AN: Just a little drabble I wrote in chemistry class. Please read and review! :)
The fire was descending on them, walls of heat bearing down on either side. Their clothes singed and their nostrils filled with the smell of burnt hair. All around them, trees burned and crackled. Their skin blistered as the heat got closer, and they could only run.
Merlin watched the ground, concentrating hard on not tripping. He knew that if he fell he would not get back up. Over the pounding in his ears and the burning trees, the roar of the creature sounded behind them, far behind them, but catching up.
Merlin and Arthur had been resting when they heard the screech of the monster. When they saw the enormous creature they barely had time to register claws, winds, and teeth before they took off running. Arthur didn't even bother to draw his sword, knowing fighting would be futile. The creature roared and a tongue of fire had erupted from its mouth, setting the forest ablaze.
Whatever it was, neither Arthur nor Merlin knew what it was. They knew only that it was dangerous, and would no doubt kill them in an instant, painfully.
Merlin kept his eyes trained on the ground and Arthur's heels a few paces ahead. His breath was coming in ragged breaths, and each inhale scalded his insides with hear and smoke. His feet protested loudly as they slammed on the uneven ground.
Behind them, the creature belched a column of fire, scorching their backs—their shirts burned and they tugged them off, leaving them burning in their wake.
Finally a creek came into view ahead of them, and they drove themselves to it. Hoping at least for relief and shelter from the fire. Merlin chanced a glance behind him. The creature was gaining on them, bursting from the flame, eyes ablaze. It had its wings spread, and yet on the ground it ran on clawed feet.
In Merlin's distraction, his feet twisted with a root and down he went, body slamming to the ground before he knew what was happening. He yelled as his ankle bent the wrong way and pain screamed up his leg.
"Merlin!" Arthur screamed, and he pulled his friend to his feet, but Merlin took one step and groaned—his ankle was broken.
Arthur cursed loudly and swung Merlin up onto his shoulders.
"Arthur, no!" Merlin protested, "Leave me, just run!"
"I'm not leaving you here to die, Merlin!" Arthur grunted, and he kept on running, his body awkward with the added burden.
Merlin felt too weak to protest further, so he let himself be carried, limbs flailing as Arthur ran. The creature screeched again, now much closer.
They reached the creek and Arthur splashed across it. The droplets of water were cool, the contrast nice against Merlin's scorched skin.
They reached the other side and Arthur deposited Merlin onto the bank, his legs half submerged in the water. Merlin sat up, holding his leg in agony.
As soon as Arthur was relieved of Merlin, he turned to charge back across the creek, drawing his sword along the way.
"Arthur!" Merlin called desperately, "What the hell are you doing?"
"I have to kill it," Arthur said over his shoulder.
"You'll get yourself killed! At least wait until you have your men to help you!"
"This can't wait, and you know that." Arthur glanced behind him and locked eyes with his servant—Merlin saw the determination in the others' eyes, and knew there was no stopping him.
"Just—be careful." He said. Arthur grimaced, then lifted his sword in what Merlin refused to believe looked like a goodbye, and charged. The flaming forest and smoke swallowed him instantly.
Merlin tried shakily to stand. He took a wobbly step before the pain sent him crashing into the water. He lifted himself and stared at the spot where Arthur had disappeared.
Amidst the loud crackling of fire, he could hear the screech of the creature. It sounded angry, but Merlin could not see what was happening. Trees fell over, bringing others down with them. The fire raged on, but could not reach Merlin where he lay safely in the water.
Another loud screech, and the creature rose above the trees, wings flapping furiously against the smoke-stained sky. It opened its mouth and directed more fire at a spot on the ground before diving down again.
Sweat prickled at Merlin's forehead that had little to do with the heat. Dread filled Merlin's chest as if his insides had been replaced with stone. If the creature didn't kill Arthur, the flame and smoke would roast his flesh and suffocate his lungs.
Merlin raised his face to the sky and yelled. He roared words—words he didn't know the meaning of but somehow he knew to say them. The words came of their own accord as Merlin shouted into the heavens, desperate for them to take effect, whether they cause the creature to drop dead or Arthur to grow impenetrable skin or something.
Almost immediately, the sky went dark with clouds. They split open and rain poured from them, falling in sheets. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled that was louder than anything the warlock had ever heard.
The water pounded down in torrents. Soon the blazing forest had receded until the flames were only the size of campfires, and they burned feebly amidst the thick black smoke.
The fire now under control, there was nothing else for Merlin to do but wait. The sounds from the creature came less frequently, but through the heavy smoke, Merlin could not tell if that should give him hope or fear.
Finally, there was a cry from the creature and then silence. Merlin held his breath, listening and staring desperately into the smoke for a sign that Arthur was alive. He found nothing. With great effort, he lifted himself to his feet and stood there in the water, leaning heavily on his uninjured foot. The rain continued to fall, pouring over him and splashing into the water around him.
Forever passed and Merlin began to dread. If the creature hadn't killed Arthur, perhaps the forest fire had. Perhaps he had collapsed after the battle, and the smoke suffocated him. His body could be lying dead on the burnt forest floor right now. The thought brought tears of despair to Merlin's eyes.
Then, suddenly, there was the snap of a twig. Merlin caught his breath, hope blossoming in his chest. There was another snap, then a stuttered shuffling, and then finally—finally a blurred silhouette formed against the smoke.
"Arthur," Merlin breathed, and then, "Arthur!"
He lunged forward, arms flailing, hopping awkwardly on one foot, dragging the other behind him. Merlin didn't care—he'd crawl to Arthur if he had to. He surged forward, as relief crashed through him watching Arthur stumble out of the wreckage.
He was a mess. His once golden hair had been burnt away, and deep red gashes and scrapes adorned his skin. He had been badly burnt, his blistering skin covered in a fine layer of soot. He clutched his right arm, blood seeping through his fingers. His steps were uncoordinated, and he swayed to and fro. But despite everything, his face still held a relieved, victorious smile. He was alive.
To Merlin, Arthur had never been more beautiful.
They neared each other, Merlin limping, Arthur stumbling, and finally they reached each other. Merlin flung his arms around Arthur's shoulders, holding him tightly and burying his face in Arthur's shoulder. Arthur didn't seem to mind, or if he did, he was too exhausted to resist. Instead, he leaned into the hug and let Merlin hold him.
"You're alive," Merlin said hoarsely.
"Of course I'm alive, what do you take me for? You're not going to start crying on me, are you?" Arthur replied, his voice raspy and thick from the smoke.
"You killed it?" Merlin asked, lifting his face to look Arthur in the eye.
"'Course," Arthur replied with a tired smile. Merlin grinned back, relief roaring though him. The creature was dead, and Arthur was alive. He ducked his head again and hugged Arthur tighter. Their skin protested at the friction, the blisters rubbing together painfully. The rain pounded down on them, soaking into their hair and soothing their burnt bodies.
Finally, after a long moment, Arthur said "Merlin, I think we need to get back to Camelot."
"Oh, right, yeah." Merlin said. He reluctantly let go of Arthu, his hands dropping to his sides uselessly. He cleared his throat and Arthur gave him a small half-smile.
"Let's go, then."
They placed their arms around each other carefully and started forward, leaning against each other as the crossed the creek. The moved in silence as they supported each other away from the smoldering forest, through the lush, living trees and back to Camelot.