Author's note: Hello everyone. We're nearing the endgame. Please enjoy.
Chapter 49
The begining of the end
The armies of Elmet, Camelot, All of the northen Alliance, Amatan confederacy and the remnant Nemethian army, a total of more than seventy thousand soldiers stood guard in the narrow pass in between the two mountains.
The enemy numbered in millions. Their mind was muddled, sucked out of any sense of humanity, transformed into a mindless, fearless beasts of war. Their only weakness was their undisciplined, uncoordinated attack. A weakness that the human army exploited with ruthless aggression. Under king Arthur Pendragon's leadership, the army of Albion held firm while two contingent of knights, one, Camelotian, under the leadership of Sir Leon, while the other was the saxon legion with Prince Maximillian of Saxony at it's helm. These two groups rode through the secret passages of camlann, snaking through the mountains hitting on the flanks of the undead army and retreating whenever the risk of overrunning arose.
This maneuver gave some breathing room for the main army. But Arthur knew this brief reprieve would only delay the inevitable. All the undead needed was a small gap in the line and the army would crumble in no time.
Soon the arrows would deplete, the men would become exhausted, one man's thrust would be too slow, the barricade would soon crumble and then it would be all over.
With all these disheartening thoughts, Arthur looked at the sky. Flocks of crows numbered in thousands was flying over them. Ready to swoop in when all this carnage was over, ready to feast upon the dead, human and undead alike.
Dragon fire painted the sky in an eerie red, a scene which Arthur never thought he would see in his entire life, yet all their hope flew on that sky.
Their only one shot at stopping this madness.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Help me."
That's the first words that ringed in Merlin's head when Amerun flew past him over the sky of camlann. Below the great battle had commenced. The final test of destiny. Thousands upon thousands of undead crashed on the spiked barricade erected in front of the human army. Their injured screech did little to deter the last defenders of Albion.
King Merlin Ignotus Ambrosius flew in his majestic dragon form. His black shining scales and golden eyes spoke volume and majesty of the power he withheld inside him. Kilgharrah and Aithusa flew on his each sides.
In unison, they were welcomed by a huge hot burst of flame. But it was no bright golden flame from any dragon. Rather it came from someone sitting atop the white scaleless dragon.
Seath, that was the name of the scaleless dragon. Through the connection and kinship that Merlin had with all the dragons of the world, he understood his name just like he realized the red female dragon was named Kintyera and the young male one was Amerun.
Of the three of his adversaries, Merlin could sense the bond between all three of them even though the older dragons' bonds with him were so corrupted he wondered if he had any power to command them at all.
But Amerun, he was different. The blue eyed white scaled dragon was in pain. He was struggling, trying to break free from something.
That's why he cried out, Merlin thought. To sought out help from the only being the dragon thought was possible.
And it was the figure atop Seath who was trying to control Amerun.
Clad in black robe, with a crown atop his head, the tall figure would've looked regal and magnificent had it not been oozing dark marks, which were almost tearlike around his red blazing eyes.
So we meet again.
His voice reverberated inside Merlin's head. The king of Elmet didn't have to try hard to figure out who it was. It's the same voice whose owner he had fought on the isle of the blessed years ago. He might look different now. But there's no mistaking it. It was Ajajil. The cursed one.
Yes, indeed. And I see you have not learnt your lesson. It seems I have to send you back to abyss again. Merlin said back telepathically.
A loud booming laughter rang inside his head. Half mocking, half amused.
Then without warning, a dark ball of energy was shot from the cursed one's hand.
Merlin, in his dragon form easily dodged it but the cursed one's attacks were relentless. One after another burst of magical attack was hurled at Merlin.
Merlin tried to attack Seath but the scaleless dragon was lighter than him so he dodged Merlin's attacks with ease.
However, even though Merlin was holding back the attacks with relative ease, the situation with other dragons were deteriorating very quickly. Kintyera's attacks were so erratic that Kilgharrah was having a very hard time. His golden scales were already broken and burnt in multiple places courtesy of the red dragon's talons, teeth and fire.
Meanwhile Aithusa wasn't faring any better. It's not because she was being as relentlessly attacked as kilgharrah. But it was more like she wasn't trying to attack Amerun.
Maybe she also felt the distress inside Amerun as Merlin. And while Merlin was completely able to feel all the conflicts that had been going behind him, he barely had any capability to turn back and do anything to help his dragons.
But soon something happened, that forced Merlin's hands. Kilgharrah screamed out in pain.
It was so sudden and filled with anguish that it felt like the world was caught in a suspended animation.
Merlin looked back. Kintyera, the red dragon sank her teeth on Kilgharrah's neck and by the looks of it, it seemed that Kintyera was going for Aithusa but Kilgharrah came in between them. They began to swirl downwards while the great dragon was trying desperately to repel the red dragon.
But the red dragon, with all her shrieks and screams was acting like a mad creature. Soon enough both of them vanished beneath the clouds.
It seemed your friend is going to die.
The cursed one's voice filled with mirth reverberated inside Merlin's mind.
No. He was not going to let that happen. Even if Kilgharrah manipulated him all his life. He was still his kin. He disengaged from Seath and swooped down like a falling arrow.
Aithusa, with me!
Merlin called and soon enough the white female also disengaged from Amerun and followed suit.
By the time, Merlin came closer to the two dragons, they had already crashed on the top of Mount Izrakh.
Merlin stopped his momentum by spreading his wings and almost crashed too. However, he was able to land gracefully. And not one minute too soon. Kilgharrah was at his last leg. Bleeding profusely from multiple sites, he was not going to last much longer and Kintyera was ready to give the mortal blow. She coiled back her neck and opening her maw she was readying herself for finishing what she had started.
A black burst of flame engulfed her and soon enough she was shrieking in anguish. Merlin had landed and bathed the red dragon in hot flame.
She was a lost cause and she must be put down. And as he burnt her, even if she was lost to darkness, he could feel her pain. It made him despair. For all of her dark deeds, she was still one of his own kind. As her shrieks died down,so ended the life of one of the oldest dragon of all time, burnt by the greatest warlock of the world.
There was no time to dwelling on it though and Merlin transformed himself into his human form and ran towards Kilgharrah. The great dragon was lying at his side. Bleeding from just about everywhere while gasping for breath. Kintyera destroyed his windpipe almost entirely and black ooze was coming out of the wound mixed with blood. Merlin recognized it. It's a wound caused by someone afflicted with old blight, an ancient disease of dragons caused by dark magic and it seemed Kintyera's teeth infected Kilgharrah.
" No point dwelling on me, young warlock. " said the dragon. With each words, his breathing became more shallow and painful. "You have a war to win."
A loud thud sounded nearby. Aithusa landed and came closer to the dragon and his lord. She breathed a mystical breath on Kilgharrah but to her surprise, nothing happened.
"There's nothing that can be done to this type of magic, young dragon. "
"Can't I do anything to help?" asked Merlin.
" Don't waste energy on an old dragon, young one. You have a war to win. "
" I am not that young now, I might be able to help you. " Merlin almost sounded like his younger version. That young clueless boy who first stood in the cave beneath Camelot asking about his destiny.
" Always so stubborn. " Merlin could sense a hint of amusement in Kilgharrah's voice. The dragon raised it's neck with great effort and breathed on Merlin one last time. Merlin touched the dragon's snout and even if he manipulated him and put him through great misery in names of destiny, he still couldn't help feeling pity and sorrow for the old dragon. For one can't truly hate one's own kind.
" Go, young warlock. My soul and essence goes with you. Fulfill your destiny. " with those last words, Kilgharrah took his last breath and his great golden eyes closed.
Merlin had no time to mourn though. Soon enough a loud laughter boomed over his head and to Merlin, all the world came to a standstill.
"The mentor is dead. Only the disciple remains." Ajajil's voice was filled with gloat, sure of his imminent victory.
Seath the scaless with the cursed one atop him was opening his maw with the dark swirling inside it's mouth could be seen easily. Merlin knew what would come next. He conjured the shield of Alinor and enveloped himself in golden light which encircled Aithusa too.
All were happening automatically as if someone was giving him instructions. Then he realized it was the guidance of the great dragon vested upon him with his dying breath. He took a deep breath and screamed.
" Gyllen eksplosjon".
A huge golden light blasted in wide radius silencing the fighting beneath and unbeknownst to Merlin, incapacitating hundreds of thousands of undead below.
Amerun who was flying overhead cried out in pain but Merlin could feel the darkness living the silver dragon's soul. The combined power of Kilgharrah, Aithusa and Merlin healed the dragon and a faint whisper sounded in Merlin's ear.
Thank you.
Amerun flew away, happy in his newfound freedom away from the chains of Ajajil while ignoring wrathful command of the cursed one.
But even after all this, Seath was still standing, ready to burst that cursed flame. Merlin wasn't sure whether the shield would hold or not but reverting to offense after using so much magic would take time.
Time which he simply didn't Have.
But the flame never came yet he heard the voice of someone he loved so much.
"Oh no, you don't."
A pegasus flew in from below and landed beside Merlin. With a blink of an eye, it turned into the queen of Elmet, a white lightning ready in her hand.
"Tordenens vrede". The lightning shot out from Freya's hand and hit squarely Seath's one eye piercing it and getting out through the other eye. Then the lightning reversed it's trajectory and divided into hundred small parts and pierced the scaleless dragon.
The scream of anguish was so loud that the whole mountain shook.
The dragon fell and with it toppled was the cursed one garbed in a king's body who after close inspection looked astoundingly similar to the Prince Maximillian. Just a bit older and Max didn't have a body filled with blight and oozing dark liquid from every visible orifice.
The cursed one got up. Tenacity and defiance wrote all over his face.
" It's three on one. Give up. Flee. You arent going to defeat us. Not today. " Freya looked at Merlin in shock. For what purpose, Merlin couldn't tell. Did the wrath and hatred inside him that was bubbling inside him also rang in his voice. Who cared. He just wanted it all to end.
How much more bloodshed would satisfy this cursed being?
Ajajil laughed and his teeth darkened with blight showed as was his tongue equally dark. Merlin realized then that the blight was no disease off the dragons rather Ajajil himself was the source of the blight through which he controlled dragons and humans alike.
That information was inconsequential at this moment for Ajajil raised his hand and spoke in ancient tongues unknown to Merlin.
Raznug al Manzrar. Rasnug al shurdrarar.
A dark void opened behind the cursed one. He vanished inside it. His voice echoing from beyond.
"Come play in my own domain, Emrys. "
Suddenly a great dark hand grabbed Merlin and dragged him into the void. It was so quick that even Freya or Aithusa were unable to do anything about the whole thing.
MERLIIIIIN.
The queen of Elmet's scream could be heard through the entire canyon but no one answered her call.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
When Merlin opened his eyes, he saw nothing but a field filled with ash. A land completely desolate. The sun was dying emanating a sad red glow. Death was in the air. Nothing remained. Only death and desolation.
Ruined structure, crumbling structure, broken spire could be seen standing miles away but they were minuscule compared to the vast expanse of ash. And not far from where Merlin stood, stood two figures.
One was the cursed one, smiling ear to ear. His darkened teeth painting a vulgar picture devoid of any regal authority that figure might once had borne.
The other figure was what surprised Merlin.
Someone he didn't expect. Yet someone who was very familiar.
With her long dark hair and flowing robe, a sword in her hand, she looked completely normal except for the dark red eyes which made her beautiful visage terrifying.
Morgana Pendragon.
She looked like a statue devoid of any emotion, very different than the one he knew.
" Welcome to Arvan, Emrys. " he said.
WELCOME TO DEATH.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Please review and have a great day.