Author's note : Sorry for the late update. Thanks to weepingelm, saroura92, Captain Wombat, Teekalin, oma13, Signal27, TwilightMortal, mersan123, Charles Chuku, Chevalier Luis and the two guests for their kind reviews. As the majority of the reviewers of last chapter wanted Mordred dead, I will kill him soon. But not yet. For now, enjoy chapter 7 . I hope you will like it.

Chapter 7

The origin of magic part 1

Merlin thought he was dreaming. How could this be possible ? He saw the Fisher King perish right before his eyes. Yet the king was standing before him. No sign of wariness in his eyes. Rather he looked very much alive and strong. When Merlin last met him, he was so frail. A man who was ancient as the Perilous lamd itself. But now he looked like a middle aged man. Maybe in his late forties. Soft blue light still emitting from his body. Merlin couldn't understand how the king came into this prison.

A king. A king. He was standing before an ancient king and he was gaping at him like a five year old child. Where were his manners ? He scolded himself mentally.

He bowed before the king. Lowering his head, he said, " It is an honour to meet you again, your majesty. "

The Fisher King gave a small smile at Merlin and said, " Rise Merlin. You need not to bow before me. We are equal in more than one ways. "

Merlin looked up . Confusion was written all over his face. He rose and said, " What do you mean by that, sire ? "

The king said, " I believe I need to do some explanation. Tell me, what do you want to know ? "

' Well, that was straight-forward. Nothing like that cryptic Kilgharrah. ' Merlin thought to himself.

He asked the question that first came into his mind.

" How did you get in here ? I thought you were dead. "

The king smiled and said, " Who told you that I am alive now. "

Merlin flinched hearing this. ' What is he talking about ? Is he a shade ?' He thought.

" Young warlock, don't be afraid. I am neither a shade nor a ghost. I won't harm you. " The king said.

" Then what are you ? " Merlin asked fearing what the answer would be.

" I am something in between living and dead. "

" You are worse than Killgharrah,sire. " Merlin said with a hint of exasperation clear in his voice.

The king chuckled , " Yes. I was infamous for my vague words. Sorry about that. And please call me Uriel. That is my real name. Uriel Ignotus the third, king of Elmet which is now known as the perilous land. "

Merlin was quite taken aback by the king's request. But he nodded and said, " As you wish, Si- sorry, Uriel. But you still haven't answered me. "

" Oh! Apologies, Merlin. By saying between living and dead I meant that my body and soul has returned to the mortal realm only for a limited time to help you in the next chapter of your journey. But only if you wish to take that path. No one will force you to take that path. You have already lost so much in the name of destiny. ' The One ' doesn't wish to see you hurt anymore. " Uriel said.

" Help me ? But how ? " Merlin asked.

" By healing your wounds for a start . Do you feel any pain , Merlin ? " Uriel asked. His eyes were full of worry thinking if all the healing spells had worked properly.

By hearing the king's words, Merlin realized that indeed he didn't feel any pain. Yet a few moments ago, his whole body was in severe pain because of the excruciating torture. Hell ! He was standing which was an impossible feat for him moments earlier . How could he not notice that he was healed ? He truly was an idiot like Arthur said.

Arthur . Merlin's heart ached thinking about his former friend who had betrayed him. No. He would not dwell on the past. He wanted to move forward. So, he erased thoughts of Arthur from his mind and said to Uriel, " No. I am fully healed. There is not a single hint of pain in my body. Thanks so much. "

Uriel smiled and said , " It is my honour. But I am sorry. I healed your wounds but your scars would remain. Even the strongest magic can't change the property of nature. Scars can't be healed. I'm sorry. "

" No. No. It's alright. I am just glad that I am able to stand again. I can't thank you enough. But I have so many questions . What is the next chapter of my journey ? And who is The One ? " Merlin asked again hoping tha this time he might get some answers.

Uriel took a deep breath and said, " Guess I will have to start from the begining. It's going to be a long story. Do you want to hear it ? "

Merlin's face brightened and he said , " Of course. But what if the guards come ? "

" Don't worry. They won't bother us. I have frozen time, " Uriel said as a matter of factly.

" YOU WHAT ? " Merlin shouted.

Uriel grinned and it was quite unkingly. " I have frozen time. I have been given this power by ' The One ' temporarily to explain everything to you . Look around and you'll see."

Merlin looked around and Aren lying on the floor. He was completely still. But Merlin could feel his life-force which meant he was alive. He saw a firefly frozen in the air. Several drops of blood which came out of his recently healed wound was hovering on the air. But most importantly he heard nothing but the sound of his and the king's breathing. He closed his eyes and tried to feel any sort of movement outside his cell and eventually he reached out further but he felt nothing even in the whole Camelot. Time was really frozen.

Merlin looked towards Uriel ; astonishment plastered on his face. " You really did it. You really froze time. But why ? Surely the guards weren't that much nuisance . And who is this ' The One ' ? I can just slow time but freezing it completely... It's amazing. They seemed really powerful. I am now very curious about them. "

Uriel looked at Merlin and he looked very pleased. He said, " Of course ' The One ' is more powerful than you. They are more powerful than any other being. And you're right. The guards weren't the reason. The Triple Goddess is the reason . I froze time so that you had a little more time to prepare yourself before she comes to hunt you down . "

" Wait. What ? I can't understand . Why would she hunt me down ? Please explain. " Merlin said. He was utterly confused.

" That's why I am here. To explain. She wants to hunt you down because you are her bane . She is afraid of you. And by gaining the power of ' The Calling ' , you have become more powerful than her. That has freaked her out. She is coming to get you. Even now, she is trying to break my spell so that she could come to you and end you. But don't worry. She won't be able to break the spell. But we must hurry. The Ancient Religion's time is nearing. It will reign again on earth. It is waiting for it's revival . And you mustn't make it wait any longer. "

" Uriel, I can't understand a thing you're saying. What is the calling ? What is ancient religion ? I am at a loss, " Merlin said. Confusion was evident in his voice.

" Hmmmm. Let's start from the begining and you'll soon understand, shall we ? " Uriel asked .

Merlin nodded and then the king began, " What is magic ? Isn't it the force that binds all life on earth together ? "

Merlin gave a nod and Uriel said , " Do you know where magic came from ? "

" The crystal cave ? " Merlin asked hesitantly.

" No. It is the relay station of the great magic that swirls around the universe . It is not the birthplace of magic but a place where magic is at it's strongest on earth contrary to the popular belief . "

Merlin's mouth was open like a fish out of water. What is he hearing ? If crystal cave is not the birthplace of magic then from where magic came ? He thought. He asked aloud , " Then wher is the birthplace of magic ? "

" The forge of creation , " The king answered.

" Where ? I am getting more and more confused, " Merlin said.

" Everything will soon be clear to you . Now on with the story. As I was saying, the forge of creation is the place where everything started. In the begining , there was nothing but a void in the place of our present world. At that time, only The One was in existence. They always were, They always are and they always will be. " Uriel said.

" Is The One a God ? " Merlin asked. He was becoming more curious the more he was listening.

" No. They are not a God. They are more than the Gods. They are the creator of everything. They created time, fate and magic. It is their magic that is keeping this entire world in balance . A power that no God can ever dream to have . The One is the source of all power where some Gods are just human imagination and some are powerful beings whose powers were granted by The One for a short time. The One is a being that is not like any other. They are neither male nor female unlike the petty Gods and Goddesses . "

" Are you saying that the triple goddess was not always powerful like she is now ? " Merlin asked. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

" No, she wasn't. I will soon explain it. But let's stick to the story. After creating fate, time and magic, he created the entire world using a tiny fraction of their power. That power is keeping the world in balance and this balance is caused by their magic. That's how magic binds every life force on earth and every other living plains. "

" You mean there are more place where life exists other than earth ? Then that means earth is not the center of this world . Amazing. How many new things I will learn today ? " Merlin said cheerily.

Uriel smiled. The boy was eager to learn and that was one of the reason he was Emrys . He wondered how would Merlin react when he would know the full extent of his destiny. He chuckled at the thought. Merlin gave him a questioning look . He said, " All in good times, young one. And yes, there are more places where life exists. But earth is the palce where magic is the strongest in the entire universe. It is more full of life than any other places. Earth's dominent inhabitant Humans are the reasons of this. They are the greatest creations but they were not the first to come . "

" Who came at first on earth ? " Merlin was bursting with excitement.

" The sons and daughters of fire. After the emergence of the general wildlife who were born from the magic of The One, The spawns of fire were created. They were of two kinds. One was physical and one was etheral. The physical ones are now called dragons and the etherals are called the Djinns. But they were soon blinded by the power they were granted over the lesser beings on earth. They became cruel and began to cause havoc on earth. All of them forgot their duties and began to enslave all the other livings. That's when The One intervened. They don't do that often. But the crimes of the fire spawns were too great to sit back and watch. That's when the great punishment started. The majority of the Djinns were perished by the magic of earth which was commanded by The One. As for the dragons, The One created the first man and woman . And their sons were granted the power of the dragonlords to humble the dragons. There were 46 dragonlords at the begining as there were 46 sons and daughters of the first man and woman. And then the power begen to pass down from father to elder son . But the power was not granted to those who bore evil in their heart. That's why not all the elder sons of dragonlords were gifted with the power. Those who used their power to harm innocent lives were condemned by The One and stripped of their powers. That's why there were only 16 dragonlords alive before the great purge and they all gathered at the isle of men for their annual ceremony of dragonlords at the night when Uther killed them all except your father. And now you are the last dragonlord which meant you are also pure of heart and worthy of your gift just as you are worthy of your magic."

" How do you know all this ? " Merlin asked . He was a little suspicious about the king now.

" The One taught me what I needed to know to help you. I tell nothing but only the things The One has taught me. I sense hesitation in your voice. Don't worry. You don't need to believe me if you don't want to. Just hear me out . And in time I hope you will be able to understand what is truth and what is not. Please just give me a little time to explain. " Uriel requested.

Merlin was a little surprised . Uriel was nothing like Killgharrah. He was not vague although at first it appeared that he was. He was more straight-forward and more gentle. He was not ordering like the dragon but requesting. He thought that it would be better to hear him. He had a hunch that whoever The One was , They were immensly powerful and wished only good for him ; otherwise they wouldn't have sent Uriel to help him. ' I should hear him . It would answer many of my questions. After all I have nothing to lose. ' He talked in his mind. Then he said aloud , " Please continue . I am eager to hear. "

Uriel smiled and said , " You are wise , young one. You'll not regret this decision. Now let's resume . Now where was I ? "

" You were talking about the coming of men and dragonlords, " Merlin helped Uriel to remember.

" Ah! Yes. I remember. Now when the dragons were tamed, peace came into the land . The remaining Djinns retreated deep underground and started meditating to obtain peace of mind. But not all Djinns were on earth , you see. " Uriel said.

" Where were the others ? What were they doing ? C'mon. This is getting interesting like a great myth. " Merlin said. He was bursting with excitement like a five year old.

Uriel chuckled and said , " I am glad that you are eager. But believe me that none of them are myth but true story and soon you'll sense the truth of my word if you're observient. As for your question, there was one Djinn that was not on earth. He was the greatest Djinn. His name was Ajajil. He was very faithful towards to the One and very wise. For his great deeds , The One ascended him to the forge of creation and made him the teachers of the Malla'ka, the spawns of light and the messengers of The One and helper of the worthy humans . I myself is now temporarily one of ' The Malla'ka ' and I will help you as long as you need me. After doing my duty my current status will change back to it's formar one and then I will return to Avalon again to have my long delayed rest. And please don't interrupt again. I promise you'll have all your answers after I finish. " Uriel said seeing that Merlin was opening his mouth again.

Merlin tried to protest but thought better of it and shut his mouth.

" Thank you. As I was saying, Ajajil was greatly respected among the Malla'ka . But when the humans were created and given power over the dragons, he thought it as a mockery towards him who was made of fire. So he refused to honour the humans who wer made of mere earth and challenged The One's judgement . The One gave Ajajil a second chance to honour the humans but this time Ajajil humiliated the humans publicly and refused The One's command. Thus Ajajil angered The One. The One cursed Ajajil. But The One always gives gifts for faithfulness and punishments for disobidience . So, Ajajil wished for the gift of immortality and manipulation for his long faithfulness in the past. The One granted it but said that although he had been granted this gift, he would never be able to completely manipulate the purest of hearts. Ajajil challanged The One that he would lead the humans astray and came to earth to spread evil. Many fallen under his influence and became his follower. But as The One said the purest of hearts did not fall in darkness. They were the practioner of the Ancient Religion and faithful to The One . " The king stopped seeing the questioning look on Merlin's face.

" What is this Ancient Religion ? " Merlin asked.

" I was wondering when you would ask that . " Uriel said with a chuckle. " The Ancient Religion is the source of the purest form of magic. At the dawn of human race, the followers of The One were granted the power to weild Ancient magic . It was more powerful than the Old Religion's magic. At past, the Druids and Catha were able to use it . But when the Triple Goddess rose to power the ancient magic's power left them . "

" How did the Triple Goddess came to power ? " Merlin asked again.

" The Triple Goddess is not a single being. She is the combination of three women. The women's names are Morrel, Karen and Aisa. Morrel came from North Albion, Karen came from South Albion and Aisa came from western isle. They used to come to the isle of the blessed every Samhain and pray together towards The One . But they only did it to grant themselves power. The One understood their intentions. So, when they asked for the gift of immortality, The One sent one of The Malla'ka and informed them that they were refused. The three women were furious. They wanted the gift of immortality so much that they contacted one of Ajajil's followers and met with him. Ajajil offered them to share his power of immortality and manipulation if they pledged their allegience to him. The three women agreed and Ajajil performed the darkest form of magic and combined their soul in one vessel, a single body. Then Ajajil gave away a part of his immortality or so he said . But in truth, they were given nothing but the power of sucking magic . When the spell was complete Ajajil said that in order to live forever they need to depend on another's magic. Thus the triple Goddess was created by Ajajil and then he vanished. Nobody had ever seen him after that. Some say that only his closest followers and practitioners of the dark magic are now able to communicate him. As for me, I don't really know where he went. But he still lives that much is sure because men are still manipulated and eventully many of them succumbed to the dark path. " Uriel said and took a deep breath.

" But what happened to the Triple Goddess . Wasn't she furious that she was cheated ? " Merlin said . He was stunned to hear the story of the Goddess. He felt sad and angry towards her at the same time.

" Oh , yes. She was very furious but she couldn't do anything as Ajajil was nowhere to be found . So, they began to do what they were told by Ajajil. They began to hunt down the weak magic users and began to suck the magical force out of them to retain her immortality. And soon she became much powerful to challenge the practitioners of the ancient magic. But she knew she couldn't defeat the entire of the Druid and Catha people on her own. So she began to collect her followers and promised them wealth and power. Many rallied to her cause. She named her group the followers of the old ways. They outnumbered the ancient magic users ten to one. So , they came to Elmet, their ancient homeland and sought the help of the then king Roland Ignotus, my great grandfather . He agreed to help them. He tracked down the closest ally of the Goddess, Martha of Drayand and imprisoned her. Roland interrogated her and learnt all about the goddess' secrets. She told Roland that at first she had joined her for the wealth and power. But soon she began to regret her decision as the goddess thought her followers as nothing but some vermin. She pleaded to Roland to take her in. Roland took mercy upon her and made her vow in ancient tounge . Then Martha was sent back to the Goddess as Elmet's spy. Soon Martha began to feed Roland vital information about the Goddess' army. So when the Goddess's army came to invade Elmet and the ancient followers, she was taken out by surprise. Her entire army was destroyed . And she fled. The people of Elmet and The Druid and The Catha people celebrated their victory. After that a century passed without any incident. The first golden age of Albion had dawned at that time. Every kingdom was peaceful. But it was the calm before the storm. During the era of peace, the people of Elmet became lazy. The numbers of the faithfuls of The One lessened day by day. As a result ancient religion began to retreat deep inside earth. Druids and Catha people began to lose their power to practice ancient religion little by little. I sat upon the throne of Elmet at that time. And at that time I was also naive and slackened in my duty as the guardian of the ancient religion and we all payed for it dearly. " Uriel stopped there and tears began to fall from his eyes.

Merlin felt a little uneasy. He didn't know what to do. So he just said , " What happened , sire ? "

" The goddess re-emerged. "

Merlin gasped. " What did she do ? "

" She came with an army . This time it was no weak magician's army with a spy in their midst. It was a deadly army of dark magical creatures and very powerful dark sorceresses who are now known as the high priestesses. The Goddess was surrounded by three hooded women and she was controlling her army like a well trained army chief. This time it was us who were taken out by surprise. We were massacarred by the Goddess' army. I knew why this happened . I was not vigillent and neglected my duty. That's why The One punished us all. So, I ordered remaining of my people to leave the battle . They didn't want to leave me. But I told them that it was my last command. They eventually obeyed and left . Then I challenged the Goddess. "

" YOU DID WHAT ? " Merlin yelled.

" Yes. you heard right. I challenged her but I didn't stand a chance. She cursed me with a dark spell and the dark magic infected me as well as the land. The Goddess left me to rot. I went to my castle and sat on the throne . I was in complete agony. Then one of the chief Malla'ka came to me and healed me. He told me that my kingdom was now cursed but all was not lost. He told me of a saviour , the champion of The One , the vanquisher of the Triple Goddess who would emerge in a time of great tribulation and would defeat the Goddess. Thus he will give the duids , the Cathas their old kingdom back and bring back ancient religion. He told me to wait for that time. After a few days, the chief of the druids and the chief of the Catha came to me me and told me that the Goddess announced herself as the guardian of magic . All magical people had sweared loyalty to her excpt the Druids and the Catha. The kings of Albion had begun to pay tribute to her. The chiefs asked for my counsel. I told them to go to the isle of men, the base of the dragonlords. That isle was protected by The One and not even the Goddess could enter there. I then told them what I was told by the Malla'ka . I told them t wait for that saviour. They bade me goodbye and soon I fell into a dream less sleep. When I woke up again, I felt very ancient and I also felt the presence of my saviour who would give freedom to my people . "

" Wait. you mean ... " Merlin stopped in the midway afraid to complete the sentence.

But the king said confidently, " Yes. You are the saviour of my people and the bane of triple Goddess, Merlin Ignotus Emrys Ambrosius .

ooooooooooooo

Sorry but I can't resist it to end it there. The next part will come out much quicker. I have finshed my high school finals and now I have much free time. So, I will update more quickly ( If I don't die ) . Happy reading all.