Merlin's magic (Oneshots) 1

Golden dust part 1

Long ago, long before Arthur was born, magic had been a constant in the life of Camelot.
And Albion in general.
Magic is neither good nor bad. It chose who wielded it. And nobody had ever been able to reject this gift. This power.
But just because nobody ever could before, doesn't mean there would never be a first.
And that is the beginning of Arthur Pendragon. And why magic decided to serve him.

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Nimueh and Uther Pendragon never really got along. It is a given between siblings that they banter a lot.. But years upon years of pranking each other left them in a state of rivalry that at some point had turned all too real.
It got worse the day Uther took Ygraine, who Nimueh has always had a crush on, to be his wife.
She resented him for it, but her feelings for Ygraine never wavered. They just changed slightly.

Some day, Ygraine complained to her friend, that she was unable to conceive a child for Uther's sake. For his legacy.
So much that, when Uther practically begged Nimueh for help, she agreed with almost no hesitation.

"To create life, you must sacrifice another! Even magic cannot mess with the balance of the world! Are you prepared to sacrifice everything for this cause?", Nimueh wasn't sure Uther had that much of a heart. Uther had never loved anyone. At least not as much as he loved Ygraine.
Which, in truth, is one of the reasons why she helped Uther at all.
In the beginning she had believed it was all a farce to mess with her. But when she saw how Uther looked at her... she knew.
Nimueh knew Uther's heart was true about Ygraine. It's one thing she hated about him. Because she couldn't hate him for it. Love was the one thing they had in common. And her heart ached, knowing that Ygraine had chosen him over her.
Though they still remained friends and Nimueh managed to move on ... she never understood Ygraine's decision. And that had left her with small remains of fury towards Uther.
And Uther was very much aware of that.

"I am prepared to give my own life for this. Yes! I would pay any price.", Uther said sternly. Nimueh only nodded. And hoped, this was enough. She had a feeling it wouldn't work as well as Uther hoped. But if he was willing to try, then she would definitely try.
She owed him that much. He was her brother after all.

So she went with Uther to the throne room and painted circles of magic, runes of the old religion, on to the stone floor.
She began to chant, as her master and the masters before her master had taught every generation of the high priestesses of the old religion.
"I, Nimueh Pendragon*, high priestess of the old religion call upon magic! You who is embodiment of life, creature of and beyond magic! Emrys, I call upon you!"
She didn't need to shout this, for the echoes to enhance her voice in the small hall.

Her eyes glowed golden, as she spilled a cup of her own blood onto the ground. Slowly, the thick substance followed the trails of the lines on the ground. Dark, bloody Pendragon red covered the grounds.

And then, as if magic had decided to be offended by the color alone, the blood turned as golden as the cup. It rose into the air like golden dust and circled into a form in the middle of the circle.
A man, old, crooked and wise, with a beard so long it reached down to his knees, made of golden flames appeared in their midst.
Nimueh could hear Uther gasping and stepping away. He had always feared magic. But he had never despised it. Respect was good. It made him cautious, so his father had always taught him. Nobody ever told him that fear was not a synonym for respect.

"Nimueh.", the golden figure spoke, his head tilted.
"Emrys.", Nimueh bowed before him. "I have called you for an unholy favor."
"I know.", the man drawled out. His voice was warm, but sad. Like he was disappointed.
"You humans should not mess with life and death, Nimueh. It is far beyond your comprehension."