Part 14

As the sun crept over the horizon, sorcerers and sorcerer hunters alike began rising, the prospect of battle on their minds.

Merlin had awoken before Arthur and took the time to watch him for a few moments as he slept. His face had a look of utter peacefulness and serenity. Merlin wished he could just let Arthur continue sleeping so that he could remain so serene. But the battle was looming over their heads.

"Arthur," Merlin whispered sweetly as he brushed strands of blonde hair off of his forehead.

Arthur's eyes slowly parted. "Oh Merlin," he spoke with fatigue, "I wish we could just stay in this tent forever."

Merlin grabbed Arthur's hand and intertwined their fingers. "I do too," he replied as he planted a kiss on Arthur's hand.

"Time to go to war," Arthur said.

Myrik hadn't slept at all that night. For one thing, he had been too excited about the battle. For another, he wanted to stay awake and make sure his weapon was safe and sound. It was sleeping right now. Well, if a spirit could sleep.

He could still scarcely believe this was his doing. He'd been forming the plan brilliantly in mind for quite some time, but he saw it as more of a fantasy than a possible reality. After all, he hated magic, as his father hated magic. Their purpose was always to destroy magic. Could his wild idea that actually involved magic come to fruition? One night, he'd been crazy enough to unleash the idea on his father. Of course, Micah had lost his mind at the idea at first. How dare his own son suggest using magic? But Myrik had been able to convince him that this could be the only way they could take out Arthur Pendragon. He explained to his father the brilliance of the plan, and that the sorcerers would never see it coming. It would throw a huge wrench in their plans. Whatever they planned for, they would never think of this.

Everyone at the sorcerers' camp was armoring up and preparing their weapons. They were going to be using their magic, but they were prepared to put this medieval weaponry to use as well. Arthur was already dressed in his armor, looking completely regal and larger than life as he emerged from the tent into the blinding morning sunlight. Everyone was scattered around preparing, and enjoying brief moments with their loved ones. Arthur swallowed, a thick lump forming in his throat. As he watched everyone around him, he knew that he owed it to them to fight for them. He couldn't fail.

Merlin slipped into Ellie's tent as she finished putting on her armor. For a second, Merlin was reminded of the time Morgana was dressed similarly the time she and Gwen had joined him and Arthur in Ealdor.

"Hey," Ellie greeted breathlessly as she turned around to face him.

"Hey," he replied simply, "Feeling okay?"

"Yeah," she said as she sheathed her daggers, "It's going to go fine."

"Ellie," Merlin said chidingly, "You don't have to pretend to not be nervous. You may be able to see people's auras and gather their emotions, but I've known you for hundreds of years. It's easy enough for me to read your emotions."

A small smile played on her lips. "You're right of course," she said, "You're always right."

Merlin placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's okay to be afraid," he said, "There's not a person here who isn't afraid. I'm probably more afraid than anyone. But it's okay because we're willing to fight. We're fighting for our right to live. We are strong. And you, Ellie, you're the strongest person I know."

"How did you get so wise, huh?" she asked with a tearful smile.

He pulled her into a fierce hug.

Soon enough the sorcerers, along with Arthur and Gwaine, began their march to the battlefield—a vast field of green that lay between the two camps. They paused at its edge, taking in the sight of the large group of sorcerer hunters that waited on the other side. The hunters were double in number and many of them were large and bulbous with scars from previous battles marring their skin.

In a slow but swift motion, Arthur, who was at the forefront of the group, unsheathed his sword, sunlight glinting off of its tip. "For Albion!" he shouted.

"For Albion!" the sorcerers repeated, following Arthur's lead to the battlefield.

In no time at all, the groups met in the center of the field and the roar of voices and the clanging of metal was deafening. Arthur's sword clanged against the armor of hunters, trying to find the vulnerable places of the body that were uncovered. Ellie held a dagger in each hand, whirling around between the hunters, plunging the tips into the skin of her enemies. Gwaine skillfully jabbed his sword at the hunters, successfully taking down every one he met. Merlin held a sword for when he required it but mostly relied on his mighty magical abilities to incapacitate and take down the hunters. Many of the sorcerers shielded one another with their magic but these shields didn't hold up for long once the sorcerers were forced to concentrate on fighting the hunter right in front of them. Clarisse, though old in age and appearance successfully warded off hunters with her magic, blowing them dozens of feet away from her, and suddenly appearing above them, plunging a dagger into their hearts.

A young couple of sorcerers fought alongside each other, the two of them recently married. The young man was caught off guard by hunter's blade that seared a long, gaping slash down the side of his abdomen. He sunk to his knees, screeching in pain. His wife whirled around, her eyes wide with distress. Suddenly Emelda was there, her hands covering the man's wound.

"Keep fighting!" she screeched at the young woman, "I'm healing him! Don't get distracted and get yourself killed!"

The woman nodded and turned around, blocking any hunters from her husband and Emelda on the ground. Emelda was putting to use the healing techniques she'd learned from Ellie. The magic flowed from her, patching up the man's wounded insides and sealing his gash.

"Thank you!" he said emphatically to Emelda as he returned to his feet.

"Keep each other safe," Emelda said sternly.

Thoughts of her own husband returned to her and she vengefully raced through the thick of the fight finding every hunter she could and ending their lives. In her mind, every hunter's face she met was the last one her husband had seen before his life had been senselessly ended.

The sorcerers were doing a good job of protecting themselves and destroying the hunters, though the fight was not without casualties, as they knew it wouldn't be. There were always casualties on both sides of a battle. Merlin was pained to see some scattered sorcerers laying lifelessly on the ground, already dead and too late to be saved. Many hunters also lie dead, though their own were unconcerned with their losses as their main objective was to eradicate the sorcerers.

One sorcerer who was gifted at weather manipulation was creating small clouds over the heads of hunters and striking them with lightning, killing them instantly. She had to be cautious though, not to send the bolts too close to her sorcerer allies as they too were clad in metal. Two hunters advanced on her, one with a swinging mace, the other with a bloody war hammer. They were too close and too quick for her to conjure a cloud and strike them, so she instead shot a wave of energy at them, knocking them down. She pulled out a dagger and sliced the throat of the mace man. War hammer man had recovered quicker than she thought, already stumbling to his feet towards her. Suddenly Ellie was there, magicking the hammer out of the man's hand and turning it on himself. Out of thin air, his own hammer smashed against the side of his skull, his body falling in a heap to the ground.

Arthur was working his way through hunters, plunging his sword into exposed parts of skin and aiming for vulnerable spots, such as their underarms which were uncovered and housed a vital artery leading to the heart.

The hunters had rolled out catapults and began flinging large stones at the sorcerers. Once Merlin realized what was happening, he began using magic to catch the stones and reverse their momentum, sending them right back to the hunters, striking them hard and taking them out. Merlin never let Arthur too far out of his sight. Arthur felt the urge to protect Merlin, as he always had, but he was reminded that Merlin was the strongest sorcerer to ever walk the earth. The power and ferocity of the magic Merlin was producing throughout the battle awed him. Similarly, Merlin felt the urge to protect Arthur, as he had lost him before and was determined not to lose him again.

The battle raged on for such a long time that no one could say exactly how much time had passed. There wasn't a person who wasn't covered in blood, dirt, and sweat. Everyone's energy was waning, and the hunters' numbers were dwindling. There were now more sorcerers than hunters, the taste of victory forming freshly in their mouths.

Ellie and Gwaine found each other amidst the battle, thrilled that the other was alive. They each reached out an arm, holding tight to one another, exchanging a powerful look when another catapulted stone came soaring toward them. They released each other's arms just in time and flew away from each other, the stone landing right between them, sending up chunks of earth. They both hit the ground, arms shielding their faces from impact. In moments a hunter came sprinting toward Gwaine, a sword ready above his head. Ellie was in front of him in flash, raising her foot and kicking the man hard in the chest on instinct. He slammed to the ground, the breath knocked out of him. Ellie took his sword and plunged it into his chest.

Gwaine panted on the ground, looking at Ellie in awe.

"What a woman," he smiled under the layers of grime on his face.

Merlin found himself face-to-face with a young scrawny man who had a wild fervor in his eyes.

"It's you!" the young man said, his eyes bulging crazily.

"Emrys," the young man whispered hysterically.

Merlin was taken aback by the feverish and maniacal nature of the young man. Something wasn't quite right about him, Merlin thought. He looked like a crazed killer.

Arthur was nearby and noticed Merlin's hesitation and hurried over. He didn't know what had caused Merlin's pause but he wasn't going to let anything happen to him. He glided in front of Merlin, his sword outstretched toward the hunter. He noticed, though, that the hunter wasn't holding any weapon at the ready. They remained sheathed on his hips. Arthur stared at the young man, sword still outstretched. The young man smiled.

"What are you doing?!" Arthur demanded, confused.

"Oh," the young man smiled even bigger then, "it's really you, isn't it? The noble Arthur Pendragon." He stepped closer to Arthur, who in turn took a step back. "Risen from the dead!" the young man shouted. "Wonderful. Lovely. But it's too bad, you see."

"What is?!" Arthur said angrily.

"That you'll be dying again," the man smirked, "Oh, but not before you see what I have in store for you."

There was a pregnant pause and then the young man screamed, "NOW!" louder than seemed possible.

And suddenly, through the whipping wind of battle, a large figure emerged from the edge of the field dressed in familiar battle armor.

Arthur dropped his sword to the ground.

"Arthur!" Merlin shouted, running up to him and taking up his sword. He wouldn't let anyone distract Arthur and kill him. "Arthur, what's wrong with you?" Merlin screeched, "What did he do to you?"

Arthur raised his arm and pointed across the field. Merlin hadn't noticed the figure before. But now, as he looked carefully, he saw.

Across the field, advancing toward them was the figure of Uther Pendragon.

Merlin and Arthur didn't move and Myrik smirked at their awestruck faces. Ellie and Gwaine appeared next to them.

"What is that?" Ellie asked.

"Not what," Gwaine said, "Who."

"Who...?"

"It's Uther," Gwaine said bitterly, "Uther Pendragon."

"How?" Arthur croaked out, "How is he...alive?"

"He's not," Ellie suddenly spoke with clarity, "I can see his aura from here. It's...it's not a human aura. It's a spirit one."

"It's not really him!" Merlin said with a small bit of relief. "It's just a conjured spirit of him. Arthur?"

"But..." Arthur spoke quietly, "It looks...it looks just like him."

"Arthur, look at me!" Merlin demanded, putting his face in front of Arthur's. "It's not him, okay? It's not really him."

"It's a psychological tactic," Gwaine spat.

Merlin held the sides of Arthur's face, "Arthur, look into my eyes. Listen to me." Arthur did. "I am not going to let anything happen to you, do you hear me?"

"Yes," Arthur breathed. Merlin pulled his face in for a quick and comforting kiss.

Myrik was still standing nearby. "Aw, how sweet," he sneered, "the serving boy sorcerer loves his king. Well that's just going to make it even more delicious when I kill him."

In a flash, Gwaine and Ellie both were upon Myrik shoving at him. Myrik was taken off guard and thrown to the ground. Gwaine slammed his foot onto his chest, holding him down. Ellie grabbed Gwaine's sword and held it to Myrik's throat.

"Make it stop," Ellie demanded, "Call off Uther's spirit or this sword is going through your throat."

"Go ahead," Myrik grinned, his teeth bloody, "Kill me, filthy sorcerer. Prove us right about your kind."

Ellie gritted her teeth, not moving.

"Give it to me," Gwaine said to Ellie, gesturing to his sword.

Wordlessly she handed it over to him as he moved off of Myrik.

"Get up," Gwaine seethed at him. "Get up so I can kill you like a man." Myrik didn't move.

And then, the few sorcerer hunters that were left had formed a group that was advancing on them. The spirit of Uther stood at the forefront.

The sorcerers similarly regrouped and crowded around Arthur and Merlin.

"Keep Uther's spirit away from Arthur!" Ellie instructed to her fellow sorcerers.

"That won't work, girl," Myrik said, as he slinked to his feet. "Uther will kill every sorcerer in his path that stands between him and Arthur."

"Then he'll have to kill all of us!" Emelda shouted. The sorcerers roared in agreement.

And suddenly, fighting broke out again. Arthur had snapped out of his awe and had commenced fighting off the hunters. He knew that Gwaine was right, that the hunters were using the spirit of his father as psychological warfare. But he wouldn't let that break his spirit. He had to remember his purpose.

As the fighting raged on, the spirit of Uther had advanced on Willie and picked him up by his throat. Willie choked out strangled breaths and struggled as his feet lifted off the ground.

"Filthy sorcerer!" Uther's spirit spat at him, throwing his body to the ground with a thunderous crack.

As the fighting was going on all around them, Merlin and Arthur fought back-to-back, protecting each other from all sides.

Ellie was vigorously fighting a female hunter when she saw Emelda collapse nearby. Quickly Ellie shoved her dagger into the woman's heart, removing it and then running to Emelda. The problem was, Emelda hadn't just been stabbed, she'd been carved up on the entirety of her midsection, looking like a patient in the middle of surgery.

"Oh god," Ellie cried kneeling over her. Her healing powers were exceptional but she couldn't replace the scattered innards or the blood loss. And Emelda had lost a lot of blood. Ellie thought she might be sick.

"Emelda," she cried, tears streaming down her face. The two of them had not been very close but Ellie hated to see a comrade die like this. Emelda struggled to breathe.

"I...I..." Ellie bumbled, laying her hands on top of Emelda's midsection though she knew it was futile. He hands were covered in her blood.

"No," Emelda croaked, "don't...waste your...energy...on me."

"I'm sorry," Ellie sobbed, "I'm sorry I can't fix this."

"No," Emelda whispered, "Listen...to me. If you ever...find someone that you...think you could love...with all of your heart...don't ever...let them go."

Ellie couldn't help but glance toward Gwaine fighting in the crowd. She took Emelda's face in her hands in a comforting way.

"Appreciate them every day," Emelda spoke, the light in her eyes dying out. Ellie let out another sob as she gently closed Emelda's eyes. "You're with him again," Ellie whispered, envisioning Emelda's husband.

Suddenly, Gwaine was there kneeling to the ground in front of her, taking in the scene. He could see that Emelda had been injured beyond repair though Ellie had tried anyway, her hands bloody, and tears streaming down her face.

"Come here," he said, gently taking Ellie's wrists and pulling her up. "There's nothing we can do for her. She's with her husband now."

Ellie rubbed her palms on the fronts of her trousers, getting off the blood as best she could.

Gwaine locked eyes with her. "When this is over," he breathed, "I'll tell you all those stories about being a knight that you love hearing so much."

"Promise?" she asked.

"Promise," he said.

The battle was waning, less and less people left standing among the scattered bodies that littered the ground. By now both parties had about a dozen members each still fighting.

Arthur's sword met the chest of a hunter, his body collapsing to the ground when suddenly Uther was there standing a few yards away. He knew that his father had been a terrible person. He had accepted that after all these years. But seeing his father standing right there sent a nostalgic chill down his spine. Uther Pendragon had been a terrible person, but he was still Arthur's father. Without knowing what he was doing, Arthur moved toward his father. Everything was silent around him. He heard no voices, no clanging of metal. And then, he was standing right in front of his father, transfixed.

"Arthur," he said, "You have done nothing but disappoint me. I regret that you are my son. You have let these sorcerers corrupt your mind. You have betrayed me."

Arthur started to speak when he heard Merlin shout, "Arthur, no!"

Merlin's voice pulled him out of his transfixed state and he instinctually turned around.

And that moment of vulnerability was all it took.

Myrik was behind him and shoved a long dagger straight through Arthur's back. Arthur's eyes met Merlin's, wide with shock. Myrik yanked the blade back and Arthur slumped to the ground.

Merlin let out a scream so loud and ferocious it might have been heard miles away. There was a terrifying fury in his eyes that would have frightened anyone who crossed him. Surges of magic flowed from his anger, slamming into the remaining hunters and knocking them cold to the ground, their bodies lifeless.

Myrik, standing near Arthur, began howling with maniacal laughter.

And then, Gwaine was there in front of him, sword outstretched. Staring straight into Myrik's cold eyes, Gwaine jabbed his sword straight into his heart. Myrik's eyes widened with shock.

"Only a coward stabs a man in the back," Gwaine seethed, "I wanted to see the look on your face when I ended your pathetic life."

Gwaine pulled back his sword, Myrik's body twisting to the ground with one last painful cry.

Merlin hovered above Arthur, who lie motionless on the ground, his skin pale and his lips gray. Merlin was desperately attempting to heal him but he was crying hysterically and was slipping into absolute insanity.

And then, Ellie was there. "Move!" she screeched at Merlin, shoving him aside. Hurriedly, she placed her palms atop Arthur's injuries, summoning her concentration. Merlin was still in hysterics nearby, crumpled on the ground. Ellie was losing her concentration due to his screaming. She closed her eyes but she sensed Gwaine's presence nearby.

"Get him away," she shouted, "Please! I need to concentrate!"

Gwaine practically scooped Merlin up in his arms, pulling him some ways away, murmuring comforting and soothing words to quiet him.

Ellie pulled every ounce of strength and energy she could muster as she worked her magic. She concentrated so forcefully that her head throbbed and felt like it would split wide open. Just when she thought she would die from the pain, she heard a gasp of air. She opened her eyes and found Arthur's staring up at her. There was a moment of shocked silence and before either of them could say anything, Merlin was there. He practically threw himself on top of Arthur, holding him so tightly he might not ever let go.

Arthur smiled at Merlin, "I told you nothing could keep me from you."

Merlin laughed and planted a relieved kiss on Arthur's lips.

"Guys," Gwaine said with fear in his voice.

Merlin and Arthur looked over to see him kneeling on the ground, a slack Ellie cradled in his arms.

Merlin's face fell. "Ellie?" he said, his voice cracking. He hurried over to the scene.

"Ellie?" he asked again frantically, "Ellie, no, NO!" He shook one of her shoulders.

"I think," Gwaine cleared his throat, "I think the spell took too much out of her."

Arthur had made his way over and grabbed her wrist, feeling for a pulse.

"She..." he swallowed, "she has no pulse."

"No," Merlin whispered, shaking his head, "No this can't happen."

"Do something!" Gwaine shouted, his face pained, "You're the most powerful sorcerer ever, heal her!"

* * *

Ellie found herself in some other realm, perhaps an in-between place like Arthur and Gwaine had described. At first, everything was blindingly white. And then she heard a maternal voice calling her name. Suddenly her mother was there reaching out a hand and leading her through a doorway. Before she knew it, they were outside in the loveliest garden she'd ever seen, her father waiting for them on a picnic blanket.

"My girl!" he smiled ear-to-ear upon seeing her. She threw herself into his arms. "It's wonderful to see you, my doll."

Her mother joined them, the three of them hugging on the picnic blanket.

"What am I doing here?" Ellie asked.

"Well, dear, your physical body is dying," her mother told her. Ellie scrunched her brow. It was coming back to her now. She'd healed Arthur and it had taken all her strength.

"Where are we?" Ellie asked.

"In another place," her father answered simply, "a blissful place of your choosing."

Ellie was so elated to see her parents. It had been so long since she'd seen their faces, heard their voices. But something was itching at her brain.

"Could..." Ellie began, "Could I stay here with you?"

"You could, dear girl," her mother smoothed a strand of her hair, her touch comforting, "but I don't think that's what you want."

"But I miss you both so much," Ellie said.

"We miss you, darling," he father said, "but we'll see you again someday. You've lived a long life, but that doesn't mean it has to end yet. You have much to do and much to experience."

"And when the time for its end does come," her mother said, "we'll be here waiting for you."

Ellie smiled at them.

"In the meantime," her father said, "there's a precocious young man who longs to give you his heart. Go to him. Go to your friends. Live your life."

* * *

Merlin had summoned his concentration and performed spell after spell, invoking any he could think of, but Ellie wasn't budging. She remained slack in Gwaine's strong arms. Gwaine was staring down at her, his face twisted in pain. Then, Merlin was silent.

"I can't..." Merlin breathed, "There's...there's nothing else...I...I've tried everything I can think of."

"Damnit!" Gwaine swore, "Ellie, wake up right now," his voice was laced with grief-stricken anger.

"I promised you," now his voice shook and his eyes welled with tears, "I promised you I'd tell you all my knight stories...please wake up, Ellie."

Ellie's lips parted very slightly. Though she was unconscious, somehow, she began to whisper.

"What...what's happening?" Gwaine asked Merlin.

"I think she's," Merlin began, awestruck, "I think she's...incanting a spell to heal herself!"

Suddenly, Ellie's eyes flew open flashing gold, as she sucked in a huge gulp of air. She panted and blinked, staring up at their faces.

"My god, how did you do that?" Arthur asked her, his voice thick with relief.

"She has strong magic in her blood," Merlin smiled, "the blood of very powerful sorcerers. She saved herself."

Gwaine, still holding her in his arms, pulled her up into the most powerful and wonderful hug.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," Gwaine murmured into her ear with a relieved smile.

With the sorcerer hunters defeated, the remaining sorcerers built pyres for their dead and mourned their deaths. Though they lost some of their own, they had won the fight. They'd fought bravely for their right to live and they could now rest easy.

"Good lord, why is this luggage so heavy?" Gwaine asked, hauling bags across the flat.

"Here," Ellie said as she magicked them into the air and floated them safely to the door.

"Show-off," Gwaine grinned, "let me do it. We wouldn't want to damage my ego."

"Oh no, of course not," she smiled.

"So where's the first stop on the holiday?" Arthur asked them.

"Oh, you know, wherever the wind takes us," she replied as she slid onto Gwaine's lap, tossing her arm around him.

"Well, don't stay gone too long," Merlin said, "We'll miss you, you know."

"Please, you love birds won't even notice we're gone," Gwaine grinned as Arthur took Merlin's hand.

Ellie and Gwaine soon departed, out to travel the world and embark on adventures together.

"Well, Merlin, looks like it's just you and me," Arthur murmured as he pulled Merlin close.

"I love you, dollophead," Merlin grinned as he stole a quick kiss.

"And I love you, clotpole," Arthur replied, leaning in for more of Merlin's sweet kisses.