Only For You

~ chapter five ~

“On tonight’s news we head straight to Buckingham Palace, where there have been tens of thousands of reported sightings of a dragon, flying around the very palace itself. That’s right folks, its scaly, winged and with a breath of fire. Here’s our royal correspondent J. Hurt with more.”

“Thankyou Anthony. The reports of the dragon here have been numerous and by that I mean tens of thousands of sightings have been officially reported, and many more people have called into work saying they saw “a large winged creature” flying above the palace itself and are unfit to do
their jobs. With witnesses including high ranking military personal, government officials, people from every walk of non-noble life and even our news crew, it is safe to say that something very out
of the ordinary is occurring here today.

“There are many who suspect that just like the King Arthur sightings at Tintagel last week, tainted water supplies may be the cause of what appear to be these mass-hallucinations, but when compared to the millions of sightings of strange events which have occurred over the past five weeks, there are a growing number of people who find it too much of a coincidence to be of a natural or scientific cause.

“An ongoing investigation into the perpetrator behind these attacks, although they have at this stage caused no real damage, is occurring, and we have it on good authority that the person
responsible for this will be bought to justice. This comes after—”

“Good authority?” Merlin sighed, sinking into his couch. “I call bullshit on that one. You wouldn’t be able to catch me if you tried. I’m above all of you.”

Merlin smiled, the words of the reporter ringing in his mind: “No real damage… I guess I’m not doing enough then. If I want Arthur back I’ll have to go even further. Then He will have to come back. He’ll
have to rise again, the stubborn prat.”

There would be no more fluffing about. No more empty illusions. For five weeks now he had slowly been driving the people of the UK out of their minds. Half of the population believed they had been
drugged, and the other half was starting to accept that maybe there is much more to just this world than what they can see. But that wasn’t what Merlin wanted. Wasn’t what Merlin needed. And still, Arthur had not risen. He stayed the same. Silent. Dead. Just like he had been for the past fifteen
hundred years since the last battle of Camlaan.

If it took more that just driving people crazy to get Arthur to rise again, then so be it. Since he had started, Merlin had realised would do anything to get his king back.

Even if it meant watching Albion fall.

***

Merlin smiled up at the palace in front of him. Buckingham. The royal house of the 21st century. The home of HM Queen Elizabeth. If there was any place to cause real damage, it would be here.

He stuck out from the rest of the tourists. This time aiming for a business-man-with-a-plan kind of
look. In that sense, he fit in with the crowd. A plain black suit, complete with a red tie, the exact right colour to bring out the gold in his eyes if anyone were to notice. Looking down at the ground, he
prepared to begin the spell the exact same way as he had all the others, but at the last minute thought he might try something new.

Something special, for a great finale, or a season opener. He wasn’t sure yet.

But he knew it was going to be big.

No one could deny his words now.

It had been a while since he had spoken in the old tongue. The words felt strange in his mouth, as he felt his power course through his veins, reaching out to The Great Dragon just as he had all those years ago. To no surprise, his calls were left unanswered. So he turned his thoughts to Aithusa instead.

Aithusa had been very young when Merlin first met her, in fact he had been the one to hatch her. Yet her loyalty had turned to Morgana and he had sent her away from Camelot for good in the last battle at Camlaan. Just another time he had to save that stupid royal prat and get nothing
in return. All he got was a lifetime of heartbreak. Over fifteen hundred years of watching everyone he got close to die before his eyes. While Arthur got to die. Wait peacefully until he returned.
But he hadn’t returned yet. And Merlin was going to make that happen. No matter what. He channeled all the rage he was feeling, the frustration into his call to Aithusa. Making it clear as to what he wanted her to do.

***

Leon, Gwaine and Percival were attempting to find Lancelot and Elyan when they got news of dragons heading towards and circling London. They all knew this was their one shot at finding Merlin. Before he went back into hiding and evaded them forever.

They knew what Merlin was capable of, and Leon especially knew how dangerous a spiral could be for an immortal. Especially one with magic.

But none of them could have prepared for the devastation they were met with when they reached the great city. Huge building ablaze from ground to roof. Cars tossed around in the streets, as their owners ran to seek cover. People screaming, fighting, running over each other in an attempt to get away. News crews, trying to get their spiel only to have their gear ruined by the most intense heat they could imagine.

The palace itself was a burning wreck. Leon only hoped the security had managed to get the queen and the royal family down into the bunker beneath the palace in a timely fashion. Every tree, and piece of nature, was burning, or already a dull black. It was horrible.

The smoke in some parts that think that you could taste the air.

The sky so black it blocked out the suns rays.

“Holy Shit.” Gwaine said, taking in the destruction. A lone figure standing in the middle of it all as if nothing around him was even slightly out of the ordinary. With a black suit, perfectly blending into
the environment around him. A smile that used to light up the room turned dark as he stared blankly into the sky, looking for Aithusa. It seemed he was no longer doing it just for Arthur. He was too far gone. “That’s Merlin.” Gwaine said shakily.

“Holy shit indeed.” Leon answered, as the group of knights dismounted and made their way to the middle of the intersection, but Merlin turned to them before they got the chance to speak.

“You can’t stop me. None of you can.”

“Merlin, please just see sense. This isn’t going to bring him back.” Leon said, as he reached out to touch Merlin’s arm and try bring him back down to earth.

“Bring him back?” Merlin asked, his smile faltering for a moment. “If this won’t bring him back, then nothing will.”

Gwaine stepped forward, closer to Merlin. “Then, Merls, Maybe he’s not coming back.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about Gwaine.”

“Merl—”

“None of you know what you’re talking about! I’ve waited for over fifteen hundred years! I’ve looked after his bloody kingdom under more rulers than I can count. He doesn’t get to stay dead. I’ve worked too hard. For too long. He has to come back!”

“You’re destroying his kingdom, Merlin. Not protecting it.” Lancelot stepped up beside merlin, and grasped him by the shoulders. “Look around you, Merlin. Is this the course you want to set Albion on? Is this really what you want?”

“I want Arthur back. I want people to know I’m not crazy. I want them to understand.”

“And for that you were willing to let Albion fall?” Lance continued, softly.

“It’s already gone, isn’t it. There’s no Albion left.” Merlin’s breathing picked up speed, as the realization of what he had done fell upon him The burnt wreck of lost cities, the people huddling in fear, fear of him and the havoc he has caused. “What have I done?”

He sank to his knees, a scream tearing out of his throat and throughout the city as he found himself back at the lake of Avalon, the same spot he stood all those weeks ago. Kneeling at the edge of the lake, shaking and scared, knowing the only option he has left. One last thing for him to do.