Fic: Magic and Bravery
Title: Magic and Bravery
Author: Titti
Recipient: gryvon
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Merlin and its characters are copyrighted and trademarked to BBC and Shine.
Summary: When a new magical enemy attacks, Arthur and Merlin have to join their talents to save Camelot
Prompt: some type of magical apocalypse that leaves the world scared but somehow better, possibly alternate history, acceptance of Merlin's magic
Merlin had felt uneasy for days. He could not tell the reason since for once everything seemed to be going well in the kingdom. The knights had just returned with enough food to see them through the winter. The weather was fair, but the recent rain had ensured that the crops were bountiful. In short, everything was perfect, except Merlin had this nagging feeling that there was something wrong.
"You keep polishing that cauldron there'll be nothing left," Gaius said, looking at the boy with affection. "You've been preoccupied for days, and I've seen you with that girl… Caoimhe, I believe her name is."
Merlin frowned, trying to recall the girl in question and failing miserably. "I have no idea who she is. I've been busy preparing for Arthur's return." Or he had made sure that there were no poisons, no dark magic, no killer ghosts, or any other dangers, because trouble usually meant that Arthur was in danger. "Keeping him alive doesn't give me time to talk to… Caoimhe or anyone else."
Lowering the flame, Gaius left the potion simmer. He crossed his arms in front of him, hands inside his sleeves, and walked toward the boy. "What is happening now? Has something threatened Arthur?"
With a dejected sigh, Merlin pushed the cauldron away from him. "No, that's the thing. If something happens, then I can act, but this-" He shook his head. "Maybe I'm being stupid. Arthur claims I'm an idiot, and maybe that's what I am right now. There's nothing wrong, but I have this feeling-"
"Don't dismiss it, Merlin," Gaius said. "We don't know how your powers work, how your magic developed. I've seen you do things that you shouldn't be able to do, and yet here you stand, having accomplished so much."
"So you don't think I'm mad, then?" Merlin asked, feeling a lot better now that he had spoken to Gaius.
The old man smiled. "Oh, I know you're mad, but not for this." He nodded toward the door. "Go on, then. Go check on Arthur, and maybe that will make you feel more at ease."
Merlin smiled brightly and nodded, before running out of the room and through the castle, until he had reached Arthur’s side.
Arthur dipped his spoon into the soup, before looking up with a frown. "Are you going to hover all day? You're acting stranger than usual, and that's saying a lot considering how you act." He motioned for Merlin to move. "Go away."
"Something might happen to you," Merlin murmured, well aware that he sounded like a petulant child.
"What? Do you expect me to choke on the beets?" Arthur asked, sarcastically. "Or maybe the carrots will attack me," he added, chuckling.
"Fine, I'm going, but if you spill anything, don't call me to get your clothes cleaned up," Merlin snapped back. It wasn't his fault if he didn't know exactly what would go wrong.
Arthur, however, was more amused than angry with the situation. "No? And who should I call? May I remind you that it's why I keep you around? If you can't-" Screams and loud noises from outside stopped Arthur’s little speech. Arthur rushed to the window.
The sky was dark. The sun had disappeared behind unnatural clouds that filtered all the light out, making it darker than the darkest moonless night. Bolts of fire came down from the sky, destroying the houses and fields below. The fire spread closer and closer to the castle and then it stopped abruptly, like no natural phenomenon could. Arthur turned to Merlin. "How did you know?"
Merlin's eyes went wide. "I didn't- I-" He looked dejectedly outside the window. "I didn't think this would happened." He had focused so much on Arthur that he hadn't even considered that someone else might get hurt, or in this case, a lot of other people. The screams all around them got louder, but Merlin's attention was focused on a man riding quickly through the chaos, only to stop at the castle's door. "Look, it's Lancelot."
"Come on." Arthur rushed down the stairs, servants moving to the side to give him room, and never looking back to check whether or not Merlin was following him. He slowed down as he heard his father's voice, refusing to look like an impulsive child in front of his father, regardless of the situation.
Uther turned his head at the noise. "Ah, Arthur, just in time to listen to Lancelot." He nodded at the new arrival. "Go ahead. Tell us what you know."
"It's happening throughout the kingdom, Sire," Lancelot said. "It started at the outskirts of the kingdom. There was no warning, no reasoning. Then, it began moving closer to Camelot. When I heard the rumours, I investigated. There are many lies spread by fear, but I discovered the truth." He paused, looking at his king, before speaking up again. "It's magic, Sire."
Uther frowned. "I could have told you that. Do you know more or are you wasting our time?"
"It's a group of witches and wizards who claim to be working in the name of the God Gwydyon. She's commanded them to go forth and purge the kingdom of its people. They have destroyed almost everything in their path." Lancelot stopped again, because he knew that the rest of his discoveries were even worse. "It is said that only magic and bravery will end the purge, and the people remaining will be the brave and they will believe and together they will start a new powerful reign."
"That's nonsense," Uther snapped back. "Arthur, get the knights ready, and be ready to leave in an hour's time. I want these criminals killed. There will be no trial, but death at the hands of our bravest knights."
"Yes, Father." He gave Merlin a pointed look. They both knew that something was happening and Arthur was once more in the thick of things.
Gaius had been standing in the shadows, listening to Lancelot's words. He waited until Uther dismissed everyone to step forward. "Sire, if I may."
"You're here to tell me that he's right, aren't you?" Uther sighed. "Speak your peace, but know that you won't convince me that he's right."
"It's an old prophecy, Sire. I remember my grandfather telling me. The prophecy was born in the midst of the forgotten past," Gaius said. "Only magic and bravery can stop the god, because he is the God of Magic."
"Magic and bravery," he repeated mockingly. "That's not exactly a well laid out plan. What do you expect me to tell them? Find a wizard and be brave. No, Gaius, we will do what we've always done: we shall fight."
The knights were gathered in front of the castle, the horses were saddled and their swords were sharp. Each man prepared for the upcoming battle in his own way, finding the courage to face this vile monster.
"I'm going with you," Merlin whispered, although it was not a request, but an order.
Arthur snorted. "You'll get yourself killed. Worse, you'll get me killed."
Merlin rolled his eyes. "No, I'm going with you." A sudden rumbling cut short all arguments and a bolt of fire came down hitting inside the castle walls. People began to run and hide, leaving only the knights on open ground. The bolts came in faster, killing those unfortunate enough to still be outside.
They unsheathed their swords, trying to find the enemy. They could see no one, and frustration grew as they were faced with nothing but fires and darkness. Uther came rushing out of the castle.
"Father, get back inside," Arthur yelled to make himself heard over the cries and screams of the people around them.
"Don't you stand there. We need to find them," he said, waiting for one of the squires to bring him his horse.
The knights looked at the king with suspicion and fear. Many looked over at Arthur for guidance. Arthur had his own doubts about this mission, but he knew the look on his father's face, that fierce determination that wouldn't let him back. Still, he had to try. He mounted on his own horse and moved closer so he could try to convince him to wait until they had a real enemy before risking their knights.
"Father, please, you need to listen-"
"No! We need to go out there, and find them," Uther insisted. "Now."
Arthur sighed, but nodded. "Let's move out."
There was a clunk of armours and then the knights followed with reluctance their king's orders. Merlin waited for Arthur to take the lead, before mounting a horse and following the knights out of the castle well.
They didn't have to go far. As soon as they were clear of Camelot, the bolts of fire ended. An eerie silence surrounded them. The horses sensed the uneasiness and kicked out, trying to get away.
A ray of green light appeared from no where. Merlin knew immediately that it was a spell, some dark force that was aiming straight for Arthur. He sprung forward, yelling Arthur's name to attract his attention, the gesture was enough to make Arthur turn, moving away from the path of the spell. The light hits a stone that exploded in thousand pieces, flying everywhere, just as the spells began coming faster, attacking all the knights.
There was no defending oneself. They could only watch and pray to move before those dark forces reached them. The spells seemed to concentrate on one man, who was stubbornly continuing his journey toward the spells.
"Father," Arthur screamed in horror, just as Merlin turned to see two green lights hit Uther square in the chest. His body levitated into the air with the power of the magic, shaking inhumanly, before dropping to the ground.
Arthur dismounted his horse and ran to where his father was. He knelt down, and grabbed his father's hand. "Sire," he started with trembling voice.
"Arthur, you must destroy them," Uther said with difficulty.
"But how?" Arthur asked.
"You'll find a way. I trust you." He coughed, and had to stop before speaking again. "I… I love you, my son, and you've made me proud. It's your time to be king." Uther closed his eyes for the last.
"Father… no, please… you can't die… I need you." Arthur shook his father's hand, hoping for some sign, something good, instead a new streak of light landed not to far from him.
Merlin crawled to where Arthur was, and knelt next to his prince- his new king. "Do you trust me?"
Arthur looked up, blinking in confusion.
"Do you trust me?" Merlin asked again. "We'll get killed if you don’t try something different. Send the knights home and we can deal with this."
"How? What can we do?" Arthur asked, not even adding his usual insults.
Merlin wasn't sure. He didn't know for certain, but it was a feeling that he had. The same feeling that had told him that something was about to happen. "Trust me."
Whether it was Uther's death, or the fact that there was no enemy they could see, or maybe Arthur really did trust Merlin implicitly. He didn't know the reason, but he found himself nodding, just before giving the order to retreat. He made sure that his father's body was carried home.
The attacks ceased as it became clear the knights were returning to Camelot. Arthur took one last look at his father's body before turning to Merlin. "What do we do now?"
"Now, we go talk to them," Merlin answered.
"That's it? That's your brilliant plan, isn't it?" Arthur looked at the flat land that divided them from the trees where the attackers were supposedly hiding. "We'll be killed before we get there."
Merlin smiled. "No, we won't, but you need to trust me." He needed Arthur to trust him, because now that everyone was gone, he wasn't sure that he was doing the right thing. Before leaving the castle, Gaius told him that only he and Arthur could end this and that magic would be necessary. However, knowing it and telling Arthur of his powers were two different things. "Let's not waste time before they start attacking again." Or before he changed his mind.
"This is crazy," Arthur answered.
"Do you have a better idea? Because we were being attacked before and now we aren't, so my idea doesn't seem so crazy," Merlin answered.
"Fine, but if you get us killed-"
"There's nothing you can do to me," Merlin answered, grinning, knowing that he had won the argument.
They rode closer to the trees, but walked the last few yards. Arthur was shocked that they were still alive. They had been a perfect target in the open field, but he supposed that people that could make fire appear from the sky didn't really need military strategy.
"Where are they?" Arthur asked softly as they entered the forest. "I don't see anyone."
"They are here," Merlin said with confidence. He could feel their power grow around them, enveloping them like a thick blanket, but it didn't feel threatening anymore. That feeling had stopped with Uther's death.
Three hooded men stepped in their path. One of them took a step forward. "Whether Camelot will survive depends on you," he said solemnly.
Arthur unsheathed his sword. "Yeah, nice to meet you, too."
Merlin stepped closer to Arthur, but kept his eyes on the three men. "What do you expect us to do?"
There it was again, that threatening feeling. Moments later a dragon made of fire came charging. Arthur raised his sword, but Merlin knew that metal alone wouldn't save them. Whatever hesitation he might have had disappeared at the sight of the beast. He focused and then raised a hand. A magical shield stopped the dragon in its tracks.
Arthur frowned and stared at Merlin. "What did you do?"
"We need magic and bravery, remember? You're the brave one; I'm… I'm the wizard," he admitted, expecting the accusations to start.
To his credit, Arthur only blinked twice and then nodded. "We'll talk after we kill this thing."
"Okay."
The dragon attacked again, but instead of stopping him, Merlin enchanted Arthur's sword. Together, they attacked the dragon; their magic and blade melded together with little effort as they drove the dragon deeper and deeper into the forest, until they were alone once more.
Arthur turned left and right, waiting for the next attack, but instead the three hooded men reappeared again.
"You've done well, young ones. The God is pleased." He turned toward Merlin. "Your powers are strong; you should be proud of them."
Merlin stepped forward, suddenly angry. "Is that why you killed all these people? To prove that magic is good? That's not how you do it. You use magic for good, to save lives, to help others, not for death."
The man smiled. "So young and full of ideals. Magic is neither good nor evil; the people using it make it so. Magic is magic. It demands to be used, and for too long it's been repressed. It needed a way out." He turned to Arthur. "Be warned, Arthur Pendragon. Magic will always find a way to make itself known and you will need good people who understand magic." He stepped back, and then the three men disappeared.
"They are all gone," Merlin said.
"All?"
"Yes, there were many, but now they are gone," he answered seriously.
Arthur nodded. "Time to go home."
Three months later, Merlin rushed into Arthur's room, running into the man in the process.
"You'd think that with all your powers, you'd manage to avoid falling on me at least once," Arthur said.
Merlin grinned. "You like when I fall on you."
"Only if there's a bed nearby," Arthur answered. "So, what's in the agenda today, other than the usual boring stuff?"
"Boring stuff? We just finished fixing all the damages that Gwydyon's followers created." Fortunately, after the threat was gone, they realized that there hadn't been as much damage as they are feared. Houses and fields had been destroyed, but most of the population had survived. Hard work and magic had fixed almost all of it.
Arthur waved a hand. "Yes, boring stuff, what else?"
Merlin's smile dropped after a moment. "The Stonehenge is almost completed. We'll be able to have a proper burial ground for your father in less than a month's time." He paused a moment. "Arthur?"
The new king shook his head. "I'm all right, Merlin. We'll set a date after it's completed. Anything else?"
Merlin stepped closer and kissed Arthur's softly. "You're doing an amazing job, Sire."
Arthur snorted. "Don't call me that when you kiss me, but thank you. Magic and bravery, right?"
Merlin nodded. "We'd better go. I have new magicians to train and you are busy as well. The knights of the Round Table await you."
Author: Titti
Recipient: gryvon
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Merlin and its characters are copyrighted and trademarked to BBC and Shine.
Summary: When a new magical enemy attacks, Arthur and Merlin have to join their talents to save Camelot
Prompt: some type of magical apocalypse that leaves the world scared but somehow better, possibly alternate history, acceptance of Merlin's magic
Merlin had felt uneasy for days. He could not tell the reason since for once everything seemed to be going well in the kingdom. The knights had just returned with enough food to see them through the winter. The weather was fair, but the recent rain had ensured that the crops were bountiful. In short, everything was perfect, except Merlin had this nagging feeling that there was something wrong.
"You keep polishing that cauldron there'll be nothing left," Gaius said, looking at the boy with affection. "You've been preoccupied for days, and I've seen you with that girl… Caoimhe, I believe her name is."
Merlin frowned, trying to recall the girl in question and failing miserably. "I have no idea who she is. I've been busy preparing for Arthur's return." Or he had made sure that there were no poisons, no dark magic, no killer ghosts, or any other dangers, because trouble usually meant that Arthur was in danger. "Keeping him alive doesn't give me time to talk to… Caoimhe or anyone else."
Lowering the flame, Gaius left the potion simmer. He crossed his arms in front of him, hands inside his sleeves, and walked toward the boy. "What is happening now? Has something threatened Arthur?"
With a dejected sigh, Merlin pushed the cauldron away from him. "No, that's the thing. If something happens, then I can act, but this-" He shook his head. "Maybe I'm being stupid. Arthur claims I'm an idiot, and maybe that's what I am right now. There's nothing wrong, but I have this feeling-"
"Don't dismiss it, Merlin," Gaius said. "We don't know how your powers work, how your magic developed. I've seen you do things that you shouldn't be able to do, and yet here you stand, having accomplished so much."
"So you don't think I'm mad, then?" Merlin asked, feeling a lot better now that he had spoken to Gaius.
The old man smiled. "Oh, I know you're mad, but not for this." He nodded toward the door. "Go on, then. Go check on Arthur, and maybe that will make you feel more at ease."
Merlin smiled brightly and nodded, before running out of the room and through the castle, until he had reached Arthur’s side.
Arthur dipped his spoon into the soup, before looking up with a frown. "Are you going to hover all day? You're acting stranger than usual, and that's saying a lot considering how you act." He motioned for Merlin to move. "Go away."
"Something might happen to you," Merlin murmured, well aware that he sounded like a petulant child.
"What? Do you expect me to choke on the beets?" Arthur asked, sarcastically. "Or maybe the carrots will attack me," he added, chuckling.
"Fine, I'm going, but if you spill anything, don't call me to get your clothes cleaned up," Merlin snapped back. It wasn't his fault if he didn't know exactly what would go wrong.
Arthur, however, was more amused than angry with the situation. "No? And who should I call? May I remind you that it's why I keep you around? If you can't-" Screams and loud noises from outside stopped Arthur’s little speech. Arthur rushed to the window.
The sky was dark. The sun had disappeared behind unnatural clouds that filtered all the light out, making it darker than the darkest moonless night. Bolts of fire came down from the sky, destroying the houses and fields below. The fire spread closer and closer to the castle and then it stopped abruptly, like no natural phenomenon could. Arthur turned to Merlin. "How did you know?"
Merlin's eyes went wide. "I didn't- I-" He looked dejectedly outside the window. "I didn't think this would happened." He had focused so much on Arthur that he hadn't even considered that someone else might get hurt, or in this case, a lot of other people. The screams all around them got louder, but Merlin's attention was focused on a man riding quickly through the chaos, only to stop at the castle's door. "Look, it's Lancelot."
"Come on." Arthur rushed down the stairs, servants moving to the side to give him room, and never looking back to check whether or not Merlin was following him. He slowed down as he heard his father's voice, refusing to look like an impulsive child in front of his father, regardless of the situation.
Uther turned his head at the noise. "Ah, Arthur, just in time to listen to Lancelot." He nodded at the new arrival. "Go ahead. Tell us what you know."
"It's happening throughout the kingdom, Sire," Lancelot said. "It started at the outskirts of the kingdom. There was no warning, no reasoning. Then, it began moving closer to Camelot. When I heard the rumours, I investigated. There are many lies spread by fear, but I discovered the truth." He paused, looking at his king, before speaking up again. "It's magic, Sire."
Uther frowned. "I could have told you that. Do you know more or are you wasting our time?"
"It's a group of witches and wizards who claim to be working in the name of the God Gwydyon. She's commanded them to go forth and purge the kingdom of its people. They have destroyed almost everything in their path." Lancelot stopped again, because he knew that the rest of his discoveries were even worse. "It is said that only magic and bravery will end the purge, and the people remaining will be the brave and they will believe and together they will start a new powerful reign."
"That's nonsense," Uther snapped back. "Arthur, get the knights ready, and be ready to leave in an hour's time. I want these criminals killed. There will be no trial, but death at the hands of our bravest knights."
"Yes, Father." He gave Merlin a pointed look. They both knew that something was happening and Arthur was once more in the thick of things.
Gaius had been standing in the shadows, listening to Lancelot's words. He waited until Uther dismissed everyone to step forward. "Sire, if I may."
"You're here to tell me that he's right, aren't you?" Uther sighed. "Speak your peace, but know that you won't convince me that he's right."
"It's an old prophecy, Sire. I remember my grandfather telling me. The prophecy was born in the midst of the forgotten past," Gaius said. "Only magic and bravery can stop the god, because he is the God of Magic."
"Magic and bravery," he repeated mockingly. "That's not exactly a well laid out plan. What do you expect me to tell them? Find a wizard and be brave. No, Gaius, we will do what we've always done: we shall fight."
The knights were gathered in front of the castle, the horses were saddled and their swords were sharp. Each man prepared for the upcoming battle in his own way, finding the courage to face this vile monster.
"I'm going with you," Merlin whispered, although it was not a request, but an order.
Arthur snorted. "You'll get yourself killed. Worse, you'll get me killed."
Merlin rolled his eyes. "No, I'm going with you." A sudden rumbling cut short all arguments and a bolt of fire came down hitting inside the castle walls. People began to run and hide, leaving only the knights on open ground. The bolts came in faster, killing those unfortunate enough to still be outside.
They unsheathed their swords, trying to find the enemy. They could see no one, and frustration grew as they were faced with nothing but fires and darkness. Uther came rushing out of the castle.
"Father, get back inside," Arthur yelled to make himself heard over the cries and screams of the people around them.
"Don't you stand there. We need to find them," he said, waiting for one of the squires to bring him his horse.
The knights looked at the king with suspicion and fear. Many looked over at Arthur for guidance. Arthur had his own doubts about this mission, but he knew the look on his father's face, that fierce determination that wouldn't let him back. Still, he had to try. He mounted on his own horse and moved closer so he could try to convince him to wait until they had a real enemy before risking their knights.
"Father, please, you need to listen-"
"No! We need to go out there, and find them," Uther insisted. "Now."
Arthur sighed, but nodded. "Let's move out."
There was a clunk of armours and then the knights followed with reluctance their king's orders. Merlin waited for Arthur to take the lead, before mounting a horse and following the knights out of the castle well.
They didn't have to go far. As soon as they were clear of Camelot, the bolts of fire ended. An eerie silence surrounded them. The horses sensed the uneasiness and kicked out, trying to get away.
A ray of green light appeared from no where. Merlin knew immediately that it was a spell, some dark force that was aiming straight for Arthur. He sprung forward, yelling Arthur's name to attract his attention, the gesture was enough to make Arthur turn, moving away from the path of the spell. The light hits a stone that exploded in thousand pieces, flying everywhere, just as the spells began coming faster, attacking all the knights.
There was no defending oneself. They could only watch and pray to move before those dark forces reached them. The spells seemed to concentrate on one man, who was stubbornly continuing his journey toward the spells.
"Father," Arthur screamed in horror, just as Merlin turned to see two green lights hit Uther square in the chest. His body levitated into the air with the power of the magic, shaking inhumanly, before dropping to the ground.
Arthur dismounted his horse and ran to where his father was. He knelt down, and grabbed his father's hand. "Sire," he started with trembling voice.
"Arthur, you must destroy them," Uther said with difficulty.
"But how?" Arthur asked.
"You'll find a way. I trust you." He coughed, and had to stop before speaking again. "I… I love you, my son, and you've made me proud. It's your time to be king." Uther closed his eyes for the last.
"Father… no, please… you can't die… I need you." Arthur shook his father's hand, hoping for some sign, something good, instead a new streak of light landed not to far from him.
Merlin crawled to where Arthur was, and knelt next to his prince- his new king. "Do you trust me?"
Arthur looked up, blinking in confusion.
"Do you trust me?" Merlin asked again. "We'll get killed if you don’t try something different. Send the knights home and we can deal with this."
"How? What can we do?" Arthur asked, not even adding his usual insults.
Merlin wasn't sure. He didn't know for certain, but it was a feeling that he had. The same feeling that had told him that something was about to happen. "Trust me."
Whether it was Uther's death, or the fact that there was no enemy they could see, or maybe Arthur really did trust Merlin implicitly. He didn't know the reason, but he found himself nodding, just before giving the order to retreat. He made sure that his father's body was carried home.
The attacks ceased as it became clear the knights were returning to Camelot. Arthur took one last look at his father's body before turning to Merlin. "What do we do now?"
"Now, we go talk to them," Merlin answered.
"That's it? That's your brilliant plan, isn't it?" Arthur looked at the flat land that divided them from the trees where the attackers were supposedly hiding. "We'll be killed before we get there."
Merlin smiled. "No, we won't, but you need to trust me." He needed Arthur to trust him, because now that everyone was gone, he wasn't sure that he was doing the right thing. Before leaving the castle, Gaius told him that only he and Arthur could end this and that magic would be necessary. However, knowing it and telling Arthur of his powers were two different things. "Let's not waste time before they start attacking again." Or before he changed his mind.
"This is crazy," Arthur answered.
"Do you have a better idea? Because we were being attacked before and now we aren't, so my idea doesn't seem so crazy," Merlin answered.
"Fine, but if you get us killed-"
"There's nothing you can do to me," Merlin answered, grinning, knowing that he had won the argument.
They rode closer to the trees, but walked the last few yards. Arthur was shocked that they were still alive. They had been a perfect target in the open field, but he supposed that people that could make fire appear from the sky didn't really need military strategy.
"Where are they?" Arthur asked softly as they entered the forest. "I don't see anyone."
"They are here," Merlin said with confidence. He could feel their power grow around them, enveloping them like a thick blanket, but it didn't feel threatening anymore. That feeling had stopped with Uther's death.
Three hooded men stepped in their path. One of them took a step forward. "Whether Camelot will survive depends on you," he said solemnly.
Arthur unsheathed his sword. "Yeah, nice to meet you, too."
Merlin stepped closer to Arthur, but kept his eyes on the three men. "What do you expect us to do?"
There it was again, that threatening feeling. Moments later a dragon made of fire came charging. Arthur raised his sword, but Merlin knew that metal alone wouldn't save them. Whatever hesitation he might have had disappeared at the sight of the beast. He focused and then raised a hand. A magical shield stopped the dragon in its tracks.
Arthur frowned and stared at Merlin. "What did you do?"
"We need magic and bravery, remember? You're the brave one; I'm… I'm the wizard," he admitted, expecting the accusations to start.
To his credit, Arthur only blinked twice and then nodded. "We'll talk after we kill this thing."
"Okay."
The dragon attacked again, but instead of stopping him, Merlin enchanted Arthur's sword. Together, they attacked the dragon; their magic and blade melded together with little effort as they drove the dragon deeper and deeper into the forest, until they were alone once more.
Arthur turned left and right, waiting for the next attack, but instead the three hooded men reappeared again.
"You've done well, young ones. The God is pleased." He turned toward Merlin. "Your powers are strong; you should be proud of them."
Merlin stepped forward, suddenly angry. "Is that why you killed all these people? To prove that magic is good? That's not how you do it. You use magic for good, to save lives, to help others, not for death."
The man smiled. "So young and full of ideals. Magic is neither good nor evil; the people using it make it so. Magic is magic. It demands to be used, and for too long it's been repressed. It needed a way out." He turned to Arthur. "Be warned, Arthur Pendragon. Magic will always find a way to make itself known and you will need good people who understand magic." He stepped back, and then the three men disappeared.
"They are all gone," Merlin said.
"All?"
"Yes, there were many, but now they are gone," he answered seriously.
Arthur nodded. "Time to go home."
Three months later, Merlin rushed into Arthur's room, running into the man in the process.
"You'd think that with all your powers, you'd manage to avoid falling on me at least once," Arthur said.
Merlin grinned. "You like when I fall on you."
"Only if there's a bed nearby," Arthur answered. "So, what's in the agenda today, other than the usual boring stuff?"
"Boring stuff? We just finished fixing all the damages that Gwydyon's followers created." Fortunately, after the threat was gone, they realized that there hadn't been as much damage as they are feared. Houses and fields had been destroyed, but most of the population had survived. Hard work and magic had fixed almost all of it.
Arthur waved a hand. "Yes, boring stuff, what else?"
Merlin's smile dropped after a moment. "The Stonehenge is almost completed. We'll be able to have a proper burial ground for your father in less than a month's time." He paused a moment. "Arthur?"
The new king shook his head. "I'm all right, Merlin. We'll set a date after it's completed. Anything else?"
Merlin stepped closer and kissed Arthur's softly. "You're doing an amazing job, Sire."
Arthur snorted. "Don't call me that when you kiss me, but thank you. Magic and bravery, right?"
Merlin nodded. "We'd better go. I have new magicians to train and you are busy as well. The knights of the Round Table await you."