Merlyn's Last Dream

The Coming of Arthur P6

Morgana had waited for the cover of night, finding solace in the darkness. Perhaps it was because her meetings with Merlyn had always been concealed by the silence of the stars, but she'd always felt comfort when performing magic if the sun had lowered so very far beyond the horizon. Standing at the very top of the tallest tower, she smiled at the cloudless sky. She knew her people were still awake, their scared murmurings keeping them from sleep, their fear a product of her own stupidity. But soon they would see that she was not so terrible. Maybe there would be others who watched the moon as closely as she did, wishing upon stardust for a world with something more.

Morgause stood behind her, eerily quiet. When she had explained her plan, there had been something akin to pride within her eyes, but now, she seemed almost nervous. It saddened the queen, that even a sorceress, a high priestess, struggled to see the beauty in magic.

"Are you sure about this?" Morgause inquired, fidgeting oddly with her cloak. It would be so much easier to force her people to yield to her, but Morgana didn't want that. She wouldn't be another Uther, not whilst the people she loved were still standing.

"Yes." she said with certainty, praying to every god in the heavens that her magic would not fail her.

Lifting her arms towards the moon, she let her eyes glow gold, shimmering light pouring out of her hands like molten fire. It was one of the first spells she'd learned, and as she shaped her sparks, she felt herself relax. This was something she'd done thousands of times to entertain herself on cold, lonely nights, although, perhaps not on such a scale. Still, she didn't struggle, sketching a roaring dragon from the embers, creating something almost as wide as the lower town below. When it was finished, she marvelled in its golden scales, the creature like an ornate tapestry of patterns and light. With a gust of wind, she blew her creation towards the town, letting it swoop down amongst the houses. For a while, it was alone, so very beautiful even against the stars. Morgana couldn't help but beam, awed by her own magic. Slowly, she saw her people emerge from their houses, staring up at her dragon, her blatant display of magic, with nothing less than wonder. There were no screams, no hesitation as it dived towards them, stopping its descent just above their homes. Then, it flew up, up so very high, until its light could have been mistaken for a bright star, and then it came back down again, circling Morgana's tower with magestic brilliance. It illuminated her, her crown shining so brightly that it almost matched her dragon. There could be no denying now where the creature had come from.

And then, much to Morgana's surprise, a ball of magic burst from somewhere in the lower town, a dove fluttering into the sky, nothing quite as ornate as her dragon, but just as beautiful in its amber haze. It circled her creation, its small wings working hard to keep up with her creature, the pair flying in desperate harmony. Tears shrouded Morgana's vision as more and more bursts of magic shot into the sky. Soon, the heavens were filled with firelight, shimmering swans and deer and bears. A merlin, rabbits and eagles. A few more dragons, but none quite as brilliant as Morgana's contribution, and, from Morgause behind her, a centaur galloping into the fray.

The queen cried out at the sight. She had promised herself that her people would not live in fear, and this, this utter magnificence was only the first step. She had support, had inspired hope in those who had remained hidden for so long. Never again would anyone be alone, lost in their magic. She realised now that she had been lucky to have Merlyn by her side; she could only dream of what was to come. For there was no evil in magic; there was no denying that now. Doom lurked only in the hearts of men.

~

Morning came early for Arthur, his sleep uneasy with dreams of death and bloodshed. As he looked around his table, he knew that it was incredibly unlikely that everyone would survive; he didn't want to think about the sacrificing nature of this mission. Once they had Uther, perhaps he could find new allies with the friends of the kingdom, maybe even a way to defeat an immortal army, but somehow, Arthur knew that whatever people he met would never be as brave, as kind and as honourable as those he stood with in that moment. But they were issues of tomorrow. If he wanted them to matter, he would have to survive.