suaine
in
boxofmagic
Big Bang Preview: Deluge
Title: Deluge
Author: suaine
Rating: R
Pairings/Characters: Arthur, Arthur/Merlin, background Gwen/Morgana
Wordcount: 50637
It begins with rain.
It begins with the voice of the dragon and three secrets.
It begins with a bargain and the debt that has to be repaid for a life.
Excerpt
Morgana casts her gaze onto the board, a graceful finger coming to rest on top of her king. The white of the piece looks exactly like the white of her skin. "Not all men die because of what I have done."
Arthur raises an eyebrow but waits for her to make a move before speaking. Her fingers glide over the pieces, rocking them on their wooden squares. She chooses a knight and takes his queen, a move that puts Arthur's king in check. He's been waiting for this and brings his bishop up front, taking the knight in a move that leaves both king and bishop protecting each other, standing apart from the rest.
"What have you seen?" He doesn't really want to know. It's one thing to know he'll die in battle, quite another to know the time and date and the man whose sword will do the deed.
The sharp laugh she gives at his words makes his stomach clench. "What haven't I seen? In the future, science will be as powerful as magic, more so, even, and people will be as cattle to some." Arthur holds his tongue, despite the urge to point out that tyrants who put little value on a human life are apparently timeless. "I've seen it all, and it's so very, very dark. I can't remember most of the details, unfortunately."
She stills for a moment, a frown of concentration marring her brow. It makes her look younger, somehow, like the girl who held her own against him with sticks when they weren't allowed swords, tongue peeking out between her lips even though he'd told her time and again not to do it or one day she'd bite it off.
"The boy," she says, moving a bishop of her own. "The druid boy we rescued, he's the key to your downfall, but not for a long time."
"Mordred," Arthur says, trying the name on his lips. It doesn't taste like anything, not ashes, not destiny. It's just a name. He's just a boy.
Morgana nods. "I'm truly sorry," she says, "If I'd known-"
Arthur ponders the bishop for a moment, coming at his weakest point, and without his queen there is little he can do. He's got a handful of moves left, all merely prolonging the inevitable, and he's not going to sacrifice the bishop for his king if there is no chance. When he tumbles the heavy piece onto the board, it gives him a small chill, but he's made the right decision. It's an honourable loss.
"I would have done the same thing," Arthur says, "if I'd known."
Morgana stares down at the board for a long time, her head bent so Arthur can't see her face. She's chewing her lip in a very unladylike manner. "I know what your problem is," she says. "You play chess like it's not a game at all."
Soundtrack
01. November Rain - Guns N Roses
02. Perfect (acoustic) - Alanis Morrisette
03. Hurricanes and Butterflies - Muse
04. Es lebe der König - Rosenstolz
05. Any Other World - Mika
06. All Along The Watchtower - BSG Soundtrack
07. Feel - Jamie Anderson
08. Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits
09. Sunny Day - Sunrise Avenue
10. Rebellen der Sonne - Christina Stürmer
11. Perfekte Welle - Scala
12. Faith of the Heart - Diane Warren ft. Russell Watson
-
Full album as .rar archive
Mirror 1
Mirror 2
Author: suaine
Rating: R
Pairings/Characters: Arthur, Arthur/Merlin, background Gwen/Morgana
Wordcount: 50637
It begins with rain.
It begins with the voice of the dragon and three secrets.
It begins with a bargain and the debt that has to be repaid for a life.
Excerpt
Morgana casts her gaze onto the board, a graceful finger coming to rest on top of her king. The white of the piece looks exactly like the white of her skin. "Not all men die because of what I have done."
Arthur raises an eyebrow but waits for her to make a move before speaking. Her fingers glide over the pieces, rocking them on their wooden squares. She chooses a knight and takes his queen, a move that puts Arthur's king in check. He's been waiting for this and brings his bishop up front, taking the knight in a move that leaves both king and bishop protecting each other, standing apart from the rest.
"What have you seen?" He doesn't really want to know. It's one thing to know he'll die in battle, quite another to know the time and date and the man whose sword will do the deed.
The sharp laugh she gives at his words makes his stomach clench. "What haven't I seen? In the future, science will be as powerful as magic, more so, even, and people will be as cattle to some." Arthur holds his tongue, despite the urge to point out that tyrants who put little value on a human life are apparently timeless. "I've seen it all, and it's so very, very dark. I can't remember most of the details, unfortunately."
She stills for a moment, a frown of concentration marring her brow. It makes her look younger, somehow, like the girl who held her own against him with sticks when they weren't allowed swords, tongue peeking out between her lips even though he'd told her time and again not to do it or one day she'd bite it off.
"The boy," she says, moving a bishop of her own. "The druid boy we rescued, he's the key to your downfall, but not for a long time."
"Mordred," Arthur says, trying the name on his lips. It doesn't taste like anything, not ashes, not destiny. It's just a name. He's just a boy.
Morgana nods. "I'm truly sorry," she says, "If I'd known-"
Arthur ponders the bishop for a moment, coming at his weakest point, and without his queen there is little he can do. He's got a handful of moves left, all merely prolonging the inevitable, and he's not going to sacrifice the bishop for his king if there is no chance. When he tumbles the heavy piece onto the board, it gives him a small chill, but he's made the right decision. It's an honourable loss.
"I would have done the same thing," Arthur says, "if I'd known."
Morgana stares down at the board for a long time, her head bent so Arthur can't see her face. She's chewing her lip in a very unladylike manner. "I know what your problem is," she says. "You play chess like it's not a game at all."
Soundtrack
01. November Rain - Guns N Roses
02. Perfect (acoustic) - Alanis Morrisette
03. Hurricanes and Butterflies - Muse
04. Es lebe der König - Rosenstolz
05. Any Other World - Mika
06. All Along The Watchtower - BSG Soundtrack
07. Feel - Jamie Anderson
08. Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits
09. Sunny Day - Sunrise Avenue
10. Rebellen der Sonne - Christina Stürmer
11. Perfekte Welle - Scala
12. Faith of the Heart - Diane Warren ft. Russell Watson
-
Full album as .rar archive
Mirror 1
Mirror 2