A/N: Well just a note this is my first fanfic ever YAY! I have read probably millions of them in my life so finally I am going to attempt one! *Brave Face* Figured I would start small with the drabbles for the practice. I have a longer story I am working on, but it is taking a while to get it all worked out. Writers block is not a problem here; I have so many stories going on in my head right now. Problem is my lack of writing skills. I have enjoyed so many of the stories on here. Just hope one day I can share more of mine with you!
Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin
_Small Glances - Another Victim
Arthur burst into his chambers, pushing his chamber doors open so hard they slammed into the wall with a deafening echo. Gwaine was following close on his heels. A somber expression worn on both men's faces.
Tossing his sword onto the table Arthur ran his fingers threw his hair in frustration.
"I don't understand it!" Arthur exclaimed. "Three more attacks, and we are no closer to finding this monster than we were when this whole mess began."
Gwaine clenched his jaw, and placed his hand down on the map that was spread out on the table in front of them. "The last three attacks happened here, here and here." He stated, pointing to various places on the map. "It seems that whoever is doing this has moved on from the lower town, and is now focusing on people from the upper town. If we don't catch it soon it will probably move onto the citadel next."
"Even with the curfew in place, and the increased patrols. We still have no idea who or what is attacking these people or why." Arthur placed both hands down on the table, had leaned over the map. "No witnesses and no clues are ever left behind. It's like it just appears out of nowhere attacks, and then disappears into thin air again." Arthur growled in frustration pushing the map to the side.
It had started two weeks ago, victims had started turning up in back allies and in dark corners of the lower town, and now it seems this monster was getting bolder. They have been discovering victims inside of their own homes, the one place where most of them thought they were safe. When they were found, some of them had already been dead for hours and others barely holding onto life, only to lose that fight a few hours later. All of them had the same thing in common, the faint claw marks that showed up in various places on their bodies and they all showed signs of having high fevers before they passed. Their faces flushed and skin hot to the touch. But the most disturbing thing that linked them all together was the strange puncture marks that adorn each side of their torsos just below the ribs, the wounds never pouring any blood just small amount of some kind of dark green puss. Even though the marks didn't look life threatening, all the victims seem to have died from having the life just sucked right out of them. One thing that Gaius had been able to confirm is that none of them had died quickly. This creature whatever it was liked to slowly and painfully kill its victims.
Arthur was so lost in thought, that he barely noticed it when Gwaine placed his hand on his arm.
"Umm Arthur?" Gawine asked giving his arm a small squeeze. "Why is Merlin passed out on your bed?"
"What?" Arthur huffed, as both men glanced up at and unmoving figure sprawled out on the prince's overly large bed.
Rolling his eyes, Arthur made his way around the table towards the bed. Gwaine following in step right behind him.
"Merlin! You idiot, I don't have time for this! I have better things to do than..." The prince stopped just short of the bed, the words for a thorough tongue lashing died in his throat as he looked at his servant and noticed that something was wrong, very wrong. Instead of being in a normal position for someone to nap in, he laid lengthwise at the bottom of the bed his legs dangling over the side. Both his arms where positioned almost straight out above his head. He was pale and very still.
"Merlin!" Gwaine yelled, as he flew past the prince and sat on the edge of the bed next to the boys head. He reach out to gently tap the side of his friends face and stopped himself when he saw three faint scratches that ran down the side of his face and neck, then disappeared under his tunic. There was even more of the same marks around both of his wrists that where still positioned above his head.
The knight's eyes widening in horror as he placed one hand on the boy's forehead and the other on his chest to check his breathing. He let out a small sigh of relief as he felt the boys lungs draw in air, it was in small gasps, but at least he was still breathing. Moving his other hand from Merlin's forehead to the side of the boys face he looked up and locked eyes with Arthur.
"Arthur, he's burning up." he didn't need to hear a reply, the look on both their faces shown that they had both come to the same conclusion.
The prince was already moving. He crawled up onto the bed and kneeled next to the pale figure. Reaching out, he gently pulled up the boy's tunic and gasped.
"Damn it! It's just like the others! "
Two small puncture wounds sat on both sides of the boy's torso just below the rib cage. But instead of the dull green puss they found on all the other victims, Merlin's wounds seemed to ooze bright green and seemed to be glowing.
"Arthur, is it me or does those wounds...look fresh?"
Arthur placed his fingers to the edge of one of the wounds careful not to touch the glowing ooze; he pressed down gently and watched in horror as the puss within the wound started to bubble and gurgle, almost like it was a living thing. He attempted to check the other wound as well, but quickly removed his hand as a low moan escaped the lifeless figure.
Merlin groaned again and started to toss his head from side to side, his arms began twitching with small spasms. He was also murmuring something under his breath, the sound so soft that both men had no idea what the words where.
Gwaine leaned in closer to the boys head, an a attempt to hear what he was saying.
"I don't know, something about a fire, I think!"
"It's got to be the fever," Arthur replied. He reached out and placed both hands on each side of his servants face, trying to calm the boy's frantic movement. "Merlin?" he paused to see if there was any reaction. Seeing none, he tried again. "Merlin, can you hear me?" there was no response other than the boy's body going completely limp again. He gently grabbed one of Merlin's small wrists, and wrapped his fingers around it feeling for a pulse.
"His pulse is still strong, a little slow but strong" he gently placed the boys arm down next to his side. "Which means this didn't happen very long ago and there may still be a chance to save him."
Arthur placed a hand on Gwaine's shoulder. "I need you to go and gather the other knights, start making a sweep thru the castle. This thing may still be here, check everywhere and everyone. There still may be other victims as well. Leave no stone unturned."
"If this bastard is still here we will find him, my lord!" Gwaine bowed and made his way to the door, but not before taking one more worried glance at his friend laying on the bed.
"Don't worry Gwain. I'll take care of him." with a small nod the knight turned and left.
"Guards!" Arthur bellowed.
Two guards burst into the room, with their hands gripping the pommels of their swords.
"You!" The prince pointed to one of the men. "Go sound the warning bell! Then find my father and tell him there has been another attack, this time within the castle walls."
"And you!" he commanded pointing to the other guard. "Go find Gaius! Tell him there's been another victim, bring him strait here. There still may be a chance we can save him!" He gestured towards the door with his head! "Now go! A men's life is at stake here!"
Both guards turned and rushed out of the room. Arthur this attention back to the figure lying next to him.
"And as for you..." he sighed, grabbing the boys other hand and firmly holding it in his own. "You just keep breathing, you hear me Merlin!" Placing his other hand on the boys fevered brow he leaned over and whispered. "There will be no dying on me. Not you, not on this day. You hear me Merlin!" He just prayed that this time the boy would actually listen to him.