sword between them, on one side. Opposing them, an army fifty, nearly sixty, strong with wands and swords and staffs and maces and crossbows to spare. It almost didn't matter that both sides had powerful magic, sheer numbers alone had the possibility to decide this battle. Merlin could sense the magical shields that had been cast on each of the soldiers and wished he had thought of protecting the founders the same as he had done with the Camelot knights. He could only hope that they were as good in a fight as they were when he had sparred with them over the summer.

The five of them came to a uniform halt at Godric's telepathic command thanks to the link Merlin left open. One of the sorceresses strolled forward from the opposing camp and stopped in front of them. She looked very elegant in a blue dress that was split to reveal a purple slip underneath. She had short hair that was pinned and plaited. Unlike many of the others in her army, she carried no wand or staff so they knew she would be the one to watch. They stood staring at each other, feeling for the other's power. If not for their intense concentration, it would've long ago turned into awkwardness. Finally, Godric broke the silence.

"Why have you come to our school?"

"Oh you know why." She had the elegant voice of one born in the upper class of society. "I have warned you before that it is not your place to be teaching the art of magic.

"Ah yes," Godric said derisively. "I believe your latest correspondence, if you could even call it that, said something about how the Triple Goddess did not choose us to teach magic to the next generation. How that sacred duty fell solely to the druids and the priests and priestesses of the Old Religion. How a school for teaching magic would be dangerous and likely to get us killed. But the only way I see it, you and your hired army are the only danger to us."

"And how would you know the will of the Goddess anyway?" Helga added.

"When the Old Religion was still young, the Goddess herself came down and chose the first Priest and first Priestess. She instructed those two to teach the others with the gift and they would also become disciples of the Triple Goddess. So it is written in our ancient texts that have been passed down to me and as such the duty falls to me to ensure that the next generation is taught properly. For I am Celestia. The Last High Priestess of the Old Religion.

Merlin blinked in confusion. The last? "I thought Morgana was the last High Priestess; I didn't know there were any more priestesses of any ranking."

"She was wrong," Celestia spat and Merlin realised he had mused aloud. "Morgana and her sister Morgause were meddling fools using their status to further their selfish goals of revenge. The rest of our order avoided their madness and retreated North to where we could practice in peace." She stopped and tilted her head to the side. "I know the others, but who are you?"

"No one really, just a friend." He was hoping he could get her to underestimate him and maybe a good show of force would scare her off. But he knew that was only a small hope. "Another misguided soul they persuaded to join their lost cause?" she continued, creeping closer to the man. Merlin could feel the anger of the others rising in his defence but he mentally told them to let him handle it. "Come now, think of the power you could have with proper teaching. I can barely sense your magic but it feels contained, I could teach you to unleash your full potential."

"I don't want to use my full potential," he said in a soft voice, head bowed. Anyone who knew him would've backed off when he voice got calm and quiet, but Celestia continued.

"You don't know what you are talking about. You could be so much more. And here you are without even a wand to defend yourself. My, my, you must really be an idiot if-" Merlin snapped his head up.

"There is only one person on this earth who can call me an idiot. And you are not him." Celestia had unconsciously took a step back at the venom in his voice but quickly stepped forward again.

"And who are you to defy me? Like I said, you don't even have a wand."

"I don't need a wand." He stepped forward and straightened to his full height. "I don't just have magic, I was born with it. I have done more than you could ever dream of. I have control over the Crystal Cave. It is I to whom the dragons answer. I am the one who brought magic back to Albion. I have personally summoned the Triple Goddess herself, through the strength of my magic alone, to heal my friend." He stepped forward and let the concealment and binding of his magic fall. An invisible shock wave burst forth and caused all but him to stumble. "I am Emrys. And this school is under my protection."