The sun was shining bright, seemingly just above him, with flurries of warm wind dancing around his body. Yet, he was sure that it was the darkest hour of his life, the time when last rays of hope were fading fast. Of course, it was not new for the last dragonlord to find himself on Kilgharrah's back, which made him one of the few men of his time who could see the world from such heights. On every occasion but this one, he would truly appreciate that privilege, feeling both childlike excitement and serenity. One could almost say that it was his way of unwinding after some heavy burden was lifted off his shoulders, or at least after he found hope that it soon might be.

This time was different though, and not only because it would be his last. Actually, he didn't even think about it anymore, almost forgetting that it was most likely the last meeting with one of his oldest allies, The Great Dragon. He barely remembered where he was, with heights feeling like depths of sadness and fear. It almost seemed like the burden he carried today would crash his heart and soul, force him to stop breathing, or at the very least make him fall off Kilgharrah's back. A sense of failed duty was a part of it, albeit small, as he was nearly convinced that the purpose of his life, his destiny couldn't be fulfilled anymore, all because of his foolish mistakes. What was truly heart-wrenching though, what was tearing him apart from inside, was the vision of losing his best friend. It didn't matter that their friendship couldn't ever develop conventionally, as not only they were the king and his servant, but their relationship had to be built upon a lie. He knew that in their hearts, they recognized each other, despite all the banter and the restrictions of their roles.

The thought about how much better everything could be between them now that he revealed his magic, if only Arthur wasn't fatally wounded, was agonizing. He tried to focus on something else but all he found was anger at himself. He was so full of himself, defying everyone's advice. Being sure that he could save everyone, he helped to get them all killed.

As his mind started spiraling into negative thoughts, his tired body couldn't take it anymore. Though the flight was short, he dozed off, still tightly clutching his friend's limp body and Kilgharrah's back. His dreams were filled with gloomy visions of the future. In one of them, The Great Dragon confirmed that Arthur is gone for real and doomed him to wander around the world for centuries until the king's future rise. In another, Gwen became the Queen, which wasn't bad in itself, but her reign didn't live up to the prophecies of the great kingdom where good magic is allowed, thus making so many sacrifices worthless. And there were a few others, often contradicting each other, as dreams work in their own time and logic. Some would say that great sorcerers are the masters of this realm. But as it turned out, even they can sometimes get caught up in their fear and despair.

They soon reached their destination. As promised, Kilgharrah took them to the lake of Avalon. The somewhat rough landing woke him from his slumber. For all he knew, it was already too late, he failed to save the king in time and more importantly, he failed to save Arthur. Still, he did have a tiny spark of hope inside, a quiet, suppressed longing for a miracle.

As soon as his feet touched the ground and he dragged Arthur's body off Kilgharrah's back, those faint feelings strengthened a little, with a sudden sense of calm coming over him. Weirdly, something was different about the place. He would always feel magic around when he was there but at that moment, it was more than that. He sensed a stronger force, as if the very essence of magic was greeting him. Lifting his gaze off the ground, he looked around to find the dragon and have their last conversation. His eyes grew wide as he realized that there were many more than three of them there. He opened his mouth, wanting explanations, and closed them back, bewildered at the unexpected welcome. He heard a female voice, sounding dulcet yet firm:

„Dearest Merlin, it is not to be taken lightly when this circle gathers, nor when you are welcomed in it. It has been two decades since we last met in this form and though you seem to wonder why we came to you, you may soon discover that it was you who was seeking us."

He looked at the speaker. Despite her young, clean voice, she seemed like an old lady. Her dark skin was covered with wrinkles, yet her tangled hair were brown instead of grey. He also observed that her long dress was made of little leaves and fruits, and there were little animals and birds hidden in it. "Oh," it finally hit him, "she is a forest keeper!" According to what Gaius had told him, those were incredibly powerful beings whose magic mainly used the power of earth. They had allies in all plants and animals, whom they could communicate with, and their knowledge was as old as The Old Religion. They rarely mingled in human affairs or reveal themselves, with their skin looking like a combination of human skin and tree bark and their hair partially made of branches. If he, or rather Arthur, was in any other state, he would likely feel so honored to meet her that he would cry the tears of joy.

"You seem to fear that the long foretold story you are a part of has come to an end, at least for now. Should that happen, the sacred bond will be broken and the promise of the great kingdom you worked for may not unfold the way it is supposed to, though it is not the only thing that troubles you, is it? You are not just destined to be the Great King's servant and the warlock at his service, you are meant to be his dearest friend, and you chose with all your heart to embrace it."

Hearing someone say aloud how much he lost almost made him weep, but he managed to swallow it.

"You see, anyone in this circle would like to see the prophecy fulfilled. It is good for magic and ultimately for the world, though some, like me, have little to gain from it. Regardless, we are not here strictly because of your destiny or because of the prophecy. As a circle, full of different magical beings, we only have power to respond to one type of call, a pure intention of the heart, which gives fire to great magical power."

He looked around and realized that she was right, the circle was huge and diverse, with a forest keeper, element guardians, druids, warlocks, witches, a dragon and several other creatures.

"As we do not respond to words, spells or any other magical protocols, we are often, if not usually, summoned by those who had no idea about us, like you. What we do, to some extent, is every person's magic, for it comes from the times when every creature realized their magic and knew how to use it. In this form though, it is the most powerful healing ritual that is. If you decide to go through with it and accept the challenge it poses, you may still be able to fulfill your destiny, and save your friend."

Now, he was ready to cry the tears of happiness. He just started opening his mouth to agree to anything, when she interrupted:

"Before you decide, you must know that this may be one of the hardest challenges on your path so far, for it does not include fighting enemies on the outside, but journeying inside, through your darkest parts and deepest fears. Many great sorcerers who sought this kind of help feared this price more than death."

He didn't really understand and it did sound a bit scary, but nothing could frighten him enough to back away from the miracle that was given to him.

"It is quite hard to explain precisely how it will look like, as this kind of magic is both older and greater than language. It can only be felt, not spoken of. The important thing is that in the first part, as a circle, we will use different means to call upon the healing energy, joining our diverse powers. You will need to lead us, in a way. We know how to channel this unimaginable force, which could otherwise be destructive. But its strength can only be built on the pure intention, something that comes from you. When we finish, the king will be healed and your inner journey will begin."

He let out a sigh of relief. At least, this time, he may not have a chance to ruin everything.

"You need to know that the duration of the journey may vary and there is no chance to go back. On the outside, it mostly looks like some kind of sickness of the body. You should also understand that it is not a price set by us, for our gain of any sort. By joining our powers, we summon the healing energy from the source of all magic and life itself. It is a ceremony of pure intentions and deep emotions, and in its spirit, after the healing is done, the one who asked for it should travel to this source of all magic and life within himself to offer his gratitude. So, what will it be, dearest Merlin? Is this story ending or just beginning?"

"I will do it." he said quickly. "Thank you," he added, realizing that there might not be another chance and he truly was deeply grateful, whatever would come next.

If only he looked around, he might have seen several smiles or looks full of respect. It took a special kind of courage and selflessness to agree so quickly, with no questions asked.

"Very well, we shall start then. There is not much time left to save the king."

He took the last glance at Arthur, before leaving him in the middle of the circle and standing next to the forest keeper, like she instructed. She said:

"Before we begin, there are three of us who would like to say something to support Merlin's intention."

First, an old druid woman spoke up. He'd never met her before:

"One of my own, druids, is sadly to blame for King Arthur's wound. I know it was not the first time he plotted against the king, and others did too. It is not without reason but it does not justify it and nothing good, for any of us, could come out of it. We, elders, understand the timeline of things and we know that when the time comes, you, Emrys, and The Young King will bring upon the new fair kingdom. And it will come soon. One of ours, even if he was also foretold, mingled with the sacred order of things. To alter his wrongdoing, on behalf of all druids, I will give my all to help heal the king."

Merlin thanked her by smiling and bowing his head. Surprisingly, she was followed by Anhora, the keeper of the unicorns:

"I do not know King Arthur, or you, Merlin, very well. But our paths did cross once, many years back, when you were both younger and more foolish. Since then, I secretly kept track of both of you. Even then though, I could see that you were special, with hearts so strong and noble that they could overcome any darkness. I witnessed two people who both had much to lose, the future king and the future greatest sorcerer, who were fighting because each wanted to sacrifice their life for the other, despite not even knowing each other that well. I am certain that if someone can bring change to this land, it is the king who was willing to sacrifice his life for his servant, repeatedly, and the powerful servant who quietly took humiliation every day, both to embrace his destiny and to keep his friend safe. I will give all my powers to support the healing."

A few tears escaped Merlin's eyes. Finally, Kilgharrah spoke:

"Young Warlock, as you know, it is my last chance to help you. It has been a while since I took part in one of these ancient circles and I would not do it for anyone else, knowing that this will be the last bit of powerful magic I will have the strength to use. It is not because you are the last dragonlord, or because our paths were destined to cross. In my long life, I met many warlocks, and I know that destiny is not enough to make you the greatest. There are qualities in you that make you so powerful, and I often failed to appreciate them. Perhaps they are the ones that got you here, the ones you at this moment despise yourself for. If it was not for them though, both you and Arthur might have been dead long ago, and I certainly would. I am grateful that the last great ally on my path was one of the best people I knew. It is for this reason, to save my friend's best friend more than to protect the future kingdom, that I sacrifice the remainders of my power. Good luck, Young Warlock."

After that last speech, Merlin couldn't stop tears from flowing heavily. He approached The Great Dragon, thanked him and blessed him before his final journey.

Soon, the forest keeper squeezed his hand, signaling that it was time to start. Strangely, he wasn't nervous at all, trusting that the energy will guide him and somehow knowing that sooner or later, they would manage to summon the healing force that could save Arthur. Why was he so calm, even though he knew it was his only shot? Maybe it was the circle, where he felt safe and supported. He could sense that what they were dealing with was good magic, based on the forces of four elements and most powerful emotions. It could also be the immense gratitude he felt. All those people showed up simply to help them, despite Uther and Arthur's views on magic that might have hurt them in the past. And he was deeply touched by Kilgharrah's sacrifice, it amazed him that the dragon also values their friendship so highly.

He took a deep breath and started chanting. He didn't use spells or even words, going with the flow of the melody that appeared in his mind. He felt his feet stamping in a heavy rhythm. As everyone in the circle was joining in, some following his tune, others starting their own, he sensed the energy rising rapidly. Some magical forces were already dancing in the middle, just above Arthur, but for now, there were only a few of them, not united yet. Gradually, the steady rhythm made everyone move out of their minds, forget their thoughts, and reach deep into their hearts. Soon, they would feel as if there was nothing but their hearts and bodies, their feelings and energies, swallowed by the force of Mother Earth.

At that moment, there was one heart that mattered the most, fiercely supported by others. And as the sky got cloudier, it was starting to release deep sadness and grief. Those feelings weren't put into words, but they consisted of all those little moments of friendship, all the laughter, all those petty fights that may not ever happen again. It was also full of adventures that could be lost forever, of secrets that could finally be shared but it might be too late, of being scared of losing the person that always tried to have your back, of not wanting to empty the space once occupied by caring for a friend. At the same time, the heart was grieving for what Arthur might not get to have, of the great kingdom he would not get to enjoy, of days with his wife, of raising his children. As all those emotions flooded through the soul and body, the voice got louder and tearier.

It was both the reminder of how it felt to lose a friend in the past and something else entirely. This time, the heart was also aware that there was a different kind of possible emptiness awaiting. For this friendship was special. Was it the prophecy that made them into two sides of the same coin? Or was the pull of those energies, even before time, so strong and so needed in the world that it could easily be predicted?

As the heart remembered that pull and realized that however absurd it seemed at the beginning, it felt just right, the cry became more powerful. The body was consumed by it, with silver light coming out of it and mending different energies in the middle of the circle. They were still not one, but they were getting stronger, pulling different helpers into their quest. Now, the circle was surrounded by animals coming out of the forest. Some could say they just came to look, but those more sensitive felt that they were there to join.

With this sudden movement of energy, something also moved in the hearts, starting with the one that mattered most. The sadness was overcome by joy, the grief by hope. There still might be time for laughter and tears, adventures and sharing secrets, caring more openly. Bright future for Arthur may still be ahead. Simultaneously, the heart found happiness and gratitude for all the moments together that passed but could live in memory, of battles won, all secret quests, rare moments of honesty, saving each other's lives, jokes, endless fighting.

With this, the melody changed to a more joyful one, and the rhythm became lighter. It seemed as if everyone present, every person, creature, even each surrounding plant, was giving thanks in their way, using their unique happy song. The energy changed from profoundly earthy to one that travels upwards, all the way to the sky. They could all feel the moment when it touched the sun. And then, the healing started. First, a few drops of gold fell from the sky, completing the union of energies in the middle of the circle. The newly created mass traveled down, forming a veil around Arthur's body. As they continued singing, the pure force of magic, which was essentially the same as the sheer force of life, worked its miracle. It pulled out the piece of the blade, tended to the wound, blew more life energy into the body. When its work was done, it spread all over the place.

Even after its pieces were no longer traceable, they kept singing for a while, now expressing their gratitude and awe for what they witnessed. Somehow, for everyone gathered, everything around looked more beautiful than a few hours earlier. But no heart was more rejoiced than the one that was leading, thanking with all its power for this unexpected blessing.

Finally, everyone fell silent, slowly coming out of the trance. They started looking around, smiling slightly at each other, looking for a place to sit down for a minute. Merlin only caught a glimpse of that before he felt an immense wave of tiredness. He barely managed to look at Arthur and concentrate hard enough to sense that his friend was truly okay. Then, his legs went numb and he felt two sets of hands helping him to lie down. And so, his journey began.