Hey guys! Glad you are sticking with this!

This chapter starts out with a bit of Magic growing up with Merlin, then at the break, it switches to Merlin's POV. The adventure begins!

I was planning on posting a much longer chapter, but I decided to add more detail and I needed more time. Don't worry, the best parts are coming!

PS I know that Merlin was going to negotiate with the Sidhe, but I hate the Sidhe and I love Freya. It makes sense that she would be able to help Arthur since she is the guardian of Avalon.

Hope you guys enjoy!

Magic continued to try to escape but to no avail. Years passed, and Magic started to calm down. It took years, but Magic grew partly comfortable with its situation. Its host was named Merlin. Magic definitely could have gotten a worse host, this kid was very sweet, curious, and unfortunately extremely clumsy.

Like this kid couldn't stay upright to save all of Camelot.

Magic was actually impressed with Merlin at times. Magic knew that Merlin was in danger because of it. But Merlin handled it extremely well. Back when Magic was constantly lashing out to try to escape, Merlin learned how to hide it from others. And once Magic calmed down, Merlin was able to control and even use it to his advantage, all without any proper teaching.

Perhaps it was the sheer amount inside of him, or perhaps it was just how strong Merlin was.

There were a lot of unknowns about the situation. The biggest one was whether or not Magic would ever be able to escape. At first, Magic had constantly panicked about the concept of being trapped forever, but now that it had been 11 years, it wasn't quite so scary.

It still bothered Magic, but it didn't send him into a frenzy like it used to.

Another big unknown was what would happen if Merlin died.

Would Magic die too?

See, back when Merlin was 7, Merlin had decided that it would be a marvelous idea to go running off into the woods alone, determined to find a wild horse to train. One of the town's workhorses had just died and people were trying to save money to buy a new one in the neighboring town.

Merlin went deep into the forest, shouting for a horse to come.

Naturally, that attracted unwanted attention.

Some slave traders discovered the boy and immediately locked him into a cage, discussing the high price they would get for someone so young.

Merlin didn't understand what was going on, but Magic knew the trouble that slaves got into. In an attempt to save Merlin, Magic lashed out against the slavers. The cage shattered around him, and a few of the slavers were thrown across the clearing.

It wasn't enough. Every slaver in the rather large operation began to attack Merlin, calling him a monster among other even less pleasant names.

Magic tried to fight for Merlin, but Merlin didn't have the strength or control to fight them all.

The fight lasted only seconds, and it ended with Merlin getting stabbed through the stomach and thrown in a ditch. The slavers left him for dead.

Magic was panicking, healing Merlin was impossible without the right commands, and it was clear that he was dying.

But the thing was, Merlin didn't die. He was just lying there on the brink of death, bleeding and unconscious. For two days Merlin lay there. His wound stopped bleeding, and somehow he started to heal. It occurred to Magic that Fate simply wasn't taking his life. The message was clear: Magic would die if Merlin did.

Merlin was eventually found and treated. It was declared a miracle that he was alive, which was not far from the truth.

It wasn't long after Merlin regained his health completely when another unasked question was answered.

Merlin had nightmares for days, and while he didn't tell anyone, he believed he was a monster like the men had said.

Merlin stopped using magic. Before, Merlin would use magic for small feats privately simply because it was natural for him. But now he refused to use magic for anything.

For the first day, nothing was happening. It was terribly boring for Magic, but it was bearable.

On the second day, Magic started feeling cramped. Merlin seemed to feel it as well, seeing as he refused to go inside, saying it was 'too small'. (The town didn't appreciate that).

By day three, Magic was agitated and extremely claustrophobic. It felt like it had been shoved into a tiny sack. Merlin started to scratch at his skin. When people touched him, it tingled unpleasantly.

By the fourth day, Merlin got sick. None of the physicians knew what to do about it, but as the day got on people started to wonder if Merlin would survive the night.

Magic knew it had to do something. The moment Merlin was alone (save his mother) Magic forced itself out.

It was much more powerful than Magic had intended. What was meant to be a small burst of magic turned into something that shook the earth. The small cottage nearly fell to the ground. Most of Merlin and Hunith's possessions exploded. One of the outside trees caught fire.

The sickness left Merlin immediately as if it had never been there.

It was clear that Merlin was unable to survive without using magic.

Life went relatively normal for the next few years. Well, as normal as it can when one has the entire being of Magic inside of them. Merlin had only minor mishaps, somehow keeping his magic hidden from a majority of the village.

Old Man Simmons, a cranky man who was very superstitious, found out about Merlin's magic when Merlin was 15. But before he could do much, he had a sudden heart attack and died.

Magic knew that Fate was looking out for them. It was oddly touching considering that Fate usually didn't care about anything other than order and consistency.

When Merlin reached the age of 19, Magic decided that it was time to return to Camelot. It wasn't hard to get Merlin onboard. All Magic really had to do was plant the thought that he didn't belong anymore in his mind. Merlin's mother suggested he go to Camelot.

A few months and lots of letters to a man named Gaius later, Merlin made his way to Camelot. For once, Merlin didn't get lost (that had been a major concern). It was almost as if he was drawn to it. Magic also didn't fail to notice that Merlin met Arthur almost immediately, which had Destiny's name written all over it.

Not long after Merlin started working for Arthur, Nimueh arrived. Magic was surprised to see the high priestess alive, and it was especially surprised to see her trying to kill Merlin.

It was even more surprising to see that Nimueh was using dark magic. Perhaps without Magic in the land, that was the only form the priestess could use. Magic didn't really know.

When Merlin killed Nimueh, Magic was hoping that the spell would die with her. This was not the case, and Magic wasn't sure why. After all, dark magic did not last forever. It needed an anchor.

Then Morgause came into the picture. She seemed to inherit the power of the high priestess from Nimueh. The moment Merlin saw her, Magic knew that the dark spell was now bound to her.

The spell was bound to the power of the high priestess.

Magic felt resigned, as it would be nearly impossible to kill all high priestesses, especially since they loved to use dark magic.

.

Over the next few years, Magic watched as Merlin and Arthur fulfilled their destiny. It was amazing, really, the tomfoolery that the two got into. And while Magic could feel Merlin's absolute trust in Arthur, it couldn't help but wonder when Merlin was going to open up to him.

.

The battle of Camlann was particularly hard for Magic. Especially since Merlin's magic had been blocked.

It had felt like Magic had been shoved into a tiny can of slime. The slime was too thick to push through, and it felt as if Magic were suffocating.

Magic was wondering if it were possible for it to die.

Thankfully, Merlin pulled through like he always did. Magic felt stronger than ever.

When Morgana died, it was different. Very different.

Magic felt her death in its very core. It made Magic feel loose, less connected to Merlin.

Was Morgana the last high priestess? Could Magic finally leave its confinement in Merlin?

MERLINMERLINMERLINMERLINMERLINMERLIN

Merlin's point of view

Merlin sat at the shore of the lake of Avalon, staring at Arthur as his chest rose and fell.

The battle of Camlann hadn't ended as Merlin had expected. Frankly, Merlin had expected Mordred to kill Arthur.

It turned out that while Mordred was still quite angry with Arthur, he still believed that there was no hope for Morgana. Instead of going to join Morgana's forces, he went back to his old druid camp to cool down.

While there were many casualties during the battle, few were from Camelot. Merlin's magic easily defeated the enemy.

Morgana had somehow managed to land a heavy blow to Arthur near the end of the battle. Merlin (still disguised as an old man) sent a massive blast of magic towards her, killing her immediately. He was thankful for that, he knew that he didn't have much time to heal Arthur.

Arthur was unconscious the entire ride to the lake of Avalon. It went by in a blur, but with Freya's help, he was able to heal Arthur.

And that was where he was now, staring at the newly healed Arthur and trying to figure out how to move forward. He knew it was time to reveal his magic to Arthur. With Morgana gone, it would be the perfect opportunity to introduce new concepts to Camelot.

But Merlin felt… off. When he did the spell with Freya it had felt vastly different than when he had blasted people during the battle of Camlann and it was making him nervous.

In other words, Merlin didn't feel ready. He knew this. He knew it was a stupid excuse. But he couldn't get over it. He kept replaying things Arthur had said in the past about magic, about how untrusted, twisted, and evil that it was. He wasn't sure if he was ready for those things to be said about him.

Arthur stirred a bit, grunting and groaning enough to impress any actor.

"Wha happened?" Arthur slurred.

"You were injured. I found someone to heal you," Merlin said, having already rehearsed what he was to say.

"Where am I?" Arthur asked.

"The lake of Avalon."

"The lake of- hold on," Arthur slowly sat up, "I thought we were in Camlann."

"We were. You got injured and I brought you here," Merlin said.

"Why?"

"Because there was a legend Gaius told me about the guardian of Avalon. I brought you to her and she healed you."

"Merlin," Arthur sighed, annoyed, "You really shouldn't believe the bedtime stories Gaius tells you."

"It's true, I saw her," Merlin protested, "I spoke with her before she healed you!"

"And what did you say?" Arthur asked, still not quite believing him.

"Oh," Merlin wasn't prepared for this. In truth, Merlin had told her how much he missed her and how much he loved her. She had told him to be strong.

"She said… She said that you were a worthy king, so she would heal you," Merlin finally said, wincing at how lame it sounded.

"Right," Arthur said, "Well no matter, we ought to head back to Camelot. Gwen is bound to be worried."

Merlin nodded, "It has been a few days, sire."

Arthur stood up, helping Merlin up as well, "How many days?"

"Four."

Arthur cursed under his breath, "Gwen is going to kill me."

Merlin gathered the horses without responding. It didn't take long for them to be on the road.

Merlin filled Arthur in on what had happened at Camlann. He told him that a sorcerer had destroyed the opposing army and killed Morgana. Arthur seemed to remember most of what had happened. This was good because it wasn't easy to tell Arthur.

See, the ride back to Camelot was… strange. Everything around them was much more active than normal. The horses stumbled on rocks much more than they normally would have. Tree branches were falling off almost constantly. The occasional tree fell without any apparent reason. They didn't see many animals, but when they did see them they seemed to be skittish and upset. One rabbit was running into a tree repeatedly, chattering anxiously. Even the horses were acting weird, especially Merlin's. His normally calm mare was jumping at every sound. She was constantly tossing her head back and forth, and she refused to stay at a steady pace.

For once, Arthur noticed his surroundings.

"What in the name of Camelot is going on with the trees," Arthur snapped after a branch fell and spooked his horse for the hundredth time.

"I don't know," Merlin grunted as he tried to slow his own horse down.

"Control your horse Merlin," Arthur said, his brow furrowing.

"I can't," Merlin gasped as his horse started to run off the trail. He yanked the reins to no avail.

"Socar Roueg," Merlin whispered to the horse, casting the calming spell.

Unfortunately this had the opposite effect. Merlin's horse screamed, bucking and kicking at nothing. Merlin was thrown from the horse, and he scrambled away from it's panicked kicks.

By the time Arthur had caught up to them, the horse had ran off. Arthur jumped off his horse and helped Merlin up, checking him for injuries.

"What was that?" Arthur asked, "Was there a snake?"

"No," Merlin said, feeling extremely confused, "I didn't see one."

"Your horse never acts out," Arthur said.

Merlin nodded mutely. He was more confused on why his magic didn't work.

"Guess it finally got tired of you," Arthur grinned, patting Merlin on the back, "We'll get you a new one."

"Shouldn't we look for her?" Merlin asked.

"No," Arthur said, "We need to get back. She'll be ok."

Merlin wasn't so sure, but he knew that Arthur was right about getting back. He decided to try one last spell. He ducked his head and tried to send his horse a message to head back to Camelot. He hoped that it worked.

"Come on, we need to go," Arthur said, "Get on my horse."

Merlin approached Arthur's steed, but it immediately backed away. Merlin furrowed his brow again. He tried to approach slower only to get the same result.

"What did you do Merlin?" Arthur groaned, "We don't have time for this!"

"It's hardly my fault," Merlin retorted. He tried to approach the horse again, his hand held out to pet it. Again, the horse refused to let Merlin near it.

"Guess I'm walking," Merlin sighed, "You can ride ahead and I'll catch up."

Arthur rolled his eyes," Merlin, I can't leave you out here with no food and no protection."

"I'll be fine, I can just hunt or something," Merlin protested.

Arthur snorted, "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response Merlin. Now quit spooking the horse so we can be on our way!"

"It won't let me near it," Merlin said as he tried again to approach it.

"Fine, you had better walk fast, I don't want this trip back taking more than a day," Arthur grumbled, getting on the horse.

Despite what Arthur had wanted, it took nearly a day and a half to get back to Camelot. They were met with excited cheers and celebrations from the people.

"Seems you were missed," Merlin said. Arthur only grinned.

Gwen was ecstatic to say the least. The moment she saw him she tackled him with a giant hug, nearly causing Arthur to fall.

"I'm sorry," Gwen said as tears formed in her eyes, "I'm just- I thought you were dead."

"It's fine," Arthur grinned, "It's more than fine."

Gwen smiled and hugged him tighter.

Arthur summoned the knights of the round table for a conference. Mordred was still absent, which saddened Arthur. Everyone was telling their own story of what had happened during the aftermath of the battle.

"Did anyone know that sorcerer?" Gwaine asked once Merlin had finished his tale.

"I heard Morgana scream his name. It was Emrys," Percival said.

Arthur frowned thoughtfully, "I thought his name was Dragoon. I've met him twice."

"We have met him once," Leon said, gesturing to Gwaine and Percival, "When did you meet him."

"The first time was fairly typical for a sorcerer. He was putting a poultice on my pillow, then he insulted me and my father. The second time I sought him out to try to heal my father. Father ended up dying, but Gaius tells me that the sorcerer did everything he could to save him."

Leon shared a look with Percival and Gwaine, "When we met him, he threatened to kill you if we didn't let him go. Then he used magic to get away. Are you quite sure he didn't mean to kill Uther Gaius?"

Merlin cleared his throat uncomfortably. Perhaps he had been a bit dramatic when he had run into the knights.

Gaius nodded, "I know him personally. He truly did all that he could."

"Why would he threaten Arthur's life then?" Gwaine wondered.

"Don't be quick to assume," Gwen said, "He took out an army for Camelot. Perhaps there is more to the story."

"Right," Arthur said, standing, "I'm off to go talk to him. He is less than a half hour's ride, so I won't be gone long."

Merlin's eyes widened. He quickly followed Arthur out of the room.

"I don't want you coming Merlin," Arthur said as he walked.

"Course I'm coming," Merlin countered easily.

"No," Arthur stopped walking to look Merlin in the eye, "I want to do this alone Merlin. The only thing we really know about this man is that he is extremely powerful. We don't know if he's evil or not, and I don't want you to-" Arthur stopped, closing his eyes for a moment, "I don't want to lose anyone. Not right now. Stay here."

Merlin was taken aback from the severity of Arthur's tone. "I'm not going to be in danger," he said.

"We don't know that. This is an order, Merlin. Do I need to order the guards to keep you here?"

Merlin shook his head, trying to come up with a plan. Arthur gave a sharp nod and walked towards the stables, his cape swishing behind him.

Once Arthur rode out of the citadel, Merlin ran to get a potion. Thank Avalon he always kept one hidden in his floorboards.

MERLINMERLINMERLINMERLIN

Arthur's POV

Arthur arrived at the cottage rather quickly, rehearsing the questions he would ask the sorcerer. Carefully, he knocked on the door.
A man looking to be 40 opened the door, looking quite surprised.

"Your highness," the man gasped, bowing quickly, "What brings you here?"

Arthur's mouth dropped a bit. He couldn't seem to find the correct words.

"Are you alright sire?" the man asked.

"I- yes. Are you Dragoon?" Arthur finally asked.

"Dragoon? No sire, my name's Kent."

"Kent," Arthur repeated, "So why are you in Dragoon's house?"

"Uh," Kent shifted uncomfortably, "This is my house sire. I've never known a Dragoon."

"So you aren't the sorcerer from Camlann?" Arthur asked, his mind still not comprehending what was happening.

"Sorcerer! Never your highness! I live an honest life, I do!"

"Where were you last Fall then?" Arthur asked.

"Well, I was probably in the Citadel, sire. I go there every year and stay at the inn for two months. I trade the pelts from my hunting for things. Why, was someone here?"

"I'm not sure anymore," Arthur ran his hand through his hair, "Thank you for your time Kent." Arthur turned and left before Kent could say anything.

In a confused daze, Arthur made his way back to Camelot, trying to figure out how to find Dragoon.

Hey! I hope you liked this! I promise that I'll post the actual adventure part soon!

Reviews, follows, and likes ALWAYS make my day! It definitely motivates me to keep writing!

See ya'll in Avalon