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bitsandbobsofwriting · 3 years ago

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Hey! I hope everything in your situation turns out okay and it all goes for the better soon. Best of luck and hopefully you can find comfort in something the way so many of us find refuge in your writing!

(unrelated…I’ve been pondering how everyone would react/feel if Merlin had managed to sacrifice himself instead of Lancelot, just sad hour thoughts and I wanted to know yours)

You're very kind anon, and I LOVE you!!!

In other things:

(Headcanon Masterlist) (Full Masterlist)

This is angst, but has the potential for a happy ending depending on whether you think Merlin’s immortality covers The Veil Sacrifice Clause™

Arthur is, obviously, besides himself, though in what way depends on the specifics. If he sees it happen, there's lots of screaming and a few tears and angry yelling and the other knights have to hold him back. If he doesn't see it happen, if he just sort of wakes up in the morning and the veil has been repaired and Merlin is gone, I think he'd just shutdown. Leon has to start giving the orders because Arthur won't speak, won't make any facial expressions, barely moves. He won’t say anything the whole way back to Camelot, and becomes super withdrawn, basically forever. Not just because his best friend is no longer beside him, but because he blames himself entirely and the guilt is... a lot. Gwen is probably the only thing that helps him through it.

I honestly imagine Gwaine to be very similar to Arthur. No more happy go lucky, no more jokes, no more messing around, just stoney faced misery. He probably tries to quit and disappear in the middle of the night soon after they get back, but someone, Lance or Leon, or maybe even Arthur, catches him and asks if that's what Merlin would really want, and persuades him to stay, at least for a little while.

Elyan is... quietly distraught. I always liked to believed that the two were closer than seen in the show. After all, this funky little servant, sort of an idiot at first glance but actually very intelligent and funny and kind, risks his life to save Elyan's sister, is somehow friends with The Prince, and makes a concerted effort to save Elyan as well, despite not knowing him at ALL. Merlin is probably one of Elyan's first friends when he settles in Camelot again, and was there when he was knighted. So yeah, Elyan spends a lot of time looking after Gwen and Gwaine, because if he doesn't he's going to realise that he never paid enough attention to one of the people that, really, he owed almost everything to.

Lancelot feels so guilty. Because the moment they all left the citadel, he knew Merlin was going to try something. Merlin has been playing the whole self-sacrificial act since before Lance even met him, and despite all his plans to step in, to stop him, to take his place, Merlin slips through his fingers anyway. He sort of teams up with Leon, I think, to try and look after everyone, to try and make sure they all get back to Camelot in one piece. I also think there's a potential, later down the line, for him to blame Arthur. Not for the fact that Merlin sacrificed himself, because that's just what Merlin's like and there would've been no stopping him, but because of the whole magic thing. If Arthur hadn't followed so ardently in his father's footsteps, Morgana wouldn't have been so afraid, wouldn't have had to turn to Morgause, wouldn't have turned evil, wouldn't have opened the veil in the first place. Who knows if he would ever express those thoughts, but I imagine, in some meeting or other, Arthur tries to double down on his anti magic views because of Merlin's death, and all Lancelot can do is laugh in his face. And then, maybe after, explain the truth all about Merlin and his magic and the prophecies and everything he'd done for Arthur and Camelot.

Percival is probably the best at keeping a lid on it. He knew Merlin the least, and though he was extremely fond of the man, half because he's just endearing on his own, and half because of how much Lancelot rambled about him when they first met, they didn't really have much to do with each other. He takes on more of a silent protector role; whilst Leon and Lance make sure everyone sleeps and eats and goes in the right direction, Percival constantly circles the group, keeping an eye on their surroundings and protecting them from potential dangers, and keeping everyone focused and aware back in Camelot. He’s probably the main man responsible for making sure Gwaine (and on one or two instances, Elyan and Leon as well) make it home from the tavern without drowning in their own vomit in a ditch somewhere.

Leon is in bits, after all he's known Merlin the longest, bar Arthur and Gwen, and even then it's only by a few days. BUT he's also logical, and he knows that Merlin would be pissed as hell if he sacrificed himself for Arthur and Camelot, only to have Arthur drive the Kingdom into the ground because he's too busy staring at a wall in his grief to bother with doing his job. He gives himself time to grieve (and when he goes, he goes BIG), but he's also very good at compartmentalising when necessary, and keeping it, for the most part, private.

Gwen barely recovers. I really do think that she and Arthur only get through it because they have each other. Merlin is her oldest and truest friend, the one who has always believed in her, even above Arthur, even now, sometimes. She always knew she'd have a place to call home as long as Merlin was around, he was just this... safety net, that meant nothing could possibly be too scary or too difficult for her to deal with. It takes a long while to regain her confidence after he dies, because a lot of her confidence came from the fact that she KNEW Merlin had unfailing faith in her, and would always be there to catch her should she fall. Her and Arthur spend long quiet nights by the fire reminiscing, telling each other stupid stories; Gwen definitely forces him to face himself, forces Arthur to admit that Merlin was more to him that a servant, was his best friend and most trusted advisor and deserved a hell of a lot more than anything Arthur ever gave him. But not in a cruel way, just because she knows if Arthur never confronts it then the guilt would eat him alive. It, in a horrible sort of way, probably brings them a lot closer together, and it's the same with her and Elyan.

Gaius doesn't even know what to do with himself. He can barely look any of them in the eye, and spends a lot of time with Lancelot, purely because he's the only other person who knew as close to everything about Merlin as Gaius did. He probably grows to resent Arthur a little, for the same reasons as Lance, but is much better at hiding it and keeping it under wraps where Lance's spills over a little. He tries to get into contact with the Druids or with Kilgharrah, but he really doesn't know what to do, and is just generally very out of his depth with the whole... destiny thing.

I hope that's the sort of thing you're after, anon!!

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c0rpsedemon · 4 years ago

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i am curious, as someone who’s only exposure to arthurania was reading jane yolen’s young merlin as a child, would you mind saying why hnoc is a bad adaptation? i’m super curious but no worries if not <3

this has been sitting in my inbox for months bc i kept telling myself i needed to write a full essay with proof from medieval lit to make myself feel smarter. however, since i’ve recently lost all credibility bc i can’t articulate points to save my life, and since i’ve realized that i could answer this in a just a couple paragraphs, now seems like the right time to answer this ask. sorry for the wait.

under a cut bc length

also warnings for mentions of racism bc this is hnoc we're talking abt and sexual assault bc this is med lit we're also talking abt

the basic problems are pendragon polycule itself, the story beats of the album, the fridging and lack of characterization of morgan le fay, the clear influence of pop culture arthuriana, and whatever the fuck happened with gawain/e.

pendragon polycule is... just not a good take. there’s a bit in the lancelot-grail abt arthur viewing lancelot like a son (and lancelot not giving a shit abt him). also arthur knew his parents for years before lancelot was even born. plus lancelot just Doesn’t care abt him and i can’t stress this part enough. arthur repeatedly tries to have guinnevere killed, mostly in the lancelot-grail, and guinn didn’t really have any say in marrying him bc she was a teenager. lancelot and guinnevere is a lot better but that’s not saying much. guinn doesn’t exactly treat lancelot too well... like at all, BUT it’s not intrinsic to their relationship and is completely caused by medieval misogyny and i’m all in favor of modern retellings saying fuck that. but also lancelot has multiple pseudo-canon boyfriends (this is med lit after all), and one pseudo-canon husband so like... there were better options. (also lancelot’s husband is basically in a lavender marriage with guinnevere’s maybe girlfriend who most authors just eventually forget abt as the story progresses).

this next one is a problem with a lot of modern arthurian works bc the inclusion of elayne of astolat is too much to ask apparently. the grail quest isn’t tied to the fall of camelot, it just happens to be one of the last grand adventures the knights of the round table have. the event that traditionally sets off the fall is the death of the maiden of astolat/the lady of shalott/elayne of escolat/she has a lot of names, her story has a few variations but usually she either is cursed to stay in a tower and weave and only be able to see the outside world through a mirror positioned across from her window, until lancelot rides by and she rushes to see him out of the actual window and her mirror shatters, setting off her death, or she lives with her father and brothers and takes care of lancelot bc he was injured for a time and she gets to go on adventures to find him and she’s friends with gawaine and she dies bc lancelot rejects her and this version’s a lot more fun but also more happens which makes it harder to explain. the way her story ends however, is that she dies after she makes arrangements for a glorious boat to drift from astolat to camelot carrying nothing but her dead body and a letter explaining that she died of love for lancelot du lac and the court mourns the death of such a beautiful and young maiden (her age varies a lot but i’ve always read her as a young teenager at most). but the important thing is, camelot is doomed from the moment she washes up on its shore bc she’s an omen of the end and has symbolic meaning and all that, the maiden of astolat washes up on camelot’s shores, the court mourns the loss of a maiden in her prime and she marks the end of camelot’s prime as well, morgan le fay reappears after being presumed dead and warns arthur of guinnevere and lancelot’s affair, aggravaine and modred conspire to bring lancelot and guinnevere’s affair to light, they succeed but lancelot escapes, guinnevere is to be burnt at the stake and lancelot rescues her, killing aggravaine, gaheris and gareth (gawaine’s brothers) in the process, gawaine drags his uncle and camelot to war bc he was driven mad due to the loss of his brothers, lancelot accidentally kills gawaine, his best friend and maybe boyfriend (i have RECEIPTS), and gawaine forgives him on his detahbed while lancelot and guinn rejoin arthur, meanwhile modred, who practically had the throne handed to him, usurps and invites the saxons in, camlann happens, and camelot is destroyed. no where in there is the grail quest.

morgan le fay is honestly the most questionable part of the album bc there’s not a single text where she dies. like.... at least with eurydice in udad she died in the original... there’s no basis for morgan dying. also she is NOT modred’s mother and anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar, she interacts with him once in the vulgate bc she had three of her nephews over and that’s IT. it’s a horrible take which originated in the mists of avalon by marion zimmer bradley who is an honest to god monster for reasons i don’t want to trigger tag this post for. also she’s one of the most dynamic and thought-out characters in the entire canon and they just made her a watered down morgause (modred’s actual mother, morgan’s sister, canonical milf)... there was no reason for it to be her apart from the fact that she’s more well known......

pop culture arthuriana is,,, one of my least favorite things. no, morgan wasn’t modred’s mother, no, morgause wasn’t abusive but her husband sure was implied to be, no, aggravaine didn’t kill his mother, that was gaheris, he loved his mother, you’re only saying that bc he has a reputation as the “evil” orkney, no, the once and future king is not a good descriptor for arthur, stop making me read it, no, morgause wasn’t the one to initiate the thing with arthur resulting in modred, no, lancelot and arthur weren’t friends, no, tristan wasn’t a self-centered asshole, tennyson is a fucking liar, no, galahad didn’t have sex or want to, he’s one of the first ever explicitly asexual characters out there, no, galahad’s conception was NOT consensual, lancelot was tricked, and no, elayne of astolat wasn’t galahad’s mother, she’s implied to be younger than him. those are just the big glaring ones, but i swear it’s bc of arthuriana’s reputation as a mythology and the connotations belonging to that word (no one true canon (which is true but there are still things that just AREN’T canon, not completely written down, passed by oral tradition) that causes ppl to see mediocre modern texts and go “oh. well this is abt as close to the original as i’m going to get” and don’t bother to look into so much as malory (who i only name bc he’s one of the most well known medieval authors with the most commonly used storylines, don’t read malory kids, he’s a mediocre-at-best writer even by medieval standards). the big perpetrators of modern arthurian tropes are the books the once and future king by th wh*te, who is a shitty person and lets it bleed into his writing (which isn’t like... nice to read or anything, seriously why do ppl love this book so much it doesn’t have redeeming qualities), and the mists of avalon by marion zimmer bradley (it’s poorly written, the story is a mess, and mzb is honestly a monster and one google search will tell you that), and unfortunately the writings of tennyson, which are mostly good but he clearly didn’t read the povest (a later text that’s also my favorite, known for significantly improving ppl’s opinions on tristan, isolde and co.) before deciding he hated both tristan and isolde and he has HORRIBLE takes on them. high noon over camelot is SEEPED in pop culture arthuriana and i think it would have been so much better if the band had read so much as a SUMMARY of the events of le morte. it’s evident in the song “the once and future king” bc it’s,,,, literally named after one of the worst books in existence. it’s shown in the morgan le fay thing, and it’s shown in the pendragon polycule thing. and hell, i think you can even explain away the lack of elayne of astolat with pop culture arthuriana, bc ppl have had bad takes on her ever since th wh*te combined her character with that of ela*ne of corbenic, and the band probably went “huh, let’s write lancelot’s abuser out of this” and they would’ve been right to do so if that’s who elayne of astolat was.

the final big issue is gawaine, the closest thing the genre has to a protagonist, he’s pretty much canon bi and, in some texts, arospec, he’s a dashing knight of great reknown and he derails every romance to steal hearts, commit murder, and make out with every knight and lady mentioned. and in hnoc he’s... racist. that’s it. it’s,,, almost completely unfounded by the arthurian canon and shows a major misunderstanding of his motivations (like i said earlier, he wants to avenge his brothers bc there’s a reoccuring motif of how much the orkneys value family). i say almost bc in one text it’s his motivations for killing palomydes but i’ve never heard it mentioned by name bc that’s just what it’s known for. most arthuriana fans just look away from it except when critiquing hnoc but that one text is an outlier, shouldn’t be counted, and i highly doubt the mechs made hnoc gawain how he is bc they found this text. it’s just a bad text.

hnoc has,,, quite a few more minor issues, such as villainized ladies of the lake (their ONLY crimes were sealing away merlin bc he tried to assault teenage nimue/ninniane (proto-nimue/vivianne from the vulgate), and that one time vivviane/ninniane kidnapped adopted baby lancelot), assigning brain to merlin (y’know,,, the predator who helped arrange the [redacted] of arthur’s mother and tried to assault a teenager,,,) although merlin is portrayed in a positive light throughout modern arthuriana so i don’t think they knew, giving a song to pellinore, who my perception of has been forever altered bc i was introduced to him through malory and the explanation of torre’s conception, which you can just look up “sir torre arthurian” to find out abt if you can’t just Guess, if they wanted a song abt the questing beast palomydes was Right There AND has been associated with the questing beast for longer, but once again i don’t think they knew.

also namedropping a bunch of knights in the fiction is... it Suggests a bigger world full of all these other stories but they just don’t work bc the world of hnoc wasn’t designed in a way where the appearance of half these characters would make sense. like,, tristan is referenced as dying in the grail quest in the same sentence as bedevere (one of the characters who is known for almost always surviving), but tristan Isn’t one of the knights who dies on the grail quest, his possible deaths (ignoring the potentially happy ending of the povest for a second) are either being murdered by his uncle, king mark (bc mark married tristan’s gf to try and get tristan killed and also to spite him), bc he was driven into a fury bc of tristan and isolde’s affair, or he’s injured and only isolde (the best healer in the world) can save him so he sends for her and if the ship he sent for her is supposed to fly white sails if she’s there, or black sails if she’s not, and the ship flies white sails but his wife (also named isolde) says it’s black sails (the why depends but usually comes down to jealousy), and so he gives up bc he thinks all hope is lost and usually succumbs to his injuries, either way isolde dies of a broken heart over his body. there’s no way for the tristan and isolde story to play out like it’s supposed to in the world of hnoc, just as there’s no way for any story with gawaine (and Oh Boy are there a lot of stories with gawaine) or pretty much anyone else, without severely altering the canon.

of course, there are still parts of hnoc i like a lot, most of the music i adore and i just like the idea of space cowboys and the secret good hnoc that lives in my head. and it has one of my favorite characterizations of galahad, even though galahad hnoc is nothing like galahad arthuriana. it’s not GOOD but i like it and it’s fun to turn my brain off too, and i’ll always value it as my introduction to arthuriana.

also there are modern arthurian tropes i do like such as characters being genre-savvy/knowing they’re fictional/knowing they’ve done this before (which hnoc does wonderfully!) and bedevere-as-the-storyteller (everyone say thank you lord tennyson).

WOW that was longer than expected, i feel very passionately abt this, when i was planning to write a fully sourced essay i meant to include a bit at the bottom with recommendations to get into better arthuriana and i think i’ll keep that in this post.

if you like hnoc for the arthurian music i’d like to suggest heather dale’s arthurian music to you, she does occasionally fall into the trap of modern arthuriana (some parts of lancelot and arthur being close, morgan as modred’s mother), sometimes she’s just wrong (galahad at lancelot’s trial, a lot of tristan and isolde), and her stuff is kinda straightwashed sometimes (sir gawain and the green knight, for example) but i’d be lying if it wasn’t catchy, and it’s not quite as bad as hnoc adaptation-wise. culwch and olwen is pretty accurate (albeit abridged bc culwch and olwen has SO many tangents), as is lily maid (it’s abt elayne of astolat!).

if you liked hnoc for king arthur... in space! then may i recommend to you my own fanfic? it's not posted yet but the second i finish writing the first chapter i'm going to make a Big Deal out of it that'll be impossible to miss!

if you want to learn abt arthuriana through tumblr-osmosis like i did at first, i’d like to recommend the love of my life @acegalahads, first and foremost (it’s me on a sideblog i’m just obsessed with myself), and i can’t recommend my arthuriana mutuals over there, @/gringolet, @/merlinenthusiast, @/jcbookworm, @/elayneofshalott, and @/elaineofascolat (the elayne urls have been popular recently), also i know for a fact that my mutual-in-law, @/itonje makes great arthuriana posts that i look forwards to whenever i open the tag.

here are a few good reference posts, a quick guide to the characters, a guide to characters of color, and a much more comprehensive intro to arthuriana post with even more texts linked to it.

if you want to ease into med lit, i’d like to introduce you to pre-raphaelite poetry, alfred lord tennyson and william morris are my favorites, although tennyson can’t be trusted with tristan and isolde. the poem the lady of shalott is basically a rite of passage for arthuriana fans, although when it comes to tennyson’s writings abt elayne of astolat, i prefer lancelot and elaine, which is part of his much larger story, idylls of the king. for morris, don’t trust what he says abt aggravaine killing his mother, but my favorites of his are sir galahad, a christmas mystery, which sounds like a shitty disney sequel, and palomyde’s quest, which i blame for my love of palomydes (that and the one bit of the povest where he asks tristan to be his greatest enemy and that he wants nothing more, gay ppl,,,,).

if you want to read abt lancelot and his husband, there’s the lancelot-grail cycle, which i believe was taken off of archive dot org and i think i found it on @/tobeisexhausting’s blog but don’t quote me on that.

the povest, which was a religious experience for me and i can’t reccomend enough if you want to like tristan and isolde, is here, i don’t know who scanned it but i think i found it on @/lanzelet’s blog

the dutch texts are just good in general, here’s a link to their section of a(n unfinished) site for hosting various texts by my former mutual @/reynier (who’s no longer on tumblr). i’d like to recommend lancelot and the white hart specifically bc it’s mainly just just gawaine being gay for lancelot.

if you want older works, here’s my scan of the history of the kings of britain, and here’s culwch and olwen and pa gur.

oh wow this is even longer than i thought it would be so i’m going to wrap this up by saying that i always love to talk abt arthuriana more than anything if you have any questions or just are curious!

#med lit on main #asks #hnoc #the mechs #romeo.txt

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fishoutofcamelot · 5 years ago

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I saw your r recent contribution to the post about hard vs soft magic systems and I agree wholeheartedly. You also mentioned having a bunch of worldbuilding and stuff about the magic system, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to share some?

(For reference, this is the post in question)

Certainly! While the worldbuilding/magicbuilding hellscape i was describing in the notes is actually in regards to an original-content wip I've been working on, i also have a LOT of headcanons regarding the BBCM magic system too! (Do not ask about my wip's magic system, because i won't be able to shut up about it)

WARNING: long post ahead and mobile won't let me include a cutoff/read-more line. If you're not interested, get ready to scroll down like your life depends on it (and it does).

So! First things first. Here's what we know about the BBCM magic system:

Magic requires spells, most of the time. This seems like a no-brainer, but still an important distinction. There are a lot of magic systems that don't require vocalized spells - Avatar: the Last Airbender, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Ninjago, to name a few. Spells are rather common for wizard/witch/medieval fantasies, and are typically used to control and channel the intent of the magic. This suggests that the magic of BBCM is some kind of force or energy that needs spoken commands to control.

Spells are repurposed words from Old English, aka the language of the Old Religion. (Let's ignore the obvious anachronistic nightmare of the fact that Old English is exactly the same language they would've been speaking in this time period.)

The use of a spell causes someone's eyes to flare gold, plus that fancy wooshing sound effect that Arthur miraculously never hears. This suggests that magic somehow changes your physiology, although it could be also just be a side effect of channeling.

However, magic doesn't always require a spell. Though never fully explained, it appears to be something only innate magic users are capable of - Merlin, Morgana, Mordred. It is something less controllable than spellwork, typically governed by moments of strong emotion rather than logical intent.

The show consistently flip-flops between the idea that magic is something you're born with, and that Merlin is rare for being born with magic. It's never clarified just how someone acquires magic. Gaius asks Merlin where he studied, suggesting that it's something you can learn, while Balinor claims that you either have it or you don't. Though not confirmed fact, i suspect it's similar to how it works in the show Supernatural. There, some witches are natural-born, while others are taught (and some get their powers from spooky demon deals).

It has a life-for-a-life policy. Basically like the Law of Equivalent Exchange from Fullmetal Alchemist, a life cannot be created without another one being sacrificed first. This rule only canonically applies to creating life/the Cup of Life, and any other possible applications aren't addressed.

This rule apparently doesn't apply to animals, as Merlin brought a dog statue to life without killing anyone (that we know of), and Valiant's shield had three live snakes in it. However, it's possible that lives were taken as payment in the process of animation without Merlin's knowledge, but it never happens on screen so we don't know. So either a) animals don't have souls to exchange in the life-for-a-life policy, b) they do but it happens off-screen, or c) those animated animals aren't actually alive.

The Cup of Life infuriates me from a magicbuilding perspective. Ignoring the obvious question of how it came into the druids' possession, its existence isn't clearly defined. Does it require the fancy rain ritual that Nimueh gave it, or was she just extra? Why does drinking from it give you life, while bleeding into it makes you undead and also mindlessly obedient to the sorcerer who made you as such? Were there life-for-a-life consequences for creating an immortal army? Wtf happened on the Isle of the Blessed to allow Merlin to "master life and death", and what does that even mean? All valid questions that never get answered.

Spells sometimes need need a 'source'. Think the staff from "The Tears of Uther Pendragon" and Morgana from "The Fires of Idirsholas." It is unclear what makes these spells different/special.

There is a power hierarchy. Some spells are too powerful for some practitioners to cast, although the reason for this is unclear. Does it drain you of energy/life force? Do you exhaust/overwork your magic muscles? Do you get a little pop-up that says 404 Magic Not Found? Unclear.

Magic is something that can be trained and improved. For example, Morgana gradually became more powerful over time. Merlin naturally had a lot of power straight off the jump and just had to discipline it, but he's a ~special~ case so he doesn't count.

There are some subsets of magic that are definitively born traits. Morgana is a Seer, possessing this capability even before her magic manifested. Likewise, Merlin is a dragonlord, which he inherited from Balinor. Although Balinor did mention that it wasn't a sure thing he would have the ability until he faced a dragon, so there may be some variation in whether or not someone lucks out in the Magic Gene Pool. This may suggest that natural-born magic is hereditary, as both Morgana and her sister Morgause had it. Vivienne and Gorlois both probably didn't have it, otherwise you'd hear Uther bellyaching about it, which raises the question of where they got it? A grandparent, perhaps? Maybe they both carried a recessive magic gene or something...

Unless you're Merlin, magic can be taken away by the Gean Canagh. It's not explained how this is possible, though, as it's never explained how you acquire magic in the first place. But Merlin never lost his magic because he's "magic itself" which if you ask me is just a deus ex machina wrapped inside a headache wrapped inside a heaping load of chosen one bullcrap. But it's canonical lore, so we have to consider it.

Despite my previous complaints, i actually find the idea of Merlin being "magic itself" rather intriguing. Is he a creature of magic, like a dragon or a questing beast? Is his body made of magic, like how a statue might be made of clay? Does it run through his veins like blood? If this is the case, then why didn't he suffer more severe ramifications for losing his magic? Why didn't it kill him? How did it restrict his magic in the first place? Placebo effect? The fanon explanation is that he's "the living embodiment of magic" but that makes my bullcrap richter scale shoot off the charts because that makes NO sense whatsoever. "Son of the earth, sea, and sky?" What does that MEAN?

There is a vivid link between magic and the Old Religion, which has its own beliefs and rituals and deities. Primarily, the Triple Goddess. The Triple Goddess is actually an existing deity in Neopaganism and Wicca. This also suggests the existence of the Horned God, another entity from neopagan lore and her masculine consort/counterpart, but that is never confirmed.

WHO. OR. WHAT. IS. THE. FREAKING. DOCHRAID. She's described as a creature of magic, which suggests that humans/humanoids can be creatures of magic, fueling my theory that 'Emrys' isn't human.

Destiny exists. It is unclear who creates/writes destiny, who controls it, who or what is privy to knowing about it, and what that means for the concept of free will.

The crystal cave is a thing, i guess. It's the heart of magic, is haunted by Taliesin, and is filled with prophetic crystals. I actually skipped the episodes that involve this stuff because i disliked them, so i don't know much about the Crystal Cave. Apparently ghosts can manifest there tho???

The veil is a thing too. It is unclear how some spirits can retain their human figure and mentality, like Balinor and Uther, but others become dorocha. I imagine its also like Supernatural - being a ghost for long enough will drive you insane, and though it takes a while all spirits eventually turn into dorocha.

Creatures of magic exist. These are normal creatures who have magic imbued into them somehow.

Okay, i think that's everything we know. It seems like a lot, but keep in mind that all of those rules are VERY nebulous. But that at least gives us a jumping-off point!

So here's my working theory/headcanon.

Magic comes from a connection to the spiritual energies of the Triple Goddess. Kinda like a third eye, and for the sake of simplicity that's what we'll call it. The druids have adapted a way of life that revolves around faith and magic, likely in an attempt to cultivate and one day attain this Third Eye. Like Gaius, who trained with the High Priestesses, you can study and practice and discipline yourself into acquiring it.

Magic is a cosmic force owned by the Triple Goddess, accessible to anyone with the Third Eye link. Imagine the Triple Goddess as a milkshake and the so-called Third Eye as a straw. The studying and training that people dedicate their whole lives to is basically just looking for/building a straw.

However, some people are just naturally born with a straw in hand, but require practice and study to be able to properly use it. Or like Morgana, it takes a few years for them to even find it/activate it.

Spellcasting is essentially just sucking through the straw, and the vocalized spells gives that Magic Milkshake some purpose/intent/shape.

The bigger the spell, the more Magic Milkshake is required. Some people have bigger/wider straws than others, so magic comes easier for them. But with enough training and practice anyone can widen their straw/strengthen their straw-sucking muscles to cast with the big leagues.

The Gean Canagh devours your straw/Third Eye. Perhaps you have to rebuild a new spiritual connection from scratch, or perhaps it permanently severs any and all connection to the Triple Goddess. Like getting excommunicated from the Church, only worse.

The Crystal Cave was/is the Triple Goddess's home, but she's out of town on a business trip atm so she left the spirit of her most loyal follower, Taliesin, to look after the place. It's super powerful and has all those cool crystals because it's hella steeped in her magic juices.

While most magic users get a standard-issue straw, others get Fancy Premium Membership Straws. Normal joe shmoes like Gilli have plastic straws, while a Seer like Morgana has a metal one or something (can you tell this metaphor is starting to get out of hand?). Those Premium Straws are only hereditary in nature. So there's a Seer Straw, or a Dragonlord Straw, or a Disir Straw, but it's also not a sure thing you'll even inherit it at all. It's all luck of the straw draw.

Creatures of magic aren't just animals that possess straws, though. They've been made/produced using magic rituals and processes and spells. Like Nimueh's afanc, nathairs, wraiths, shades, etc. So probably like a thousand years ago, some especially powerful shmuck came by and invented dragons. Which leads me to an important question: WHO THE HELL THOUGHT THE DOCHRAID WAS A GOOD IDEA.

Im reluctant to say these creatures were invented by the Triple Goddess, though, for reasons I'll get to in a moment.

So this still leaves the whole Cup of Life, life-for-a-life policy thing to be explained. I do believe that the policy is universally applicable to the creation of souls, and i do believe that animals have souls too. But individuals get their souls exchanged for those of equal value. So every soul has a certain weight to it, and you need to exchange souls of equal weight to create one. So when Merlin brought the dog to life, some random dog somewhere dropped dead against his knowledge.

Creating undead armies involves killing them and then resurrecting them. That's what 'undead' means. Zombies. So yes, to raise an immortal zombie army, Morgause's spell probably caused a bunch of people around the world to mysteriously drop dead.

Which leaves two last things to explain: destiny and Merlin.

Destiny is, i think, a combined effort between human choice and supernatural predeterminism. That is, for the most part humans make their own choices, but there are occasions where the Triple Goddess has to step in and do some course correction. Uther starting the Purge was free will, but Arthur and Merlin's destiny was an act of divine damage control. The Triple Goddess sets destiny into motion and informs a chosen few about it.

Okay SO. That leaves Merlin. And this is the bit im kinda excited about.

The Triple Goddess is a reservoir of power, a cosmic force of spiritual energy intrinsicallu linked to the fabric of the universe. People can spiritually reach out and tune into/channel her supernatural frequencies. But as a milkshake cannot suck itself through a straw, the Triple Goddess likewise cannot cast a spell. She can influence destiny, but she can't physically cast any magic on her own. That's why she didn't create the creatures of magic.

So a few years ago, Uther hecked up big time. And people of magic, the Triple Goddess's followers and acolytes and straw connections, were dying in droves. I can imagine that all those Third Eye tethers snapping en masse was painful for her to go through. She relies on the tethers to remain connected to the real world, and if all the tethers snap then she will be cut off from Earth altogether. And Earth requires magic to continue existing/thriving, so that's kind of a no-no.

So, the Triple Goddess knew that the only way to save the world was through divine intervention. Thus began the destiny of the Once and Future King and Emrys. She knew humanity is bigoted so there was bound to eventually be a repeat of Uther, so she made OaFK resurrectable, so they could keep him on the bench in case anyone ever needs him again.

Where does Merlin/Emrys fall into things?

Well. The Triple Goddess knew that saving her people and the world would require an immense magical undertaking, something no ordinary magic user would be able to pull off. But she has the power, if only she could use it. But a human can. So the Triple Goddess decided to be reborn into the body of a dragonlord's son. Merlin. Emrys. Magic itself.

Of course, this whole Being Born As A Human Thing is tricky, and as anyone familiar with reincarnation knows, you don't usually recall your past lives. So she became Merlin, unaware that he was ever the Triple Goddess. (Although she did add a clause saying she'd be destined to remember her past life eventually, which got hecked up for reasons ill explain later)

That's why so many creatures of magic/magic users recognize Merlin by his presence, why thr druids carry such reverence for him. Whereas the sidhe and other individuals don't recognize him, because they are blinded by heresy. They may have a spiritual connection to the Triple Goddess, but do not use her magic as she intended, and she's too busy wearing jaunty scarves to excommunicate them herself.

Why get the Once and Future King involved when she could just save everyone herself? Well, the Triple Goddess prefers to let the humans keep their agency and save themselves, and would rather remain in the role of protector/helper. Its just her nature.

But if that's the case, then why did Arthur's destiny fail? It's simple: Kilgharrah.

Remember what i said about the Horned God, counterpart to the Triple Goddess? Yeah, that's Kilgharrah. Like the Triple Goddess, he's another power reservoir, but he's jealous because people worship her and not him. He is against everything she does and actively seeks the destruction of the Triple Goddess's magic/influence for Jealous Evil Reasons. To stop him, the Triple Goddess enlisted some of her followers to bind him into the body of a dragon (perhaps this is how dragons were created) so he would never be able to do that. Years later, the Purge happened and "Kilgharrah" got locked away, further cut off from his power.

When Merlin walked in, unaware that he used to be the Triple Goddess, Kilgharrah seized his chance at revenge and manipulated Merlin into setting him free. Then, once free, he decided to lay claim to the power vacuum left by the Triple Goddess's quasi-absence. He began controlling destiny in whatever limited capacities he could, using magic of his own to permanently bury Merlin's knowledge of his past life. Then he ensured that Arthur would die and the Triple Goddess's magic would never return. But since he doesn't have FULL control over destiny (his powers are still limited by his dragon form, after all), he couldn't rewrite the bit where Arthur gets benched in Avalon. He's probably conspiring with the sidhe to ensure Arthur stays trapped there forever, or else he would've come back a long time ago.

As for how the Gean Canagh took Merlin's magic...well, yes, it devoured his Third Eye straw, but those are created by a strong spiritual connection to the Triple Goddess. And since he's literally the big TG himself, all he had to do was find himself again (by returning to his old home, the Crystal Cave) to recreate a new one.

Over the last 1500 years, Kilgharrah/the Horned God has been steadily accruing followers and worshippers in the hopes that one will become strong enough to release TG's bonds on him. Then he can kill her once and for all and claim full dominion over the universe, with the sidhe to support him.

I imagine that's how Arthur's resurrection would happen - Arthur and the rest of the dead Round Table are in Avalon when they learn about the treachery and plot to kill Merlin/take over the world, and spend the next few hundred years fighting their way out of Avalon.

Okay, I think that just about covers it. God, that was long. Any questions?

#i should probably write a fic for this huh #bbc merlin #merlin bbc #merlin #bbcm #ask #magicbuilding #fish post

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sneakyboymerlin · 4 years ago

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For the character thingy- Morgana

First Impression: Loved her. Wasn’t too in love with her, given the misogyny of the writers—in season 1, she doesn’t really do anything, ya know? Has the occasional prophetic vision, gets sick for everyone else to worry about, her apparent sexiness is emphasized… pretty much the definition of objectification there. But then season 2 comes around and you realize she’s textually gaining agency, so maybe that’s intentional? Hmm. Anyways, she’s making some morally grey choices in s2, but you can’t help sympathizing with her. Then season 3 comes around, and I’m left devastated by the fact that she’s just lost all the love that she had for her friends (Merlin, Gwen, and Arthur particularly). Understandable, with a full year of separation under Morgause’s tutelage, but very difficult to watch her become the enemy of my other faves. She has a point, though, as she’s fighting for her freedom under Uther. Then she becomes more and more unhinged and I’m enamored with that particular villain aesthetic she has going on. Tragic but fitting end—love how it’s played out so personally instead of a ginormous mid-battle scene.

Impression now: It’s pretty clear she was always intended to be the main villain of Uther’s creation, as the character of Morgana often is in adaptations of the Arthurian legend. I understand the point of her starting out very one-dimensionally good was 1) an effect of her lack of autonomy, before Merlin and Morgause teach her about her magic, and 2) to emphasize her downfall and the differences between the “old” her and the “new” her. I think the writers should have given her character a more nuanced exploration from the start; however, it’s easy to spot some instances in the first two seasons where her flaws probably spawned from. I’m also not a fan of narratives that tell you what to believe, so while it’s undeniable that Morgana became a villain, I wish it weren’t so “tell don’t show.” They could have conveyed a more compelling slide into villainy if the writing for it wasn’t so heavy-handed. Her actions are a little more nuanced than “fights for her freedom but in evil ways” imo, though I know this is an unpopular opinion amongst the fandom. It’s pretty obvious that she’s not fighting for the freedom of her people so much as trying to regain the privileges she had before finding out she has magic— she doesn’t necessarily fight for change unless it affects her in some way, or at least doesn’t take away her privileges. It’s always going to be easier to say “feed the poor” than to starve on the streets, and she shows her true colors when uses her higher status to threaten Merlin and Gwen. She’s the most protected person in Camelot, possibly all of Albion (barring Princess Vivian perhaps) but for the first time in her life, those privileges are conditional—she no longer has them just because she’s Uther’s ward. There’s real fear there, as she realizes she’ll likely be executed as a traitor, but she is also aware of her class privilege and Uther’s nepotism, which she’s not afraid to take advantage of. This wouldn’t be a problem if she extended her aim beyond restoring her own privileges, rather than leading armies against Camelot knowing that the poor and defenseless are the most vulnerable to her attacks, or trying to kill Gwen simply because she’s going to become queen. Morgana views the people as something disposable that she’s entitled to/can be used to accomplish her own goals. Basically she’s the face of white feminism and classism in a palatable package, whether the writers intended it or not.

Favorite moment: 2x03, where she’s returned to Camelot. There’s so much going on in this moment. For one, she has to pretend that she’s been rescued, and that Uther is her savior from her magical assailants, when it’s the exact opposite: the Druids rescued her, and she’s been essentially kidnapped back to Camelot to live under Uther again. She now has the knowledge to be well and truly terrified, but also to understand herself and deflect the internalized hatred of magic she’s learned her whole life. It’s a small moment, but it conveys so much about how her life is going to be from here on out.

Idea for a story: I’ve been meaning to write a fic about the year she was with Morgause between seasons 2 & 3, and how she became the person we saw in 3x01. Imo, Morgause gave her ultimatums and convinced Morgana it was the only way, and given her solitude and feelings of loss/betrayal, she was more susceptible to this form of manipulation. She may as well have joined a cult. I’d love to look into this period of her life, which the writers apparently thought wasn’t worth looking into.

Unpopular opinion: As stated above, Morgana’s goals were self-oriented. I don’t think she was ever inclined to do things for the greater good because it was mostly hypothetical from her place as Uther’s ward—nepotism is strong among the Pendragons. Any trait can, of course, be a good thing at times, but she takes it to the extreme in the wrong direction.

Favorite relationship: Merlin and Morgana. I love the angst of the friends to enemies, especially considering the secrets between them (the ones they do and don’t know about each other). It all makes for a very unique, compelling relationship, especially when one’s goals could easily benefit their enemy as well, but neither condones the other’s approach.

Favorite headcanon: The reason that she only tells Merlin (besides her physician) that she has magic is because she knows he rescued Mordred from certain death. This heightened the betrayal she felt in 2x12. Turning on Merlin had nothing to do with his feelings about magic, because she knew these were positive (in addition to Mordred, there was Will and the fact that he kept her magic a secret for about a year). It had everything to do with the fact that he was willing to sacrifice her life for the greater good. Morgause gave up on her plan for the Knights of Medhir and the fever-sleep spell to save Morgana because she never really cared about what happened to anyone besides herself and Morgana. Their mutual prioritization of each other is part of what drew them so close together.

#bbc merlin #morgana pendragon #ask game #mine

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swanqueeneverafter · 4 years ago

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Sins of the Past Pt.25

Wonderland. Town Square. (Lizard and Will walk together down the busy streets.) Lizard: “Why risk your life going back for Ella? I mean, you promised you'd help her find answers and now she has them. And how does she thank you? She jumped on a dragon and hightailed it out of Wonderland.” Will: “You've got a point there.” Lizard: “I'm just saying you've been through a lot, fulfilled all your obligations. Don't you think you deserve a little ‘Knave time’?” Will: “Well I could use a chance to catch me breath.” Lizard: “Exactly.” Will: “If it weren’t for the fact that Ella’s probably on her way back to kill whomever it was that killed her mother! So why don’t you tell me where you found this Oracle and what she looks like?” Lizard: “Okay, calm down. The Oracle found me.” Will: “What, she came to your house?” Lizard: “Yeah, I had just come home to grab a quick shower when there was a knock at my door.” Will: “And she told you she had the answer to Ella’s quest?” Lizard: “No... I’m not exactly certain how it happened come to think of it, but I took Ella to see the Oracle, sure.” Will: “All right, so what did she look like, this Oracle?” Lizard: “Tall, blonde - your basic nightmare. She wore this red dress with silver trim and her eyes glowed like nothing I’d ever seen before.” Idirsholas. (Morgause walks behind tall cobwebbed figures in the chamber of an empty old castle and lights a fire in the middle of the circle of figures. Positioning herself above the Cup of Life, Morgause slices her arm, allowing the blood to trickle down into the Cup. Raising it high with both hands, she begins to chant.) Morgause: “Cnihtas Medhires, éower sáwla sind min sáwla. Onwác and cóm hér eft. Rid eft ond forsliehð eft!” (The stone figures begin to move.)

Storybrooke. Will & Tiana's Apartment. (Ella stands whisking eggs absentmindedly, staring off into space.) Tiana: “Okay, I don't mean to micromanage you, but...” Ella: "What? (Sees Tiana take the pot next to Ella off the boil:) Ooh. Thanks.” Tiana: “Mm-hmm. Let me guess. Writer boy's on your mind, not baking.” Ella: “I’m sorry, I’ve got a lot going on.” Tiana: “I know you do, which is why I was surprised when you turned up here offering to help with dessert.” Ella: “I just needed to get out of the house, you know?” Tiana: “Sure. Any word from Henry?” Ella: “No, nothing yet, but the plan was simple enough. Switch the tiara’s and let the truth come out.” Tiana: “So I guess that’s not what’s bothering you?” Ella: (Sighs:) “I found out something back in Wonderland, something bad.” Tiana: “Ruh roh.” Ella: “And I keep going back and forth on whether to believe it’s true or not. What would you do if someone you thought you knew did something unforgivable?” Tiana: “Okay, Miss non-specific, how bad of a thing are we talking?” Ella: (Shakes her head:) “I can’t say, at least not yet.” Tiana: “Hm. Well, if it were me, I’d confront this person. I’d hear their side of things and if I didn’t like what they had to say, I’d chop off one of their favourite body parts, (Puts her arm around Ella, making her smile:) deep fry it and serve it to them. But you know, that’s just me.” Ella: “Yeah.” Tiana: “Hey, whatever it is, you’ve got to face it head on. You know, like an adult. No more games. Life’s too damn short for games.” (Ella nods, watching Tiana retrieve more eggs from the fridge, still unsure what she intends to do.) Swan-Mills House. Kitchen. (A montage of cooking scenes. Emma chopping and slicing, Zelena stirring and tasting, Regina stuffing and cooking. The counters are covered with flour, cooking utensils and baking trays. When Emma tosses an egg to Regina, she effortlessly catches it and cracks it into a bowl. Everyone works in harmony with each other, until Emma's phone rings.) Emma: "Hello? Yeah, I'll be right there. That was David, he's over at the campsite, there are a few drunken stragglers giving him some trouble, I better go help him out." (After leaning over the counter to kiss Regina on the cheek, Emma leaves the kitchen.)

Hallway. (Brushing flour off her jeans, Emma heads towards the front door when Regina calls out to her.) Regina: "Hey." Emma: (Turns:) "Hey." Regina: "Seems our plans for retirement are going to have to be put off for a little while, huh?" Emma: "Yeah, I guess. But Lily's tough, she'll bounce back quickly." Regina: "Hm. Speaking of bouncing back, you just make sure you're back by curtain time, all right?" Emma: "Are you kidding? 'Gina, I wouldn't miss this for the world." Regina: (Smiles:) "Well you better not. I don't care how many people are there tonight when I'm performing, as far as I'm concerned I'm dancing for an audience of one." Emma: "I will be there, front row center. I promise." (They kiss.) Regina: "Good. Now go round up those drunks." Emma: "Will do, Superstar." Arendelle. (Lily is laying on her side on the bed when Elsa enters. Standing over her, Elsa tenderly strokes Lily's hair which brings her out of her reverie.) Elsa: "Are you okay?" Lily: "I'll live. (Pats the bed beside her:) Come lay with me awhile." (Elsa nods and crawls up the bed towards her. Nestling in behind Lily, Elsa places a protective arm around her waist and Lily takes Elsa's hand, lacing their fingers together.) Camelot. Morgana's Chambers. (Morgana enters her room and finds her window open and a little box on her window ledge. She opens it and reads the note placed inside, her hands obscuring pieces of the message.)

“My dearest Morgana, Meet me tonight after sundown in …outside the castle gates. I will…the marked and distinctive… Until then, keep…”

Guinevere: (Standing behind her:) “Are you all right?” (Morgana crumples the note and turns to face Guinevere.) Morgana: “Yes, just a little cold.” Guinevere: “Do you need something warmer?” Morgana: (Smiles:) “No, thank you.” Guinevere: (Watches Morgana close the window:) “I’d like you to join me in the council chamber, if you’re feeling up to it?” Morgana: “Of course.” Council Chamber. (With several courtiers, knights and Xena and Gabrielle gathered, a man with a heavy bag over his shoulder stands before the Queen.) Joseph: “I’m a herder from the northern plains, Your Majesty. We were camped beneath the walls of Idirsholas.” Guinevere: “I’m not sure I would’ve chosen such a place.” Joseph: “Good pasture is scarce at this time of year, Your Majesty.” Guinevere: “And what is it you have to tell me?” Joseph: “While we were there we, we saw smoke rising from the citadel.” (Guinevere glances at Lancelot who looks unnerved by this.) Lancelot: “And did you see anything else?” Joseph: “No.” Guinevere: “Did you go inside?” Joseph: “No. Nobody has stepped over that threshold for three hundred years! You must know the legend, Your Majesty.” Morgana: “When the fires of Idirsholas burn, the knights of Medhir will ride again.” (Guinevere stares at Morgana for a moment then addresses one of the knights.) Guinevere: “See to it this man is fed and has a bed for the night. Take a ride out there.” Morgana: “No. (Corrects herself:) I mean, why do such a thing?” Guinevere: “So we can put people’s minds at rest.” Morgana: “Surely this is superstitious nonsense?” Guinevere: “If our experiences with dark magic has taught us anything, it’s that anything is possible. (To Lancelot:) Gather the guard.” (Lancelot nods and leaves. Guinevere stands and the courtiers begin to disperse leaving only Xena, Gabrielle and Morgana that remain.) Gabrielle: “Why is Lancelot so worried?” Guinevere: “Because the Knights of Medhir are a force to be reckoned with.” Morgana: (Cutting in:) “Don’t tell me you believe the story as well?” Guinevere: “It’s more than a story, Morgana. Some three hundred years ago, seven of Camelot’s knights were seduced by a sorcerer’s call. One by one, they succumbed to her power. At her command, they became a terrifying and brutal force that rode through the lands leaving death and destruction in their wake.” Xena: “What happened?” Guinevere: “It was only after the sorceress herself was killed that the Knights of Medhir finally grew still. Xena, if what Joseph says is true, then something has awoken them, and I fear for each and every one of us.” Gabrielle: “Don’t worry, your highness, Xena and I will ride out with Lancelot and the others.” Guinevere: “Thank you.” (Guinevere leaves the room. Before Morgana can follow her, Xena draws her sword and blocks Morgana’s path.) Xena: “A sorceress huh? Now who do we know that fits that description?” Morgana: “You cannot detain me like this! Move out of my way.” Xena: “You may have Guinevere fooled, but not me. If I find out you or any member of your family is behind this, I won’t hesitate.” Morgana: “My sister’s actions are her own. They’re nothing to do with me.” Xena: “Right.” (Xena re-sheathes her sword, allowing Morgana to pass and leave the room. Sharing a knowing look, Xena and Gabrielle hurry from the chamber to catch up with Lancelot.)

Storybrooke. Woods. (Walking through the woods together, Emma and David search for any troublemakers still making camp in the forest.) Emma: "You'd have thought with Guinevere back on the throne the people of Camelot would want to be there for her coronation. Or re-coronation, if that's a thing." David: "Once is usually enough for a coronation, but Camelot always has done things differently. As far as Guinevere's concerned, no ruler is universally liked, maybe people were looking for an excuse to leave and the recent upheaval was their chance?" Emma: "Maybe, but I doubt camping in the forest is a much better alternative." David: "Well, we've combed every part of this area. Want to meet up with Robin Hood and his men, see if they've noticed anyone?" Emma: "Sure, why not. Just as long as we're back before dark." David: "Oh that's right, Regina's performing tonight. That reminds me, Snow asked if it would be appropriate for us to bring Neal to the show?" Emma: "Is it ever okay to bring a minor into a bar?" David: (Chuckles:) "I think you can trust us not to give him any alcoholic beverages. He's bad enough with sugar." Emma: "I mean, I don't have a problem with it. I just don't think my brother needs to be there to see me throw my panties onstage during Regina's performance. But it's your call." (Emma keeps walking while David stands stock still, trying to shake that mental image out of his head.) Kingdom of Valencia. Hall of Ceremonies. (In what has turned out to be a busy day for Geoffrey of Monmouth, the hall is filled with onlookers as Catrina's coronation is about to take place.) Geoffrey: “We are gathered here to bear witness to the naming of Queen Catrina as the rightful heir to Valencia. (Turns to her:) Are you willing to take the oath?” Catrina: (While Gareth looks on smitten, still wearing the amulet, Catrina picks up the tiara from the ceremonial cushion and places it on her head:) “I am.” Geoffrey: “Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of Valencia, to uphold the laws and customs of the land?” Catrina: “I…do.” (Scratches her arm.) Geoffrey: “Will you, to your power cause law and justice in mercy to be executed in all your judgments?” Catrina: (Continues scratching:) “I will.” Geoffrey: “Will you, to the utmost of your powers… (Catrina checks her arm and sees troll skin:) …maintain the laws…” Catrina: “Yes, yes.”

Geoffrey: “I’m sorry, you-you must let me finish. The wording must be exactly right to be binding.” Catrina: “Well, get on with it then. I mean, really, where did you dig up this old crone from?” Gareth: “She’s right. Get on with it.” Geoffrey: “Will you, to the utmost of your powers…” Catrina: (Scratching even more:) “Yes, yes.” Geoffrey: “…maintain the laws and customs…” Catrina: “I will, I will.” Geoffrey: “…of the land, and serve the people of Valencia?” Catrina: “Yes! Just shut up and get out of my way!” (The court gasps while Catrina runs out of the Hall of Ceremonies.) Gareth: “Catrina!” Corridor. (Gareth follows her into the corridor followed shortly by Roberta, Richard and Henry. Catrina tries to find a way to escape.) Gareth: “Catrina!” (Guards point him toward the throne room.) Camelot. Upper Corridor. (Morgana sneaks through the castle and peeks around the corner at some guards. She descends to the burial vaults, sets fire to some brush and places it in a notch in the wall to create smoke in the corridor above. The guards investigate, leaving the corridor empty. Pleased that her plan worked, Morgana continues along the corridor undetected.)

Kingdom of Valencia. Throne Room. Gareth: “Catrina!” (Richard and Henry close the doors so Catrina can’t escape.) Gareth: “Whatever’s the matter?” Catrina: “I’m sorry… (Hides troll arm:) I don’t know what came over me. I, I just suddenly felt so hot. I, do you know, I think I need to be on my own, alright?” Roberta: (Innocently:) “Are you alright?” Catrina: “Yes, yes, I’m, I’m fine. Really, thank you. I just… (Richard locks the door:) Oh come on. Come on. (Her voice rough and raspy:) Open!” Gareth: “Let me. (Gareth sees Catrina’s troll arm and backs away:) What’s that?” (Catrina begins to transform.) Roberta: (Dryly:) “Oh my, what’s happening?" (Catrina completely transforms into a hideous creature.) Richard: (Pointing:) “You’re a troll!” (The Troll gasps and Gareth’s reverie is broken.) Gareth: “How dare you speak about her like that!” Richard: “What is wrong with you? Look at the state of her!” Henry: “I don’t believe it.” (The troll rips open the door and exits with a snarl.) Richard: “She just ripped a door off its hinges. Doesn’t that tell you something?” Gareth: “Enough!” Richard: “She’s a troll! A giant…grey…” Henry: “Stinking.” Richard: “Stinking troll!” Gareth: “Stop it! Haven’t you hurt her feelings enough? Insult Catrina again, it’ll be the last thing you ever do.” (Richard, Roberta and Henry stare slack-jawed at Gareth as he picks up Catrina’s shoes and exits.) Gareth’s Chambers. (Gareth follows Catrina to his chambers, before he can enter however, Roberta catches up with him and snatches the amulet from around his neck.) Roberta: “I’ll take that, thank you.” (Roberta shoves Gareth through the door. No longer under the amulet’s control, Gareth stares at the Troll for the first time.) Gareth: “Catrina? What kind of trickery is this?” Troll: “How I’ve suffered these last few days. Allowing you to touch me! Having to share a bed with you!” Gareth: “Ugh.” Troll: “It’s repulsive.” Gareth: “I know the feeling.” Troll: “Ooh, I’ve been looking forward to this.” Gareth: (Feeling nauseous:) “Guards! Seize…it!” (The Troll throws Gareth aside then fights off Richard and the guards. Jonas arrives and goes for Henry, but Henry runs him through. The Troll attacks Roberta but Richard literally pulls the rug out from under the Troll; she lands on her back and, recovering, Gareth takes his sword and finally runs her through.) Storybrooke. Forest. (Still searching in the woods, Emma stops for a moment to answer her phone.) Emma: (To David:) "It's Regina. (Answers:) Hey, babe. (Looks at her phone:) Huh, that's odd. (Phone beeps:) She left me a video message." Regina: (Via message:) "Hi, sweetie. I hope you've had a wonderful day tracking down troublemakers, but as you can see by the view behind me, the sun is setting. Which means it will soon be dark and time for my performance. Now while you did promise me you'd be there and I trust you with all of my heart, just in case you're stuck at the station I wanted to give you a little preview in the hopes it might... focus your mind on what's important." (David watches Emma while she watches Regina's message. Noticing her cheeks get redder and her jaw drop, he takes pity on his daughter.) David: "All right, no need to say anything, just go and I'll finish up here." Emma: (Tearing herself away from her phone screen, smiles at him:) "Thanks, Dad." (Without another word, Emma waves her hand and vanishes in a cloud of smoke.) Camelot. Woods. Sundown. (Morgana rushes toward Morgause who waits for her in the forest.) Morgause: “Where have you been?” Morgana: “I am watched closer than ever in the castle. The Warrior Princess does not trust me.” Morgause: “Do not worry. The Knights of Medhir have been awakened and are under my command.” Morgana: “Then it is time?” Morgause: “The knights are mighty, but they cannot bring down the city on their own. You, too, must play your part.” Morgana: “Tell me what I must do.” (Morgause holds out a staff.) Morgause: “It’s carved from the Rowan tree that grows at the very heart of the Isle of the Blessed. Only the High Priestesses and their Bloodguard have ever set eyes on it.” Morgana: “My magic is... do you believe I have the strength to wield such an instrument?” Morgause: “Do not worry. The staff will guide you. It carries its own power.” Morgana: (Takes the staff:) “I will not fail you.”

#sq #swanqueen #swan queen

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dragonmp93 · 5 years ago

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The Morgana Checklist

You know, maybe this is just because i saw Joker over the weekend, or it’s the CW-induced paranoia talking, but i think that Supergirl’s writers are basically using Morgana as a blueprint for Lena, because they lazy like that or love to much Katie as Morgana.

So i created this check list for all the things that Morgana are Lena have in common:

1) Glowing Eyes:

Probably not the last time that Lena’s eyes are going to glow.

2) Horrible Childhood and Abusive Parent:

King Uther Pendragon was a huge ass in general and very abusive towards Arthur and Morgana.

Lillian Luthor is evil, kind-of psychotic, and extremely smart and manipulative that mistreated Lena in favor of her favoritism for Lex, at least until he tried to kill her; may as well start bonding with Lena, given that she is “EEEVVVIIILLL” now.

Something curious is that they both hated what the show’s main hero is, Merlin being a magic user in Uther’s case, and Supergirl being an alien in Lillian’s.

3) Their adoptive father is actually their biological father.

Morgana/Lena were adopted by Uther Pendragon/Lionel Luthor and grew thinking that of him as a unrelated-by-blood father figure, and part of their character arcs was finding out that they were their biological daughters after all and a Pendragon/Luthor after all.

4) Internalized hate.

“Magic users are evil“ = “The Luthor family is nothing more than a terrorist group“

5) Not right in the head.

Morgana is described in TvTropes as the “Mentally Disturbed”; and it’s pretty obvious that Lena is mentally and emotionally in a very dark and bad place right now.

6)Betrayal from show’s main hero and who the show is named after.

7) Missing Mom.

We never learned much from neither Morgana’s mom or Lena’s mom, there is not even an actress to portray her as, the only things that we know is that they died long before the start of the show and had an affair with Uther/Lionel that resulted in pregnancy.

About Morgana’s mom, we only knew that her name was Vivienne and maybe from her is where Morgana’s magic comes from; and about Lena’s mom, we only know that Lena watched her drown in the ocean.

Fun fact: In the Arthurian Legends, Vivienne is one of the name of the Lady of the Lake, the water being that gave King Arthur got his famous sword, Excalibur.

8) Doomed by Canon

Morgan Le Fay was never a good person in the Arthurian Legends, but how much a threat she was varied from tale to tale, but a recurring element was her trying to destroy Guinevere’s life and her relationship with Arthur; so in Morgana’s case, it was simply a matter of waiting the shoe to drop.

Lena Luthor, in the DC Comics’ main line, at least since the Rebirth pseudo-reboot, is extremely dangerous and evil, like being an ally of Darkseid himself and invited to live in his home planet, Apokolips. (Given that DC is currently rewriting their timeline, god knows if Lena will remain evil in the new continuity).

Also in her other current versions, like the both of the DC Superhero Girls universes (the webseries and the cartoon), she is evil as well and somewhat mentally unstable; there is also Tess Mercer, while genuinely good, she was terribly misguided in her actions.

9) Evil Sole Friend

After the events that started their downfall and deterioration of their mental health, Morgana and Lena spend the time between the seasons of the show, (it’s funny that in both shows, it happened at the end of the season, in the second-to-last in Merlin’s case, while it was the actual season finale in the case of Supergirl), alone with the exception of the only being that they thought that they could trust: Morgause, Morgana’s sister, and Hope, the AI that Lena built and later possessed Eve’s body.

If the Supergirl’s writers are really committed to copying Morgana’s arc, then Hope will remain fiercely loyal to Lena and never turning on Lena, something pretty rare in fiction, especially in superhero stories, because it’s almost a law that if you created a robot, that thing is going to turn on you regardless of morality; for instance, the evil Ultron ended up creating the good and heroic Vision.

10) First evil season.

Morgana in Merlin S3 behaved in a pretty similar way to Lena has acted in S5, so everyone thought that Morgana had forgave them for what happened at the end of S2, and that she was still good girl Morgana, without anyone noticing that she had gone to the dark side and had been plotting with Morgause.

So Hope has been a pretty close equivalent for Morgause so far, while Kara hasn’t noticed that there is something wrong with Lena; and everyone else being to busy in their own messes to check on Lena on their own.

11) Psychotic Smile.

In conclusion, if Lena starts smiling like this when Kara is not looking, then it will be a pretty good indicator that she is gone and off the deep end of evil.

And may end impaled with Excalibur by Kara, because why not, they already copied everything else, so why not that too.

#supergirl #lena luthor #katie mcgrath #supergirl cw

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merlinfic · 6 years ago

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group ask for lost fics #12

Hi y’all! Again, below are a few lost fics that both Mod Eirene and I just can’t seem to find. That being said, we’re hoping that you lovely followers are able to help! If anyone knows any of the fics below please reply or send in an ask with which anon/user and group ask that the fic corresponds with!

Note: previous group asks and all lost fics!

Anon 1 asked:

Hello! Maybe you can help me find a fic. I don't remember the name but merlin sleeps with arthur and then he finds an egg? And is a human baby inside? Is modern but I dont remember much sorry! Thanh you anyway!

Anon 2 asked:

Hey, I’m looking for this fic where Arthur is supposed to be on a blind date but she doesn’t show up. Merlin does (I think he might be a journalist or something but not really relevant) and saves A... later Gwen (who is Arthur’s ex??) shows up w/ Lance. I just remember Merlin knowing Arthur likes guys ‘cause he saw him checking out Lance’s ass lol... TYx

Thanks @chechilia for sending in Stand-in Valentine by Michaelssw0rd!

Anon 3 asked:

Hi! Would you be able to help me? I’m looking for a specific fic. It was like back to the future. Arthur has died and Merlin went back in time to save him but miscalculated or something and ended up in canon era. I’ve been looking for this fic for months!

Thanks @boombahey for sending in From Cardiff to Camelot by rufferto!

@aeonthedimensionalgirl asked:

I'm trying to find a good! Morgana fic that I only managed to read in between. It was multichapter, Merthur, and it had Morgana at first working with Morgause, but then realising that she was kinda of insane. Basically she killed Morgause and while that happned, Merlin and Arhtur were being attacked by some creatures and Arthur simply yelled at Merlin to use his magic and he did and then nearly died by protecting Arthur from one of the beasts but still managed to destroy them. Please and thanks!

Anon 4 asked:

I’m looking for a spesific fic all I remember is Merlin was a doctor and he didn’t like Arthur much at first then Merlin went to library Arthur came he wasn’t wearing wearing a top and merlin wasn’t wearing any trousers Arthur brought wine and wrapped his arms behind merlin I’m pretty sure it was a merthur fanfic on ao3 and probably uploaded at 2012-2013 or 2014 please help me find it?

@consultinghubbies asked:

Hello, I love you blog. I’ve found so many wonderful fics through it that I otherwise wouldn’t have known about. However, I was hoping you’d be able to help locate a fic. It’s a Merthur mpreg fic in which merlin had been hiding the fact that he’s pregnant and ends up going into labor during a ceremony. It takes place right after they defeat Morgana’s undead army. Thank you again for all the work you put into this blog.

@imurcoffeegal asked:

I’m looking for a specific fic where this prince comes along and is an arse to merlin and they end up all going on a mission and Merlin makes one of the guys invisable and then they all know about merlins magic. Any ideas as to what it is?

Thanks to @alurkerofnote for suggesting The Knights Have a Thousand Eyes by Stakeaclaim

And as always this post will be updated if any fics are found! :)

#other: group asks for lost fics #other: lost fics #other: fic find #mod danielle

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a-winterprince-blog · 7 years ago

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Family Ties (9/15)

Summary: Not long after receiving a strange warning in a dream, Killian finds himself forced to go to Camelot and deal with a long forgotten enemy. The heroes follow to aid him, but soon they are pulled into a net of family secrets and intrigues, with a foe who seems to bring back the dead. Killian is reunited with his family, but can he trust them? Rating: Mature Content Warning: Mention of rape and minor character death. Corresponding chapters will be marked accordingly.

As always, a huge thank you goes out to my wonderful beta @onceuponadisneypotter (AO3) and my two amazing artists:@thisisartyanna and @captainodonoghue! You can find the story on ff.net, as well.

@thisisartyanna has actually made an amazing artwork for this chapter, you can find it here!

Killian looked around the ballroom. Ironic, that he of all people should find himself here. In a fancy, candlelit hall in the heart of Camelot, dressed like a nobleman. He remembered the last time he'd been to a ball. It had been in the past, with Emma. David's engagement ball. Emma's first ball. He looked at her now, standing next to her parents, dressed in a simple yet stunning white dress. Her hair was braided around her head, and there was a flower tucked between her blond strands. Clearly her mother's work.

His eyes scanned the room for Elaine. They had agreed not to do anything at the ball with the entire courtroom watching, but he wanted to make sure she didn’t escape him again. He found her on the dance floor, engaged in a waltz with one of the knights. Her purple dress almost brushed the floor, but she never stumbled. He watched her for a few minutes, trying to get more hints. What was going through her head? Was she thinking about where she kept Calie? Was she silently triumphing, or was she worried knowing he’d seen through her mask?

According to the crocodile, there was a chance that the diamonds only stopped the direct use of magic. Magical objects that had been enchanted before could still work. A cloaking spell hidden in a piece of jewelry, for example, could hide her real face. The only jewelry he could see was the silver necklace with the triple spiral, the pendant yet again hidden under her dress. He remembered his mother wearing it. It had meant a lot to her, she’d always said it reminded her of her roots.

Killian clenched and unclenched his fist, trying to keep himself in check. Who was with Calie at this very moment? Considering how often he saw Elaine around the castle, she couldn’t be with her enough. Maybe she had someone else look after her? He wasn’t sure if that was better or worse.

"What are you doing?" he heard a voice behind him. He didn't need to turn around to recognize it was Emma's.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna stab her in the middle of the ballroom", he muttered. "Just making sure she doesn't go anywhere."

"We can't know for sure that it's her." There was a warning tone in Emma's voice. "I know you want to find her, so do I, but let's not rush into things! What if we're wrong?"

"Who else could she be?" he hissed. “She knew my real name. She has magic. She is wearing my mother’s necklace."

"Are you sure it’s hers?" Emma asked, gently touching his arm. “It could just look the same. It could be a coincidence.”

“And my name?” He decidedly shook his head. "It must be her. I know it."

“You won’t find anything at a ball, Killian,” she whispered. “With so many people around, she’s gonna be extra careful.”

He sighed. "You're right, love."

She gently put her hand on his arm, sliding it up to his shoulder. It was a simple gesture, on that was almost second nature to them, but he realized it hadn't been like this since they arrived in Camelot. After their fight, and with all the worry about his daughter, being close to Emma had almost become a rarity.

"If we're not going to play detective, we might as well act according to the occasion," he said with a smile. He took her hand in his, kissing it in old gentleman fashion.

"Emma Swan, may I have this dance?"

After a moment, she smiled. "If you must."

He led her on the dance floor, the other couples making space for them. There were certain perks to passing as a royal, he figured, trying to ban Morgause from his mind. He’d been so focused on her that he’d distanced himself from Emma. She was right, there was nothing he could do at the ball. He wasn’t betraying Calie if he enjoyed his moment. He wasn’t about to lose what he had with Emma because of some sadistic witch.

Emma put one hand on his shoulder and grasped his prosthetic with her other. He slid his good arm around her waist, and they started moving to the rhythm. It took her a while to get back into it, but as he’d already told her last time, she was a natural.

“Your royal blood is starting to show,” he teased as he watched her spin in front of him.

“Shut up,” she scoffed, failing to suppress her grin.

“I am fairly certain a princess is not supposed to use such strong language.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you are one to talk.”

He pulled her closer, bringing his lips to her ear. “I’m a bloody sailor, love. It’s expected of me.”

She chuckled, wrapping her arms around him and slowly swaying to the music. “Pirate.”

“Always,” he grinned, sighing as he buried his nose in her hair.

Holding her felt so good. He hadn’t realized how desperately he yearned for somebody to lean on. With Calie gone, his mind seemed scattered, his body restless. Emma was pulling him back together again, and helping him calm down.

“I’m tired of fighting,” he whispered, his fingers gently caressing the small of her back.

“Me, too,” she answered, pulling away to look at his face. “I’m sorry for what I said.”

“So am I. You would never hurt Calie, or me.”

She smiled and pulled him closer for a kiss. He relaxed, as a huge weight lifted from his heart. Fighting with Emma had drained him more than he thought. But when she tried to deepen the kiss, he gently stopped her.

“This isn’t your world, love. We shouldn’t be doing this in public, even less in a royal ballroom.”

“Yeah, I know. This is basically porn for them.”

He raised an eyebrow in confusion. “What’s porn?”

Emma sighed. “Not here, not now. And don’t ask my parents about it, I don’t want to have to explain how it came up. Come on, let’s join the others.”

Still confused, he followed her through the crowd, trying to find the rest of their allies. How her world could have so many unfamiliar words even though they spoke the same language, he would never understand.

“They will all be fine,” Robin said, clearly trying to calm down the others.

“What’s going on?” Emma asked as they joined the group. As soon as they came to a halt, Killian slid an arm around her, enjoying the fact that he could do that again.

“I don’t feel good leaving Neal alone with a stranger,” Snow said, arms hugging her body. “What if he gets scared? That nanny won’t call for us.”

“It’s just for one night,” Emma assured her. “He’s gone that long without you before.”

“Yes, with you, or Granny, or someone else we trust!”

“And we were always one phone call away,” David added.

“Rose is too young to be away from her parents,” Belle said, biting her lip.

Tell that to Calie, Killian thought, but he could just about stop himself from saying it out loud. He understood their worry. He, himself, had thought questions like these were vital for Calie’s development only a week ago. If he let her out of his sight for too long, he’d been sure she’d grow up resenting him for it. Now, the questions he asked himself were more along the lines of Is she alive? Is she starving or freezing? Will I ever see her again?

“I hope she remembers to check in on Henry,” Regina said, pacing up and down. “He wouldn’t miss something like this for the world. If he says he can’t go to a royal ball, he’s seriously sick!”

“He’s a teenager,” Emma reminded her. And he’ll be fine.”

Suddenly, there was a violent tremor in the earth. They all grabbed each other’s arms to keep their balance, blending out the terrified screams from the other guests.

“What is this?” David asked. “An earthquake?”

Just as soon as it had started, it was over. The people were still frightened, looking around for loved ones. Thankfully, none of the prized chandeliers had fallen from the ceiling.

“No,” Rumplestiltskin snarled. He lifted his cane from the ground, carefully putting weight on his crippled foot. “Magic.”

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” a woman shouted, drawing several hundred eyes to herself.

“Morgause,” Killian whispered, recognizing her immediately.

He felt the blood fade from his face. He instantly searched the room with his eyes, looking for Lady Elaine. She was nowhere to be seen. He knew it.

“I am terribly sorry for that little earthquake, it was not easy to disable the crystal. But I can happily assure you that magic now roams free in this castle.”

The first one to speak was Arthur. He, too, was very pale. “Begone, demon!” he yelled, surrounded by his knights.

Killian frowned as he suddenly saw the hint of a purple dress behind him. Elaine? Was she not Morgause after all?

Now she stepped forward, and he could see that it was really her. But if she wasn’t Morgause, who was she?

“Killian!” Morgause shouted, quickly approaching him. “It is so good to finally see you again, annwyl. You have grown up. And how handsome you are! When was the last time I saw you? Was it that time you begged me not to hurt your mommy?”

She raised her hand, and suddenly his throat tightened. He couldn’t breathe and started gasping for air.

“Leave him alone!” Emma yelled, trying to push the air, but Morgause waved her hand and paralyzed her along with the others.

“I thought we’d been through that, little savior. You can’t beat me.”

The black spots in Killian’s vision got bigger, and his knees gave out beneath him. His hand was at his throat, frantically trying to push away the magical fingers blocking his windpipe.

“Are you going to kill him?” he hear Rumplestiltskin ask. He didn’t seem worried, just curious.

Why wasn’t he frozen like the others? It didn’t matter. All that mattered was oxygen, or his lack thereof. He gasped like a fish, barely clinging to consciousness.

“No, that would be boring. I’m counting on his mommy to save him.”

Suddenly the weight around his throat disappeared, and cold, fresh, wonderful air filled his lungs. He greedily inhaled it, his throat on fire, barely processing what was going on. There was a fireball in front of him. He should probably move, since it was coming closer, but the air was so wonderful he couldn’t think of anything else.

Then there was a purple flash before his eyes, and someone was standing there, shielding him. He blinking, finally slowing his breathing and with it, his thoughts. Shakily, he got back on his feet.

Lady Elaine was standing right in front of him, and she had her arms crossed above her head, a protective gloom surrounding her.

“There you are,” Morgause said with a smile. “But you are still hiding. Show me your face. I haven’t seen you in two hundred years!”

Elaine’s hand clasped around the triple spiral pendant. She yanked at it, and suddenly her features changed. Her red hair turned dark, and he couldn’t see her face from where he was standing, but he knew what it looked like. It was impossible for her to be here, and yet, she was.

“Mother,” he whispered.

Morgana looked over her shoulder, their eyes meeting. He stared at her blankly, mind racing, trying to make sense of what was happening. She had magic, she wore her necklace, and she knew his name. Of course these things wouldn’t only be true for Morgause, but also for his mother. But he hadn’t thought it possible, because he’d been convinced she was dead.

She was dead. He’d seen it. He’d been a child back then, but this moment had burned itself into his memory. He remembered the crowd gathering around the pyre and watching, cheering as the guards lit it on fire. Just before his father and brother made him look away, his eyes found his mother's. Then there was nothing but the darkness of his father’s clothes, which he pressed his face into. But he could still hear her scream, a sound more terrifying than anything else he’d ever heard again. He remembered the smell of burning flesh, cruelly reminding him of grilled pork.

Killian closed his eyes, shaking off unbidden memories. How could she be here? If she was alive, was Kara, too?

“It’s so good to see you, sister,” Morgause said with a grin. “It’s been a while.”

“Leave,” Morgana answered. “You cannot win this fight.”

The sister started circling each other like in a dance that both knew by heart.

“You and I both know that I am far more powerful than you,” Morgause scoffed.

“But you are alone,” Morgana hissed back, flicking her wrist and unfreezing everyone. “And you have a plan. I know you do. You can’t risk it to fail, not yet.”

Morgause seemed to consider her options, letting her gaze wander over everyone.

Morgana’s interference seemed to have weakened her sister’s spell. Emma shook it off and stepped forward, her hand glowing with magic. “Where are you keeping Calie?” she demanded.

Regina clicked her fingers, producing a flame.

Morgause looked back at her sister and smiled. “I got what I needed.”

Without saying another word, she disappeared, leaving behind chaos.

The other guests awakened from the shock they had been in.

“Demon!” someone yelled. “She has come back from the dead to haunt us!”

A wave of panic rolled through the crowd and they tried to run away, making the sign of the cross.

Arthur emerged from the mob, making his way to them. He looked mortified, and Killian wondered if it was because of the magic or because he was worried about his reputation as a host.

The king stared at him, and it suddenly hit Killian that he must recognize him. He slightly opened his mouth, unsure of how he should act. Every instinct screamed at him to run away.

“We should go,” Morgana said as Arthur’s knights approached them quickly, hoping to catch the witch. “Everybody hold hands!”

Before the king’s men could reach them, they had disappeared into thin air.

They reappeared in a small forest, no one else around them. Emma quickly scanned heir surroundings.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“Far from the castle,” Morgana assured her.

“Mother,” Killian said, embracing her.

She responded by holding him tightly, hand stroking his hair. Emma could hear her quietly talking to him.

“My son,” she whispered. “My baby boy. Look at you, all grown up!”

She felt like an intruder in this private moment, but she couldn’t help her curiosity. This was Killian’s mother, after all. He’d never said a word about her before they came here, and now she was actually here. What was she like?

Suddenly she realized that this woman knew him as a child. What had he been like?

“How can you be here?” Killian asked, his voice breaking. He released her to look at her face. Despite everything that was going on, he looked truly happy.

Morgana smiled, caressing his cheek. “It’s a long story, one that we better save for another day.”

She seemed to want to say something else, but she didn’t get the chance.

“Our children are still at the castle!” Belle called.

Morgana looked at her, suddenly alarmed. “Are they in your chambers?”

When everyone nodded, she reached out her hands for Belle and Snow. A moment later they were gone.

Emma looked at Killian.

“So, your mom, huh?” she asked, unable to think of anything better to say.

He nodded silently, still staring at the spot where she had last stood.

“She was there the whole time,” David said. “She was Lady Elaine, and none of us knew!”

“How could you have?” Killian snorted. “You never knew her. I should have known. I took her for Morgause.”

“You couldn’t have known, either,” Emma said, trying to calm him down.

Suddenly Morgana and the others reappeared, Snow and Belle both holding their children.

“Henry’s gone,” Snow said immediately.

“What?” Emma and Regina blurted out immediately.

“He’s not in his chamber. The maid didn’t see him go.”

“What if Arthur took him hostage?” Emma whispered horrified.

Belle shook her head. “He didn’t have enough time for that. The maid didn’t even know what happened in the ballroom. We teleported outside the room, she didn’t see us using magic. She has no reason to lie to us.”

“Then where the hell is he?” Regina asked. No one knew the answer.

Henry looked at the cave in front of him and then back to Kara.

“Is this it?” he asked.

She nodded, eyes focused on the darkness within.

“The spell in there detects magic,” she explained. “It’s why I can’t go in. She’d know immediately.”

“But I can?” Henry clarified.

She hesitated, meeting his eyes for a split second.

“You should be able to. Look, you don’t have to…”

“I’ll do it,” he said. “I’ll be quick.”

Everyone thought he was a child, too young to be let in on their plans or even go to a stupid royal ball. He’d prove them wrong, once and for all.

Kara smiled. She stepped forward, giving him an awkward, quick hug. “Thanks. Be careful.”

He nodded, trying to look confident. “Careful is my middle name. What’s your mother’s name?”

“Morgana,” she answered. “Morgana le Fay.” Seeing the look he gave her, she added. “She’s Morgause’s sister. But don’t worry, the crazy doesn’t run in the family.”

“Okay,” Henry whispered.

He turned to the cave, heart beating nervously. What the hell was he doing? Deciding that it was too late to turn back, he entered, shivering against the sudden cold. It was dark, and he could barely see anything. He reached for the flashlight he had brought. Yep, he would need it. It was a good thing that it had been in his pocket when they went through the portal. He held onto it, not lighting it yet. He would need it later.

Morgana le Fay. If she was Morgause’s sister, she must surely be powerful. Would she help them fight her? He really hoped so. After all, he was about to save her and reunite her with her daughter.

Henry carefully tiptoed through the darkness. Where was he going? And why was he being quiet anyway? Morgause surely wasn’t here. She must be wherever she was keeping Calie. Where was she keeping Calie? What if she was keeping her here? He wondered if it had been a stupid idea to come here. But there was no turning back now.

He had already brought considerable distance between himself and the entrance, and he could barely see anything. He wouldn’t get far without a light, so he switched it on, covering it with his hand. Something rustled, and he flinched.

“Hello?” a weak voice called. It was a woman, he realized.

He wasn’t sure if he should answer. What if she wasn’t Morgana le Fay? What if someone was listening? He came closer, every muscle tensed, ready to turn around and run at any moment.

“Who’s there?” the voice called again. He was getting closer.

“Are you Morgana le Fay?” he asked, whispering.

He could see her now. She was standing behind the bars of a cell, her dark hair dirty and long. She squeezed her eyes and turned away from the light.

“Why?” she asked hoarsely.

“Don’t worry, I’m here to help you. My name is Henry.”

He pinned the light under his arm and reached under his coat.

“What are you doing here, Henry?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m getting you out! You are Morgana, right?”

“Yes,” the woman said with a smile. “Yes, I am. How did you find me?”

“I met your daughter, Kara.”

“Really?” Morgana said as she watched him search his pockets. “How is she?”

He grabbed the needles he had stolen from the castle and started picking the lock on her cell.

“She’s fine. But she misses you.” Scrambling with the needles, he tried to remember where to press.

“I miss her, too,” Morgana said. After that, he watched him in silence as he tried to pick the lock, constantly readjusting the light under his arms.

“My mom’s better at this, but she won’t teach me,” he said apologetically. “I learned it from a video on YouTube. It might take a while.”

He cursed quietly when his hands slipped and he almost dropped the flashlight.

“Can you hold it for me?” he asked and she reached through the bars to grab it, frowning at the unfamiliar object.

“Is this a magic tool?”

“No. Well, almost. It’s called electricity. But it doesn’t have anything to do with this world’s magic.”

“You shouldn’t be here”, Morgana suddenly said, nervously stepping from one foot on the other. “That witch locked the cell with magic. You can’t open it, and if she comes back and sees you, you’re in trouble.”

“She won’t! We’ll be gone before she knows it!”

“Is that so?” a cold voice behind him said.

Henry spun around, coming face to face with a woman.

He instantly knew this was Morgause. She looked down on him, smiling coldly.

“Leave him alone!” Morgana begged. “He’s just a child!”

“He should have stayed with his mother!” she hissed, producing a flame.

All Henry could do was close his eyes as she threw it at him, and then – nothing.

He opened his eyes. Morgause seemed just as confused as he was.

“What?” she stared at her hand. She produced another flame, throwing it at him, but it didn’t burn him.

Before she could launch another attack, someone swung at her from behind with a stick. Morgause dodged the attack, quickly grabbing the weapon.

When she turned, the light fell on Kara’s face and Henry’s heart sank,

“Who do we have here?” Morgause snarled, holding her tightly with her left arm and tightening her right hand around Kara’s windpipe, making her gasp.

“Into the cell, now!” the witch hissed. The door swung open behind him.

Henry watched Kara’s face turn dark as she struggled to break free and did as Morgause said.

“Please, don’t hurt her,” he pleaded.

“Don’t worry, I won’t kill her today.”

Morgause let go of Kara and shoved her into the cell behind him, locking the door and sealing it with a flick of her wrist. She turned around and stalked away, spinning the keys on her finger for them to see.

“Are you alright?” Henry asked, looking at Kara.

She nodded, feeling her throat with her hands. “Alive,” she confirmed, her voice raspy.

“Morgana,” Henry said, turning to her. “I’m sorry our rescue mission kinda failed, but is there anything you can do to get us all out?”

She looked at him, eyes flicking nervously, her mouth half opened as if she wanted to say something.

“Henry,” Kara suddenly said, looking at her for the first time. “That’s not my mother.”

“What?” Henry asked. “But… I asked you and… why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I really wanted to get out,” the woman said, tears shining in her eyes. She blinked them away angrily. “I wasn’t sure if you’d still help me if I told you the truth. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to get stuck here as well.”

“Then who the bloody hell are you?” Kara hissed angrily as Henry examined the rest of the cell with the flashlight.

He noticed that the wall was covered in markings. Markings that prisoners made to count the days they spent in their cells. There were many. So, so many. One particular marking stood out, being deeper and longer than the other ones.

“My name is Milah,” the woman said.

“Milah?” Henry gasped, surprised. “Calie’s mom?”

“Calie?” Milah frowned. “Who’s Calie.”

“Do you know Killian Jones?” Henry asked, pointing his flashlight at her again.

To his left, he heard Kara suck in her breath.

“Yes,” Milah answered, barely audible. “Do you? Where is he? Is he alright?”

“Yeah, he’s fine. But… you had a kid with him, didn’t you? That’s Calie. Well, Calypso, actually. Calypso Milah. He named her after you.”

“Calie…,” Milah whispered. “She’s fine? She’s with Killian? I thought… the witch…”

“Well… she was with Killian...,” Henry winced. “Morgause kidnapped her a few days ago. That’s why we’re here. To get her back.”

“The witch – Morgause – kidnapped her?” Milah asked incredulously. “That doesn’t make any sense! She had her in the first place!”

“Yeah,” Henry sighed. “That’s weird.”

“So, back to Killian Jones,” Kara threw in, her voice shaking. “He’s my brother.”

#csbb #csbb2017 #captain swan big bang #captain swan #captain hook #killian jones #emma swan #ff #family ties

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wipdfic · 7 years ago

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Crystal’s Call (Revision)

So a loooong time ago, I did the Paper Legends Merlin Big Bang and started this series. I participated for two years and then decided I could finish the third and final part of the story without the aid of a timed challenge. Ah, how young and naive I was. Anyway, I basically never got around to it, but keep creeping towards the goal in the form of editing the existing story hoping to get back into it. I kind of fell off the Merlin fandom after that series ending.

Anyway, I’ve managed to edit the first story and post it successfully. That was like…2 years ago. I’ve finished most of the edit for the second story and once that’s done I’m going to start on the last part. That’s the plan anyway. The first part is posted to AO3 here. The second part is also posted, but I’ll be posting the cleaned up revised chapters to this blog until it’s all done. Weee!

Chapter 1

“Fang Two to Fang Leader. We have visual. Target is on second level with three others. AE levels positive on all spectra ranging from red to amber.”

Arthur’s jaw clenched as he heard the confirmation, pulse increasing in anticipation. He sat monitoring communications from their make-shift command center in a van a couple of blocks away from the building they were surveilling. This could finally be the break they’d been waiting for. The man they were tracking, Alvarr, was a known associate of Morgause Gorlois, and the closest thing they had to a lead on Morgana’s whereabouts. Six months had passed since the two women had vanished from the grounds of Arthur’s university. Six months of searching and praying, knowing that every moment that Morgana was missing made it all the more likely that she would never be found. Morgause had gone to ground, and she was not making herself easy to find.

Arthur quickly took note of the information that had been given, mind working on the best way to approach the situation. They would be dealing with four sorcerers. Four relatively powerful sorcerers if the Arcane Energy levels were accurate. It was rare enough to find sorcerers with enough magic to even register on their aurameters anymore, and those who did were usually in the weaker end of the spectrum; red, occasionally orange, but almost never anything brighter. Before meeting Merlin, Arthur hadn’t even known that sorcerers could register in the white-gold range reserved for magic in its purest form, and he was pretty sure that Merlin was the only living soul who had come by that much power through natural means.

In the wake of the continued depletion of magic in the world, seeing an AE reading of amber or brighter meant augmentation of some kind. For the general public, PendraCor enhancers were becoming more and more common, the public unaware of their sinister origins. But on the streets, in darker circles that would rather avoid supporting the likes of Uther Pendragon, another form of augmentation had begun cropping up. Tales of magic theft were becoming more and more common, and with four sorcerers with that much power, Arthur had a sinking suspicion that they were in for more than just a snatch and grab on this one.

Arthur shared a look with Leon and knew that his commanding officer had drawn the same conclusion. They were more likely than not looking at a ‘Charging Station’, the euphemism used to describe the places were magic was stolen from some in order to “charge up” others. This meant not only facing stronger sorcerers, but also the likelihood of civilians in peril. They’d come across places like this a couple of times before and learned some valuable lessons. Like the fact that stolen magic was more unstable, less predictable, and generally harder for its wielder to control. Between this and the potential victims underfoot, they would have to tread very carefully.

“Signs of shields or wards?” Leon asked Lance over the comm.

“Affirmative. Can’t get a read on how strong, but the building schematics show that there is a basement and subbasement level, and I can’t get anything from those areas. Only one of our sensors is picking up anything at all.”

Translation: Their standard issue equipment wasn’t cutting it so Lance had pulled out the “trick” equipment that Arthur had provided him; equipment that had appeared in Arthur’s room one morning with no indication of where it had come from, but had a warm familiar tingle that pulled at his heart and a spot just beyond his navel. That feeling had been answer enough and reason enough for Arthur to know the equipment could be trusted.

He’d received a few such deliveries over the past several months, all with the same familiar warmth. But despite knowing that Merlin was the source, he’d never heard from the man himself. He didn’t know how Merlin knew that his team would need the help; didn’t know why the other man made no attempts to contact him, but he was grateful. Especially now when it looked like Merlin’s gifts would make all the difference in whether or not they’d be able to attain their objective and get one step closer to getting Morgana back.

The van that was serving as their command center was silent as Leon considered their options. As much as he hated to admit it, Arthur was glad that it was not up to him to make the decision in this situation. It had been one thing to lead a team through drills and mock combat scenarios, even some of the simpler recon missions, but this was different. Lives were at stake. His team’s lives, the lives of the people who were likely held prisoner in that building. Morgana’s. Much as there was part of him that wanted to be the one to bring these bastards to justice, he lacked the proper experience to pull off an operation of this magnitude. He was man enough to admit that.

“Alright Arthur, break it down. What are our considerations?” Arthur started slightly at being addressed. Leon did this often, but he wasn’t expecting a command drill on a mission like this. He wasted a precious few seconds blinking in confusion.

“You have less than a minute, soldier. Considerations!” That snapped Arthur’s brain and mouth into gear.

“Four sorcerers on the second level. Heavy shielding on the lower levels. Target is in sight, but we don’t know what reinforcements might be in the lower levels. If we go in, we’ll be going in blind. The entire building is probably shielded so we’ll have to find a way through the shield first. We need this target alive and there are likely civilians. We don’t want to use lethal force. Stun charges, shock grenades. Inhibitor rounds if we have to.”

“Suggested course of action?”

Arthur paused at this. What would be the best way to get in and out with as little risk as possible? Surprise was their best advantage at this point. There was no indication that the people in the building were at all aware that their location had been compromised. But with shields and wards, anyone with magic in the building would be alerted as soon as the team got close enough. They had to be careful how they played this.

“We need to get past the shields. We have a couple of tricks for shield cracking, but the target will be alerted as soon as we use them. We’d have to move fast.”

“Strike points?”

“We split the team. Half goes high, half goes low. We hit both the upper and lower levels at the same time. Break the shields and break in. Speed and surprise will be our edge.”

“Good, Arthur. You’re getting better at calling these things. You matched my thoughts almost exactly with the exception of a few details.”

Rather than explaining further, Leon puled his facemask down hiding all features and activating the AE goggles built into the mask. That was Arthur’s cue to do the same. He followed Leon out of the van even as the older man began issuing orders to the team.

“Listen up Dragons, here’s the play. We’re going in fast and hard. Bravo and Charlie will take the high ground. Alpha and Delta go low. Delta, you’re out back, Fang One and I will come in through the front. Echo will split and take Over-watch. Make sure no one gets out of that building. Fang Three, I know you’ve got some tricks up your sleeve. You’re to hit the second level shield first, long distance, and get in the moment the shield is down. We’ll wait for your signal before attacking the shield on the first level. With any luck, anyone downstairs will be distracted enough from the first attack that they won’t see us coming. Confirm.”

Arthur listened as each member of the team checked in to confirm that they understood their role in the mission, counting down from Fang Nine. Arthur was last to add his confirmation after which Leon gave a firm nod.

“Alright then gentlemen. Take your positions. We go live in five.”

Even as the order was being given, Arthur was reaching into one of the many pockets in his strike gear to find the small satchel of Merlin’s gifts. There were not many; a few very special bullets, a personal shielding device, a few emergency teleportation beads, a pair of spelled handcuffs that could bind magic, and some very special coins designed as protection for sorcerers who might need to hide. And, of course the shield-cracker. He’d received four in total, little glass marbles that had a core of light at their center when closely observed. He handed three out to his men from Camelot University; the junior division of the Dragon Corps that he had been responsible for training. They were friends and brothers all, and though he did keep some of the special item for himself, he did his best to make sure the advantage was shared out to the entire unit. Well…almost the entire until.

Although there had only been rare occasions when the trick tech came into play, the other members of the Dragon Corps, those who had trained under Leon away from the university and had never been under Arthur’s command, were aware that Arthur had some slightly different tools at his disposal, but he’d never shared the source of said tools. They assumed that he had access to improved technomancy through his father, and Arthur never made any attempt to dissuade them of that assumption. Leon was the only one he had told, as his commanding officer and someone who was like a brother to him, and Leon had made the call to keep the origin of the enhanced devices under wraps for the time being.

Arthur palmed the little ball of light in preparation for their attack. Most of the team had already checked in that they were in position. There was only a bit of roof hopping to be made for most of the unit, the biggest shift probably being for the two men of Echo Team to get into Over-watch positions. Arthur was with Leon, moving out of the covered alley where their van was hidden, sticking to the shadows as they made their way to the building on foot. It was only a block away and took them seconds to get into position in an alley across the street. Final checks came in. The team was in position. Leon gave the order, (“Fang Three, if you would”) and everything went, immediately, sideways.

The moment the shield cracker made contact with the shield, Arthur knew. He and Leon were already rushing forwards, but even as they did he could tell that something was wrong. It was a feeling that he recognized, had experienced a few times. Magic building too fast with unpredictable and often disastrous results. He was never sure why it was that he could feel it the way he could. It hadn’t taken him long when growing up to understand that it wasn’t something that everyone could feel, especially those without magic, but he had learned to use it as a tool; was particularly grateful for it in times like this.

“Brace!” he shouted over the comm, grabbing Leon and pulling him to the ground just before the power broke. Arthur felt it as a steadily growing pressure in the air, tingling over his nerves. But with this kind of power, there were other effects on their surroundings. He could feel a low thrum moving through the ground, almost a sound, but not quite. The world went silent just before a brilliant flash of light as the shield shattered, taking every window in the building with it.

“Fucking shite!” someone shouted over the comm as the blast receded. Glass was raining down into the street and Arthur was grateful, not for the first time, for the thick material that protected every inch of his body. Leon was shouting over the comm for the team to Go! Go! Go! He heard the confirmation that Bravo and Charlie were in. He and Leon were steps away from the main entrance, the doors looking as though they were barely hanging on. Arthur pocketed the other shield cracker seeing as they wouldn’t need it after all, took hold of his assault rifle and prepared as best he could for what was to come.

He sprinted for the entrance, hot on Leon’s heels as the team fed terse updates over their channel. The sorcerers had scattered the moment they saw the team of masked men swing through the shattered windows. As Arthur and Leon neared the main door, Owaine’s cheery voice offered over the comm: “Allow me, lads” just before the lock on the door was shot clean through. That was all it took for the doors to finally give in and fall completely from their hinges. Impressed as he was, Arthur kept it to himself, instead focusing on getting in and making sure their target didn’t escape.

He entered the building behind Leon, eyes and gun scanning the area for threats. There were a couple of figures on the floor, dazed from the unleashing of power and making little effort to get back to their feet. From the looks of them, they were in no shape to be putting up much of a defense; bodies thin and clothes tattered. He wasn’t picking up any AE fields from them through his goggles, but he could see Marks on at least one other, the seals of magic that formed when a sorcerer came of age, indicating that there were other sorcerers amongst the people hiding in this building other than the four on the upper levels.

“Stay down and do not move,” Leon commanded, sweeping the room with his weapon. “The authorities will be here shortly. We have no desire to harm you.”

Even as the words were spoken, there was the sound of heavy footsteps from above, loud thumps and sounds of magic and weapons fire being exchanged. Arthur could hear what was happening over his comm. The sorcerers had scattered. The team had lost track of one of them, but their primary target was still in sight. Percival had taken a hit, two of the sorcerers were down. Alvarr was trying to make his escape.

All of this had happened in a matter of seconds. Delta Team was just making it into the front section of the building when Arthur felt a familiar tingle which was the only warning they got before they were attacked from above.

“Down!” Arthur shouted, just as a barrage of glass shards peppered the space where he and Leon had been standing. Tristan and Gareth fell back into a rear room and he knew that they were seeking out the attackers, same as he was, same as Leon. The woman was making her way across a landing that would lead to the stairs to the front exit. Arthur knew that even if she made it that far, Owain would see to it that she didn’t get any further, but Arthur had no intention of allowing her even that much. He rolled to a kneeling position, ignoring the sting of cuts from glass that had made it through his armor as he raised his rifle, loaded with shock-charge rounds; bullets augmented by magic to disintegrate once ignited and stun a target without inflicting a wound. They had the added bonus of temporarily scrambling a sorcerer’s magic.

He didn’t have a chance to even attempt a shot, however, because the moment he moved, the woman was on him, raising a had with fingers curled into a claw. He felt the hold of her magic as it lifted him and flung him across the room. He managed to turn his body midair to prevent a head-first impact with a wall, but he knew that his shoulder would be smarting for a while after taking the brunt of his weight when he crashed. There was a small battle waged against the woman in the front of the building, magic buzzing through the air. She was clearly a formidable opponent, but the outcome was clear. Even she had to know that she was hopelessly outnumbered.

There was something wrong with this picture.

Arthur chose not to make his way into the fray, staying down for a moment as he tried to figure out what it was he was missing. The outcome of this mission was clearly falling in their favor. They would be shutting down another magic-theft facility and taking in a group of criminals. That was what they were here for wasn’t it? To take down a circle of…

…the slight brush of magic tingling over his skin was what gave it away. Arthur would have completely missed it if not for the advantage his sensitivity gave him and the fact that he had a good amount of experience with just the spell that was at play. He thought of it as the “Ignore Me” spell, because that is essentially what it was. Subtle, careful magic that relied largely on misdirection and only marginally on magic at all.

In this case, it was allowing their target to make his escape. It was at this point that Arthur realized that the comm had been silent for far too long.

“Does anyone have eyes on the target?” he snapped into his receiver. He was greeted by silence. Great. Something had taken down their comms. Radio silence would make this operation much easier.

He pulled himself to his feet as carefully and quietly as he could, thinking through the schematics of the building that he had memorized and trying to predict where Alvarr would go if he were attempting to make a quiet escape. The two main entrances were blocked, and there weren’t any other easy ways out, unless he planned to climb through jagged windows.

Arthur was a bit stumped until he realized something else. The sounds of fighting were moving closer and closer to the front of the building, leaving the back door largely ignored. He could not have asked for a more blatant declaration of intent. Making his way to the back of the building, he reached a small kitchen with a door leading to an alley behind the building where the dumpsters were kept. It was here that Arthur confronted Alvarr Quaid strolling towards the exit, calm as could be.

Arthur didn’t bother will calling out a warning to the man. He had no delusions that the sorcerer would surrender to him willingly, so he took the only logical course of action. He fired. Of course, as it turned out, Alvarr was the most powerful of the sorcerers present, made clear when he lifted a hand and deflected the stun-charge away with a shield that shone amber through the eyes of his AE goggles. Arthur dropped his rifle and pulled his handgun instead. It was loaded with inhibitor rounds; bullets for binding.

Static sounded in his ear for a moment before the radio chatter returned. Arthur could only assume that Alvarr had been the source of the disruption and had dropped the spell in favor of defending himself. He was a wise man. He would need all the help he could get if he thought Arthur would let him walk away from this.

“Step away from the door,” he ordered with a steady voice and steady hand.

“Or what?” Alvarr sneered. “You’ll shoot me? Go ahead. I’d rather die than become further fuel for Uther’s war against my kind.”

He didn’t bother repeating himself, choosing to fire instead. The command had been more for his team’s benefit anyway, informing the others that they were being misled. Alvarr returned the attack in kind, raising a shield and sending a blast of magic at him as the bullet deflected. Arthur dodged, diving to the left and rolling into a kneeled position, gun up and firing. He could hear the others responding, footfalls coming his way, but they were not coming fast enough. He wasn’t counting on the others however. He was counting on their Over-watch doing their job. All Arthur needed to do was keep Alvarr’s attention focused on what was happening inside the house to keep him from thinking about what was outside. He fired a couple more rounds at the man as he made his way for the door again, and just as Leon and Gwaine came rushing into the kitchen, a single shot was fired and Alvarr hit the ground with a startled cry. Arthur was there not a moment later with his binding cuffs, ensuring that there would be no further use of magic from the sorcerer.

“Target acquired,” Arthur announced over the comm. “Nice shot, Fang Nine.”

“Easy pickings, your highness.”

Arthur scowled at the nickname but kept his focus on the task at hand. Now that they had Alvarr, they needed to get him back to their transport and then get out of there. Fast.

“Dragon’s rendezvous at the back exit on level one. We’re getting out of–”

Before Leon could complete the command, there it was again, the feel of magic charging the air. Arthur didn’t have a chance to issue a warning before they were hit by a wall of power that shoved them all down and away. Arthur pulled his rifle up and fired a round in the direction the attack had come from, quick to pursue when he heard the sound of stumbling coming from the hall.

“Fang Three, cover!” Leon snapped, sending Gwaine after Arthur as they chased their assailant. It had taken maybe five minutes or less for the operation from start to finish, though with all that had happened, it felt like hours. In the aftermath of so much violence it was almost disturbing how quiet the building was now. The stumbling sounds that Arthur had been following seemed to be absorbed by the silence, leaving the lower level of the building dark and too quiet for his liking.

Arthur could hear his own breathing, and the oh-so-quiet shift of his feet as he took another step, but there was something else. He stepped forward, Gwaine at his back, moving along a wall towards what appeared to be a hallway. He pulled a small torch from his pocket and positioned it high while crouching low. He turned the corner and flipped the torch on in one swift movement, only to find an empty hallway and several doors to greet him. But wait… There was that sound again. Just for a brief moment. Like…shifting or breathing. He couldn’t quite place it.

There was something there, though. He could feel it as a slight tingle in the air. Someone was hiding. Someone with magic they had recently used.

“Fang One, report,” Leon’s voice spoke in his ear. It had been a good chunk of radio silence since he’d set off to follow the potential threat, but they were low on time. They needed to vanish very soon.

“Standby,” he returned, taking a couple of strides to the second door in the hallway. He felt Gwaine come up behind him as he reached the door, a reassuring presence at his back. He glanced over his shoulder, and wordlessly, the other man pulled out a torch of his own and raised his weapon at the door. Arthur lifted a hand with three fingers raise, and began counting down. When he got to one, he yanked the door open, aiming his light, along with Gwaine’s, into the opening.

There was a scream, a tangle of dirty limbs, then broken sobbing mixed with pleas.

“He didn’t mean it! Please! He didn’t know! He was just trying to protect me; to get us out! Just let us go! Please…”

The door had led to a supply closet of sorts, filled with buckets and towels and other cleaning tools. But huddled on the floor of the closet was a girl, pale with long dark hair, no older than sixteen. She was clutching the largely unresponsive body of a boy, similarly pale and dark-haired but several years younger, maybe twelve or thirteen. Children. Both thin and filthy, and the girl at least, was clearly terrified. Arthur was left reeling and feeling more than a little ill. Children. He’d fired on children.

Arthur turned to Gwaine. He could imagine the look on the other man’s face under the mask. Things just got a bit more complicated.

“We should go,” Gwaine said into the quiet of the building. It was the obvious course of action. They didn’t have much time before the local fuzz arrived, and every moment wasted was one moment closer to ruining their mission. Arthur didn’t know these children, had no obligation to do anything for them. But he had fired on children who, while not defenseless, were clearly terrified. He’d seen what was done to others with magic in places like these; the sick depravity of those so desperate to hold on to what was being lost that they turned to the most vulnerable of their kind to take what did not belong to them. Arthur would not abandon these children to that fate. He couldn’t.

Without another thought, he knelt beside the hysterical girl, puling off a glove and touching her hair in a calming manner.

“Fang One,” Gwaine warned.

“Join the others,” Arthur hissed at him. “I’ll be right behind you.”

“Like hell I will,” came the predictable response, leaving Arthur with even less time to do what he wanted to do.

“Hey,” he said in a soothing voice to the girl who had finally calmed some. “Hey, we’re not going to hurt you. We’re here to help.”

“You’re taking them away?”

Arthur assumed she was referring to the other sorcerers who were likely responsible for the theft of magic that was clearly taking place.

“We are. They can’t hurt you anymore. What’re your names?” Arthur gestured at the still-dazed boy.

“I’m Freya,” she said. “And he’s Mordred.”

Arthur nodded and reached into another pocket of his gear.

“We haven’t all day, Fang One.” Leon’s voice was insistent in his ear. “What’s the bloody hold up?!”

“Copy Fang Leader. We’ll rejoin you shortly.” He switched the receiver off again so that his voice didn’t carry to the entire unit.

“Freya, I’m going to give you something, okay? It’s a gift from a friend of mine, designed for people like you and Mordred; to keep you safe.”

He held out his hand and offered her two gold coins. She eyed him warily as she took them, examining each closely in the dim light from their torches.

“Feed a bit of your power into the charm and it will conceal your magic from anyone looking to take it from you.”

Freya looked doubtful, but she closed her hands around the coins before looking up at him. “Why are you helping us? Why would you care?”

Arthur was caught a bit flatfooted by the question. The situation was far more complicated than he even wanted to think about, let alone attempt to explain to a scared teen. “I have a very good friend who would be cross with me if I left you two without helping,” he said, smiling behind the mask at the thought of what Merlin would actually do to him if he’d turned his back on these children. ‘Cross’ was a bit of an understatement.

He also pulled a card from his pocket, handing it to her.

“If you need a safe place to stay, go to this address. You’ll find friends there.”

“We really have to go now,” Gwaine was pulling on his shoulder firmly and Arthur finally gave in. He could hear the sirens approaching. He was halted suddenly by an icy grip clamping onto his bare wrist and holding him in place. The boy’s magic was like orange mist through the goggles and it crawled over Arthur’s skin like a current of electricity, immediately calling Arthur’s attention to Mordred. Mordred, with eyes far older than his physical age, watching and seeing and knowing Arthur in ways that were too disturbing to think on properly.

“She said you would come,” he said; voice a whisper, a breath. “She said you would come, and that you would know. Follow the snake that circles the world. It will lead you to her. She will be waiting.”

The grip released and Arthur stumbled. If his nerves had been crawling before, they were full well sprinting now, climbing over each other in an attempt to escape the feeling of the boy’s magic as it lifted from him, fading like mist in the wind. Mordred lay still in Freya’s arms, as if the encounter had not happened at all. Arthur was beginning to think that he had imagined the whole thing. Then Mordred’s eyes opened and locked with his, a single word forcing its way into his thoughts.

Go.

Gwaine was pulling him and Arthur was running. The sorcerers had already been bound and loaded into the team’s vans, and the rest of the Dragons were loaded and waiting. As they hurried towards the exit, something caught Arthur’s eye in the debris left after their operation. A bit of stone that was giving off strange readings through his goggles. He wasn’t sure why he paused to grab it. It was likely just a bit of masonry laced with residual power from the explosion. Nothing unheard of. But something about it…

He pocketed the stone and joined the rest of his team in the command van. They pulled smoothly into the back alleys as sirens finally screeched to halt at the front of the building. There would be no trace of the Dragons left, aside from the chaos and missing sorcerers. Their target had been acquired, and Arthur was fairly certain that he’d received a message from Morgana through young Mordred. All things considered, he felt that their evening had gone rather well.

Wait for me, Morgana, he thought, working his thumb over the odd bit of stone. I’m coming. I’ll find you.

#fanfic #merthur #merlin #wip #writing #struggling #fighting #yeah!#au #military fic #I don't actually know much about the military #sorry?

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