Merlin/LotS Crossover Fanfic:
Lord of Magic
Chapter 1: Memories Return
The blackness started to ebb away slowly. Merlin moaned and tried to stand up, but something was holding him back. His eyes flickered open in panic as he struggled to break the chains binding his hands to the wall behind him. What the bloody hell is happening? was his only thought. It wasn't just the fact that he was sitting in a dark cell bound to the wall, it was the fact that the chains weren't breaking.
"Having trouble, my dear warlock?" a form Merlin hadn't noticed stepped out of the shadows, and he instantly recognized Morgana.
Merlin's gaze drifted to her face in disbelief and confusion. How had she known? He couldn't remember anything.
"Oh, you seem to be lost about where all this is going," Morgana began sinisterly, starting to pace through the cell in front of Merlin. "Don't you remember anything? You trying to save Arthur?"
Merlin's eyes widened and the memories rushed back to him.
Merlin and Arthur were riding through the forest, hunting, and they had both strayed from the hunting party…
"Merlin, hurry up!" Arthur had called from a few meters in front of Merlin, slowing his horse so that Merlin could catch up.
Merlin kicked his stallion to speed up a little, nearing Arthur, who'd been turned around, glaring at him so he'd hurry up already. That's why he didn't see the arrow.
Merlin gasped in shock as the arrow caught Arthur in the shoulder, making him fall off his mare, gripping his shoulder in agony. The horse whinnied and bolted out of sight. Merlin didn't even seem to notice as he pulled the reins to slow his steed, half-jumping half-falling off, and running to Arthur.
Arthur was on the ground, his eyes panicked as he tried to sit up, but fell back down, cursing under his breath from the pain. His eyes were closing, and his breathing was shallow.
"Arthur?" Merlin whimpered. He inspected the arrow protruding from Arthur's shoulder. Whoever had fired it hadn't meant fatal harm, simply to stop Arthur from going anywhere.
Merlin tugged the arrow out gently, making sure the arrowhead wasn't still stuck in Arthur's shoulder, and thanking God it hadn't gone any deeper in than two centimeters or struck any major blood vessels or arteries.
Arthur winced and groaned a little, but otherwise he was unconscious. Merlin was just preparing to heal Arthur with a spell, so he put his hand on Arthur's bloody arm, starting to speak the language of the Old Religion.
"Þurhhæle dolgbenn," the wound started closing up, and Merlin let out a sigh of relief as the spell worked, although it had failed the first time he had tried to use it a few months ago.
"To only think, you had magic all along," the sinister voice rang through Merlin's ears, making him jump up and whirl around to face the speaker.
Morgana was standing there, only two steps behind him, watching him with her icy gaze. In the panic he must not have heard her step out of the forest.
"Morgana," Merlin choked out, hiding his fear in his voice, but by her chuckling, he could tell she saw it in his eyes.
"You're a wizard," Morgana noted, not seemingly extremely surprised.
Merlin didn't respond, only looked at the ground.
"Well… Tell me, sorcerer… Have you ever heard of Emrys?" Morgana snickered as Merlin stiffened at the mention of the name. "Ah… So you have heard this name before… And do you know anyone with this name?"
Merlin could tell what she was hinting at and her knowing now only told her who he was. He paused, not saying anything, staring at the ground.
Sensing Merlin's unease, Morgana began, "You're Emrys, aren't you?" Morgana's sinister smile spread across her face as Merlin tensed up, so she took it as an approval. "I should've known. Why was I so blinded? Who else but you was so loyal to Arthur? Who else but you could've snuck off and killed all those monsters that threatened him? Who else had the chance to murder Agravaine? Who else… Would betray who he was?" she let the question dangle in the air ruthlessly.
Merlin just glared at her, and when he spoke, his tone was level, all the fear gone, "I wasn't the one that betrayed our kind," he stood up to face her. "I'm fighting for our rights by proving those with magic can be trusted, instead of wreaking havoc like you do all day," he spat.
"Admit it, Uther would have chopped your head off while he was alive if he knew what you possessed," Morgana countered.
"But Arthur is not his father," Merlin wasn't backing down. His eyes flashed gold and Morgana flew backward and fell on the ground. "And I am not like the others. I use my magic for what is right. I don't kill aimlessly."
"Really, I wasn't aiming for killing Arthur with that arrow. I simply needed proof of you. And now, so as it seems that I have it," Morgana paused to breathe in the tension in the air, "I'll make sure that you won't be my doom."
At that, Merlin gasped as something that felt like a needle struck his neck, and the dizziness made him fall, and darkness engulfed him.
Merlin blinked and the flashback faded away from his mind, but the scene of Morgana calling him Emrys kept replaying.
"Your doom?" Merlin spat at Morgana. "Oh, I've long awaited to be able to be that," he said. "Wáce ierlic!"he shouted, but gasped as nothing happened. Morgana didn't lie sprawling against the wall, she was still standing before him, snickering. Merlin just stared at her in utter confusion.
"Your magic won't work, Emrys," Morgana smirked as Merlin sat, staring in disbelief. "The Rada'Han is keeping your magic at bay," she gestured to his neck. His hand shot up to where she was pointing and noticed the silver ring around his neck for the first time. He could feel its magic, but he himself felt… empty. Maybe this is what a mortal feels like, with no power pounding through their veins.
"The Rada'Han takes away the magic of anyone who wears it," Morgana confirmed Merlin's suspicions, "even the magic of the great and powerful Emrys."
Merlin tried to snap it off of his neck, tugging at it with both his hands, using all his strength. He finally grew tired, being already weakened tremendously, and just sat breathing heavily, gazing at the floor in defeat.
"Oh, don't waste your strength, it won't work. The Rada'Han can't be opened at all. Except with this," Morgana held up her hand, dangling a small key.
Merlin's gaze drifted to the key, but he didn't move an inch. He knew he couldn't break the chains. Besides, he had other matters to attend to.
"And what of Arthur? What happened to him?" Merlin choked out, not taking his eyes off of Morgana.
"Oh, your master is fine. If the definition of 'fine' is 'locked up in a cell,' then yes, he's fine."
Merlin just glared at her, so Morgana snickered, "Don't worry, he's alright. The arrow was simply tainted with a drug that makes anyone whose blood comes in contact with it fall asleep. That's what the dart that hit you in the neck also had in it. But… Well… I don't see how you'd need to use magic on a dart wound, so we used an arrow for Arthur to make it seem like he was badly hurt."
"We?" Merlin asked, not taking his gaze off of her, as if attempting to melt her eyes with his glare.
Morgana smirked, "You didn't think a witch could trap 'the most powerful sorcerer to ever live' by herself, did you?"
Merlin scoffed, "Not really, I mean, I thought it might be possible," his face turned serious again, "but then who helped you?"
"Care to meet him? Darken Rahl certainly will have a good use for your powers," as Morgana spoke, a tall, dark figure entered the cell. The very presence of this man in the cell gave the feeling of Death itself to anyone nearby.
Merlin assumed he was supposed to be frightened, but he didn't move or flinch, and his gaze didn't drift from staring at Darken Rahl's icy eyes. Darken Rahl just looked at Merlin, as if seeing him for the first time, and started chuckling. Merlin and Morgana both stared at him in confusion.
"This is the great Emrys you spoke of?" he asked Morgana. "This is just a commoner, a pheasant. The King's servant, yes, but the King of Camelot is a much better prize than this," he gestured to Merlin. Merlin just glared at him.
"I assure you, Lord Rahl, this is Emrys," Morgana said, her tone level, but Merlin heard a slight edge of doubt.
Rahl just shook off her words and gazed at Merlin suspiciously. Merlin said nothing, just stared back at him. Rahl decided to start, then, "Well, tell me, Emrys, if you do possess great power, why are you the King's servant?"
The question fell on deaf ears, as Merlin just sat unmoving, staring at Darken Rahl, no doubt already plotting on how to get out of the Rada'Han and kill all these people.
"Well, boy, answer me!" Rahl slapped Merlin in the face, hard.
Merlin flinched and rubbed his cheek, but his mouth still didn't move. His gaze didn't drift from Darken Rahl, either.
Darken Rahl's patience was drifting away, when Merlin finally answered, "Well, tell me, Rahl, if you are a real Lord, then why do you act like a childish prat?"
Rahl grabbed Merlin's collar and lifted him up as much as the chains holding him would allow. "I wouldn't act smart if I were you," he breathed. He dropped Merlin back on the ground, walking toward the door, and gesturing for Morgana to follow. He turned back to Merlin, eyeing him with his soulless, icy gaze. "I think the Mord-Sith will get you to cooperate a little more."
