Calm Before the Storm

Chapter Twelve

12. Something or Other

They arrived at a hunter lodge which seemed to be as dead as everything was at the current time. Magdelena offered to go get some water from a nearby stream and pick up some wood as well on her way back. Gilthunder tried to speak to her about what the Vilia had mentioned but she ignored him, sent him harsh glares and avoided him as best she could avoid her horse. She watched Merlin and Lancelot run out of the building, Merlin looks to the sky and screams out, "O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd 'hup' anankes!"

They run toward her Lancelot grabbing her arm making her drop the water and sticks as they race into the woods. A large fireball shoots out of the sky and sends the Dorocha away. Magdelena smiles at the sight of the golden dragon, hearing Lancelot draws his sword. Lancelot steps forward to strike the dragon, but Magdelena places a hand on his shoulder shaking her head when he turns to look at her.

Merlin bows slightly to the Great Dragon, "Thank you."

"Who is your friend?" Magdelena wasn't sure she had ever heard the dragon angry before, yet he seemed angry at the sight of Lancelot.

"I'm Lancelot."

"Of course," Kilgharrah says staring a the knight, "Sir Lancelot, the bravest and most noble of them all."

Lancelot looks at the floor rather bashful, "I'm not sure that's true."

"We shall see. For now, there are more pressing things at hand," he says turning to look at Merlin, "The Dorocha cannot be allowed to remain in this world. The sundered veil must be restored."

"We're on our way to the Isle of the Blessed to help Arthur heal it," Lancelot tells the dragon who stared down at the two of them.

"Indeed. But at what price?"

"I know that the spirit world demands a sacrifice," Merlin says but the dragon speaks in a slightly harsher tone.

"It demands nothing," he tells Merlin, "It is the Cailleach, the gatekeeper to the spirit world who asks such a price."

"And there is no other way?"

Kilgharrah looks over at Magdelena who shakes her head a small amount, "There is not."

Magdelena couldn't take it anymore, Merlin was now talking about taking the place of Arthur. She wondered what Lancelot made of all of this talk about sacrificing themselves for something they believe in. Arthur for the kingdom he loved with all his heart, and Merlin for a kingdom and Albion he saw in Arthur.

Everything happened in a blur, Magdelena was unsure how she ended up at the fire sitting between Merlin and Arthur while they spoke in hushed tones about something she couldn't hear. Merlin was sent off to bed, but not before Magdelena gave him a hug that rivaled their other ones, Merlin would have questioned it but he was exhausted from their long and hastened ride. 

"Mags," Arthur says she turns to where he was sitting, taking her seat once more, "I wanted to apologize for what I said before." 

"You have no need to apologize Arthur," she says turning to look at the fire which was still going strong, "You are the King of Camelot, your duty will always be to Camelot first and foremost."

"I didn't think about what it would mean to you though," he says sounding broken, "I need you to understand that even though I plan to give myself up to save Camelot, that I love you. I would give up my throne for you but-"

"Please stop," she says shaking her head tears were on the verge of falling down her cheeks, "I'm sorry Arthur. I love you too, which is why you must understand why I am doing this." 

"Doing what?" he asks confused, she pressed a hand to his cheek and his eyes began to droop, "M-Mags?" 

Magdelena made sure that everyone was asleep minus, whoever was on watch before grabbing Gilthunder, 'I hope you understand what you are doing.'

"I have no choice Gilthunder, I can not let them die," she whispers before letting him sprout his wings and horn before flying off to the Isle of the Blessed. 

Wyverns flied around them, screeching a few going to attack but Gilthunder kept them back with his magic and the help of Magdelena who wasn't a dragon lord but she had a little power over the cousin to dragons as Primera - their protector and being Death was always handy with creatures who were more vicious then others. 

Gilthunder landed, Baxton ran from the side of the Cailleach to his Mistress's side. Magdelena bent down petting the undead dog before turning to the Gate Keeper with a slightly disappointed look in her eyes, "I did not start this Death," she says motioning to the chaos that seemed to be the never-ending flow of Dorocha. 

"Yet you had the power to close it the entire time," Magdelena says, "Yet you ask someone to give up their life. You ask someone who also did not open the veil to stop it with their life."

"Have you come here just to lecture me?" Cailleach asks staring a the young girl, "Or is there another reason you are here?"

"Two actually," she says staring at the old woman, "Reason one is to give up my powers as Death to close the gate. Would you accept this instead of a life of an innocent person?" 

"I will gladly do so," Cailleach raised her hand to take it but Magdelena held a hand up stopping her. 

"I have a last request, as Death, if you would be so kind as to listen," the old gate keeper nods accepting to listen, "As soon as I am no longer Death you are no longer Gate Keeper. Baxton here will take over your duty. That is my last order and request as Death and you must follow it Cailleach." 

"I should have figured you would pull something like this on me," the woman says not mad at the girl she understood where she was coming from, "Shall we get on with this?" 

Magdelena walked closer to the older woman, she heard fighting and figured the knights, king and her brother were on their way. She figured they would wake up and race here to try and stop her, "Do not let them change the deal, you take my powers and no ones life."

"I promise Death," she says she begins to say something in an ancient language as the knights, king and servant race in. 

"Mags!"