Merlin took his Father, and he couldn't really believe he was actually using those words, to Gaius' chambers. When Merlin opened the door, there was Gaius, brewing something in a pot, while Merlin's mother sat on the bench, Bellatrix the cat, in her lap. He walked in first, and Gaius stopped what he was stirring to stare at him, and his Mother looked up, from stroking the cat, they both smiled at him, just happy to see he was alright, and then behind him, in walked Balinor and Hunith let out a gasp. She stood up, at once, and the cat jumped from her lap, annoyed at the sudden movement, she ran off, up the stairs, to Merlin's room, where the kittens were. Balinor took another step inside and Merlin shut the door behind him, standing there now, idly, as he watched his Mother's face. She just stare, her mouth open, just a little bit.

Balinor froze there, just in the middle of the room, staring back, though Merlin could not see his face. "Hunith..." said Balinor, and it felt strange for Merlin to hear him say her name, for them to be in the same place together. Both of his parents, in the same space, he never imagined this to be possible. But then again, he had never known who is father was, so it would have been hard to imagine, without a face. Hunith took a step forward, her movements were timid, and she had not said a single word. Merlin had never seen his Mother like this before, he didn't know what to expect, would she be happy? Would she start shouting...? It seemed as though Balinor didn't know either, because he took a small step forward, and lowered his head. "I shouldn't have left you, I should have made you come with me...if I had known about the boy..."

The boy, being Merlin, Merlin assumed. Huntih still did not say anything, she titled her head to the side, lips pursed, as she looked over him. He waited, a long time, it felt like forever. Until suddenly, Hunith smiled, very brightly, and ran at him. Balinor caught her, in an embrace, and lifted her into the air. She cried into his shoulder, and Merlin watched this, somewhere between smiling and crying. Gaius walked over to him and crossed his arms, Merlin smiled at him.

"Well, I had to tell him..." he admitted. "He wouldn't have helped us, if I didn't...Arthur still doesn't know."

"Good, if anyone where to find out, Merlin..." said Gaius, and he didn't have to continue, Merlin knew what it would mean for him. "Uther is angrier than I have seen him in a long time, he doesn't think we should be resorting to magic so easily. I told him if we didn't, it very well could be Arthur's life."

Merlin nodded, watching his parents hugging still, they were whispering things to each other now. "We will defeat the Dragon, Gaius, I know we will...and we will figure out who is possessed by Sigan."

"About that, Merlin," said Gaius then. "I have been looking into it, I went back to the tomb to see if there were any clues. It was not a break in."

"No, someone stole Arthur's keys," said Merlin, watching as his parents broke apart, and his Mother led his Father over to the bench she had been sitting on before. So they could continue to talk. Merlin turned toward Gaius more now. "We just don't know who...it might have been any of the Servants, they all can get into Arthur's chambers, but I don't know why any of the Servants would want to steal from Arthur, or Uther...they're all way too-" he stopped then, eyes narrowing suddenly. "CEDRIC!"

"The peddler you keep complaining about?" asked Gaius. "Why would he want to steal from the King?"

"Because he's disgusting!" announced Merlin, but he was already turning, heading for the door. "I have to go find Arthur, and then that slimeball-"

Gaius reached out, before Merlin could open the door, and grabbed his arm. "The Cedric you know now is dead, the soul of Sigan has filled him and I am afraid there is nothing left of that 'slimeball' you once knew..."

Merlin paused at this, taking in a deep breath. "Still, if we know who it is, we can kill him..."

"It will not be that simple, Merlin," said Gaius. "Sigan has done something no one has dared tried to do before, if you kill the host body, his soul will only latch on to another."

This hit Merlin hard, over the head, like a rock, and he shook said head, trying to think clearly. "There has to be something, something that will stop him..."

"I do not yet know, but I daresay...it will be very powerful magic."

"Well luckily, I have very powerful magic," said Merlin, and Gaius rolled his eyes at this.

Not too long after this, Merlin and Balinor were meeting Arthur in the courtyard, it was dusk outside now, and Arthur looked irritated, Merlin wondered why, because he had been in a good mood when they had returned. He was happy Merlin's Father was here, to defeat the Dragon. What had changed? Maybe Uther had been rude to him, he did like to take his anger over magic out on Arthur sometimes. His bad mood also could have been that there had been a few attacks by Statue reported in the last hour. It was the time of day, according to Gaius, when it started. There were a group of Knights, waiting, on post, for when the attacks came there, and they always did, trying to get into the castle.

Arthur watched, as a gargoyle loomed above them. Flying around, but not quite striking yet. Merlin reached over and touched Arthur's arm, and his eyes landed on him. "It's Cedric," he told him. Although he had no proof of this, he just knew, he had one of his feelings, and his feelings were always right, though he wouldn't tell Arthur that.

"Are you sure?" asked Arthur now, eyes narrowed, and a frown formed on his lips.

"He was the only other person in your Chambers that day, except for me..."

Arthur sighed. "You and Balinor go to the barricades help him...in any way you can, with the Dragon. I will find Cedric."

Merlin nodded, and Arthur went to walk away, that was then, this exact moment, was when the gargoyle swooped down, and came for Arthur. Merlin called upon his magic, his hand even trusted up, and in that moment, he wouldn't care who seen. But then something was smashing the gargoyle, right over the head, and in the wings. It was a very long stick, a branch of a tree, perhaps. And the thing flew off, making loud noises like an angry bird, as it did so.

"Well, I can't let you men have all the fun," said Morgana, and Arthur only stare at her, shocked, but Merlin grinned and walked over to her. She didn't look like she always did, no long flowing dress, but a pair of trousers and a tight tunic, wrapped with a black belt around her waist. She grinned back at Merlin. "Someone had to take care of Camelot, while Arthur was on holiday."

"Give me this," said Arthur, and he yanked the long branch from her hands. She glare over at him. He glared back. "And I wasn't on holiday, I was trying to save our lives."

"Yes...so I have been told, my hero," she chided and went to grab for the stick, but he held it out of her reach.

"Go back inside, Morgana, before you get hurt."

"And let you think just that because you are man, you can tell me what to do?" she smirked. "I don't think so."

Arthur rolled his eyes, looking rather annoyed, even more so than before. "Merlin, go..." he said then, ignoring her all of a sudden. She didn't seem to like that much, and made a grab for the stick again. This time he let her have it, and she slammed it, into his stomach then. He refused to react, though Merlin could see the glossy look cross his eyes, for a second. "Be...becareful, Merlin."

"You too," said Merlin, in return. "If you find Cedric...don't try to kill him, it's not Cedric anymore, he won't die."

"What am I supposed to do with him then?"

But Arthur's question was lost then, as suddenly, in the sky, flying over them, was a Dragon. Merlin's Father grabbed for Merlin's arm now, and motioned for them to hurry up. Merlin listened, looking back once more, at Arthur, who smiled at him, just a little bit, as they ran off. Up to the barricades, where Balinor would get a good shot at the Dragon. Once they got there, Balinor took a moment to prepare.

"It has been many years since I have called upon my kin," he said, as he pulled a knife from his robes, and pulled it from it's covering. "This blade was forced in a Dragon's breath. This Dragons, Kilgharrah, is his name. He was loyal to me, good to me..."

"Kilgharrah?" offered Merlin, scrunching up his face. "I just knew him as The Great Dragon."

"That is how he wanted to be known, to the people of the lands," explained Balinor. "But his given name, the one a Dragonlord gave him, when he was hatched, is Kilgharrah."

"What does it mean?" asked Merlin then. Balinor shrugged.

"It could mean many things, mostly the name translates to Kindness."

Merlin scoffed at this. "There is nothing kind about him, he lied to me, he would have let my Mother die, he tried to kill Arthur..."

Balinor sighed. "Kilgharrah is old, much older than I, older than Camelot itself...he has seen many things, been many places," explained Balinor. "And for the last twenty years has spent his life chained and locked away, done by a man who was blinded by rage. I have been treated much the same, exiled, hunted like an animal...and for what? What have I done wrong?"

Merlin shook his head. "I don't know..."

"I do not agree with Kilgharrah's methods, but I understand his plight."

"When Arthur is king, it will be different," said Merlin, and Balinor only raised his eyebrows at this. "Arthur isn't like his father, he is nothing like Uther."

"I hope you are right, Merlin," said Balinor. "I can sense good in him, but also the will of his Father, tenfold." He stood up straight then, and rubbed his rather long, dark beard for a moment, and then looked at Merlin, very serious. "Are you ready?"

Mmerlin nodded. "Yes."

"I want you to watch closely, one day...you will be given this gift, when I am gone, and you, as I thought I was, will be the last of our kind."

Merlin gulped at this, and nodded, yet again. Balinor smiled at him, and turned toward the darkening sky. They could hear bangs and smashing, somewhere, in the distance. Balinor cleared his throat. Something like a shout erupted from his Father's voice the next moment, and it just sounded a lot like shouting, for a long time before Merlin realized, these were words, words spoken in a language Merlin had never heard before. And he clung to them, trying to understand them, but he could not. There was no making sense of it.

There was a beat then, a long pause, and then the loud flapping of wings broke through the air, and before them, was the Dragon. Balinor brandished his knife at Kilgharrah. "You threaten my son, and all the things he care for!" he shouted at him. The Dragon merely stare at Balinor, for a long moment. "Do you have nothing to say?!"

"You allowed me to be captured," retorted the Dragon. "You aided him, as he chained me, as if I were a mere animal, as he put me in that God forsaken cave, you allowed him..."

"He had lied to me, he told me he wanted to make peace with you, when I got here...they arrested me, forced me, they threaten my life..." said Balinor, and though his voice had been strong before, and had been strong since Merlin met him, it was weak now. He sounded as if he were in pain. ""I was the last one left, the last Dragonlord..."

"And I, not the last Dragon?" retorted Kilgharrah, yet again. His big, golden eyes, narrowed at Merlin's Father.

"I was selfish..." admitted Balinor. "But that does not give you the right to take revenge on my son."

"I never did anything to harm the boy, I only wished to help him and he denied me every time, he thought he knew better..."

"So, you knew," said Merlin then, and he had been quiet the whole time, which made both of them stop and stare at him. "You knew he was my father..."

"I could feel it in you," said Kilgharrah. "We are not only connected by magic, Young Warlock, our kinship is much deeper than that."

Merlin wanted to argue, and say he felt no such connection to him, but he did not, he only shook his head. Balinor turned to him then, and eyed him seriously. "It is your choice, Merlin, with this blade, I can kill him, but he is the last of his kind, there are no other dragon's left in this world..." said Balinor. "I do not wish to kill him, but if it is what you want, to keep...Camelot safe, I will give you this."

Merlin paused then, face done up, yet again, in lines, as he thought. He took a deep breath, unsure if he were making the right choice. "Tell him to leave, make him go, tell him he can never return to Camelot, he must never come back..."

Balinor smiled, and nodded, turning back toward the Dragon. "My son is kind, his heart is pure and you would have tarnished it, this I know," he said. "You had thirst for power worse than Uther. I could always see it in you. You will leave Camelot, now...tonight, and will never return to it, you will do no more harm to anyone...unless told, do you understand?"

Kilgharrah looked annoyed for a moment, like he might want to protest, and then lowered his head, in a bow. "I have no other choice." Suddenly, Balinor spoke in that voice again, loud, and confusing, Merlin had no idea what the words were, he was shouting. He again, tried to cling to them. Kilgarrha rose then, more into the dark sky, and turned back, as he were about to fly off, and his eyes landed on Merlin. "Take heed, Young Warlock, for one day, you might once again need my help..."

And then he was gone, off...to wherever Dragon's may go. Merlin watched him, as he grew smaller and smaller. Merlin thought he would feel better, once he was gone, but he was only filled with worry, at the Dragons words. What could happen, that was so bad he could need Kilgharrah's help? Merlin sighed...

"We need to find Arthur."

Balinor followed Merlin back down, off of the barricades, and they headed for the courtyard again. As they were reaching it, Merlin noticed, very quickly, that it was empty. They heard screaming, coming from the town, and Merlin went rigid with fear. Where was Arthur? His Father placed a gentle hand on his back, in comfort.

"Let us split up, we can find him faster that way," said Balinor," and Merlin nodded. Balinor walked off. Merlin waited, a moment, after his Father left, and looked around, more, the courtyard was filled with dust, you could barely see. Merlin could hear footsteps behind him though, coming down the stairs, from the front doors of the castle, and Merlin waited, with baited breath. He turned around sharply, ready to use his magic if he had to. But a grin broke across Merlin's face, as coming toward him, was Arthur. He was bleeding from the forehead, but other than that, looked fine.

"Arthur," he said, but Arthur had already seen him, and was making quick work of coming toward him. He swallowed hard, looking Merlin over, Merlin stare back. "My..." he had almost said My Father, but he couldn't...he wasn't allowed to tell Arthur, he took in a sharp breath. "Balinor did it, he defeated the Dragon."

Arthur looked, for a second, rather pleased, and then he frowned again. "I found him," he said then. "Marveling at all of his treasures. It is Cedric, I chased him here, but..." Arthur looked around, and shook his head. "I lost him."

Merlin sighed, and he couldn't help it, he reached out and grabbed Arthur's wrist, pulling him a little closer. Arthur looked down at this, for a second, with knitted eyebrows, but didn't say or do anything about it. Merlin would pretend it never happened later, that it didn't mean anything, to calm his own stupid, love foolish heart. But for now, he liked the closeness. "We'll find him."

"I know," said Arthur. "I have all the Knights looking for him, and Morgana...though I hope she doesn't find him, she seems to think she would be able to defeat him. With what?" complained Arthur. "Her pretty face..."

"You think her face is pretty...?" grinned Merlin. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Shut up..."

Merlin had no choice but to shut up after this, because, once again, behind him there was a thing, a person, he could feel it. For a second, he had hoped it was just his Father, but it felt cold...lifeless, almost lifeless. Arthur could feel it too, because he pulled Merlin a little bit closer to him, suddenly, and then shoved him to the side, harshly, as he turned, and pull his sword from his belt. Merlin turned too, as Arthur had shoved him, and there, in the thick dust, was Cedric...or Sigan now, Merlin guessed. Arthur let out a bellowing scream, one that almost matched his Father's dragon call, and Arthur ran forward. But he was halted, almost at once, by looking as if he had ran into a wall that wasn't there, and fell to the ground.

Merlin rushed to him, and he must have hit his head, because his eyes were rolling into the back of his skull and then fluttered shut. Merlin sighed, and stood back up, glaring at the un-dead Sorcerer, who only grinned, which looked awful, on Cedric's ugly face.

"So much power you wield, Merlin, and you allow yourself to be a servant?" the man, who no longer really sounded like Cedric, said. "You do yourself a disservice, you could be so much...so much more."

"I don't need that," retorted Merlin. "I am happy just the way I am, thank you."

"To look after an ungrateful little toad, like him?" he pointed toward Arthur, and Merlin felt some sort of anger wash over him, at this, he gulped. "You could be great, along side me, Arthur would tremble at your name, warship the very dirt you step on..."

Merlin rolled his eyes. "What makes you think that is what I want? That I would ever want that?"

"You're right," retorted Sigan. "You are weak and foolish, and...so loving." Merlin hardly saw that as a bad thing, but Sigan spit, in disgust. "I was once so foolish, so eager to please my King, and do you know what he did? He feared me...he feared I would betray his trust and he had me killed. I GAVE HIM EVERYTHING!" Sigan suddenly screamed out, and Merlin jumped a little. Now, this didn't scream I'm about to kill you in a second, so Merlin tired to hide it. "EVERY PART OF ME, I LET HIM HAVE...AND HE TOOK IT ALL, AND MORE..."

"Arthur isn't like that..." said Merlin, lamely, but Sigan did not seem to hear. At the mention of Arthur's name, he did look down though, and his eyes gleamed, suddenly.

"I will have my final revenge," he said then. "I will take the throne of Camelot, and do as my King so feared. But I will not do it in this body. The people, those left...will never see me as their King. I will take the body of the Prince, and they will never know, I will kill Uther, and take the throne for my own..."

"NO!" shouted Merlin, suddenly, as Sigan took a step forward. Merlin dashed over, toward Arthur, and threw himself in between Arthur and Sigan. He only laughed, richly, as he glare down at Merlin.

"Do you really think that will stop me?"

Suddenly, something black was coming from Sigan's mouth, like black smoke, it started trickling out, like pipe smoke, and then it became larger and darker. Sigan, or Cedric, who knows at this point, fell to his knees suddenly, and then over, in a heap. Dead. The smoke traveled, across the rest of the way, and passed right through Merlin, making him feel frozen on the inside. It stunned him for a moment, but he pushed the feeling away, and turned around on his knees, just in time to see the smoke enter Arthur's mouth.

"No!" Merlin screamed out, louder this time. Because he knew what this means, this would kill Arthur, and he couldn't...he couldn't let that happen. Destiny be damned, he didn't think he could go on without Arthur there. He threw himself onto Arthur's chest, as the last bit of smoke filled him, and he cried. There had to be a way, a way to stop him, to get Sigan out of Arthur before it was too late. But Gaius had never figured out how to stop him, how to kill him. Merlin placed both of his hands on Arthur's chest, palms down, fit to find Sigan inside of him. He pressed hard, into his chest, pleading for his magic to work, it did. He felt it leaking from his fingers, into Arthur's skin. He wasn't sure what it was doing entirely, but he trusted it, he trusted his magic more than anything, but he also had to trust Arthur too. And he did. "Arthur..." he muttered, leaning forward, and pressed his forehead against Arthur's sweaty one. It felt like he had a fever, almost. "Arthur...please, stay with me...fight him...you have to...don't let him win..." he muttered, and pleaded, he forced his magic to bend to his will, to do what he asked of it. "Arthur..."

Arthur's body shook underneath him, gave a nasty shutter, and then stilled, and Merlin felt his heart breaking a little, at the thought of if he failed and what this would mean. But then suddenly, Arthur jerked forward, and took in a deep, sharp breath. His eyes shot open, and they were shining gold, Merlin was stunned, breathless, at the sight and then he yanked his hands back, pulling away his magic, and they dulled, back to their normal blue. Arthur blinked a few times, and closed his eyes again, only to open them once again, a second later.

Merlin stare at him, not sure what this meant, if it had worked. Arthur looked over at him and his eyes narrowed. "What are you doing to me..?"

"I thought you were dead..." said Merlin, and that were true. Arthur looked over his face and clearly noticed the wetness there.

"And you were what...crying over me?"

"No," said Merlin, with a scrunched up face. and then smirked. "Maybe...a little."

Arthur smiled, but then forced himself to drop it, at once. "A good Knight knows; That no man is worth your tears."

Merlin rolled his eyes at this. "Good thing I'm not a Knight then."

"Good thing, indeed."

Merlin helped Arthur up then, just as Balinor was coming around the corner, Merlin had almost forgotten that they had separated, to look for Arthur. Merlin hadn't had to go far to find him, or anywhere at all really. "You found him!" said Balinor, happily, as he walked over and placed a hand on Merlin's back. Arthur's eyes narrowed at it, probably confused as to why this was happening, when the two weren't supposed to know each other. "The Dragon is gone," said Balinor, and Arthur's eyes went from narrowed to sad, all of a sudden, and Merlin didn't know why.

"You don't seem happy about that," said Merlin, and Arthur shook his head, his eyes landed on Balinor again.

"You have to go," he said, all at once. "Now...leave Camelot."

"Why?" demanded Merlin, before Balinor could say anything. Balinor sighed.

"Because Uther has ordered my arrest," said Balinor and Arthur nodded, looking rather pained about it. "I figured as much would happen."

"I'm sorry," said Arthur. "He is unreasonable, he doesn't care...it is unforgivable, after you helped us...he is-"

But Arthur paused, unable to come up with words. "It is alright, Arthur," said Balinor. "It will not always be like this, I am sure of it."

Arthur didn't say anything, just looked down. Merlin, however, was near tears again. "But you can't leave..." he said, and Balinor, hand still resting on Merlin's back, pulled him, a bit away from Arthur. Arthur looked up at this, confused, and watched.

"You were right about Arthur," said his Father, in a hushed tone. "He will be a good king, but he needs you." Merlin shook his head, even though he knew it was true. "I heard you...you saved him from the Sorcerer."

"But what about my Mother?" offered Merlin then. Balinor sighed.

"One day I hope to be allowed to return to Camelot, that I can live freely here," he said. "For now, she will understand, she has your heart, she will wait for me."

Merlin cried, yet again, this evening, and flung his arms around his Father's shoulders. It felt cruel, that after all this time, all these years, never knowing of his Father, that he now had gotten so little time with him, that now he would have to live, knowing he was out there and yet still...not have him there.

"I will send you letters..." said Balinor. "I will find a new settlement, closer..."

Merlin smiled a bit. "My Mom could visit you..."

"Yes," grinned his Father. "And you."

Merlin shrugged, with a grin of his own. "If I can get the day off..." Balinor raised his eyebrows at him, and Merlin let his eyes travel back to Arthur, who stood there, looking very irritated, at the both of them. "He doesn't like to share me much."

(A/N: It took me so long to edit this, wow...it's long though, I hope you enjoyed it. One thing I want to point out, I don't know if people noticed, but I have Merlin and Arthur switch places. See, in the show, Arthur drinks from the cup and Merlin get's (almost) possessed by Sigan, but I switched it, making Merlin drink from the cup and Arthur get (almost) possessed, I think for my story anyway...that it makes sense. I'm not sure how Merlin killed Sigan instead of Arthur, or maybe I do and that will come up later... ;) you know, ya never know! But anyway, just thought I would bring that up for discussion. And thank you guys, btw, for all of you being understanding about waiting for chapters and stuff. I love writing this story and posting it for you guys, and at no point do I not wanna do that, you know. Like, this makes me happy, and my internet (which is still not fixed, I am on my phone internet still,) is in the way of that right now, so I hate them, my internet ppl suck. ANNNYWAYS, thank you!)