CHAPTER TWENTY
THE BEGINNING OF THE END ( iii. )

By morning, Merlin finally tells Gaius everything because shockingly, his remedy did not work.

Calliope doesn't go with them to check on the boy, though. She's still lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling as her encounter with Sepharin replays in her mind over and over. Her hand falls to her heart, a small hint of fear in the back of her mind that the blood wraiths can basically make her drop dead anytime they want now.

With a little over a month left to figure out how to solve her problems, Calliope doesn't see a way out of this one. Not for her at least.

Finally, she decides to get out of bed and catch up with her friends. If Gaius was able to bring down the boy's fever, they need to come up with a plan to get him out of the city tonight.

Her eyes land on Merlin, who stands across the courtyard with Gwen and Morgana. She weaves her way through several guards and greets them.

"Hey, so what's the plan? Our window of opportunity is growing smaller and smaller here."

Gwen nods, "The guards are searching everyone leaving town."

Merlin glances over his shoulder, "There's another way out. There's a secret door in the armory; it leads to the low town."

"I love secret doors," Calliope says with glinting eyes. "I should be the one to take him."

"No, it's too dangerous. I'll do it," Morgana says.

"Well, Cal's good with secret doors and things," Merlin replies.

Morgana sighs lightly, "If she gets caught, Uther will execute her."

"Yeah, that dude hates my guts."

The brunette nods, "The boy is my responsibility. I'll smuggle him out of the castle."

"You'll need a key for the door."

Morgana furrows her eyebrows, "Who has it?"

"Arthur," Merlin says, pressing his lips in a firm line.

Calliope crosses her arms over her chest, looking at the young sorcerer with raised eyebrows, "Oh, is your plan to just go ask nicely?"

"I'll figure something out."

"No, I can get the key."

"Cal, do you even know which one it is? They all look the bloody same," Merlin replies. "I'll get the key. I can do it, I promise."

The blonde sighs with a small nod, "Fine, but don't screw it up."

Merlin pats her shoulder, "Thanks, Cal. I can always count on you for some encouraging words."

"I know. I'm your biggest supporter," she responds, nudging his side. "We'll be waiting in Morgana's chambers. Once we get the key, we can smuggle the boy out."

Once everyone agrees on the plan, the group goes their separate ways, each of them sending a silent prayer that they'll all have their heads when morning arrives.

1 YEAR AGO
HARPTOWN (CENRED'S KINGDOM)

Harptown was an oasis to people of all kinds of criminal backgrounds. Having a King that turned a blind eye to most injustice helped bad people get away with bad things. The key to making it in Cenred's kingdom was to keep to yourself; a little noise was okay, but once things got loud-- that's when the soldiers would come for you. A single murder or theft was just another day, but stealing from or killing the wrong people was what would bring trouble.

Calliope had made this her home, well, home wasn't exactly the right word for it. It was merely a safe haven she could go to in between jobs and leads. She had a quaint little house at the edge of town made of dark stone. It had a chimney, a fence made of rotting wood, and a dying garden out back.

The blonde pushed the back door open, cursing to herself as she gripped the picture of water in her hands. She leaned down to observe the once thriving flowers and herbs.

"Goddamn you plants," she muttered as she gave them a drizzle of water. "I was gone three days. Can you not survive three days on your own?"

Talking to her plants was a common occurrence. It was about the only company she had.

When she walked back into the house, she set the picture on the wooden table in her small kitchen. Calliope plopped down in a chair, pulling her satchel to her feet. It was time to unpack; she was taking a week off, and then it would be back on the road into Uther's kingdom to find the next man who was in the raiding party.

She winced as she pulled off her shirt, only left in a dark undergarment that wrapped around her chest as she glanced at the small gash her last victim managed to make before she shoved her sword into his chest. Calliope grabbed some soap and water and began dressing it carefully so it wouldn't get infected. She glanced in the mirror across from her at the bandaged wound; another scar.

A knock on her door startled her. Calliope reached into her boot, grabbing her long dagger.

"Hey, it's me," she relaxed, setting down her blade.

"Come in."

The door gets pulled open, revealing a tall burly man covered basically from head-to-toe in tattoos. With him, he carried a black bag.

"I saw you coming back into town. I figured you wanted to see me."

Calliope nodded, "Well, Hawk, you would be correct."

Hawk walked further inside, setting his bag on the counter, "What do you want today, blondie?"

"I told you to stop calling me that."

"I would if I knew your real name."

Calliope sighed, "Yeah, not happening. Let's just do this."

The blonde cleared off the long table in the kitchen, "That spine tattoo is too long to add anything new. We'll have to do something different." Calliope glanced in the mirror at the dragon on her back as it's long tail swirled around her spine all the way down to her lower back. She got the tattoo after her first kill as the Red Dragon, adding to its tail with each assassination. Her gaze returned to Hawk as he pulled his supplies out of his bag. "Anything you're into besides dragons?"

"Actually, you owe me two tattoos because last time I couldn't stick around long enough," Calliope replied.

"As long as I get paid, I don't really care," Hawk said, "So, you want some flowers or something?"

She contemplated what to get; after all, they were permanent, and she couldn't make this decision twice.

"Could you do a blue jay?" Calliope held out her right wrist. "A small one here."

"That's easy enough. I only got black ink, though."

She nodded, "And uh," her fingers went to her chest, "the words memento mori here."

"Is that French or something?"

"No, shithead, it's Latin. 'Remember you will die'; a reminder of mortality or the inevitable transformation of life and death."

Hawk raised his eyebrows, "Shit, that's dark."

"You want paid or not?"

He held up his hands, "Fine, just get on the table."

As Calliope positioned herself on the table, holding out her wrist for the first tattoo, she stared at the ceiling. By now, the sharp poking of the needle into her skin was familiar; the pain reminded her she was still alive—still human—sometimes these tattoo sessions were the only time she could feel anything at all. In a way, she craved the pain. It was a nice contrast to the emptiness in her chest.

"You know," Hawk said with a focused gaze. "Most of my clients are criminals, so I'm used to not asking questions and just taking my gold pieces," her eyes wandered to the needle as he sewed the ink into her skin. "But, I can't help my curiosity. You leave town, you come back, you get your tattoo, and then you leave again. You're a very mysterious person, blondie."

Her eyes stayed trained on her wrist, "You think you can solve my mystery?"

Hawk chuckled, "I don't know. The only thing I know for sure is that you're one person I'd never mess with."

"That's a wise observation."

He stopped for a moment, glancing at her, "I find that tattoos can be a reflection of our inner selves; the armor to hide us from our true pain."

Calliope laughed lightly, "How poetic."

"I know right? Maybe I should go into poetry instead of tattooing criminals," Hawk picked up the needle again. "Nah, the money would be shit. I like gold too much."

The blonde saw this as her opening, "And how much gold would buy information?"

"Depends on the information."

"Underground," Calliope replied. "I need to know who runs the illegal fighting rings in Uther's kingdom."

Hawk shook his head, "Those are some dangerous waters, blondie. Besides, those rings are mostly for bored pieces of shit who want to watch some helpless slaves kill each other for fun. It's all about the gambling."

"Yeah, but someone has to run it." A huff left his lips, "Come on, Hawk. All I'm asking for is a name."

"The name you're asking for is a powerful one. I know this might be a surprise, but most royals in this world have ties to shit like this."

Calliope scoffed, "Wow, I'm shocked."

"My point is, you mess with the top of the underground, you mess with whoever is pulling the strings, and those people usually have fucking armies."

"Name your price, and I'll pay it."

Finally, Hawk gave in, "Fine, but I don't want money."

"What then?"

His eyes met hers, "I want to know the real reason you get these tattoos, and don't try to bullshit me. I'm pretty good at spotting liars."

Of course he would ask for this. He wanted the satisfaction of adding another playing card to his deck. Money was money; gold was nothing more than refined stone.

But secrets? Secrets toppled regimes. They started wars and ended them. Secrets could get you anything, and Hawk was a clever player. It was how he survived knowing so many.

"Each tattoo represents an assassination," she said bluntly.

Hawk's eyes widened, "But, this is our twenty-seventh session."

"Yeah, so now you know what my armor's for," Calliope said. "Now give me the fucking name."

Hawk nodded slowly, "Orvyn Blackwell. He's your guy."

"Holy shit," Calliope replied. That would be her twenty-ninth; the second in command to the raiding party that plundered through her village. "But that's-"

"The man in charge of Camelot's financial affairs," Hawk laughed. "How do you think kingdoms really get rich- by following the rules? They couldn't survive without the underground."

But why would such a high ranking official join a raiding party? That seemed way below his pay grade.

"This shit just got a lot more complicated."

PRESENT DAY
CAMELOT

Calliope paces around Morgana's chambers. Night has fallen over Camelot, and Merlin still hasn't arrived with the key to the door in the armory. She considers going to find Arthur herself and just stealing all his keys-- she's not very good at being patient; at waiting around for others to get things done. She prefers to just get the damn thing done herself.

Across from her, Morgana peers into the mirror, adjusting the red cap around her.

"It will have to do," she says. Her eyes flicker between Calliope and Gwen. "I feel I've put you two in danger without even asking how you feel about it. I'm sorry."

Gwen shrugs, "I know how it feels to face the threat of execution, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"And, I've had a few people want me dead over the years. It's nothing new," Calliope adds.

A quick knock on the door causes the three girls to turn their heads.

"It's Merlin."

Calliope rushes over to the door, pulling it open and being faced with the dark-haired boy. He has a wide grin on his face. Merlin dangles the key out in front of her.

"Told you I could do it."

The blonde rolls her eyes, walking with Merlin over to where Morgana kneels beside the boy. She stands up and turns around.

Merlin exchanges a glance with each of them, "Are you ready?"

Morgana nods, "Did you get the keys?"

"Yeah," he holds them out to her. "Now, the door is behind the shield at the far end of the armory."

"I'll pack you some food and water for your journey," Gwen says.

"And remember," Calliope says, grabbing Morgana attention, "You move fast and you move quiet. Don't stop and don't look back. We meet at Gwen's house so you can get the food, and then you keep going no matter what."

She can see the nervousness in Morgana's face, and Calliope wishes she could be the one smuggling the boy out of the city, but Morgana is stubborn and refuses to let anyone risk their life for her. Calliope only hopes their plan will go smoothly.

But, she's learned that hardly ever actually happens. The reason Calliope has survived so long is because she's good at improvising.

When Morgana and the druid boy leave her chambers, Calliope and Merlin head to Gwen's house while Gwen hurries to snatch some food from the kitchen. They manage to make it through the castle without being spotted and keep a good pace all the way to Gwen's front door.

Merlin breathes heavily as Calliope clicks the door shut and sits down at the dining table in the center of the room.

"You move very fast," Merlin says through ragged breaths. "I'm sweating."

"Maybe you should spend more time getting into shape than practicing spells."

He laughed, shaking his head, "Very funny, Cal." Then, his eyes wander to where her right hands rests on the table. Merlin's eyes furrow, he motions to her wrist. "What's that?"

She shows him her tattoo, "My tattoo?"

"Yeah, I've never noticed it before."

"It's a blue jay," she answers.

"Why a blue jay?"

Calliope shrugs, "They're pretty birds."

"You don't seem like the type to get a tattoo just because it's pretty."

She rolls her eyes, "Fine, you nosy bastard," Merlin sits down across from her at the table. "When I was little, before my parents died, there was this little blue jay that would come and perch on my window every morning," she shakes her head, trying to hide how man emotions the memory brings. "I don't know, I guess it just reminds me of home."

"That makes sense," Merlin says. "I miss my home all the time. Maybe I should get a tattoo."

The blonde laughs out loud, "You wouldn't last five minutes."

"Why not?"

"This shit hurts," Calliope points to her wrist.

"I think I could handle it."

She quirks an eyebrow, "Whatever you say, wizard boy."

A few more minutes go by before Gwen finally arrives with the food. She lays it on the table, and the three of them spend a while in silence, mostly because they're all worried for Morgana and the boy. Have they been caught? The warning bell hasn't gone off yet, so that's a good sign.

But the universe always loves to mess with Calliope because five seconds later, the warning bell echoes in the air.

Calliope stands up, putting her arms behind her head. She should have put down her foot and convinced everyone that she was the best one equipped to smuggle the boy out. After all, killing people for a living makes you pretty stealthy.

"This is bad," Calliope shakes her head as Gwen paces.

"Wait," Merlin says as he peeks out the door. "Here they come."

Gwen reaches over and grabs the food as Merlin opens and closes the door swiftly. Morgana and the boy run into the room, and Gwen immediately hands them the rations.

"This is enough food for three days."

"Your horse is fed and watered," Merlin adds. "I'll take you to it."

"No, there's no point in all of us risking our lives."

Merlin furrows his eyebrows, "What about you?"

"I'm the King's ward. I'll take my chances."

Calliope's eyes shift to her, "Relying on Uther's mental stability probably isn't the best plan."

Gwen nods, "Cal's right. Morgana-"

"I couldn't live with myself if something happened to any of you," Morgana says before Gwen could try to reason with her. "We must go."

Before anyone else could get out a word, Morgana leaves Gwen's house with the druid boy. The door slams shut behind her.

Calliope lets out a thick sigh, "This isn't going to end well."

♛ ♛ ♛

As Calliope expected, Morgana was caught and the boy was thrown back into a prison cell with orders from Uther to execute him at dawn the next day. No one could reason with him; his mind would not change.

But Calliope knows Morgana will not want to give up, and since Uther didn't do anything to her, she's probably trying to come up with a new plan, but Calliope couldn't see how the boy could get out. The King will suspect Morgana before anyone, and now his cell is guarded with extra men.

The only way they could pull this off is if Arthur gets involved, but Calliope doesn't count on that. She tells Merlin and Morgana not even to bother. He's too brainwashed by his father to do something like that.

Alas, Merlin wants to talk to Arthur, and Calliope notices him acting strange on their walk through the palace. he keeps fidgeting with his hands, and his mind is elsewhere.

Calliope nudges him, "Hey, you alright?"

"What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine."

"You're lying," she responds.

"I'm just worried about making a new plan. It's too much."

She puts her hand across his chest, stopping him in the hallway, "Since when is anything 'too much for you'. You're always hellbent on being the hero and saving the day and innocent lives. All that shit."

"Morgana's already been caught once. I doubt Uther's mercy is limitless."

"Fair point," Calliope says as they continue their walk. "That's no excuse for you acting weird, though."

When they arrive at Arthur door, Merlin hesitates for a moment before he places his palm around the handle. He pushes the door open halfway and sticks his head around as Calliope tries to look around him.

"Sorry, am I interrupting something?" He asks.

Calliope hears Arthur's voice, "Nothing to concern yourself with. Make yourself useful. Go muck out my horses."

The blonde pushes through, making herself visible, "God, why are you always such an ass?"

The prince sighs, glancing between the two people that have entered his chamber. They clearly have just interrupted a very serious conversation.

A moment of silence passes before Morgana speaks up, "I trust them," she says, looking back to Arthur.

Then, Arthur motions for Calliope and Merlin to come further into the room. Merlin shuts the door behind him and walks up the table where Arthur is sitting with Calliope beside him.

She crosses her arms over her chest as she waits to hear what's causing their faces to look so serious and pinched.

"We're going to break the druid boy out of the dungeons," Arthur states.

Merlin raises his hand, "You can't do that."

Why is wizard boy acting so goddamn weird today? Calliope thinks to herself. One second, he's determined to save the boy, and the next, he doesn't want to break him out of prison. It's hard to keep up.

"We have to," Morgana says with confusion etched on her face. "Uther's going to have him executed at dawn."

"I mean..." Merlin trails off. "It's too dangerous."

Calliope turns to him, "Your concern is cute, but I think everyone in this room is well aware of the risks, Merlin."

Merlin ignores Calliope, setting his eyes on Morgana, "You've already been caught once, and if the king catches you a second time, he'll never forgive you."

"I'm not worried for myself--"

"Merlin's right," Arthur says, cutting her off. "When my father finds out the boy has escaped, he will suspect you being involved."

"It's suicide."

Arthur's eyes spark with a plan as they look to the brunette, "You must go to my father and apologize. Dine with him. He cannot hold you responsible if you're with him when the boy escapes."

"You need me if the plan's going to work," Morgana says. "You can't do this on your own."

"Well," Arthur stands up, "Luckily, we're not alone. Merlin will take your place."

"Me?"

"I'm going to take the boy out through the burial vaults. There's a tunnel that leads beyond the city walls. Get two horses from the stables and meet me there. There's a grate that covers the entrance to the tunnel. Bring a rope and grappling hook to pull it off."

Merlin shakes his head, "No, I can't."

"Merlin," Arthur says. "Do you understand? If you're not there to meet us, we'll surely be caught."

After a short moment, Merlin nods with uncertainty, and Calliope follows Arthur as he goes to leave the room.

"I'm coming with you."

"I figured you'd say that," he replies. "That's why I told Merlin to bring two horses."

♛ ♛ ♛

The plan is set in motion when Morgana goes to Uther to "apologize", but she's definitely not sorry at all.

Calliope and Arthur spent some time putting a sack together which has chemicals in it that turn into a vapor and knock out anyone that inhales it. They sneak down to the dungeons together. Arthur holds the sack in his hands, gripping the long rope tied around it as Calliope watches his back, making sure they have not been followed or seen.

The prince hands her a cloth to put over her nose as the chemicals start vaporizing. She holds it tightly against her nostrils as Arthur lowers it down slowly on top of two guards playing cards at a table.

They immediately start coughing, falling over shortly after with the playing cards still in their hands. Calliope looks from the unconscious guards to Arthur.

"I still think it would have been more fun to let me knock them out," Calliope says as they descend down the staircase.

Arthur doesn't reply as he presses the cloth tighter against his nose, looking around the guards until he finds the keys. The metal jingle as he snatches them, and Calliope follows after him to the druid boy's cell.

She's not sure how long the sleeping powder will last, so they need to be swift.

When they arrive at the cell, Arthur quickly unlocks it. The druid boy looks alarmed at first, "Don't be sacred," Arthur says gently. "I have sent word to your people. We're taking you to them. You must come with us."

The boy glances from Arthur to Calliope as the prince offers him a hand. He doesn't hesitate to take it, and then they hurry out of the cell, taking a sharp right towards the burial vaults. Arthur grabs a torch from the wall as Calliope looks over her shoulder, listening for any kind of commotion behind them. She has her sword drawn in case they run into any trouble. The druid boy won't get caught a second time.

They walk briskly for a few more minutes until they come to the end of the tunnel where the grate sits, blocking their exit, and Merlin is no where to be found.

Arthur drops the torch and leans down to scan the dark forest ahead of them. His eyes turn back to Calliope.

"Where the hell is Merlin?"

Calliope sighs, "I don't know. I think he likes being dramatic."

Behind them, she can hear the echo of darks barking. Arthur notices the worry on the boy's face.

"Don't worry, he'll be here."

And there go the warning bells. Shit. The dogs only get closer and closer with every passing second. Arthur puts his hands on the bars and begins trying to pull them loose, but they aren't budging.

He bangs his hands against the metal with frustration.

"Damn it, Merlin!"

"Calm down, he won't leave us," Calliope says in a reassuring voice.

When the sound of guards' voices arising ricochets through the tunnels, Arthur stands up and stomps out the torch as quickly as he can. Calliope grips her sword, willing to fight her way out if she has to.

At the end of the hall, she can see torchlight appearing. The guards are almost on them. Arthur draws his sword, exchanging a worried glance with Calliope, wondering how the hell they're going to get themselves out of this one.

And then, right when all hope is lost, footsteps crunch against fallen leaves outside the tunnel. They turn back to the grate, and Merlin appears, looking through the metal bars.

"Where the hell have you been?" Arthur asks in a hushed tone.

"I had trouble getting out of the castle," Merlin says with hollow breaths.

Calliope locks eyes with Merlin, "Okay, nice chat. Now get this fucking grate off. The guards are coming!"

With a nod, Merlin attaches the grappling hook to the grate and grips the rope attached to it. He backs up and pulls with all his strength. The grate snaps and tumbles to the ground, and Calliope and Arthur rush out with the boy, hurrying him to the horses.

Arthur heaves him up onto his horse and Calliope settles in her saddle.

"Now, go and make yourself scarce, or they'll execute you in his place."

And then, they're riding off into the night, making it far away from Camelot just in time.

They ride through the night and into the early hours of the morning. Calliope can feel her eyes threatening to shut as she fights off sleep. It's been a stressful few days, and her body really needs some good rest.

Arthur hasn't said much to her, and she understands why. Their last few conversations haven't exactly gone well, and there's tension festering in the air between them, but the boy has been a sufficient distraction. However, once they drop him off with his people, there won't be any excuses.

As the sun slowly begins to peak through the horizon, they finally make it to the meeting place. Calliope jumps down off her horse, relived to have a break from her saddle as Arthur helps the boy down. Across the clearing she can see a few hooded figures anxiously waiting.

The boy walks between Calliope and Arthur towards his people. An older man in a blue cloak steps forward, reaching out to the boy, and he runs to him, greeting him with a gentle hug. Immense relief floods the old man's face. His eyes turn to the two people that delivered the boy safely with gratitude taking over his expression.

"We are forever indebted to you, Arthur Pendragon," he says before flickering his gaze to the blonde, "And you, Calliope Farrington." Hang on. How does this guy know her name?

"You must not let it be known that it was I who brought him to you," Arthur replies.

"We will tell no one. You have my word."

The boy glances up at the old man and the back at his rescuers before his people begin leading him away.

"Wait," Arthur calls out. "I don't even know your name," the boy comes to a halt, looking at the prince. "At least tell me your name?"

He inhales a short breath before responding, "My name is Mordred."

Arthur nods with a small smile, "Good luck, Mordred."

Mordred walks out of the clearing with the other druids, leaving Calliope and Arthur alone in the soft morning mist of the forest. Birds begin waking up, their chirps enveloping the air as tendrils of sunlight peek through the trees.

A tired sigh filters past the prince's lips, "Well, we better get going."

"Wait, Arthur..."

Calliope puts her hand on his strong arm, stopping him from walking away. His blue gaze locks with her own, caution present in his stare. Their last heated conversation hangs heavy in the air between them. Rough, like shards of glass. 

She clears her throat, "Thank you for doing this. I mean, thanks for proving that sometimes, you have the capability to not be a complete asshole."

He quirks an eyebrow, "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

The blonde scratches the back of her head, "Yeah, well, being nice to you isn't exactly an easy task for me."

"I can tell."

"And... I understand you feel like you don't really know me, and I'm aware of the fact that I push people away more than I let them in, but," Calliope isn't really sure where she's going with this. How do you express feelings? Arthur raises his eyebrows, as she chews on her bottom lip and takes a deep breath. "I—I do care about you, okay?"

His defensive expression crumbles and shifts into something entirely different. Almost soft and delicate like a sweet, morning mist. The prince definitely wasn't expecting those words to leave her mouth, and for a moment, he's too stunned to speak.

However, admitting that; putting those words into existence, scares the hell out of Calliope.

"What?" He has to ask. Did he even hear her right?

"Don't pretend like you didn't hear me just so I'll say it again," she answers, trying to ignore the way he's staring at her, like she's some kind of ethereal being that could vanish to the clouds if he looks away. "I know you're different from your father— that you have the potential to be a good king—to be a better one than Uther ever could be."

He takes a step closer. A lot closer. Calliope curses her traitorous heart that speeds up without her permission, "You really think so?"

"Well, as long as you can keep your head out of your ass."

"Of course," he says with a slight smile. His proximity is almost too much to handle. Breathing normally becomes a much harder task. She feels like she's grasping for oxygen as he looks to the ground for a moment, contemplating, before his eyes rise to hers once again, delicate and honest. "You...you mean a lot to me, Calliope."

They've been circling each other in a constant dance since the first day they met—back and forth, hate to disdain to slight dislike to something more that Calliope's too afraid to label.

Calliope tries to keep her eyes from falling to his lips, but she fails—for just a small moment that could have fallen beneath the cracks. She hopes he didn't notice. He did.

"I just want you to know that I have your back," she finally says, drawing up the restraint to create more space between them, and to keep heat from flooding her cheeks.

Arthur clears his throat, "I appreciate that."

"Right," she motions to the horses. "We should probably get going then."

"Right," he says, trying to shake off whatever just happened between them. "Let's go."

♛ ♛ ♛

CAL'S TATTOOS
(the dragon's tail would be longer. this is the closest image i could find)

blue jay <3

memento mori

it's 1 am. this chapter is almost 5,000 words. i am very tired.

so if there are grammar mistakes, i am sorry. i pretty much wrote this all in one sitting. i will come back and edit later. i hope you guys enjoyed!

remember to vote and leave your thoughts in the comments :) <3