I fought the lawIntroduction
A/N Wow my 2nd multi chapter fic. Anyway this is AU so I need to explain the new universe. Basically No Dragon. So Merlin and Arthur don't know that they have a great destiny. In fact, they don't know each other. Now then Uther is even more of a tyrannical dictator. The people are starving and the taxes are too high. So Merlin is basically a robin hood like figure stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. I'm not sure how original that is. I read a fanfic where Arthur was a Robin Hood type figure but not Merlin. Now other characters. Arthur is the same arrogant prince with a heart of Gold and Gwen the maidservant who loves him and also has a heart of Gold. You'll see other Merlin characters in this fic. But the focus is on those three.
The Moon was high and bright over Camelot. The guards were on full alert. Not the best conditions for thievery. But to make things worse the King had bought some specially trained wolves to rip him to pieces. This would have stopped any other man from robbing the King of Camelot. But Merlin was no ordinary man. He was a master of shadows and magic.
Any man would have been foolish not to feel fear. Merlin was indeed scared as he lay in a crate full of the finest oranges from abroad. He was waiting for the right moment. The crate had been left in the pantry next to the kitchens. The pantry was full of the finest food in the land. It was for the young prince who was turning 18 and it was also no doubt an auction. The prince would be sampled by the finest maidens in the land and whoever's father was willing to part with the most capital would gain the prince. Not that the King would be able to enjoy this new wealth. Merlin would see to that.
Merlin smiled, he then began to incant a spell "Glasra Baladh deas dol mac tire." He heard a wolf howl. He ran down the corridor and towards the prince's chamber. He hid to the left side of the door and waited for the chaos to ensue.
Barnard had been a guard for three years. Everyone knew that the ghostly shadow would strike soon. The treasury was overflowing with gifts for the prince and the tax money for the month had been collected. He had been blight on this kingdom for 4 years. The king was getting angrier and angrier. Now it was law that if the ghostly shadow got away with even a farthing of the king's money, then the captain of the guards would be executed. Barnard was that captain. He felt a cold sweat as he comtemplated his fate. No one had ever seen this shadow besides a swish of a cloak or a shadow in the distance. That was all anyone saw of the Ghostly Shadow.
Barnard had convinced himself that maybe this thief really was a ghost. A ghost sent to seek revenge on the king and steal what he treasured most, his pride. He didn't even think this ghost could be caught. "I'd have better luck trying to catch the wind and put it in the dungeon"
Barnard shivered in the cold night. The wolf started howling and then all ran off. Barnard chased after it. He was running after it and he heard the sound of hundreds of hungry wolves howling. "What's up with the stupid mutts?" he thought as he ran pausing to catch his breath. As he stood there panting. He realised where he was the corridor that led to the kitchens. "The Prince's feast" he realised. He sprinted towards the kitchens and sure enough there were 250 wolves eating the prince's feast. He'd never seen anything like it. These carnivorous wolves were eating the Prince's carrots. He just stood there in bewilderment.
The Prince awoke to the sound of wolves howling and people shouting. Not the best way to start his day. As he got dressed. The warning bell rung. Of course another night ruined by this infernal Ghostly Shadow. He sighed, grabbed his sword and his keys and ran right towards the commotion. If he'd looked to his left he would have seen a young sorcerer whispering a spell to grab his keys. But he was agitated and his only thought was to stop this commotion so he could go back to sleep.
Merlin now had what he needed. He went towards the treasure room and opened the gate with the key he just acquired. All the guards were occupied with the wolf problem. He left the key in the lock. There was no point in keeping it. They'd only change the locks anyway. He looked at all the wealth that was before him but he was no ordinary thief. His heart didn't swell with greed. It swelled with a sense of justice. He grinned from ear to ear. He whispered a spell "airgead eitil ar shiul" He watched as all the treasure flew out of the room. Merlin than ran upstairs and into the ramparts and climbed the tallest tower. He wanted to enjoy the show he'd created.
Arthur made his way to the kitchens. He pointed at the guard he saw standing gormless in the kitchen "You" he shouted "What in the hell is going on?"
Barnard tried to explain "I think something's wrong with the wolves, sir. They appear to be eating all the food for your feast." Barnard then ran away not wanting to be blamed for the dogs going barmy.
The prince looked at the guard shoved him out of the way angrily and went towards the pantry. Sure enough there were the wolves that his father had spent a thousand gold each on. Munching his royal feast. Arthur sighed "How am I going to explain this to my father, well at least the treasure room is secure because I have the key right here." He put his hand in his pocket and felt nothing. Arthur panicked and the realised he'd been tricked punched the wall. The Ghostly Shadow had managed to simultaneously ruin his party and rob his father blind. Arthur screamed out his frustration. "Why can't I catch this bloody thief?"
"Um sire" Barnard said as he returned panting for breath "I think you better see this"
Arthur wondering if this night could possibly get any worse followed the guard. He ran after Barnard and into the courtyard and there a magnificent sight filled his mind. The sky was filled with coins. They seemed to be flying over the castle wall. Arthur then rushed to the ramparts and sure enough all the money was falling down on to the lower town. Arthur did appreciate the poetic justice. The money his father had stolen from the people was now raining back onto the people. He laughed with the beauty of it all. He then looked up towards the tallest tower and all he saw was a shadow. He blinked and the shadow was gone. The Ghostly Shadow had won another night. He sighed "I'd better clean up as much of this mess as I can and try and explain this to my father." One thing was for certain going back to bed was no longer an option.
A/N so what do you think. This is the first time. I've written something AU and I'd really like some reviews to let me know how well i'm doing. Also as a little contest it took me ages to come up with Merlin's hero name and I don't particularly like it. So basically I want you to come up with a superhero name for Merlin and at the end of this fic I'll pick the best and share them with you if anyone actually posts anything. So yeah please review and tell me if you like the idea of Merlin being a Robin Hood type superhero.