The door to Manon's hut banged open before Merlin even touched it.
He would need to keep this quiet - the druids were peaceful people, they won't take well to torture.

Merlin, Alator and Gwaine make their way inside the hut where he saw- Brigand- the man who was one of his Father's riders- had his arms around a sobbing Manon.
Kara was on the opposite side of the hut, sobbing too but she looked more angry than sad and once she saw him, she came hurling into his arms. She was mumbling something through her tears but it was too low for Merlin to hear.
Both Manon and Brigand had gotten up as soon as they had realized that he was in the room, Brigand bowed and elbowed Manon into doing the same.

Merlin didn't move his eyes away from Manon even once, her aura was scared, her magic lashing against her own soul, self-betrayal. Even the magic inside Manon recoiled at her actions. He hears a little voice call his name, "Emrys", Merlin turns away from Manon to look at Kara.

"I heard her telling Brigand what she has done." Merlin closes his eyes, he knew what Kara was about to do, she was about to ask for leniency and he was going to have to disappoint her. He kneels on the ground to come to the same level as Kara, to explain to her that what her aunt has done was wrong and will require a proper punishment.

But what Kara says in continuation shocks Merlin. Shocks him with how much she understands. Kara's eyes were red with tears but her face was of stone.

"She had her reasons for what she did but nothing can justify putting an innocent life in danger." She turns to her aunt and addresses her and Merlin both when she says,
"Ryojin was my friend and Lord Balinor and Emrys have treated us with nothing but kindness." Her eyes turn cold here, Merlin is glad that those eyes are not aimed at him.
"I will support you in any decision you make Emrys.... I promise."

Merlin chances a glance at Manon who had started sobbing even more profusely and he now realizes the reason for her tears. These tears weren't of guilt but of abandonment.
Even before Merlin came into the hut, Kara had already passed her sentence against Manon.

Kara had overheard them speaking and realized that what her aunt had done was jeopardize the one safe place, the one home Kara had ever had. Ambrosia was more important to Kara than it ever was to her aunt.
She will not forgive her for this.

Merlin who was already kneeling turns Kara towards himself, cups her face in his hands and says, "Hey, it's going to be alright. We will bring Ryojin home and Lord Balinor home- and then everything will be okay. Don't worry." He didn't know who he was trying to console, the sobbing girl in front of him or himself.
He smiles at her and gestured for Gwaine to take her to the school, away from the Druid Grove.
She hugs him one last time and then follows the knight outside.
No matter how angry he was, he will always put children first. Kara shouldn't hear what happens next.

Merlin gets up and looks at the people in the hut. It's just Manon, Alator, Brigand and him left now. He spits out a curt "Out." And waits for the people not required to file out.
Alator follows his command without hesitation but the boy beside Manon doesn't even remove his hands from around her. He just keeps looking at Merlin rebelliously.
Merlin raises his eyebrows at this but the boy- Brigand- still doesn't move.

Merlin huffs out a laugh. "You do know that you don't stand a chance against me, right?" Merlin doesn't let him reply, just continues, "and you also know that by trying to test me, you are just making it worse for her. Not better."
"She is a woman. I am not leaving her alone, no matter what you say." Brigand replies, his eyes fire- as if he totally believes the woman in her arms is helpless.

Now, a genuine laugh forces its way out of Merlin. "Trust me, Brigand." The boy looks shocked at being called by his name. He probably thought that Merlin didn't remember him.
"If a woman has the gall enough to attack my family not just once but twice. Innocent people. Then that woman is far from helpless."

The boy just grits his teeth but his arms do loosen a wee bit when he is reminded of the previous attempt on life made by the person he was defending.
"This kind of a woman is capable of incinerating you, this kingdom, in fact, this whole world if she thought that she had a reason to," Merlin says this thinking of Morgana. She had incinerated his world.
Merlin purses his lips and scrunches his nose- shrugging, "I bet she can handle me."

The boy looks at the sobbing mess in his arms and quietly mumbles, "She does have a reason-,"
"-And that is why I am here. And she is not already dead." Merlin cuts him off. He was getting tired of this shit and needed him to leave. He had to find out where his father and Ryojin had been taken, but before that he needed to know the reason.
The reason why Manon hated him, hated his family. He had never hurt anyone- at least not in this life.

At first, Merlin had thought that Manon was one of those females that didn't like men idol worship- and living amongst the druids- he understood that. The Druids worshipped the ground he walked on and to be completely honest, he hated that.

Then there were some people who just didn't like Emrys, because.... They just didn't.
He respected that. He didn't like peanut butter in the 2000's that was his opinion. He thought that for Manon, he was.... peanut butter. Hatred for no reason, a hatred that's closer to indifference.

But then, she tried to kill him with Julius Borden- then he realized that her hatred ran much deeper. So, he wanted to know what made her want to kill him, kill his father and help Morguase- when literally all he remembers doing that even involved Manon- was giving her a place to live and loving Kara.
Finally, though after what seemed like ages, Brigand unwrapped his arms from around Manon and walked towards the door, before leaving though he turned back once again and said, "I will be just outside."

Seriously?
Merlin had finally had it! He just rolled his eyes and magically threw the boy out of the door, locking it behind him. All the while not even looking away from the person who caused all this. Manon.

"We both know what your power is, don't we Manon?" Merlin was referring to her magical powers. Like some people had the power of seeing the future- seers, like some people, had the power of prophecies- oracles, then like those people, some people had the power of mind-reading.
That was how she had been able to fool Grettir for so long. That was how she must have known where his father's location at all time. Known when Ryojin was alone....
But he also knew that she couldn't read his mind. It was why she was scared. Was it her fear that led to her hatred?

"Now, do you know why I am here? Did you read Alator's mind?" he starts circling her, it's taking everything he has to keep his magic from lashing out at her. He sees her nod after a second and she replies,
"You were coming here to torture me."
Merlin smiles. He never said that he couldn't turn cruel if he liked. Over these course of these long years, Merlin had been through a lot of things himself- he was tortured, maimed during wars, he had committed atrocities in the name of Albion. Everything. He had faced death in almost every way.

In the past (during Camelot), his biggest fear had been abandonment.

Fear that people won't like him anymore if he turned into a cynic after everything he had faced. That people will think him evil if was ready to kill for his family.
Blame his magic maybe. But then he had realized after Arthur's death that it would have been better than people fear him than pity him.
The most powerful sorcerer in the world couldn't save his best friend from dying. Couldn't save Freya, his lover from dying. Couldn't save Lancelot from dying.... All because he was such a 'People Pleaser'.
He had been scared of what Arthur would think of him if he would have killed Morgana sooner, had killed Mordred sooner.
Then after 1500 years, all this fear was ash. Nothing. No matter what he had done or not done- they had all abandoned him anyway.

Now, Merlin didn't care about what people thought of him, the people that really mattered to him knew him (or will know him). Knew his true self and that was what mattered. They knew that he would love to the measure of infinity, but he could also hate. He could be kind and be cruel. He could be an angel, a gift from Gods for some but for the people who wronged him- he would be the devil himself.

Manon had wronged him.
"Yes," Merlin replies, "I was coming to torture you here for some answers." He stops right in front of her, and continues in a low voice, "So, there are two ways we can go about this. You either answer all my questions truthfully .... Or, it wouldn't take long for me to call Alator back in." He makes his face innocently confused, "You do know that he is good at getting information out of people, right?"

Manon physically shudders and closes her puffy eyes. Nodding.
"So, which one is it going to be?" He asked. She looked at him before swallowing,
"I'll answer." Merlin smiles a feral smile at her, closes in on her once again like he had the last time he had warned her.
"But you do know that you are not the only mind-reader in the room, right? If you answer any question with a lie, I will know."
She nods frantically and Merlin moves away. Her sobbing resumes.

"Why?" he asked his first question- It was an easy enough. He waited with his hands behind his back while Manon just kept sobbing and blurting some useless phrases like, 'I told her not to take him...', or 'she fooled me.'
'Never my intention.'
Merlin waits for good 10 minutes before his patience runs thin. Somewhere in Albion his Dragon is being tortured, and all this woman cares is for herself?
"WHY?!" Merlin shouts this time, Manon jerks up and stops her sorry attempt at crying. He had never raised his voice before, this was the first time he had shouted at anything.
She clenches her jaw and stands straight. And then answers my question with a question of her own.
"How far would you go for your family, Emrys?"

Merlin's anger spikes up, he is sure that his eyes now have specks of gold in them.
"I think, Manon. That you are about to find out, to what lengths I am really capable of going for my family." His voice is calm, assured. Right now, only assuring her death because it seems like she is threatening his family once again.

But her smile shocks him, it's sad but at the same time accepting. As if she got the answer she was looking for. "Exactly, Emrys. Exactly."
"Explain," Merlin says, head cocked to the side- mind confused.

"Whatever I did, the attempt on your life, the attempt on your father's-" Merlin cuts her off with, "The attempt on my child- on my Dragon."
Her fearful eyes rise up to mine, regret shining in them, "That was not the part of the plan, I promise."
Merlin raises his hand to stop her, "You were protecting your family by trying to hurt me. Trying to protect Kara?!" He would never hurt Kara. This was the stupidest reason. Ever.

Manon huffs out a hysterical laugh but stops when she continues,
"No..." her voice shaky now, "I was trying to protect my son. My Mordred."

Merlin's eyes widen. His mind fleets back to the time when Kara kept mentioning the words 'more-red' together when she mentioned that she had a cousin.
More-Red
Mordred.

How could he have been so stupid? And Kara too! How did he not realize that he had seen her in his previous life, in Camelot? She had been the cause of Mordred's betrayal.
Merlin swallows, something had been blocking him from this realization, how else could he forget such an important detail.

The old religion had made him forget all about Kara so that he could give her- his unbiased love. So that she would be loved in the way she was supposed to. So that she wouldn't turn away from him when he punished his aunt for her treason.

Was his whole life controlled by the Old Religion? If the goddess could make him forget such important details of his own past then was he just a puppet? Was his life and feelings- a game?
He was left completely baffled. But he also knew that in 1500 years, it had been the old religion that had kept him company. Kept him sane. If his magic hadn't been there, he would have surely....
After Arthur died, Merlin had stopped eating, stopped drinking water. In all reality, he should have died but his magic had kept him alive and he was glad for that. He wouldn't have been able to help Gwen with her Kingdom or come back in time and make this Kingdom or... hatch his dragons.

He frowns then, confusion marring his features once again.
He hadn't killed Mordred. Arthur had. That was his other half's destiny. Manon had her facts wrong.
"And why hurt me for your son? I haven't even met him yet." That was a lie, but she didn't need to know that.
She closes her eyes and inhales deeply. And then she says something that sends chills through his bones, "I was told by Rigga, that Emrys is my son's destiny. His doom."

Morgana had been told something similar by the Gate-keeper in the previous life.
And to be fair, Merlin had been Mordred's doom- indirectly. He had never trusted the druid, never accepted him. But, that is what he wanted to correct this time. He feels the sudden need to smack his head with his hands at this stupidity.

Manon didn't know that Merlin was back in time to correct his mistakes, back in Albion to give them all another chance. Another chance for him to be-friend Mordred like he should have. Prevent his doom, not be it.

"Rigga told you?" Merlin shifts his line of questioning.
"Yes, but she didn't mean to tell me.... she had been dreaming and because it mentioned Mordred- I read her mind" Manon looks down guiltily.
Merlin's mouth twists and he looks at the blonde witch before him that had made his life difficult. Yes, he thinks, ruefully, he knows all about these dream-warnings and mind-reading. The act itself could be useful but it involved invading other's privacy and that was not the most acceptable practices.

"And why Ryojin? Why not any other child from the Kingdom? Or even my mother? Why choose the most innocent of all of us to torture? Huh?" Merlin feels his anger and worry returning. A tear escapes Manon's eyes at the mention of the blue dragon.

"I promise, Emrys. I am guilty of every other charge- but Ryojin's." Merlin frowns at this and Manon explains further, her voice growing shakier "Morgause contacted me through mind-speak. She had been keeping eyes on the kingdom when I collaborated with Julius Borden against you. So, she knew that I... disliked you." Merlin snorts mentally, that's putting it mildly.

Manon looked ashamed but continued, "I only supported her in turning Balinor against you- I told her where your father was going to be that day when you both left to save some sorcerers. She looked into his most recent memories but when he held her off through sheer will- she put some kind of a snake at the back of his neck and then demanded he tell her...."

"Tell her what?" Asks Merlin. He already knew the answer but he wanted to hear it.
She looks up from the ground and replies, "Tell her how to hurt you best."

Merlin grits his teeth, that makes sense. That must have been how she knew about Ryojin. Out of all the Dragons, Merlin was closest to the Blue Dragon.
Both because Ryojin needed continuous protection (Merlin's insistence) and also because both of their natures were very similar to each other's. It was like Ryojin felt whatever he felt, sometimes he would look into Merlin's eyes and say so many things without uttering a single word.
Sometimes Merlin would see Ryojin with Yddraig and instead of seeing the dragons, he would see himself and Arthur.
Merlin is brought out of his reminiscing when Manon continues,

"We were going to use your father to lure you, but she tricked me and because she couldn't enter the Kingdom herself- she used Balinor to go and kidnap one of the Dragons. Both because according to Lord Balinor you were closest to your Dragons and after luring you and killing you, Morguase plans to use the dragons for her.... personal use."

Merlin's brain translated this whole sentence as, that Morgause had plans of turning Ryojin and the others into her little pet of destruction, against Camelot and Ambrosia.

Hell, if Merlin will let that happen.

Merlin knew where to look for Ryojin and his father. He also knew now that his father had been subjected to the fomorrah.
He stops, he hadn't even realized that he had started pacing. His magic was so anxious that he could feel how tightly stretched it was with the fear it felt for both his father and Ryojin. Like a string on the bow.

He turns to looks at Manon, "Anything else you have to say before I leave?"

She looked hesitant but straightened and squared her shoulders.
"Emrys," Merlin raised his single eyebrow, this was the first time she had actually addressed him with his druidic name and meant it, "please, I beg you to promise me one thing. From one parent to another." Merlin was always hesitant in giving out any promises, but he would listen to what she had to say.

She had tears dripping down her face and was looking 100 years older than her age.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Promise me that you will not hurt my Mordred." Aaah, Mordred again. The boy hadn't even entered his life yet but had already caused so much trouble.
Merlin couldn't promise her that. He couldn't promise that he won't hurt Mordred- what if the druid boy turned Evil? What if he tries to hurt Arthur? He couldn't jeopardize the whole future for a mother.

"I can't promise you that, Manon." Merlin sees her face crumble, she falls to her knees and pleads with him mentally. Merlin closes his eyes and now realizes where Mordred got his habit of speaking mentally from.
The druid boy had pleaded in the same way when he had been stranded in Camelot.

Merlin remembers the young boy, so innocent, who had lost his life and his loyalty to Arthur because of Merlin's decisions. Remembers the hero worship he had for Merlin. Remembers that how after every win against the knights during practice he would look at Merlin, hopeful, that maybe finally his Emrys would deem him worthy.
He had wronged Mordred.

He takes a deep breath, sighs. It was because of those thoughts in his mind that he adds,
"I will think about it."

Manon looks at him thankfully and then fearfully when he calls upon Alator. Brigand comes running in as well.
He ignores the boy who is fussing over the blonde witch and looks at Alator, "Take her to the dungeons."

Merlin leaves then. He had his family to save.

*

The dark tower was exactly as Merlin remembered it to be. Dark.
Skeletons surrounded the land, everywhere, almost as a warning.
Mab had already said, 'Hi', in her own way- with a frigging riddle. Her riddles had always been foreboding but this one... this one was almost... playful. Still somewhat of a warning.

For some reason, this had scared him the most.
That and the fact that the rhyme/riddle seemed to be talking about Merlin getting tempted by something. Or someone.

"Beware of the powerful mage,
resist the temptation only they can sake,
don't fall for it, don't fall for them,
beauty is a danger because of them.

Queen Mab and Merlin were both immortal and had stayed in contact through all these years- though she didn't have any memories of them, she knew that Merlin was older than he seemed. Their souls did recognize each other though.
His despair had been unmeasurable after 1000 years and Mab was the queen of Despair. They had gotten along quite splendidly.

Merlin and Gemini flew right to the entrance. He commanded her to leave for Ambrosia right then, he was not going to put his friend in danger as long as he could prevent it.

Gemini protested for a bit but had to give into her King's command, she lowered her head one last time to be petted and then took flight into the air.
He watched until there was not even a little speck of white in the skies and then made his way into the feeling of foreboding emanating from the doorway.

Each stair that Merlin stepped on made his magic lash out- he had to hold it in otherwise his magic would have levelled the whole tower even before he entered it. A chorus of different screeches pierced his head with every step up. They were so ear-numbing that Merlin had to hold his hands over them to even think clearly.

He remembers the words Mab had said once, 'The tower is the place of the heart's despair.' Yes, he felt it, many minds had been lost in this place. The screeches he was hearing were of both men and women- all those people who had lost their minds here. This place symbolized both the Heart's despair and Despair's heart.

Over the centuries Merlin's magic had increased, doubled.... Tripled. He also had enough time hone it perfectly- that sometimes played against him- last time when he had entered the tower in a rescue mission for Gwen with the Knights and Arthur.... Merlin had only felt the foreboding feeling and maybe... a little buzz in his ears. Like an errant mosquito.
Nothing like this time- this time if he focused enough he could even hear the screeches of some people he knew and loved, it was a game the tower played.
All that along with the emotional turmoil he had been in throughout the day had made his magic confused and very over-reactive.

That wasn't a good thing. He realizes now that he should have brought someone with him. Alator, maybe Ruadan- maybe none would have been able to stand against Morgause- but they would have been able to hold their own against Balinor.
Because if Merlin was right, and it was the fomorrah.... Then his father would side with Morgause in attacking him.

This place was overwhelming for him. For his magic. He had never set foot in this place after they had gotten Gwen back- he had hated this place then and he still hated it more now. The overloading of senses along with his magic lashing out at this place and his trying to contain it had adverse effects on Merlin.

This was no place for him... there was too much dark magic in this place and though Dark Magic couldn't touch him, it still irritated him.

Still, he pushes the room where they had found Gwen last time. He didn't know what he expected to find, Gwen had come back from the tower as a completely different person. Her mind convoluted by Morgana. Will Ryojin be the same?

He sees the blue Dragon as soon as he enters the room, he moves forward coming in the line of the dragon's sight.
He waits until Ryojin sees him, and when he does he croaks a weak, "Merlin."
The dragonlord feels tears prick his eyes, all thoughts of Ryojin turning against him fly out of the window and he nods and smiles at his little Dragon. Apologizing for not being there with his eyes. He starts rushing towards his Dragon, uncaring about his surroundings.

It was then when he feels it, two other people in the room, watching the whole thing carefully. Merlin whips towards them, protecting Ryojin with his person.
He sees Balinor and tries calling out to him but his father is rigid, unmoving. His eyes are unfocused and not even turned towards Merlin. They are turned towards the other person in the room.
Morgause. A smirking Morgause.

"You don't look as powerful today, Merlin." She walks towards him, stopping a meter away. Still too wary to come close to him then, he remarks in his sluggish brain.

Another thing he remarks is that she knows his name now, there is literally no other way left for Merlin to leave this place without killing her first. He needs to protect his identity if he is to ever go to Camelot.

He also realizes with dread that he can't use his magic because it was too much like holding back water in a broken dam. It was the most unpredictable thing right now and Merlin could not take the risk. He would still be able to do instinctual magic but not anything of use.

His control was already stretched thin with holding his magic in check, blocking the mandrake screeches for both him and Ryojin whilst also trying to find a way to get rid of the fomorrah in his father's neck.
If he let himself loose now then the whole tower could come down.

Morgause might die but so will Balinor. He couldn't have that.
Also, Ryojin might be an immortal like him but he was still in a stage of growth- if something drastic happened now, then his growth would be stunted forever, much like Aithusa's had in the past.

So, no magic then.

Well, it was a good thing then that over the years he had developed multiple other skills. Like using a sword, properly. It wasn't as good as his magic but obsidian was a magical sword, it could deflect and cut through anything. Another plus? It was forged in Kilgharrah's breath. He just needed to use his sword to defend himself and his dragon from the fireballs Morgause and Balinor were already aiming at them. Well, him.

Merlin can't put Ryojin in danger so he moves away from him in the direction of his father- who is throwing fireballs at Merlin too, but usually missing.
One thing he had come to know in this past year with his father was that Balinor was an excellent shot.
He realized then that even on a subconscious level Balinor wasn't doing his best to kill Merlin, similarly like Merlin hadn't done his best in killing Arthur in the past.

His focus is split for a while between his father and Morgause but mainly, he was focusing on Morgause. At one point, he could see Morgause getting tired and he hoped that she would stop soon and.... hopefully, die.
But then she smirked and instead of attacking him, she produced her biggest fireball yet and aimed it ....at Balinor.

His father didn't notice, no, too busy and tired creating fireballs of his own. The fomorrah wouldn't have allowed his father to move and Morgause knew that.
That's alright, Merlin could help his father. He started running towards Balinor when he saw Morgause produce another fireball.

Helplessness is what Merlin felt- as he saw in slow motion- as Morgause aimed the next fireball at Ryojin.
It was a choice now.
His son or his father. He knew he couldn't save both. He knew both his magic and his sword were useless.

His eyes connected Ryojin's. The Dragon's beautiful eyes had widened at the sight of the fireball. Not the one aimed at himself but the one aimed at Balinor. Merlin knew he couldn't save Ryojin, he was too far from him now- but he could save his father. Once his mind had decided, Merlin's body obeyed.
He ran in front of his father, waiting to take the full brunt of the fireball on his body. He would be lucky if he didn't suffer severe burns all over his body.

Ryojin was a simple dragon at heart. All he had ever wanted was to see his Dragonlord happy. His lord and father had been through a lot in his very long life.
Ryojin had felt it, all the anger, the frustration and the tremendous sadness that resided in his lord's heart. There was love there too, so pure and so golden that Ryojin had wanted to chirp in joy every time his lord would show that love to him, extend him the love only a few had the seen and even fewer had the honour of being at the receiving end of.

When the witch had aimed a deathly fireball for both him and his lord's father. He had mentally begged his lord to save his father.
Ryojin was immune from Fire as Emrys was immune to dark magic. It won't hurt him.
His lord didn't know and thus looked so broken when he realized that no matter what he did, he won't be able to save Ryojin. He had felt for his lord then; his despair had been palpable through their bond.
Even stronger than the sadness he carried in his heart. Stronger than anything.

Ryojin had been practising and had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to show something to Merlin but never had the perfect opportunity to- besides now- he opened his maw wide and sent a jet blast of water aiming at the place where the fireball was going to hit his lord and took his own fireball on his body.

And like he expected, when the fire touched him, he felt nothing except a slight sizzle. As if water had been spread over a hot pan just off the stove. It didn't feel good but it was far from painful. He had discovered this when Yddraig (clotpole) had been excitedly spewing fire everywhere in his first month and had accidentally woken up a sleeping Ryojin with it. Least is to say that Yddraig had been very sorry later...

Ryojin opened his eyes, which he knew were as deep as the ocean he was born in but in middle of his eyes was glowing golden. Much like his lord's, as if he had not borrowed the sun but absorbed it. Powerful and fiery.

Fire can never hurt water, just like dark cannot overwhelm light. He looked over to his master who was soaked top to bottom but he could also feel a feeling of deep relief spread throughout his lord's body.

Merlin had never felt more relieved as he had felt when the fireball that had been aimed at Ryojin just sizzled on his body, not even harming a single scale. In fact, the blue dragon was not just blue anymore, some of his scales had also taken on a golden hue. Merlin smiled when his mind supplied with a mental shout of 'Atta boy' at Ryojin's dorky face.

He would literally take a thousand fireballs on his person if that meant that it would keep all his family safe.

Merlin had been so relieved and tired that he didn't notice anything happening until it did.

Balinor took Merlin's sword and used the pommel to hit him on the head.
He was the most powerful sorcerer in the world, but his head was much like anyone else's. Merlin crumpled to the ground but could still hear what was being said, Ryojin was screeching angrily again, spitting water everywhere. But when someone rested Obsidian right above Merlin's heart- Ryojin quietened immediately, trying not to make the person more angry.

He then felt Morgause kneel beside him.
She then spoke but he knew that she wasn't speaking to him but herself. Her tone .... Wondrous?
"Now, how did you hold us off for so long... without even using a drop of magic, huh?" Merlin would have punched her if he could move his arms.

A second later, he could hear some metal box being dragged behind her and she whispered under her breath, "Always safe than sorry I suppose."

Merlin felt himself being dragged too and his arms getting painfully shackled to the wall and then she whispered a spell... He could feel the level of vile magic notch up in the room and a second later something latched onto his face.

From then on Merlin knew nothing but darkness.