Eclipse - part 1.
Title: Eclipse - The Keepers of Darkness (1/4)
Author: thekeyholder
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: PG
Genre: canon!era, angst, h/c, magic reveal
Word Count: this part ~1400
Beta: thank you so much to blue_eyed_1987 ! <3
Warnings: none
Summary: Arthur has to face some mysterious, dark creatures who were banished by his father, but who are back to seek revenge: “Your kingdom will lose the most important thing without which it can’t survive.” However, the worst part is that their spell puts Merlin in great danger.
A/N: Hello, people! This is my first Merthur story, so I’m a bit nervous. I’d like to dedicate it to laurad2609 who introduced me to this lovely fandom. Hope you enjoy your Christmas present, dear! :)
Eclipse - part 1. The Keepers of Darkness
It was the end of summer and the peasants were inspecting their crops proudly, which seemed to be the richest in many years. Even though they had to give tithe to the king, they would remain with a lot more than in the previous years. If the weather continued to be sunny and spoiled only by a few showers of rain, their granaries would be full with grains. Their smiles were as bright as the Sun and cheerful songs filled the air.
Meanwhile, King Arthur of Camelot was having the usual, weekly discussion with his loyal knights and councillors. It was a relatively calm period and Arthur - even though he had only been king only for a couple of months - knew that he had to be grateful for it. He was about to dismiss the council when one of the knights made a remark:
“Sire, this might not be important, but our messenger from the northern region still hasn’t returned. You ordered him to bring news from there and see if there are rumours of possible attacks.”
“If he doesn’t return by noon tomorrow, send somebody else,” Arthur commanded and exited the council chamber with firm steps.
* * * * *
A few days later, Merlin and Arthur were having their usual morning bicker.
“Merlin, it’s true that pickled eggs are my favourite, but please, could you bring something else for breakfast? Have you ever heard of diversity?” Arthur huffed and looked askance at his manservant.
“But how should I know what you wish to eat, my lord? I can’t read your mind,” Merlin answered back while picking up Arthur’s discarded clothes from the floor.
“No need for the cheeky tone, Merlin. I’ve told you hundreds of times that I will cut out your sharp tongue,” the king threatened the young boy while stuffing his mouth.
“Sire, I…”
Merlin was interrupted by a hasty knock on the door. Sir Leon entered, his face showing concern.
“I apologise for disturbing you, Sire, but the second messenger you sent to the northern border has just arrived. I think you should see him as soon as possible,” Sir Leon said and closed the door carefully.
Merlin and his master looked at each other, the same thought flashing through their mind. It wasn’t in Sir Leon’s nature to be portentous, nor to exaggerate matters; therefore Arthur dressed quickly and, followed by Merlin, hurried to the council chambers. In the middle of the hall, a man was on his knees and sobbing quietly, surrounded by some of the knights who were trying to calm him and to find out what had happened to him.
“I can’t say…I’m only allowed to reveal it to King Arthur,” the man whispered.
“I’m here, therefore you’re free to talk now,” Arthur said and stepped up to the messenger.
However, he was shocked to see that the poor man’s eyes were covered by something greyish which probably prevented him from seeing.
“What happened to you?” Arthur asked concerned as Merlin kneeled in front of the messenger and inspected him.
“I’m so sorry, my Lord; I tried to do everything in my power, but I failed. I arrived at the northern border very quickly, but I was surprised that I didn't come across any of your knights. I went along, hoping to meet them, until I arrived at the Cave of Tebras. It is a dark place indeed and I had a bad feeling, so I decided to go back, but suddenly, I heard a thunderous sound and I fainted.”
The knights looked at each other worriedly and Arthur pressed the man to continue his account.
“I woke up inside the cave, my lord. Then I saw…” the man paused for a minute to cry. “I saw some weird - nothing but skin and bones - creatures, wearing purple capes and floating around me, whispering words in a strange language. Their leader told me they were the keepers of darkness and they only spared me to pass a message to you, my lord. They want you to go there.”
“That’s all? They didn’t tell you anything else?” Arthur inquired, confused.
“No, sir. After the leader told me this, he blew air on my eyes…and you can see what happened. Then I found myself on the horse and I prayed to arrive here as quickly as possible,” the man finished despondently.
Arthur ordered the guards to take the man to Gaius; maybe the messenger’s eyes could still be saved. For Arthur it was clear what he had to do: setting out at dawn with his most loyal knights and Merlin to find these strange creatures, see what they wanted and most probably killing them in the end. When he shared his thoughts, however, he was surprised to find that his knights wanted to go alone, saying it was too dangerous for the king to accompany them. He didn’t even want to hear about that option, so he ordered the knights to pack and get ready for the trip.
Merlin watched as Arthur walked with slumped shoulders to his room, feeling sorry for him. He was so young, but he had to carry a huge burden of responsibility with him. Arthur was a strong man, but could he do it alone? Moreover, he tended to keep himself to himself and not discuss his inner problems with anyone. Merlin knew that he wouldn’t be able to do that; his head would probably explode from the confusing thoughts. Therefore, he headed to Gaius to see if he could help the old man in any way.
* * * * *
“Are you sure he said the keepers of darkness?” Gaius asked doubtingly while he looked at the books he possessed.
“Absolutely,” Merlin replied without hesitation, “he even described them.”
Gaius turned and sighed. “Unfortunately, I know what they look like. I just can’t believe they are back again.”
“Again?” Merlin asked curiously.
“Yes. Almost twenty-five years ago, when Uther was trying to erase magic from Camelot, among the last groups who resisted were the keepers of darkness. Their magic works best during the night and especially on nights with full moon. They are very dangerous because they possess the darkest magic you can imagine. I don’t think we would be talking now if Uther hadn’t banished them underground.” Gaius concluded, absorbed in his thoughts.
“But there must be a way to defeat them! ” Merlin exclaimed, edgily leafing through a book, angry that Gaius wasn’t helping him. “How did Uther succeed?”
“I’m afraid there isn’t anymore. It’s true that Uther banished them underground, never ever to see the light of day again, but there’s something that he had never found out. These keepers of darkness are so repulsive that even other magical creatures avoid them. They became so strong that the last twelve dragons decided to unite and defeat them. Now, you can imagine how powerful they are since the twelve dragons couldn’t extinct them completely. However, by the end of the battle when the dragons retreated, Uther’s army was able to banish the remaining, weakened keepers of darkness,” Gaius explained. “It seems they rebel against this decision now. Since we don’t have twelve dragons anymore, we can’t do anything. Merlin, you must be very careful; don’t let Arthur do anything foolish!” Gaius pleaded, shaking the warlock by his shoulders.
“I’ll just do what I usually have to: save Arthur’s royal arse, again.” Merlin smiled to cheer up Gaius and headed to his master’s room.
* * * * *
Merlin was folding Arthur’s shirts and was going through spells in his mind, desperate to find a weapon with which he could get rid of those awful keepers of darkness. He flinched when Arthur’s deep voice echoed in the silent chamber:
“Merlin, you don’t have to come with us tomorrow. Just stay here…”
The young boy looked at the king who was leaned against the headboard and staring at his crimson, silk bedsheets; his mind clearly somewhere else.
“But Sire, my place is beside you. I wish to come with you,” Merlin affirmed dauntlessly and Arthur looked at him gratefully.
“Very well then, but don’t you dare complain about anything!” Arthur jested as he got under the blankets. “Go and get some rest, Merlin.”
Merlin blew out the candles and before exiting the chamber he looked back and whispered: “Sleep well, Sire!”
Author: thekeyholder
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: PG
Genre: canon!era, angst, h/c, magic reveal
Word Count: this part ~1400
Beta: thank you so much to blue_eyed_1987 ! <3
Warnings: none
Summary: Arthur has to face some mysterious, dark creatures who were banished by his father, but who are back to seek revenge: “Your kingdom will lose the most important thing without which it can’t survive.” However, the worst part is that their spell puts Merlin in great danger.
A/N: Hello, people! This is my first Merthur story, so I’m a bit nervous. I’d like to dedicate it to laurad2609 who introduced me to this lovely fandom. Hope you enjoy your Christmas present, dear! :)
Eclipse - part 1. The Keepers of Darkness
It was the end of summer and the peasants were inspecting their crops proudly, which seemed to be the richest in many years. Even though they had to give tithe to the king, they would remain with a lot more than in the previous years. If the weather continued to be sunny and spoiled only by a few showers of rain, their granaries would be full with grains. Their smiles were as bright as the Sun and cheerful songs filled the air.
Meanwhile, King Arthur of Camelot was having the usual, weekly discussion with his loyal knights and councillors. It was a relatively calm period and Arthur - even though he had only been king only for a couple of months - knew that he had to be grateful for it. He was about to dismiss the council when one of the knights made a remark:
“Sire, this might not be important, but our messenger from the northern region still hasn’t returned. You ordered him to bring news from there and see if there are rumours of possible attacks.”
“If he doesn’t return by noon tomorrow, send somebody else,” Arthur commanded and exited the council chamber with firm steps.
* * * * *
A few days later, Merlin and Arthur were having their usual morning bicker.
“Merlin, it’s true that pickled eggs are my favourite, but please, could you bring something else for breakfast? Have you ever heard of diversity?” Arthur huffed and looked askance at his manservant.
“But how should I know what you wish to eat, my lord? I can’t read your mind,” Merlin answered back while picking up Arthur’s discarded clothes from the floor.
“No need for the cheeky tone, Merlin. I’ve told you hundreds of times that I will cut out your sharp tongue,” the king threatened the young boy while stuffing his mouth.
“Sire, I…”
Merlin was interrupted by a hasty knock on the door. Sir Leon entered, his face showing concern.
“I apologise for disturbing you, Sire, but the second messenger you sent to the northern border has just arrived. I think you should see him as soon as possible,” Sir Leon said and closed the door carefully.
Merlin and his master looked at each other, the same thought flashing through their mind. It wasn’t in Sir Leon’s nature to be portentous, nor to exaggerate matters; therefore Arthur dressed quickly and, followed by Merlin, hurried to the council chambers. In the middle of the hall, a man was on his knees and sobbing quietly, surrounded by some of the knights who were trying to calm him and to find out what had happened to him.
“I can’t say…I’m only allowed to reveal it to King Arthur,” the man whispered.
“I’m here, therefore you’re free to talk now,” Arthur said and stepped up to the messenger.
However, he was shocked to see that the poor man’s eyes were covered by something greyish which probably prevented him from seeing.
“What happened to you?” Arthur asked concerned as Merlin kneeled in front of the messenger and inspected him.
“I’m so sorry, my Lord; I tried to do everything in my power, but I failed. I arrived at the northern border very quickly, but I was surprised that I didn't come across any of your knights. I went along, hoping to meet them, until I arrived at the Cave of Tebras. It is a dark place indeed and I had a bad feeling, so I decided to go back, but suddenly, I heard a thunderous sound and I fainted.”
The knights looked at each other worriedly and Arthur pressed the man to continue his account.
“I woke up inside the cave, my lord. Then I saw…” the man paused for a minute to cry. “I saw some weird - nothing but skin and bones - creatures, wearing purple capes and floating around me, whispering words in a strange language. Their leader told me they were the keepers of darkness and they only spared me to pass a message to you, my lord. They want you to go there.”
“That’s all? They didn’t tell you anything else?” Arthur inquired, confused.
“No, sir. After the leader told me this, he blew air on my eyes…and you can see what happened. Then I found myself on the horse and I prayed to arrive here as quickly as possible,” the man finished despondently.
Arthur ordered the guards to take the man to Gaius; maybe the messenger’s eyes could still be saved. For Arthur it was clear what he had to do: setting out at dawn with his most loyal knights and Merlin to find these strange creatures, see what they wanted and most probably killing them in the end. When he shared his thoughts, however, he was surprised to find that his knights wanted to go alone, saying it was too dangerous for the king to accompany them. He didn’t even want to hear about that option, so he ordered the knights to pack and get ready for the trip.
Merlin watched as Arthur walked with slumped shoulders to his room, feeling sorry for him. He was so young, but he had to carry a huge burden of responsibility with him. Arthur was a strong man, but could he do it alone? Moreover, he tended to keep himself to himself and not discuss his inner problems with anyone. Merlin knew that he wouldn’t be able to do that; his head would probably explode from the confusing thoughts. Therefore, he headed to Gaius to see if he could help the old man in any way.
* * * * *
“Are you sure he said the keepers of darkness?” Gaius asked doubtingly while he looked at the books he possessed.
“Absolutely,” Merlin replied without hesitation, “he even described them.”
Gaius turned and sighed. “Unfortunately, I know what they look like. I just can’t believe they are back again.”
“Again?” Merlin asked curiously.
“Yes. Almost twenty-five years ago, when Uther was trying to erase magic from Camelot, among the last groups who resisted were the keepers of darkness. Their magic works best during the night and especially on nights with full moon. They are very dangerous because they possess the darkest magic you can imagine. I don’t think we would be talking now if Uther hadn’t banished them underground.” Gaius concluded, absorbed in his thoughts.
“But there must be a way to defeat them! ” Merlin exclaimed, edgily leafing through a book, angry that Gaius wasn’t helping him. “How did Uther succeed?”
“I’m afraid there isn’t anymore. It’s true that Uther banished them underground, never ever to see the light of day again, but there’s something that he had never found out. These keepers of darkness are so repulsive that even other magical creatures avoid them. They became so strong that the last twelve dragons decided to unite and defeat them. Now, you can imagine how powerful they are since the twelve dragons couldn’t extinct them completely. However, by the end of the battle when the dragons retreated, Uther’s army was able to banish the remaining, weakened keepers of darkness,” Gaius explained. “It seems they rebel against this decision now. Since we don’t have twelve dragons anymore, we can’t do anything. Merlin, you must be very careful; don’t let Arthur do anything foolish!” Gaius pleaded, shaking the warlock by his shoulders.
“I’ll just do what I usually have to: save Arthur’s royal arse, again.” Merlin smiled to cheer up Gaius and headed to his master’s room.
* * * * *
Merlin was folding Arthur’s shirts and was going through spells in his mind, desperate to find a weapon with which he could get rid of those awful keepers of darkness. He flinched when Arthur’s deep voice echoed in the silent chamber:
“Merlin, you don’t have to come with us tomorrow. Just stay here…”
The young boy looked at the king who was leaned against the headboard and staring at his crimson, silk bedsheets; his mind clearly somewhere else.
“But Sire, my place is beside you. I wish to come with you,” Merlin affirmed dauntlessly and Arthur looked at him gratefully.
“Very well then, but don’t you dare complain about anything!” Arthur jested as he got under the blankets. “Go and get some rest, Merlin.”
Merlin blew out the candles and before exiting the chamber he looked back and whispered: “Sleep well, Sire!”