Fic: Hour of Need (2/?)
Here you are, have fun!
Title: Hour of Need (2/?)
Genre: Adventure
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, or anything else. All fun, no profit.
Summary: Morgana and her new ally attack Camelot. Merlin disappears, Camelot is overrun. Young King Arthur is left to struggle and fight for what is left of his kingdom. Set post-Wicked Day, but includes Lancelot, who will be resurrected on screen as well, I'm sure of it.
The knights crept through the gates, arms drawn. Arthur took the lead, Sir Leon and Sir Gwaine close behind him. They spread across the yard, warily looking around. Goods lay scattered all over the ground, the remains of a wagon blasted apart, debris covering the ground.Arthur felt anger rise within him as he saw the state of his own courtyard.
“Well, well, well”, a voice drawled out from behind his back. Arthur whipped around, sword at the ready. He saw Cado sitting atop the wall over the gates, lazily leaning back and dangling his legs. “Look what the cat dragged in. The proud warriors of Camelot:” He smirked. “My, I'm in trouble, aren't I.”
Arthur clenched his jaw. “Compared to you even a three-legged-dog is proud!” He shouted back. “What kind of man rips apart a whole city for the sake of his own entertainment? If you seek dominance of this kingdom, come a challenge it's lord like a man with honour!” Arthur paused, knowing his speech was pointless. His mind buzzed in anticipation. This evil man could blast him to pieces should he decide so; hopefully, he would be able to distract him enough that at least Merlin could get through. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his knights moving. Gods, they were all going to die.
“Why fight you for something I already have, your Lordship?” Cado gestured at the city in general. “Besides, why deprive myself of the satisfaction of letting you scurry through your little city, day in and day out, like tiny brave ants, so desperate to take back your castle. Quite pathetic, yet fun to watch.” Again, that smirk. Oh, how Arthur wished he could just cut it off his face, along with the rest of his head. Hate choked him as he glared up at the sorcerer.
“You know nothing about a man's love for his kingdom!” Sir Leon came to Arthur's aid. “You do not deserve to be called a man, you are no more than the company you keep; I am sure the rats consider you a fair friend.” He spat on the ground in disgust.
The sorcerer leaned forward, his face contorting with anger. “Love for a kingdom founded on the blood of the innocent! How self-satisfied you must be, knight, born in such high graces. It was easy for you to lick the right boots. As for my company, I believe it has the same status as yours has. However, mine is infinitely more beautiful.” He smiled tauntingly, and looked at something behind Arthur. He hesitated, then glanced behind him.
There, leaning ever so gracefully against the entrance to the royal halls, dark as the waters of Avalon themselves, stood Morgana. Arthur's breath hitched. She was pale, even sickly so, her eyes had sunken into their sockets. However, the triumph and satisfaction were coming off her in waves. She surveyed him as a cat might a mouse, planning to play with him before she snapped his neck. He knew this look. He had once found it amusing, challenging. Now, it made his blood run cold.
“Hello Arthur. How have you been?” She stepped down the stairs. “My, I forget my manners,Sire. I forgot, you call yourself King of Camelot.” She smiled cruelly. “Tell me, how did you like your coronation? I'm curious. After all, I arranged it all for you. Without my help, our poor father might have lived for years in his tragic state of mind. I heard he was barely responsive in the end, is it true?”
Arthur's mind froze, all thoughts of their plan gone. Then it jolted back into life and he swallowed, trying to regain his composure. “Don't flatter yourself, Morgana, my father fell to magic, but it wasn't yours, it was-”
“Oh, but it was”, Morgana interrupted him gleefully. “I take a lot of pride in it. I know, you hired this bumbling warlock to try and heal him. The irony of it is, his spell was working, else my enchantment would have not. By healing him with magic, you allowed me to kill him.” She gazed at his face expectantly, obviously releshing in his pain. He heard a small laugh behind him and this, more than anything, made him determined to end this, right here, right now.
“Morgana, you are the lowest form of being I have ever encountered. A king offered everything to you, his kingdom, his love and you threw it all away. I have nothing but contempt for you! Your soul is consumed by black magic and I hope it burns you alive!” Arthur panted, blinking away tears of rage. He dimly felt himself trembling and was aware that his men were forming a circle around him.
“Do not speak to my Lady in that tone!” Cado had finally made his descent from the wall and strode towards the knights. “You know nothing of our pain, nothing about our magic! How dare you suggestyou are in any place to judge someone with power such as ours. Do you want to feel it, king?”
And with that, he raised his hand, pointed at Arthur and said something the King didn't understand. The sorcerer's gleaming eyes were the last thing he saw before his world twisted into agony. He didn't feel himself convulse, didn't hear himself cry out in pain as a red light consumed him, breaking every bone at once and grating every nerve in his body. Not a single thought was left in his mind, not even the wish to die, there was only pain, until-
He gasped as he fell to the ground, trembling. Hands gripped him and dragged him over the ground, then steadied him. He looked at Lancelot, who was holding him, watching something with a look of absolute terror on his face. Still gasping for air, Arthur followed his gaze.
Merlin hung suspended in the air by a giant orb of gas, or maybe blood-red liquid. His whole body was twitching and Merlin was screaming, shouting as Arthur had never heard him scream before. He watched, petrified, as his friend doubled over in pain. Then, Merlin's eyes opened and their glow was visible even through the orb. With a wordless roar Merlin reared up, and the orb surrounding him exploded. Cado was flung back with a cry of surprise. Merlin dropped to the ground, shaking.
“You!” Morgana shrieked, striding towards him. “It cannot be!“ She halted, her chest heaving in disbelief and fury. „You have magic. And you never told! You could have helped me. You could have stood by my side!”
Merlin staggered upright. “Help you destroy Camelot and everything it stands for? Never! That is not how magic is meant to be used, but you know that, Morgana. You always knew. And yet you chose this path. Leave now, you have done enough damage here!”
Morgana looked aghast for a moment, then she uttered a sound of rage. “How dare you oppose me now! Uther is dead, Camelot has fallen and Arthur will be next!” A ball of flames appeared in her hand and Arthur watched, immobile, as it sped towards him. He lifted his arm instinctively, Lancelot cowering beside him, but the flames never reached him. Instead, they turned halfway towards Arthur and hurtled back. Morgana shouted just in time and the fire vanished.
“You will not hurt him.” Merlin spoke firmly, his statement absolute. Arthur watched with a feeling of detachment as his servant stood his ground, firm, his clothes filthy, hair ruffled and a trail of blood running down his temple. But the expression in Merlin's face was something different. It spoke of an authority Arthur had never witnessed before. Neither had Morgana, by the look on her face. After a moment of indecision, her face darkened.
“Fine. Then I'll kill you too.” She raised her hand and her eyes flashed. Arthur could feel as the force left her, and flew at Merlin. Merlin's eyes glowed in return and he murmured a few words. The dust at his feet stirred, but nothing else happened.
“Leave now, Morgana. Your magic is no use here. Just go before it is too late.” Morgana didn't reply, her face contorted in rage. She whispered something in the language of the Old Religion, and a great wind rose in the courtyard. Arthur screwed up his eyes against the small stones and dust flying through the air. He saw Merlin do the same. The remains of a wagon were lifted into the air, as were a wheelbarrow and random pieces of debris. The pelted through the air at Merlin, who cowered slightly, hoarsely shouting words into the air. Arthur uttered a wordless cry of warning as the missiles missed Merlin by inches, then started swirling around him. He watched helplessly as Morgana leaned forward, brow furrowed in concentration, Merlin in the eye of an ever growing storm of wind and heavy objects. He staggered away as the air pressure became to much to bear, seeking cover behind the foot-high wall encasing the courtyard, watching the battle before him. Suddenly, the circle holding Merlin broke and one by one the objects shot through the air, faster than an arrow, as the deathly spiral around Merlin unraveled.
Morgana threw herself to the ground as the heavy objects flew towards her, flying over her head and hitting the stairs behind her with enormous clatter. The air however, seemed to compress around her and now it was Morgana who was being visibly pushed to the ground, crushed by a force that could not be seen. It emanated from Merlin, who had a hand outstretched and was fully focused on the struggling sorceress. A movement behind Merlin caught Arthur's attention. Cado was silently mouthing a spell as he crept behind Merlin. Before Arthur could utter more than a sound of surprise, he heard Lancelot shout out next to him.
“Merlin, behind you!”
Merlin whipped around, but it was to late; Cado's spell hit him. A blinding white light expanded, encasing Merlin, then it imploded. Merlin had vanished.
________________________
Thoughts? Concrit? Favorite lines?
Title: Hour of Need (2/?)
Genre: Adventure
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, or anything else. All fun, no profit.
Summary: Morgana and her new ally attack Camelot. Merlin disappears, Camelot is overrun. Young King Arthur is left to struggle and fight for what is left of his kingdom. Set post-Wicked Day, but includes Lancelot, who will be resurrected on screen as well, I'm sure of it.
The knights crept through the gates, arms drawn. Arthur took the lead, Sir Leon and Sir Gwaine close behind him. They spread across the yard, warily looking around. Goods lay scattered all over the ground, the remains of a wagon blasted apart, debris covering the ground.Arthur felt anger rise within him as he saw the state of his own courtyard.
“Well, well, well”, a voice drawled out from behind his back. Arthur whipped around, sword at the ready. He saw Cado sitting atop the wall over the gates, lazily leaning back and dangling his legs. “Look what the cat dragged in. The proud warriors of Camelot:” He smirked. “My, I'm in trouble, aren't I.”
Arthur clenched his jaw. “Compared to you even a three-legged-dog is proud!” He shouted back. “What kind of man rips apart a whole city for the sake of his own entertainment? If you seek dominance of this kingdom, come a challenge it's lord like a man with honour!” Arthur paused, knowing his speech was pointless. His mind buzzed in anticipation. This evil man could blast him to pieces should he decide so; hopefully, he would be able to distract him enough that at least Merlin could get through. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his knights moving. Gods, they were all going to die.
“Why fight you for something I already have, your Lordship?” Cado gestured at the city in general. “Besides, why deprive myself of the satisfaction of letting you scurry through your little city, day in and day out, like tiny brave ants, so desperate to take back your castle. Quite pathetic, yet fun to watch.” Again, that smirk. Oh, how Arthur wished he could just cut it off his face, along with the rest of his head. Hate choked him as he glared up at the sorcerer.
“You know nothing about a man's love for his kingdom!” Sir Leon came to Arthur's aid. “You do not deserve to be called a man, you are no more than the company you keep; I am sure the rats consider you a fair friend.” He spat on the ground in disgust.
The sorcerer leaned forward, his face contorting with anger. “Love for a kingdom founded on the blood of the innocent! How self-satisfied you must be, knight, born in such high graces. It was easy for you to lick the right boots. As for my company, I believe it has the same status as yours has. However, mine is infinitely more beautiful.” He smiled tauntingly, and looked at something behind Arthur. He hesitated, then glanced behind him.
There, leaning ever so gracefully against the entrance to the royal halls, dark as the waters of Avalon themselves, stood Morgana. Arthur's breath hitched. She was pale, even sickly so, her eyes had sunken into their sockets. However, the triumph and satisfaction were coming off her in waves. She surveyed him as a cat might a mouse, planning to play with him before she snapped his neck. He knew this look. He had once found it amusing, challenging. Now, it made his blood run cold.
“Hello Arthur. How have you been?” She stepped down the stairs. “My, I forget my manners,Sire. I forgot, you call yourself King of Camelot.” She smiled cruelly. “Tell me, how did you like your coronation? I'm curious. After all, I arranged it all for you. Without my help, our poor father might have lived for years in his tragic state of mind. I heard he was barely responsive in the end, is it true?”
Arthur's mind froze, all thoughts of their plan gone. Then it jolted back into life and he swallowed, trying to regain his composure. “Don't flatter yourself, Morgana, my father fell to magic, but it wasn't yours, it was-”
“Oh, but it was”, Morgana interrupted him gleefully. “I take a lot of pride in it. I know, you hired this bumbling warlock to try and heal him. The irony of it is, his spell was working, else my enchantment would have not. By healing him with magic, you allowed me to kill him.” She gazed at his face expectantly, obviously releshing in his pain. He heard a small laugh behind him and this, more than anything, made him determined to end this, right here, right now.
“Morgana, you are the lowest form of being I have ever encountered. A king offered everything to you, his kingdom, his love and you threw it all away. I have nothing but contempt for you! Your soul is consumed by black magic and I hope it burns you alive!” Arthur panted, blinking away tears of rage. He dimly felt himself trembling and was aware that his men were forming a circle around him.
“Do not speak to my Lady in that tone!” Cado had finally made his descent from the wall and strode towards the knights. “You know nothing of our pain, nothing about our magic! How dare you suggestyou are in any place to judge someone with power such as ours. Do you want to feel it, king?”
And with that, he raised his hand, pointed at Arthur and said something the King didn't understand. The sorcerer's gleaming eyes were the last thing he saw before his world twisted into agony. He didn't feel himself convulse, didn't hear himself cry out in pain as a red light consumed him, breaking every bone at once and grating every nerve in his body. Not a single thought was left in his mind, not even the wish to die, there was only pain, until-
He gasped as he fell to the ground, trembling. Hands gripped him and dragged him over the ground, then steadied him. He looked at Lancelot, who was holding him, watching something with a look of absolute terror on his face. Still gasping for air, Arthur followed his gaze.
Merlin hung suspended in the air by a giant orb of gas, or maybe blood-red liquid. His whole body was twitching and Merlin was screaming, shouting as Arthur had never heard him scream before. He watched, petrified, as his friend doubled over in pain. Then, Merlin's eyes opened and their glow was visible even through the orb. With a wordless roar Merlin reared up, and the orb surrounding him exploded. Cado was flung back with a cry of surprise. Merlin dropped to the ground, shaking.
“You!” Morgana shrieked, striding towards him. “It cannot be!“ She halted, her chest heaving in disbelief and fury. „You have magic. And you never told! You could have helped me. You could have stood by my side!”
Merlin staggered upright. “Help you destroy Camelot and everything it stands for? Never! That is not how magic is meant to be used, but you know that, Morgana. You always knew. And yet you chose this path. Leave now, you have done enough damage here!”
Morgana looked aghast for a moment, then she uttered a sound of rage. “How dare you oppose me now! Uther is dead, Camelot has fallen and Arthur will be next!” A ball of flames appeared in her hand and Arthur watched, immobile, as it sped towards him. He lifted his arm instinctively, Lancelot cowering beside him, but the flames never reached him. Instead, they turned halfway towards Arthur and hurtled back. Morgana shouted just in time and the fire vanished.
“You will not hurt him.” Merlin spoke firmly, his statement absolute. Arthur watched with a feeling of detachment as his servant stood his ground, firm, his clothes filthy, hair ruffled and a trail of blood running down his temple. But the expression in Merlin's face was something different. It spoke of an authority Arthur had never witnessed before. Neither had Morgana, by the look on her face. After a moment of indecision, her face darkened.
“Fine. Then I'll kill you too.” She raised her hand and her eyes flashed. Arthur could feel as the force left her, and flew at Merlin. Merlin's eyes glowed in return and he murmured a few words. The dust at his feet stirred, but nothing else happened.
“Leave now, Morgana. Your magic is no use here. Just go before it is too late.” Morgana didn't reply, her face contorted in rage. She whispered something in the language of the Old Religion, and a great wind rose in the courtyard. Arthur screwed up his eyes against the small stones and dust flying through the air. He saw Merlin do the same. The remains of a wagon were lifted into the air, as were a wheelbarrow and random pieces of debris. The pelted through the air at Merlin, who cowered slightly, hoarsely shouting words into the air. Arthur uttered a wordless cry of warning as the missiles missed Merlin by inches, then started swirling around him. He watched helplessly as Morgana leaned forward, brow furrowed in concentration, Merlin in the eye of an ever growing storm of wind and heavy objects. He staggered away as the air pressure became to much to bear, seeking cover behind the foot-high wall encasing the courtyard, watching the battle before him. Suddenly, the circle holding Merlin broke and one by one the objects shot through the air, faster than an arrow, as the deathly spiral around Merlin unraveled.
Morgana threw herself to the ground as the heavy objects flew towards her, flying over her head and hitting the stairs behind her with enormous clatter. The air however, seemed to compress around her and now it was Morgana who was being visibly pushed to the ground, crushed by a force that could not be seen. It emanated from Merlin, who had a hand outstretched and was fully focused on the struggling sorceress. A movement behind Merlin caught Arthur's attention. Cado was silently mouthing a spell as he crept behind Merlin. Before Arthur could utter more than a sound of surprise, he heard Lancelot shout out next to him.
“Merlin, behind you!”
Merlin whipped around, but it was to late; Cado's spell hit him. A blinding white light expanded, encasing Merlin, then it imploded. Merlin had vanished.
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Thoughts? Concrit? Favorite lines?