CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
THE LAST DRAGONLORD ( i. )

Calliope is surrounded by dragon fire on all sides.

It's different than normal fire—far more scorching and blazing and agonizing than anything she's ever experienced before. The flames are so hot that even stepping close to them causes a stinging sensation on her skin and her eyes to water. Smoke has filled her lungs to the point she can barely speak as she shoves more citizens into the confines of the palace where Gwen and Gaius are treating the wounded. They've tried to coax Calliope into a cot once or twice, but she won't rest while Arthur and the knights need her help.

There are holes in her tunic, and there is ash on her sword. Calliope's face is obscured by grime and blood, her icy hair turned a horrible, dark gray color. After three nights of this, directly after her fight with the Knights of Medhir, she is nearing collapse. Her head injury has not healed properly, and she can still feel some after effects of the sleeping spell wearing on her body. But she must keep going. For herself and for Arthur and for Camelot. Calliope presses on, shutting palace doors behind the last child bolting into the makeshift infirmary.

What awaits her in the courtyard is pure and utter chaos. Horses loose, dead guards on fire, and flames roaring throughout the entire city. She barely hangs onto her sword, her chest igniting in pain with each hallowed breath.

For a moment, all the screaming and the unrelenting fire brings her back in time. Calliope feels panic settling in, suddenly, she's just a nine-year-old girl again, afraid and alone and lost—

A crossbow is shoved into her arms, jolting her back to reality

"I know you're tired, but make one last effort for me!" That's Arthur's voice. It rings out as he passes with a group of knights.

Calliope breaks out of her trance. Leon is in front of her. He must've given her the bow, and he puts a hand on her shoulder, "You still with us, Cal?" When she nods, he pulls an extra sling of arrows off his back. "Good, we need you."

"Every shot must count!" Arthur commands as Calliope swings the arrows over her back, joining the group with Leon at her side.

They climb the stairs leading to the top of the wall where even more knights and guards armed with crossbows are getting into position. There are lit braziers everywhere for the arrows, but Calliope knows it will take more than this to kill a dragon.

She loads her crossbow next to Leon as Arthur walks behind them with Merlin following him, "I'm sorry you have to do this," he says.

Calliope sends Merlin a worried glance. This is the price he has to pay for asking the dragon for help so many times—it's the only reason the dragon let him know how to stop Morgause's plan.

"Why? You're not to blame," Arthur answers as he takes his crossbow.

In the distance, beneath the glow of a wide, full moon, Calliope spots the dragon. Kilgharrah utters a loud roar as his giant wings expand.

"Flame up!"

Calliope lights her arrow, heart pounding.

Arthur calls out to everyone under his command, "Stay strong, for tonight is not your night to die! I'll make sure of that!"

The dragon spots his targets. He swoops down and heads straight for the wall. Calliope aims her crossbow at the monstrous beast flying towards her.

"Hold firm!"

Closer and closer the dragon flies, beginning to open its mouth to breathe deadly fire.

"Hold! Hold!"

It's nearly on top of them when Arthur finally yells—

"Now!"

As soon as Calliope pulls the trigger, she has to leap out of the way, bringing Leon down with her. The stones shield them from any lethal burns, but she grunts in pain when a small burst of fire marks her right shoulder. Leon pats it out, glancing over the damage.

"You need to see Gaius."

"I'm fine, Leon!"

"Arthur!" Calliope rolls her eyes as he calls the Prince over. "Cal's hurt!"

"What?" Arthur is beside her in less than a second. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Stop being so dramatic! It's just a small burn."

"Your head is bleeding again," Arthur mutters, ripping some cloth from the shirt under his chainmail.

Calliope can't withhold her wince when he dabs at her wound. His fingers trail her face lightly as he scans her for any other injuries. Around them, the screaming intensifies. Kilgharrah roars again, unleashing more of his rage on the courtyard.

Prince Arthur looks to Leon, "Right, you hold things down up here. I'll get Calliope to Gaius."

"That's really not necessary—"

"It is necessary!" Both Leon and Arthur say at the same time.

The assassin rolls her eye, huffing, "Fine."

As the guards and knights on the wall reload their weapons, Arthur helps Calliope to her feet. He keeps one hand steadying her as they quickly descend the staircase. They stop several times to duck from expanding fire blasts, and the pain in Calliope's shoulder only intensifies.

The door to the infirmary is on the other side of the courtyard. They have to get through an entire lake of fire and bodies and debris to reach it. There's no cover from the dragon—they'll be completely exposed while Kilgharrah soars above, looking for anyone to punish for his time in captivity.

Calliope and Arthur stand on the last stair for several moments watching the night sky. They wait for an opening, any sign the dragon has its attention on something else.

The dragon has spotted something else. Someone by the well, drawing more water for the infirmary. Calliope squints her eyes to see through the smoke and flames. She gasps when she recognizes who it is.

"Gwen!" Arthur yells. The dragon begins its descent on the courtyard, right for the well. "Guinevere!"

Calliope locks her pain away. She shoves Arthur forward, urging him to save Gwen. They run through the courtyard, leaping over bodies and dodging heavy areas of dragon fire.

The enormous shadow of the dragon looms over them as they reach Gwen. The three of them are almost to the doors when one of Kilgharrah's claws slices into Arthur as he shields Gwen from the dragon.

"Arthur!" Both of them fall, and Calliope immediately helps them up.

They make it inside just as the dragon dives for another group of guards.

Calliope slams the door shut, struggling to breathe. All of her injuries suddenly slam back into her mind. The blow to her head from three days ago, the smoke in her lungs, and the excruciating burn on her shoulder.

She places her hands on her knees and thinks she may pass out.

"—no, help Cal first!" Arthur ushers Gaius to Calliope.

"Arthur, your wound—"

"I don't care. Make sure Calliope is alright!"

In a daze, she's taken to a cot, and Gaius is in front of her.

There are so many people injured or dying or still underneath sheets on their cots. The whole room smells of smoke and charred skin. Calliope sways, and Arthur's hands are there to steady her.

"Easy there," he says, stroking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"She's inhaled too much smoke, and she's lost a lot of blood," Gaius dresses the wound on her head, and then assesses the burn on her shoulder. "You can't go back out there, Cal, not like this."

She knows Gaius is right. Calliope isn't even sure she can stand right now, let alone fight a fucking crazed dragon.

Her eyes flicker to Arthur, and her hand drifts up to intertwine with his, "Okay, your turn, Pendragon. Fix him up, Gaius."

The physician glances at the claw mark, "It's not a deep wound," his eyes scan the infirmary. "Gwen, come bandage the Prince. I have to see to the more severe injuries right now. Some are barely hanging on."

"Of course, Gaius," Arthur motions for him to continue his work then turns his blue eyes back to the assassin. "Will you lay down and relax now that I'm getting bandaged up too?"

Calliope sighs, her lips quirking into a smile, "I suppose so."

"Good," he gives her a quick kiss and then moves to one of the last free cots a few rows down where Gwen is waiting to attend to his injury.

Calliope bites down on her lip as she lies on the cot. The blood on her head has turned cool and dry, but her shoulder is burning. Her muscles are tight, her bones weary. The pain is dreadful, but exhaustion snaps into her every vein.

Sleep comes easy to her, like a heavy blanket amongst winter frost, and she is wrapped into a quick, dreamless oblivion.

♛ ♛ ♛

In the infirmary, even the quietest sound is dulled by the stillness of morning. Calliope sits on her cot, staring as servants pull sheets over those who passed in the night from their injuries. She shivers as her wound is dressed with fresh cloth, holding her burned shirt in her hands, clutching onto it as a lifeline. The smell of smoke and ash and charred skin still lingers inside. She can only imagine the scene beyond those doors that lead to the main spot of destruction.

The dragon leaves the city alone during the day. It gathers its strength for the next attack while Camelot scrambles for more weapons and fighters that can still continue on. But Calliope isn't sure how much more of this they can take. Nothing seems to be able to even slow the dragon down. Their arrows don't even pierce its skin.

Calliope hasn't noticed that Gwen has finished patching her up. She's too lost in her own thoughts of how they're going to survive this.

Gwen sets a gentle hand on her shoulder, "All done, Cal."

"Thanks," Calliope winces as she pulls her shirt over her head.

"The King is holding a meeting in a few minutes with the court to discuss further plans," says Gwen as she rings out a bloody cloth in a bowl of murky water. "But, I'm not sure what more we can do against a dragon."

Calliope wants to say there's still hope, but all she can do is nod in agreement, "Yeah, I'm not sure either."

When Calliope leaves the infirmary, she heads straight for the council chambers, arriving just in time for the beginning of the meeting. Arthur, along with almost all of the knights, are still in their armor, their faces covered in ash and grime. It appears none of them have slept, not even a minute.

She takes her place close to Merlin and Gaius. Both of them look over her with their eyebrows drawn together in concern. She supposes she does look rather rough after the events of the past few days. She simply shrugs, mouthing that she's fine. She will go on fighting, like always.

"The dead are numbered forty-nine men, twenty-seven women, and a further eighteen women and children are unaccounted for. Most of last night's fires are now out. The castle walls, in particular the western section, are near to collapse. I could go on."

Arthur finishes his report with an exhausted breath. He himself looks on the verge of collapse. Calliope wishes she could have held onto her consciousness longer last night to be of more help to him.

"Do we have any further idea on how the beast escaped?" Uther asks.

With her eyes shifting to Merlin, Calliope chews on her lip nervously. She can see his jaw clench, and he swallows heavily.

Leon speaks up from behind Arthur, "I regret to say, Sire, we don't."

"There must be some way to rid ourselves of this aberration," Uther moves to the nearest window, where early morning light obscured by smoke filters inside to bask a haunting glow on the room. "Gaius?"

Calliope turns her head to the physician, "We need a Dragonlord, Sire."

"You know very well that's not an option." Yes, Calliope heard that all of the Dragonlords were wiped out because of an order from the King. But, from the glint in Gaius's eyes, he must have a vital secret that can save them all.

"Sire, what if there was indeed one last Dragonlord left?"

"That's not possible."

"But what if there was?"

Uther looks over his shoulder from the window. His eyes are locked on the physician as he walks forward, "What are you saying?"

"It may just be a rumor—"

"Go on."

Gaius nods, "I'm not exactly sure, but I think his name is Balinor."

"Where does he live?" Prince Arthur asks.

"He was last seen in Cenred's kingdom. In the border town of Engerd, but that was many years ago."

Arthur is already grabbing his sword, "If this man still exists, then it is our duty to find him."

"Our treaty with Cenred no longer stands. We are at war. If they discovered you beyond our border, they would kill you."

"I will go alone, that way I will not be detected—"

The King shakes his head, "No, Arthur it is too dangerous."

"More dangerous than staying here? I will not stand by and watch my men die when I have the chance to save them."

"I've given you my orders!"

"Do not make this a test of wills, Father," Arthur says, standing strong.

Uther raises his voice, "I'm not talking to you as a father! I'm talking to you as a King!"

The Prince's gaze falls to the floor for a moment. Calliope uncrosses her arms, watching as he moves around the King, "I will ride immediately."

"My concern is for you."

Arthur stops, "Mine is for Camelot. I will send word when I've found him." And then, as he walks by Merlin, he asks him to prepare the horses for their journey.

On his way out the door of the council chambers, he grabs Calliope's uninjured arm and pulls her into the busy corridor with him. Calliope is already preparing a speech about how he shouldn't go. She should go instead. She can find anyone, anywhere in the world. She's been to Engred before and knows the territory well, and she's less likely to be caught. No one there knows her face like they would know Arthur's.

Plus, she might still have some contacts in Cenred's kingdom. Yes, it is the most reasonable thing for her to go and for him to stay.

But, she knows Arthur too well. Once he's made up his mind, it's impossible to change it. He's stubborn, ad his determination to save his people will always outweigh reason and sanity and everything else.

Looking into his eyes, before he even utters a word, she can already predict exactly how their conversation is about to go.

"You should still be in the infirmary," says Arthur, as he analyzes her freshly bandaged wounds. His hands brush strands of hair out of her face. There's still blood tangled within the ashy waves.

Calliope grabs his hands with her own and brings them away from her face, "Arthur, I know Cenred's kingdom well, better than anyone in this city. I can get in and out easily—"

"No," he shakes his head, not even letting her finish. "No, absolutely not."

"It's the best choice. I won't be recognized by anyone. I can track someone down faster than you, and you know it. Don't let your pride get in the way of seeing reason."

"This isn't about pride, Cal," He says, stepping closer. "It's about keeping you alive and safe." She opens her mouth to protest, but he places a finger on her lips. "You're in no condition to travel—"

"I can travel just fine!"

"No, you can't," Arthur's eyes move to her head injury. "You're hurt, and you need to heal. You have to sit this one out, Calliope." Anger rises in her gut, and he can see it flashing in her eyes. "I'll be okay, I promise."

She bites the inside of her cheek, "Cenred's kingdom is dangerous. All sorts of horrible people run freely there. You'll need my help—"

Arthur cuts her off with a kiss. His lips move against hers slowly, as if they have all the time in the world. She clutches onto his shoulders, wishing they could stay rooted in this moment and he wouldn't leave on this dangerous quest.

When he pulls away, he rests his forehead on hers, "You can kiss me all you want, Pendragon. It won't make me stop arguing with you."

"I know," he says, a small smile lifting his lips. The warmth of him vanishes, and he steps away. "I'll kiss you again when I get back."

And then, he disappears down the hallway.

Calliope presses her fingers to her lips, the ghost of his kiss still haunting her. She inhales a slow, steadying breath, a terrible, terrible voice in her mind whispering that their time is trickling like sand in an hourglass.

When he turns down another corridor, she stares at his fading shadow.

Savor these moments, the voice says, there aren't many left.

♛ ♛ ♛

To Calliope's dismay, her injuries truly are too severe for travelling. Gaius says that one more hit to her head, and she may not recover. If she doesn't want any lasting effects, she'll have to rest and heal so she can live on to fight another day. And she hates it. She hates sitting around in the infirmary while Arthur and Merlin go risk their lives. They need her protection, especially in Cenred's kingdom. That's where the heart of the Underground lies, and King Cenred does nothing to interfere with all the brutality as long as he can have all the money and power he wants.

Calliope taps her foot on the ground anxiously, hands resting on her knees. She's getting flashbacks from the last time Arthur went riding out on a dangerous quest without her. He returned at the brink of death, and she was powerless. Only Merlin's magic could save him.

Now, all she will be able to do is sit and wait for their return.

She has to have faith in Merlin, that his powers will keep Arthur safe as they always have in the past. Calliope nods to herself. They'll be fine. They'll come back. They have to.

"Cal!" She jumps to her feet as Merlin's voice echoes off the walls. "Cal, are you in here?"

"Merlin, what's wrong?" The young sorcerer stands before her in the infirmary, tears welling in his eyes, shaking his head.

For a moment, he can't speak, "I—it's—I..."

"Hey," she puts a hand on his shoulder. That seems to anchor him back to reality. "Talk to me. What's happened?"

"Gaius has just told me that the Dragonlord Arthur and I are about to look for is my father."

"What?" Calliope's mouth hangs open in shock.

"He said that Uther had all the Dragonlords rounded up and killed because their powers were close to sorcery. They could talk to dragons and tame them," Merlin breathes quickly, placing a hand on his chest, as if he's still processing it all. "One survived because Gaius got him out, and then my mother...she took him in, but Uther found out where he was hiding and he was forced to flee." Merlin steps back, and he begins pacing. "How could Gaius hide this from me all this time? How could my mother not tell me that my father was still out there somewhere? I had a right to know the truth!"

"Merlin, I'm so sorry," Calliope watches as he inhales a long breath, turning to her. "He shouldn't have kept that from you."

Wiping his eyes, the young sorcerer calms himself, "I have to go, but I had to tell you. I had to tell you because..." he trails off a moment, like he's deciding whether or not to finish his thought. "Because I think he's keeping secrets from you too. About your parents—your birth parents."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I have asked him before, Cal, about how he found you as a baby, and he's never able to give me a straight answer."

"He found me in the woods," Calliope says, but as the words leave her lips, she realizes it's one thing she's never really questioned Gaius on. Not intensely, anyway.

Merlin meets her eyes, "Maybe it's time for you to get answers too."

Would Gaius lie to her like he had lied to Merlin all these years? When she looks up again, Merlin is at the door of the infirmary.

"Merlin," she calls out. He stops, looking over his shoulder. "Take care of Arthur."

"Always," he says, and then, he's gone.

She doesn't hesitate to head straight for the physician's chambers, her heart pounding in her ears. In her mind, the people who raised her will always be her real parents. The ones who abandoned her simply brought her into the world, and then left her die, but she still deserves to know the full truth, even if it's painful or hard to face. Gaius knows she can handle pain—that she's been through so much, and she's still standing. The identities of her birth parents has always been a mystery she believed Gaius didn't know, but now she can't be sure.

Calliope can't be sure until she confronts him about it.

Her hand drifts up to the silver necklace, her fingers ghosting the moon symbol. The necklace that's been with her through it all—that saved her when she had no way out of Sepharin's grip. It really is her tether to this world, a source of life and light, but she's never known what it means. Just that it keeps her going, keeps her strong. One constant amongst hundreds of days of hurt and loss and betrayal.

At the door, she stops. Her fingertips press against the wood, and she gathers herself.

When she pushes the door open, Gaius is studying a few vials of blue liquid and potions are bubbling around the room, remedies for those still injured or ill from the fires.

The closing of the door echoes through the air, causing him to look up from his work, "Cal, I'm happy you've actually listened to a physician's advice for once."

"I know about Merlin's father. He told me everything," says the assassin, jarring Gaius, and he lets out a tired sigh.

"His mother thought it'd be too dangerous for him to know the truth. It was all for his own protection."

"Still, he deserved to know," her voice lowers, "and so do I." His eyebrows furrow. Gaius walks around his workbench, facing Calliope, but he knows where this conversation is going. He's had to know this moment would always come. Eventually, she'd find the truth herself or get it out of him, even though he doesn't want to tell her. "You didn't find me in the woods, did you, Gaius?" He doesn't answer, just stares, lips pressed in a firm line. "I mean, I guess today is the day to come clean with all your lies, to Merlin and to me." Her hand grips her necklace again. "Tell me, Gaius. I need to know the truth—"

She lets out a small, unexpected sob, surprised by the number of emotions cutting through her all of a sudden, like a knife carving intricate patterns through her gut. Her eyes begin to fill with tears.

"Tell me the truth, Gaius!"

His face falls. Gaius's body thuds against the seat of the workbench, and he covers his mouth with his hand, almost shaking.

He bows his head, closing his eyes, "I've been trying to protect you from the truth your entire life, Calliope," she can barely hear him over the rapid pounding of her own heart. "It'll destroy you to know everything."

"How can it be worse than everything I've already endured?" she asks, her voice breaking. Losing her home, her parents. Sold into slavery as a child, beaten, abused, manipulated, turned into a ruthless killer. Selling her soul for power, and barely getting it back—how could anything possibly be worse? Tears are running down her face now, as she thinks about her life, and she can tell he's thinking all the same things. "Please, Gaius, I have to know. I have to try and understand the reason it's all happened."

From across the room, his eyes flicker to hers, and he releases a shaky breath. Then, he motions for her to sit on the other side of the bench, and she walks over, sitting down with an expectant stare.

Calliope does her best to keep her hands from shaking, and she wipes her sweaty palms on her pants.

"I did not find you in the woods," says Gaius, staring at the table. "I smuggled you away from people who wanted you dead." She isn't sure she's even still breathing as she waits for him to reveal more. "That story I told you, about the Fall of Sheolta, those beasts the priestesses conjured from hell to win the magical civil war, they really weren't beasts at all. They were soldiers—an army of warriors cursed with one purpose—to kill."

Her ancestor flashes through her mind. We're cursed to be killers, forever.

"The priestesses used dark magic to warp their minds and their bodies. They had enhanced abilities and were brutal weapons on the battlefield. No one could stop them, and the priestesses controlled them using," his eyes fall to her necklace, "using silver jewelry with dark magic at its core." Her hands wraps around the moon. "But, as you know, all magic has a price, especially dark magic, and eventually, the warriors broke free of the priestesses' influence and slaughtered all of them."

"What happened to the warriors after that?"

"They formed their own city, tried to live in peace," Gaius looks at her, reluctance in his eyes, "but, the curse remained, as did the dark magic on their souls. Most couldn't take it and scattered through the world to become mercenaries or assassins or soldiers serving kings with a taste for blood." She still isn't sure how this is connected to her parents. It isn't making sense, not really. "However, there were a few with strong minds who resisted the curse long enough to consort with sorcerers on how to contain it. The sorcerers were able to put a spell on the silver jewelry and turn the dark core into one of light and pure nature. As long as the warriors wore the jewelry, the pull of the dark magic in their blood would be...weakened. Not completely gone, but enough to resist it so they could live in peace."

"Is that what this is?" Calliope holds the symbol between her fingers.

Gaius nods, "Yes."

"Does that mean...I'm...I'm one of them?"

"Yes."

The world crashes into her. She thinks she may pass out.

She has to grip the table so she doesn't fall over.

Gaius's voice is the only thing keeping her from losing her lunch, "Lucindria, it was the name of the city, on the Southern coast. It's where you were born.

"Was?" Calliope's head shoots up. "What happened to it?" He opens his mouth, but then closes it. "Gaius, what happened?"

"Your people were hated by most. Many were told stories of the horrors they committed during the war, even though the new generations of them wanted nothing but to live in peace. There was an order to wipe them out because of their ties to dark magic, but I didn't agree. I tried to warn them, but when I arrived..." Gaius sucks in a breath. "It was too late. They were dead, all of them. Men, women, children, slaughtered in their beds." Calliope gasps, covering her mouth with her hand, "Your father was still alive. He handed you to me, you were only a few months old, and he told me to make sure no one, including you, ever found out about your lineage because everyone from Lucindria was ordered to be hunted and killed, no matter what. I'm sorry, Calliope. Truly, I thought I was protecting you."

"Do you know their names? My parents?"

He shakes his head, "No, only that your father might have survived. Your mother...and you had an older brother, they were murdered."

"Who gave the order?" Calliope asks, tears staining her cheeks. "Who's responsible for this massacre?"

"Calliope...I've already said too much—"

She bangs her hands on the table, "Tell me! No more lies, Gaius!"

"It was..." Gaius gulps, gripping the edge of the table, like he has to force the words out. "It was Uther."

♛ ♛ ♛

There's a dagger in her hand. Calliope twiddles it between her fingers, perched on the eastern walls of the palace, awaiting the return of Merlin and Prince Arthur, and trying to piece through all the emotions plaguing her mind.

First, that she has dark magic permanently swirling through her blood. A curse, going back centuries, whispering at her to give in. It all makes sense now, those voices always in her mind, urging her on through each kill and tempting her to choose evil. How killing always gave her a rush of power. She's been feeding it, the magic, and each kill has brought her closer to that edge. Calliope's other hand holds onto the moon symbol. She wonders what would happen if she just ripped the necklace off and threw it into the trees. Would she march into the Throne Room and slaughter Uther like he had her entire people slaughtered while they slept?

She might do it with the necklace on.

It's one things she's debating. Taking Tenwick up on his offer, killing Uther, and then getting the information she needs to find Sepharin.

Is the necklace what makes her think twice? Or does she actually have natural goodness in her? Could she fight the darkness without the light tether? Would she have killed Arthur if she didn't have it? Does she have any free will at all?

Calliope curses under her breath as her fingers release the moon. Keep it on. At least for now. The dragon is still out there, lurking and waiting to strike again tonight. They have to survive its fires before Calliope can think about solving anything else.

In the distance, she can see two riders emerging from the trees. Arthur and Merlin. Calliope stands, and she runs into the castle, descending staircase after staircase until she finally finds herself breaking into the courtyard as the Prince dismounts his horse. She pushes everything she's found out to the back of her mind, and she runs to him.

Arthur's arms open for her, and she flings herself into him, "You're okay."

He breathes her in, holding her tight, before giving her a fierce kiss.

The Prince holds her hands in his own, "I'm afraid we don't have good news. The last Dragonlord is dead."

She pulls away, her eyes immediately finding Merlin.

His eyes are tear-stained, and she doesn't hesitate to embrace him, "Oh, Merlin," she whispers. "I'm so sorry."

"We have to face the dragon head on. I'm putting together a group to go find it and kill it tonight," says Arthur, not realizing the weight of the Dragonlord's death on his servant.

Calliope blinks several times, "That's suicide, Arthur."

"We have to do something, and this is the only choice now. I won't let anyone else in this city die."

"But—"

"This is not up for discussion, Calliope. I'm asking for volunteers now, and we ride at sunset."

Her eyes shift to Merlin, and Arthur walks away before anything can be said to sway him.

She reaches for the sorcerer again, "Merlin—"

"I'll be alright, Cal, and don't worry. You know I won't let Arthur die."

And as she's left alone in the courtyard with the winter chill, Calliope wraps her arms around herself. She looks to the sky, to the swirling smoke of fires that are still burning, and she prays to whatever forces that might be listening that Arthur and Merlin will be safe. If she has one wish left in this life, it's for them to live long and happy lives. To survive, and go on.

Gaius may be right. The revelations about her past may destroy Calliope, but she has to make sure everyone she cares about is safe before she goes.

Before she rips her necklace off, lets the darkness in, and kills Uther Pendragon, just like she should have when Tenwick originally asked. And then, she'll kill Sepharin, and maybe all his followers too. She will let a river of red blood flow, and she will once again become what she's always been destined to be. What she's cursed to be.

The Red Dragon.

♛ ♛ ♛

ANNND that's a wrap on 2x13. the battle with the dragon will be briefly covered in the next chapter, but everyone knows Merlin saves the day, lol. the next chapter will mainly begin our 3 part finale! yay!

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