FIC (Merlin): To Kill A Sorcerer
Title: To Kill A Sorcerer
Rating: PG-13/Teens
Warnings: Character death
Spoilers: None
Summary: Merlin gets between a sorceress' spell and Arthur, and suffers the consequences.
Author's Note: Many, many thanks to lilith_lessfair for betaing this story.
To Kill A Sorcerer
Uther
I stared at Merlin when he jumped between Arthur and the stream of light flaring from the sorceress' hands, barely flinching when it hit him and faded. The idiot-- My thoughts broke off as fire blossomed from his hands in return, a ball of flame speeding from him to the witch. I could only think of one thing: Merlin was a sorcerer. The smell of burning flesh returned my attention to the instigator, where swiftly all that was left of her was ash.
Moving red robes drew my attention back to Merlin, who, in the meantime, had collapsed to the floor. I stood up and stepped to the physician's side. “Gaius?”
He looked up at me, keeping one hand at the pulse point on Merlin's neck. “The curse he's been hit with kills all but one in a thousand. Of those few who survive, most are severely crippled.” He glanced sorrowfully at the boy. “I do not believe he will live a week, sire.”
I nodded, staring down at the softly moaning sorcerer while Arthur told a nearby guard, “Send for Hunith.” So quietly I knew he wasn’t talking to anyone in particular, “Merlin deserves to have his mother here.”
Merlin
I drew in a shaky breath, feeling fire running through my veins, no less painful than the dull burning in my muscles, or the sharp pain in my head. I could barely focus, though the shutting door drew my attention. I heard booted footsteps, and then a hard voice.
“How is he?”
“He is stable for now, sire.”
Uther responded after a slight pause, “If he improves, you know what you must do. I will grant him the mercy of a painless death.”
Silence, footsteps, and then the door opened and shut once more. I struggled and managed to open my eyes. Gaius noticed, turning to grab a vial from the table behind him before lifting me up slightly so I could drink it. Before I did so, I said, “I don't want to die, Gaius.”
As I drank down the bitter potion, he responded, “I know, Merlin. I know.”
Arthur
I led a pale Hunith to Gaius' chambers, where our eyes were immediately drawn to Gaius standing in the doorway to Merlin's room. He slowly came down the stairs and met us halfway across the room, briefly enfolding Merlin's mother in his arms.
“Hunith, he's asleep right now, but he'll wake in a few hours.” She nodded, hurried up the stairs, and closed the door behind her. Gaius looked steadily at me. “Talk to me, Arthur.”
“What is there to say? Whether or not I'm happy at discovering my manservant-- my friend-- is a sorcerer doesn't matter. He's dying. That's the only thing that does.” My voice grew quieter. “He took my place, Gaius. If for nothing else he's done, I honor him for that.”
Hunith
I stared at the undecorated urn that held my son's ashes. I glanced at Gaius, who also had tears in his eyes. My hands shook as I picked it up. “We need two. Merlin… Merlin loved Camelot. I won't separate them now. This way, he can be in both his homes.”
Less than an hour later, I mounted the horse the king let me borrow so I could return swiftly to Ealdor. I refused to look back at the castle, holding in mind the image of the second urn held securely in Arthur's arms, Morgana and Gwen standing beside him.
Rating: PG-13/Teens
Warnings: Character death
Spoilers: None
Summary: Merlin gets between a sorceress' spell and Arthur, and suffers the consequences.
Author's Note: Many, many thanks to lilith_lessfair for betaing this story.
To Kill A Sorcerer
Uther
I stared at Merlin when he jumped between Arthur and the stream of light flaring from the sorceress' hands, barely flinching when it hit him and faded. The idiot-- My thoughts broke off as fire blossomed from his hands in return, a ball of flame speeding from him to the witch. I could only think of one thing: Merlin was a sorcerer. The smell of burning flesh returned my attention to the instigator, where swiftly all that was left of her was ash.
Moving red robes drew my attention back to Merlin, who, in the meantime, had collapsed to the floor. I stood up and stepped to the physician's side. “Gaius?”
He looked up at me, keeping one hand at the pulse point on Merlin's neck. “The curse he's been hit with kills all but one in a thousand. Of those few who survive, most are severely crippled.” He glanced sorrowfully at the boy. “I do not believe he will live a week, sire.”
I nodded, staring down at the softly moaning sorcerer while Arthur told a nearby guard, “Send for Hunith.” So quietly I knew he wasn’t talking to anyone in particular, “Merlin deserves to have his mother here.”
Merlin
I drew in a shaky breath, feeling fire running through my veins, no less painful than the dull burning in my muscles, or the sharp pain in my head. I could barely focus, though the shutting door drew my attention. I heard booted footsteps, and then a hard voice.
“How is he?”
“He is stable for now, sire.”
Uther responded after a slight pause, “If he improves, you know what you must do. I will grant him the mercy of a painless death.”
Silence, footsteps, and then the door opened and shut once more. I struggled and managed to open my eyes. Gaius noticed, turning to grab a vial from the table behind him before lifting me up slightly so I could drink it. Before I did so, I said, “I don't want to die, Gaius.”
As I drank down the bitter potion, he responded, “I know, Merlin. I know.”
Arthur
I led a pale Hunith to Gaius' chambers, where our eyes were immediately drawn to Gaius standing in the doorway to Merlin's room. He slowly came down the stairs and met us halfway across the room, briefly enfolding Merlin's mother in his arms.
“Hunith, he's asleep right now, but he'll wake in a few hours.” She nodded, hurried up the stairs, and closed the door behind her. Gaius looked steadily at me. “Talk to me, Arthur.”
“What is there to say? Whether or not I'm happy at discovering my manservant-- my friend-- is a sorcerer doesn't matter. He's dying. That's the only thing that does.” My voice grew quieter. “He took my place, Gaius. If for nothing else he's done, I honor him for that.”
Hunith
I stared at the undecorated urn that held my son's ashes. I glanced at Gaius, who also had tears in his eyes. My hands shook as I picked it up. “We need two. Merlin… Merlin loved Camelot. I won't separate them now. This way, he can be in both his homes.”
Less than an hour later, I mounted the horse the king let me borrow so I could return swiftly to Ealdor. I refused to look back at the castle, holding in mind the image of the second urn held securely in Arthur's arms, Morgana and Gwen standing beside him.