Prologue

Merlin huffed as he made his way through the greenery. Gaius had sent him on another errand to collect herbs just as he got back to his chambers for the evening. After a whole day of running around after the prat, the last thing Merlin had wanted to do was go out and fetch herbs, but once more it was urgent, and admittedly anything was better than having to clean the leech tank again. So Merlin had taken his leave and set out into the forest just as the sun was setting.

Merlin felt frustrated, it had been four months since Morgana's second failed coup for Camelot and the subsequent battle. The aftermath of which had restored Arthur's confidence as a King, given Gwen her well deserved marriage to Arthur, and once more proven the worth of Arthur's Knights. That said, it was a hollow victory for Merlin; he had had to kill Agravaine by himself. While it was necessary to kill Arthur's betrayer of an uncle he felt terrible for having done so. He hated using his magic to kill, but more and more often he was being forced to.

More than that, nothing had really changed for him. Merlin was still the poor farmer's son, the manservant to the king, even after all these years. Gwen had become queen and rightly so. Four (apparent) commoners had been promoted to knights, proving Arthur's nobility of spirit. And Arthur himself had become a well respected King, one whom his people loved and cherished. For the most part Merlin had guided them all towards their destiny. But his magic, the one thing that had subtly guided and helped all of them, still had to hide in the shadows.

Magic itself was still banned on pain of death. Although the decision Merlin was most proud of Arthur for was the decision to respect the Druids. That was a step in the right direction, but it still left Merlin feeling hollow. None but Gaius and his mother knew of his magic. Every other confidant he had was taken from him. First Merlin lost his childhood friend Will, then the love of his life Freya, finally Lancelot who nobly sacrificed himself to the realm beyond the Veil.

Merlin sighed, coming out into a moonlit clearing and flopping down in the grass, breathing the scent of the summer night. The soft murmurs of the nocturnal wildlife brought life to the night, and Merlin's magic thrummed in symphony with the melody. This was something he loved; the way his magic reached out to nature to the point where he could almost feel the growth in the plants and the heartbeat of owls. This was one of the few remaining pleasures that he could cherish. It was so natural and innocent; he only wished that Arthur could see this aspect of magic. How it was a natural part of the world, like the coming of winter or the fires in the summer.

Looking up at the stars Merlin felt a sense of hopelessness. He had honestly tried to change things, to help Arthur see the truth about magic. But no matter what he did the idea that 'all magic is evil' stayed the same. There was just no way to bring Arthur around, to get him to see the beauty of magic. And that single fact hurt the most. Every time, every single time Merlin came close to getting Arthur to come around some spiteful sorcerer came along and ruined it. If it wasn't some sorcerer it was a rogue magical creature, and if it wasn't that it was Merlin himself, sacrificing his magic to keep Arthur a good person. Sometimes he questioned it, wondering when it was all going to pay off, but at the moment it seemed a lot like that day could never arrive.

The Great Dragon, Kilgharrah had always said his time would come, that it was part of his destiny as Emrys; Guardian Warlock to the Once and Future King. But it was hard to see that now. Not when everyone else seemed to have lived up to their destiny and Merlin was still the same. Same brown coat, same worn shirt, same neckerchief and same boring manservant, moving around in the shadows, fearful that someone would find out what he was. Sometimes he felt he'd be better off if he was completely invisible.

Merlin sighed, blowing his hair to the side. He wasn't usually one to brood; he usually just let everything slide off him, letting the world pass him by as he happily grinned at it. But he was tired, and as he looked at the stars he couldn't help but wish that there was someone who understood that. The fear of having to hide who you are from your friends and family, knowing that if they found out they could very well kill you. Someone who knew what it was like to feel different and alone. Someone like him who could help make him feel less isolated.

Looking once more at the moon Merlin stood up. He hastily plucked the herbs Gaius wanted, lighting his way with the soft glow of magic as he found everything he needed. Sighing heavily he turned back towards the castle, its tall silhouette visible in the distance against the night sky. Merlin shook his head and begun to pluck his way through the trees. A fox's cry echoed off in the distance as he headed toward the tree-line. He gave the clearing one last fleeting glance as he turned away, abandoning his temporary respite.

Suddenly he stilled; his magic jumping to attention. There was something wrong in the night air, and his magic roiled against the strange invasion. It felt powerful, and cold. It was wrong in a way that Merlin hadn't felt since Morgana tore open the Veil. Merlin shuddered violently at the memory; he hadn't been able to use his magic against the Dorocha. He had been too frozen by fear, cut off by the unnaturalness of lingering death. The only thing that kept them back was fire, and even that hadn't deterred them for long. On impulse Merlin summoned flames to his hand, ready to attack if need be.

He whirled around, searching for the source of the disturbance. His eyes widened as a swirling pool of green opened in the air before him.

AN: Okay, so I'm really uninspired for JAMF right now, so I figured I'd try something else. Hope you enjoy the taster. This is set post season 4 of Merlin, and PP hasn't happened in the DP timeline.