AN: Keep watching my Icon for the fanart for each chapter as it comes out. If you want to see the bigger unedited/uncropped versions then check out my AO3 account since the illustrations are posted there within the story, or you can see all 13 illustrations on my deviantart account under the name texasislandr

Once again, thank you to the wonderful, the amazing EchoRose480 who is the awesome beta for this story. Without her I might not have gotten through some pretty horrible writers blocks. You rock! *hugs* P. S. Go check out her amazing stories too.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, if I did Arthur would still be alive, and the golden age of Albion would be upon us. Also, everything would be happy with rainbows, and flowers, and sunshine, and bunnies. No tragedy that leaves you feeling that your soul has just been sucked out and stomped on like BBC did *glares*

~~~~~~~~~~MERLIN~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 2 - Hidden within Murky Waters

Arthur watches in horror as the large beast surfaces behind Merlin, its long, scaly snout rising up from the water. With incredible speed it bares down on his servant, its jaws wide open with malicious intent. "Merlin!" he screams, his raw and panicked voice colliding with those of the other knights. It happens so fast that he has no time to react. In just a flicker of his eyes, Merlin is gone, pulled beneath the murky depths with only the echo of his pained cry remaining to haunt them.

Gwaine is the first to move. He's off his horse, sword drawn before the beast's tail has finished vanishing beneath the water. Arthur and Lancelot, despite their shock, are right behind him, each man shouting out as they splash their way towards where their friend was pulled under.

Gwaine reaches the area first, his free hand desperately running through the murky water in an attempt to find any sign of his friend, "Merlin! Damn it, come on!" He pleads.

Adrenaline rushes through Arthur's veins, his heart pounding painfully against his ribcage as he splashes after Gwaine. 'No no no no!' is his inner mantra.

"Any sign?!" he calls frantically. Gwaine doesn't even spare him a glance as he continues to wildly sweep his eyes across the water, while his hands mimic the gesture through it. The prince ignores the blatant dismissal, and begins his own hunt. His eyes raking over the surface of the water for any sign of a disturbance; his effort is rewarded when off to the right of them, he sees a small cluster of bubbles breaking the surface.

"There!" he bellows with a lunge, several men following suit. He is almost to the spot when something hard and abrasive slams into his legs. Throwing caution to the wind Arthur dives forward, his armored body sinking beneath the surface, fingers trying to grab hold of the scales that are elusively brushing across their tips. Arthur clutches tightly, fighting to get a grip on the thrashing body, but he is no match for the massive beast and, with a violent jerk, he is thrown off.

In moments he feels frantic hands grab hold of him and pull him up, and with a shuddering gasp he breaks the surface.

"Sire! Are you alright?" Sir Leon asks, as he helps heave him into a standing position.

Arthur, tugs his arm free, and pulls away from all the prying hands. "Where is it?" He hisses. "Where did it go?!"

Before anyone can answer, Arthur feels the back of his hauberk jerk violently backward, and he chokes as it tightens around his throat. "This is your fault!" Gwaine accuses fiercely, "You killed him, you pompous bastard!" With his face distorted into a grieving rage, the rogue knight slams his fist into the Prince's face.

In an instant Lancelot has his restraining arms wrapped around the older man's torso and is struggling to hold him back, away from the dazed prince. Gwaine struggles and kicks out with a splash and an enraged growl, but Lancelot just tightens his hold, "Stop this, Gwaine! Stop, you're making things worse!"

"How can you be on his side?!" the knight spat, "He did this! It's his fault!"

Crushing condemnation sweeps over Arthur as the severity of what just happened begins to overwhelm him. He concedes that he is every bit to blame as Gwaine has charged. He did this, he just marched his friend into the open arms of a watery death.

Arthur distressingly inhales, he wants to produce an excuse, form some type of defense as if to qualify what has just transpired, but he can't. This was not the time to hash out petty arguments. Not when his heart is beating with the frantic rhythm of 'where's Merlin, where's Merlin, find Merlin'

Abruptly, the prince is made aware of a commotion erupting behind him. He doesn't see it, as much as hears it, and he watches as Leon's eyes widen, an exclamation forming on the man's lips.

"Look out!" the knight shouts, his hand reaching out towards his prince.

The horses are shrieking again in terror, and the roar of treading water becomes deafening. Arthur feels the heavy mass of his charger's rump smack into him, and then he's stumbling forward.

Leon grasps a flailing arm, and pulls the young royal to a safer distance away. Both men watching as the spooked horse continues to rear up and slam its hooves back down into the water in a tumultuous manner, its dark eyes hazed over with panic.

There is a violent shudder, followed by another, and Merlin feels himself jerked lower into the water. The spontaneous jolts continue and he can feel the small grasp he's been holding on consciousness slipping away in a haze of agony. Then it is almost as if he's fading. His body is slowly slipping away from him, leaving him blissfully detached.

He doesn't feel the vice-like grip on his torso loosen, nor is he aware when it lets go completely. Merlin is simply numb, drifting unawares amidst murky waters that are steadily turning copper as his life steadily flows out of him. He can't feel the strong hands desperately grabbing him, and doesn't see the light as his body is lifted and breaks the surface. His eyes have already slipped closed while he succumbs to a sea of darkness.

For the first time in countless years, Gwaine feels an unfamiliar stinging across the backs of his eyes. He swallows thickly and closes his lids in an attempt to keep the unwanted tears at bay. This couldn't be happening, not when he was just starting to feel like he belongs somewhere. Such tragedy should never befall a man like Merlin.

Lancelot is still gripping his arms, the other knight saying things that are completely lost to him. With a ragged breath he looks over to where Arthur and Leon are recovering from the horses' uproar, and he can't help but narrow his eyes. Percival is moving towards him, no doubt to help calm him, and the thought makes his anger churn even more. He quickly diverts his gaze to the muddy waters and what he sees there nearly causes him to choke, amidst all the muck and moss there's a flicker of red. Adrenaline immediately erupts through him with renewed vigor, and he finds himself lunging forward, completely catching Lancelot off guard.

Percival grabs his arm before he gets very far, the large knight fearing he's trying for another shot at the Prince. The other man is strong as an ox and Gwaine feels the hope that had come roaring to life quickly start to die away. "Let me go! Let go of me, you bastards!" He screams, spittle flying from his chapped lips. "I see him!"

It must have been the unmistakable desperateness of his tone that made them release their hold, because suddenly all resistance is gone and he's stumbling forward like a madman. In moments he's diving beneath the surface, his fingers frantically groping the cloudy water around him. When his fingers brush across a familiar jacket, he lets out a shout of excitement, bubbles of air quickly escaping to the surface above.

Gwaine tugs Merlin closer, wrapping is arms around him as he pulls him up to the surface. He sucks in a mouthful of air and shouts. "I've got him! I've got him!" he repeats.

The older man looks down at the broken form tucked in his arms, and he feels all the former excitement slipping away. His heart seizes painfully in his chest and he can't help the sudden bout of dread that sweeps over him. The boy is ashen, clothes torn and barely hanging on, warm blood spilling out into the surrounding waters. He looks dead.

~~~~~~~~~~MERLIN~~~~~~~~~~

Anyway, pleeeeease let me know, what you think. Reviews are like candy and they'll inspire me to write *grins*