Hello! This is my first merlin fanfic, and after watching season three i decided to try my hand. Hope you all enjoy! This is a bromance, no slash. Thanks for reading and please leave a comment when you're done! Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin
Of Ails and Ills
The afternoon had been uneventful until a pack of huge winged monsters descended on the citadel of Camelot. Merlin had been busy fetching water for Arthur in the pump outside, when dark shadows were cast over the courtyard, and loud screeching filled the quiet. Merlin looked up to see what Gaius had later described to him as harpies, large humanoids with wings and fierce talons.
Merlin dropped the bucket of water with a clatter, and ran inside as the screaming and yelling began to start. Arthur was swamped in paperwork when Merlin burst into his chambers a few minutes later.
"Merlin," Arthur growled, standing up to scowl at his manservant. "Have you ever heard of knocking, clot pole? I'm in the middle of some very important-" He was cut off by a loud screech just outside of the window.
"There are huge, flying monsters outside, and they don't look friendly," Merlin panted, having run up numerous flights of stairs to alert the prince. Without a word, Arthur grabbed his sword from the table and told Merlin to warn the other knights. Arthur went out to the battlements of the citadel, where soldiers gathered with their crossbows, attempting to shoot down the flying beasts. It was no use though, as the harpies had skin reinforced by magic, making their hides very hard to penetrate with a simple arrow.
The other knights joined Arthur, and drew their swords, preparing for a fight if the creatures flew close enough. The harpies flew lower, screeching and flashing their talons, making the soldiers and knights duck and run for cover.
Merlin watched from below in the courtyard, knowing he had to act, or else they would never defeat the monsters. He was at a loss as to what he should do, though, so he did the first random thing that came to mind. He started yelling and waving his hands, and he took rocks and used his magic to hit the heads of the harpies with them.
For a minute, Merlin was pleased with himself for having attracted all of the harpies' attention. Then he ran for his life, ducking through doors and finally making it into the throne room. Arthur watched in horror as all of the harpies followed in after Merlin.
"Merlin, no!" Arthur yelled, but it was too late. Merlin had already closed the doors to the throne room, locking himself in with the winged creatures. "Idiot!" Arthur groaned, as he ran back down the battlements toward the throne room.
Inside the throne room, Merlin was battling the monsters with fiery balls of light, but they seemed to do no more than irritate the harpies. Suddenly, one of the harpies ducked under his defenses and slashed his arm with its deadly sharp talons, making Merlin cry out in surprise and pain.
The magic seemed to come out of nowhere, as a powerful blast of wind emanated from Merlin. The wind drove the harpies to crash out of the windows, and Merlin watched as they flew away into the distance
Merlin lay panting on the ground, a stinging pain shooting up his left arm where the harpy had slashed. He looked down to examine the wound, and sighed in relief, for the cut was not at all deep. On closer inspection, however, he noticed that mingled in with his dark red blood was a strange bright green liquid oozing slowly from the wound.
"That can't be good," Merlin said, as the doors to the throne room were pushed open, and Gaius, Arthur, and Gwen rushed in. Gaius went straight to the young warlock, seeing the blood on his arm, and gingerly surveying the damage. Gaius began ripping up pieces of fabric and binding the wound, causing Merlin to hiss in discomfort.
"Merlin," Arthur turned on his manservant after looking over the destruction of the throne room. "What the hell were you thinking?" He put his hands on his hips while Gwen and Gaius helped Merlin to his feet.
"You know me, Sire. I wasn't," Merlin replied in his usual snarky manner, but Arthur wasn't in the mood. He merely glared down the young warlock, letting his body language convey the message that they will talk later, as Gwen helped him out the door and to Gaius' chambers.
After a slow march to the physician's chambers, during which Merlin complained constantly that he was completely capable of walking without Gwen's support, Merlin was put down on to the table that Gaius reserved for his patients. Gaius busied himself with mixing a sort of poultice for the wound and Gwen sat down next to Merlin on the table.
"How did you defeat all of those monsters? And what were they, anyway?" The second question she addressed to Gaius, always the expert on magical creatures. Gaius bent over to apply some of the poultice to Merlin's wound before speaking, and saving the young warlock of inventing a lie to cover up his use of magic.
"They are called harpies, Gwen," Gaius dabbed the substance on Merlin's arm. "They are magical beings, and have notoriously thick hides, which make them difficult to kill." The old physician paused in his dabbing. "Merlin, did you get this from one of the harpy's talons?" He indicated the gash on Merlin's arm.
"Yes, but its not that bad of a wound, Gaius," Merlin replied, taking in Gaius' frozen form. Gaius turned and began frantically turning over books on the shelf while Gwen and Merlin watched in amazement. Finally Gaius found the book he had been searching for, and immediately he flipped to a certain page.
"Ah, here," he said and read aloud from the page. " Harpies, being creatures of magic, have an enchantment on their talons, making them hold a slow acting poison. If the poison from a harpy's talons enters the bloodstream, it will bring about a destructive illness, which, if left untreated, can prove to be fatal," Gaius finished to a silent room. Gwen was about to speak when the door was thrown open and Arthur stomped in, a rage building inside of him.
"Merlin," he rumbled. "Do you know how much damage your little stunt caused in the throne room? Do you know those things might have killed you, and you're lucky to get away with just a scratch? The knights could have handled this alone, but no, you had to go play the hero and wreck the throne room!" He was breathing hard, but he wasn't as angry about the throne room as he was about the fact that Merlin could have died. He realized that they could probably see the real intention behind his reprimand, and so he hurried on. " I mean, if you had died, I would have to train another manservant, and, well, I... I could do without the trouble."
He expected a witty remark from his manservant and was prepared to give him a good-natured slap to the head, but none came.
"What's wrong?" he asked, trying to keep down the worry in his voice, and his eyes focused in on Merlin's wound. "Is it really that bad? The cut doesn't look that deep from here..." In answer, Gaius gave him the book, and he bent over to read the passage. There was a long pause as Arthur pondered this situation.
"But it says here that there is treatment," Arthur began after reading about the fate that awaited Merlin. "So all we need to do is go find whatever can cure Merlin. Right, Gaius?" He allowed his hope to build in vain as he waited for an answer.
"I have heard of a place," Gaius said carefully. "A spring at the foot of the Black Mountains. A drink from the Waters of the Dryht should cure such an illness. It is dangerous, though, Sire. The spring lies in Cenred's kingdom."
Arthur had hardly swallowed this piece of information before he made up his mind. If there was a chance he could save Merlin, then he had to take it. He couldn't let him die, especially not a painful death like this one.
"I leave tomorrow at first light," Arthur declared. "Gaius, could you get me a map to this spring-" He was cut off by Merlin jumping off the table.
"You're not going by yourself!" Merlin said, indigence coloring his face. "You'll get yourself killed, and then Camelot will suffer just for the sake of a lowly manservant!"
"Merlin is right, Sire," Gaius put in. "Besides, it would be better for Merlin if he could drink directly from the spring, and then you wouldn't have to rush home to give the water to him." Arthur sighed, knowing that he could not fight Gaius' logic.
"Fine, then, we leave at first light," Arthur said resignedly. He looked over to Merlin. "Rest that arm of yours, okay? I don't want you to be hurting even before we leave the city."
He swept out the door, a determined look on his face, and Gwen reached out to take Merlin's hand.
"It will be all right, Merlin. Arthur will take care of you. He cares so much about you, even though he doesn't always say it. He would die before letting anything happen to you," Gwen gave his hand a squeeze, and then followed Arthur out the door.
"That's what I'm afraid of," Merlin sighed to himself. He grabbed his old bag from on top of the cupboard and began to rummage through the various objects littering the tables.
"You can pack tomorrow morning, Merlin," Gaius said lightly. Merlin looked up from his task, and Gaius recognized the fear shining in his bright blue eyes.
"I really should get everything ready. Arthur will kill me if I hold us up tomorrow..." Merlin trailed off, and Gaius put his hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Wait until tomorrow. You need rest," Gaius said as he gently patted Merlin's shoulder. Merlin opened his mouth to protest, but before he could say anything, Gaius raised his eyebrows and gave him a smile. "Rest," he said once more, and he gave the young warlock a little push in the direction of his room.
"Good night, Gaius," Merlin said in a small voice. Gaius smiled back at him, in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.
"Good night, my boy," The physician answered as Merlin closed the door to his room with a click.
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