I do not own Merlin.

Chapter Three

Emrys was so bored at this point he conjured a dragon out of fire in his next match. Benedict, his opponent, surrendered on the spot. Well, that was effective.

Later that day, Leon announced the final match, "We're down to two competitors! Our new Court Sorcerer will be either Emrys, son of Balinor or Quinn, son of Burda."

The two sorcerers entered the ring; Quinn was much taller than Emrys, blond, and built like a warrior. The two eyed each other carefully.

"Still hiding behind that hood, my lord?" Quinn asked mockingly. Emrys just stayed silent as he waited for Leon to give the signal.

He stepped out of the ring, "Ready? Begin!"

Quinn launched a barrage of fireballs straight at Emrys, who conjured a shield to protect himself. The fireballs continued until the shield broke from the force and Emrys' arm was burned. He cried out in pain, Quinn taking the opportunity his momentary distraction gave and threw him hard against the stands with a spell.

Emrys slumped over, groaned, but recovered quickly. He stood up, not noticing his hood fall as the crowd gasped at the familiar face. Emrys was focused. He chanted a spell as he walked towards Quinn. Arthur stood up, complete shock covering his features. That's not really . . .?

Suddenly, the wind raged and earth came up from the floor, rocketing towards Quinn. The man attempted to make a shield, but Emrys' spell was too fast. The wind died down and Quinn was on the ground, unconscious.

Leon stepped forward, trying to do his job despite the shock of seeing Merlin again. "Winner and new Court Sorcerer: Emrys, son of Balinor and King of Druids!" The crowd cheered louder than ever until the king yelled at them to be quiet.

"Merlin?" he questioned warily. The man in question seemed to only just realize his hood had fallen and gave a sheepish smile.

"In the flesh, my lord," Merlin said with a nervous laugh. Arthur, very uncharacteristically, jumped out of the stands and ran to hug his old friend. He pulled away after a moment, and punched Merlin.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Oh, I don't know, Merlin, maybe because you never told us you were a sorcerer? Or maybe it was the whole leaving without telling anyone bit? How about not coming back for three years? Take your pick!"

"Maybe if you weren't such a clot pole all the time. . ." he muttered, rubbing his cheek. The other knights came over, as did Ronan and Ulric (who were ready to defend their king if necessary).

"You haven't changed a bit," Gwaine laughed, helping Merlin stand up. He looked at the two green-cloaked druids. "Although, the bodyguards are new."

Merlin laughed, "It's alright Ronan, Ulric. I deserved that punch and I'm sure King Prat will be on his best behavior from now on." He smirked at Arthur. Gwen walked up to Merlin and promptly pulled him into the tightest hug she could manage. "I may be a sorcerer, Gwen, but I do need to breathe."

Percival clapped Merlin on the shoulder after Gwen released him, saying, "Good to have you back."

"Good to be back," Merlin replied. He smiled until he felt his face might stick that way.

Gwaine interrupted, "If this lovey-dovey reunion is finished, I say we celebrate our new Court Sorcerer's home coming! Besides, I have bet money to collect! You never let me down, Merlin."

Fluffy end! I enjoyed writing this quite a bit and, while it won't win any awards, it's one of my more popular stories.

Thank you very much for the reviews, follows and favorites!

-Vi

Check out the sequel: The Court Sorcerer's Quest.