Chapter 52

Respite

Morgana revels in the pandemonium around her. It fed something in hear she hadn't noticed was hungry. A demoness desperate for the blood and carnage around her. It called to a beast within her she had denied, had denied and rejected until the Bond of beasts revealed it to her. Whatever Emrys added to her magic made her see that the darkness in her soul was not an imperfection but a gift. It made her powerful, it made her immortal.

Come to me, Emrys. Morgana purred her command. She felt a slight pressure on her mind and knew Emrys had heeded her call, however reluctantly.

Morgana cut down any one who got too close to her. She no longer differentiated between sides. She didn't care if she had once known them or if they were her kin, they were in her way and going to die. Her goal was Arthur and Arthur alone, but chaos was a close second. Morgana no longer cared about righting the wrongs of Uther Pendragon. That line had been moved and crossed more times than she could count; to the point that there was no more line. She just wanted the kingdom, she wanted it all, and if she couldn't have Camelot she would burn it to the ground with her people in it.

"To me!" A familiar voice called. A malevolent spark lit up Morgana's face. "For the love of Camelot!" She knew that voice. Her lips stretched into a manic smile. Luck was finally on her side.

"Arthur!" Morgana called. "Oh, Little brother," She sang. Come out, come out wherever you are. She finished in her mind. The masses parted for her, her magic now shoving people out of her way in her rush to get to Arthur. She felt more than saw Emrys appear behind her.

Morgana. Arthur's head shot up, eyes searching for his crazy sister. His grip on Excalibur tightened a fraction. She sounded close. Too close. Arthur could hear the insanity playing with her vocal cords. Arthur found her through the parting crowd and bolted. He ran for all he was worth. He didn't know where Gawain went and hoped he was alright but Arthur couldn't face her, especially alone. Not yet. He shoved his way through a cluster of warring sorcerers.

Arthur ducked several spells and sprinted for the next opening. He didn't get far. A hard force knocked him to the side. He rolled with the impact. Groaning, he got to his hands and knees, sword still gripped tight in his right hand. He squinted, he tried to clear his vision of the dots that danced and obscured his sight. Once cleared, he looked over to see Morgana stalked him. His eyes widened, and fear flooded his system. His blood went glacial.

Arthur scrambled back as fast and as far as he could. It wasn't so much Morgana that had him react so, but that Merlin followed right on her heels. It was Merlin's magic that had attacked him. Arthur searched Merlin's face for any sign of recognition. Anything that would let Arthur know that his friend, his brother, was still with him. But he found nothing, nothing but Morgana and darkness staring back at him.

The pendant at his neck burned his skin. He pulled it out from under his armor, unable to stand the heat. It pulsed like a living entity. Arthur tried to stand and run but Merlin waved his hand and Arthur went flying a few more feet. He landed hard on his back. His head slammed into the ground. He tasted metal at the back of his throat. It knocked the wind from his lungs and the sword from his grasp. He scrambled for the sword but another force pinned him down. He saw Morgana's eyes flash gold, this time Merlin stood passively behind her.

"Don't think you are getting away that easily." Morgana hissed. "How does it feel, Arthur, to be at my mercy?" Morgana smiled. She wanted to know if he was in pain. Did his heart feel like it was breaking? Did he feel like he was dying? Did the loss of his home anger him? Did it feel like poison in his veins?

Morgana started over to him, but suddenly someone was blocking her path; the person distracted her from Arthur as she faced a new threat. The great weight that weighed Arthur vanished. He was finally able to take in an unimpeded breath of air. He sat up, grabbed Excalibur and got to his feet a bit unsteadily. Arthur held his breath as he watched the one who had jumped in attacked his sister; Omari, her fighting technique was unique and bold. She fought with a bow and arrow, using it at times like a sword, ax, or shield, when the need arose. She used the arrow as another weapon. Slashing and stabbing at Morgana, giving her no chance to advance. He watched on with his gut in knots as Omari pushed Morgana back away from him, away from Merlin.

Omari put everything she had into fighting the hateful witch. If Cedric refused to get involved in this war and get his hands dirty to save the kingdom then Omari would have to. Even if they saved the dragon... if Albion was lost, what's the point?

Morgana used her magic but each time Omari saw what she intended and countered. The harder Morgana tried to conceal her next move the easier it was to read her. Morgan dodged and blocked with her own sword as best she could with no room to maneuver. The war raging around her didn't care if she needed space to fight.

Don't just stand there, help me. Morgana growled at Emrys through their bond. Merlin didn't make a move to do so. Omari sliced Morgana's cheek open with her arrow. Merlin's head twisted to the side, a small cut appeared on his cheek and started to bleed, mirroring Morgana's wound. Morgana hissed at the strike. Merlin wiped his cheek with the back of his hand. It came away red.

Arthur was confused at why Merlin just stood there, arms by his side, swords in their sheaths across his back. The only sign that he had even been in the middle of a raging war was that he had blood splashed across his chest and his hands were scarlet. He kept staring at Arthur as if he was trying to figure out a vexing puzzle. Arthur found it hard to keep eye contact with him. His dark lazuline eyes barely resembled the Merlin he knew. They lost their shine. That ever present smile in his eyes that always seemed to be laughing at Arthur, was nothing but ash and bone.

Merlin didn't look away from Arthur until Omari drew blood from Morgana. Arthur was stunned when Merlin's head snapped to the side breaking the trance he seemed to be in. When he turned back, Arthur was shocked to see that his cheek was covered in blood. So, whatever befell Morgana happened to Merlin as well. Terrific, like things weren't complicated enough. Further proof that he was screwed, because how could he kill or harm Morgana knowing that what he did to her happened to Merlin. Feeling like he had no other choice, Arthur took advantage of Morgana's distraction and ran for it. He disappeared into the chaos of battle leaving Merlin and Morgana, and god's help her, Omari.

Merlin ignored Morgana's voice in his head demanding he defend her. More sharp slices marred her skin and in turn showed on him. He brought his hand up to his face. He wiped at his cheek and it came away wet. Merlin looked at the fresh blood wetting his fingers for a moment, stunned. He felt another slice, this time closer to his collar bone but dangerously close to his jugular.

Without thinking, he moved quickly and got past Omari's defenses. His magic overwhelmed her seers' gift and fed her nothing but a smothering dose of darkness. Without a word, and with one swift and fluid movement he reached his left hand over his shoulder and pulled one of his swords free and stabbed Omari in the stomach in one fluid motion.

Omari gasped. Nothing vital was hit, she knew that instinctively, but the surprise she felt when the blade pierced her was blinding. How had he gotten past her defenses? She froze. She felt Merlin's magic inside her. It was darker, more damaged but she knew that somehow he had stopped himself from causing terminal injury. His magic guided him and saved her. There was still some Merlin left in there.

Omari looked down at the sword sticking out of her in morbid fascination. That was her blood. Interesting, she thought dizzily. She followed the hands that gripped them, up the arms to the face of the man who stabbed her. She wouldn't die, far from it. It took a hell of a lot more to end her kind. Still, it hurt like a mother fucker. Omari gazed up at Merlin, confused by what just happened and why she was still alive. He could have easily taken her head. She knew that Morgana would have approved.

Merlin fought with himself. He didn't want to harm her. He didn't want to kill her, but that is what he just did. He just killed this woman. He paused. Why had he killed this woman? He reached out with his magic and felt around the wound and with immense relief he knew he had missed any vital organs. Something else caught his attention, it slithered and battered at his intrusion. A familiar pull of a dragon's essence singed the edges of his mind. Not enough for Morgana to notice, but it was unmistakable to Merlin's Dragon Lord abilities. She housed a great and powerful dragon. It helped stay her death. She might live if she got help quickly.

Merlin swallowed thickly. His stomach twisted as he watched the pain wash over her features and tightened the skin around her mouth and eyes. He felt Morgana's disapproval, but he didn't care. He ignored her heated scowl.

Morgana, content with the outcome, stormed off to find Arthur. Finish it. She snapped. When he made no move to do as she said, she huffed and sent him a command to kill as she walked off. She left him to his sympathies.

"Oh, God. I'm so, so sorry." Merlin's voice cracked as he forced the whisper past his lips.

Omari smiled and reached up to Merlin and stroked his cheek. Her eyes searched his worn face. "It's not your fault, Emrys." Omari assured. "Fate will not take me now."

Merlin choked on a sob and with a hard tug Merlin removed his sword. Omari gasped. She smiled at him before she dropped to the ground. Merlin caught Omari as she fell. She didn't have as much pain now that the sword was removed, but as she fell, jarring the wound, lances of pain shot through her and made her vision go blurry. Merlin knelt on the ground bracing himself on his knees as he cradled her on his lap.

The urge to follow Morgana's command to finish it, finish her rose in his with how molten heat. He felt it rising to engulf him for an agonizing moment before he was able to shove it aside. He wouldn't have been able to if Ranoue and James had not fed him that small shield of magic through the web as he destroyed the wall. It really helped fuel his own futile struggles. The pain of disobeying was worth it. Emrys could only be controlled so much, and with the part of his soul with Arthur he was able to separate himself in small bits to fight against the bond and Morgana's commands. It was painful, filled with agony, but worth it.

Omari used their proximity to put her hand over Merlins heart, over his blood soaked armor, and sent a pulse of old magic into his system. She then started to feed him part of the stolen magic stored in her armor, sending him strength and building a spell powerful enough to block the Bond of Beasts, putting a shield between Merlin and Morgana. There was no point in keeping it to free a dragon from its egg if there were no Dragon Lords left. It was not permanent and with each forceful command of Morgana's it would burn it away, but she hoped it gave him a respite to the onslaught, for whatever it was worth.

Omari hoped it would hold against Morgana's compulsion, at least for a while. It was the least she could do for Emrys, but she was in too much pain to focus on anything other than Merlin and herself in the present. Merlin's face twisted as if he had just woke from slumber in unimaginable agony. He felt lighter, freer than he had in months. He still felt Morgana's darkness but she seemed not to notice Omari's intervention so long as she focused fully on hunting for her brother. Merlin felt hot rolling tears fall from his eyes. The relief... He took in a choking breath as if he hadn't had proper air in years.

Omari smiled when she finished. "Emrys" She sighed when he didn't respond to the name. "Merlin, look at me." She said gently.

Merlin glanced down at her, shame and regret in his heartbroken eyes. "I'm sorry," Merlin shook his head. "I never meant this to happen. None of this was supposed to happen."

Omari shook her head sadly. "We never mean for things to happen as they do. We can only try to fix them." She groaned when a particularly sharp pain lanced through her and up her spine. "I need you to do something for me. Find Arthur, Merlin. Play the game with Morgana if you must. But save him, at all costs, even Camelot; save Arthur."

Merlin nodded. "Whatever the cost." He agreed.

With a heavy heart and a soul on fire, Merlin set Omari gently on the cold blood soaked ground. He grabbed his sword and stood up. Against his better judgment, he started his way back to Morgana leaving the woman to die alone on the battlefield. Chivalrous, wasn't he, Merlin sneered at himself. Merlin waded through all the gore searching for Morgana, once again pretending to be the dutiful slave he hated to be. For Arthur, though, he would do and be anything. A servant of two masters.