My hands feel numb. I can't feel them any longer. In fact I can't feel anything. The only think I can hear is the sound of my heart beating at a very fast pace. It seems to quicken the closer I get to the court room.
I walk past the bodies on the floor. They were all once gallant warriors, but are now just memories and figures on the floor. I grab the cut on my arm and try to stop the bleeding. I tear off a piece of my undershirt to make a bandage for myself. I doubt Gaius made it through this mess. I doubt anyone made it through this mess. Just then I remember, I remember how I survived. The glowing light I saw come crashing down above me. It created a dome that saved my from the bloody battle, probably the bloodiest battle in all of Camelot history.
I start running through the castle halls and burst open the doors to the court room. "Merlin?" I whisper not sure if he even survived. God I hope he did, I need him.
"A-A-Arthur…" I hear a familiar voice whisper.
I see the ebony haired boy lying across the floor. He's covered in blood. It looks bad, worse than I have ever seen before. "Merlin!" I yell running across the room to his tangled body. "Merlin, are you ok?" I ask going into my war hero mode. I instantly take charge of the situation and try to analyze the best course of action. I pick up his body in my arms and try to cover the large wound in his chest.
"Arthur," Merlin whispers to me. He's said my name many times before, but never has his voice made me shiver or quake until now. "I-I don't think I will make it…"
"No Merlin! You are not allowed to think like that!" I yell at him a tear slipping down my cheek.
"I'm sorry, sire, but I don't think I can keep going. You know I always try to obey your wishes, but I don't think I can this time," Merlin whispers his voice raspy.
"Try to obey my orders?" I scoff trying to make him smile, "You were the worst man servant there ever was."
"I know, but I tried… sometimes," Merlin says trying to smile, but wincing at the pain smiling causes.
"Merlin," I say desperate, "We have to get you to Gaius' chambers. Maybe we can fix up your wounds somehow."
"No, Arthur, it's no use," Merlin says. Merlin chants something and his eyes turn gold. I look at Merlin in shock.
"M-Merlin," I stutter, "You're a sorcerer? H-how?"
"Arthur you truly are thick. I've always had magic and I've saved your life more than a few times with no thanks," Merlin tells me.
"Thank you Merlin. Thank you," I say tears rolling down my face.
"You're not mad?" Merlin asks his face looking paler than before.
"Merlin, how could I ever be mad at someone as clumsy and idiotic as you? No, I'm not mad. It actually explains a lot. So you saved me out there then?" I ask him.
He tries to nod and winces in pain. "Y-Yes," he says instead.
"Then you can heal your wounds with magic," I say grabbing his hand and squeezing it.
"I tried many times," he says looking defeated.
"No, no!" I yell at him. "Try again Merlin. You are going to be ok," I state as if it were a fact.
His eyes light gold again, but nothing changes. "I'm sorry Arthur, but I can't. I'm-I'm going," he says his voice catching as he says it.
"No!" I deny it again.
"I'm so sorry, but I can't hang on…" he whispers to me.
"M-Merlin," the lump in my throat making it difficult to speak, "although you were a terrible servant, you are and always will be my best friend, I-I love you Merlin. You can't leave me."
Merlin's eyes squeeze shut at my words. "You're my best friend to and I love you. Camelot is truly my home."
"M-Merlin? How am I going to make it without you? I need you hear to take care of me, Merlin. You can't leave me here. I will be here all alone everyone else is gone, but no one else really mattered as long as I had my best friend around," I say tears streaming down my face and unto the hard floor.
"A-Arthur, you can do it. I know it will be hard, but at least you get to stay here. I have to be in a new place all by myself," Merlin says tears now in his eyes as well.
"Merlin, you can make it. You are one of the bravest people I know, even braver than some knights of Camelot. You will be fine."
"Arthur, can you do something for me?"
"Anything, Merlin, anything."
"Save my kind. Be the kind of king your father never was and make it safe for sorcerers to practice their magic. Can you do that for me?"
"Yes, Merlin, yes I can," I say truly meaning it.
"One more thing Arthur," Merlin says looking worse by the second.
"Yes, what is it?" I say still holding the sorcerer's hand.
"Stay with me. I-I'm scared, Arthur. I don't think I've ever been this scared before," Merlin says.
"Yes, I will stay with you Merlin. I will never leave. You are so brave Merlin. You don't need to be scared because you know what, I will be with you up there sooner than you'd know."
"Arthur, I don't want to leave. I love my home here in Camelot. I love being with you here and having to save your life. And I love life, I'm not ready to be done Arthur, I'm not ready," Merlin says his voice quivering.
"You are ready, even more ready than you'd know. You will do wondrous things up there Merlin. Look, Merlin, you have to go up there and wait for me ok? I'll be there soon, I promise," I say, my lip trembling.
"A-Arthur," Merlin says slipping quickly away. "You were the best friend any outcast from a small town could ask for. Thank you Arthur…"
"You too, Merlin, you too. Merlin? Merlin!" I scream knowing he is gone. "Merlin, please, please don't leave I need you!" I scream at him, "I need you…" I whisper collapsing onto the floor. "You were the bravest, smartest, most ignorant person I have ever met, but that made you great. You can't leave Merlin you can't! I need you! I NEED YOU MERLIN!" I can't take it anymore and collapse again into a puddle of my tears. "I miss you, old friend. I miss you…"