Were you worried about Merlin from the previous chapter? I would think all of you guessed what he did before he fell unconscious. Lets see if you're right. :)
All reviews welcome. :)
Chapter Three – The Call
Kilgharrah heard the young warlock's call and instantly moved to find him. A dragon's eyes see clearly in the dark and he quickly located the dragonlord who was rapidly slipping towards death. Kilgharrah saw the wound on Merlin's chest and blew a spell over him to help him heal. Merlin's body absorbed the spell and the gash on his chest began to close but Kilgharrah did not know if it would be enough. The young man had clearly lost a lot of blood and was incredibly weak but the dragon knew Merlin had proved himself to be stronger than many gave him credit for.
Kilgharrah looked around and saw the bodies of the skirmish that had taken place. He could sense that magic had been used and quickly scooped up Merlin to take him to a safe place to recover. He found the cave that he had been looking for and placed Merlin inside. It seemed that from the fray the knights, and most likely Arthur, had been with Merlin so Kilgharrah quickly scanned the land from the skies to see if he could find their location. He saw activity in the abandoned ruins north of the valley but it was a flash of fire that greatly concerned him and he quickly returned to Merlin's side.
The young warlock was breathing more rhythmically now and with less wheeze. Kilgharrah watched over him while trying to understand what had happened. He had recognised King Alined's symbol on the dead men and a war between Alined and Arthur could end Camelot's peace with the other kingdoms as well. There was a supernatural force at work that could even scare a dragon, he had felt it at the ruins and that flash of fire was enough to send shivers through his scales. This was a difficult situation and the Kilgharrah knew it would take an extraordinary answer.
Arthur and the knights woke unarmed and sporting strong headaches in cells that they didn't recognise. Arthur, Elyan and Percival were in one cell while Leon and Gwaine were in the one adjacent.
'Where's Merlin?' was Arthur's first question as he pulled himself into a sitting position even though he could clearly see that his servant was not among them.
'He's either somewhere else or they left him behind,' Gwaine said with anger in his voice giving no illusion about which option he thought was correct.
'You think they left him?' Elyan asked quietly.
'To them he's just a servant. He is of no value,' Percival stated sadly and stared at his boots.
'We can only hope he didn't suffer,' Leon said with obvious remorse. Merlin may not have been a knight but in so many ways he was one of them. The room fell silent as the men began to mourn their lost friend and consider a world without him.
'Any ideas where we are?' Gwaine asked gingerly breaking the silence. The other knights shook their heads in reply, but soon stopped as their head's pounded.
'There are ruins north of the valley,' Arthur said suddenly. 'I suspect we're being held there.'
'Who was that man?' Elyan asked. 'The sorcerer. That weird laugh.'
'His name is Trickler,' answered Leon. 'He was part of King Alined's entourage when they signed the peace treaty.'
'A treaty he seems to have forgotten,' Percival retorted.
'I had no idea that he had magic. He was just Alined's fool,' Leon said with exasperation in his voice.
'I knew,' Arthur admitted and the knights all turned in surprise. 'When Gaius spoke of Alined using magic he was referring to the signing of the peace treaty.' Arthur shifted uncomfortably as he remembered his encounter with Trickler's magic.
'But the peace treaty was signed?' Gwaine asked in confusion, Percival and Elyan also sported confused looks but Leon was smiling.
'He didn't. Did he?' Leon asked Arthur while the other looked on incredulously.
Arthur sighed and leant back against the wall at the back of the cell. 'Trickler enchanted me to fall in love with Lady Vivian,' he sighed while the knight's, all but Leon, couldn't help but laugh.
'It was hardly funny,' Leon said seriously to the knights. 'King Olaf demanded recompense and there was a fight by the knight's rules. Come to mention it, I was surprised by your boldness at the time. Especially after you told me that you considered he rude and aloof.'
'In the end I got my wits back and thankfully we avoided a war and the treaty was signed,' Arthur finished.
'Yes, unfortunately it was,' came a voice from the shadows.
Merlin slept for longer than Kilgharrah would have liked but eventually the young warlock began to stir. He was clearly weak and Kilgharrah had yet to find any water for him. The dragon had found some berries in the forest and encouraged Merlin to eat them knowing that they would help combat dehydration and give him some sustenance.
'Thank you, old friend,' Merlin said in relief. 'Thought…I might…..die.'
'You are still very weak Merlin,' Kilgharrah warned. 'The spell I gave you has healed the wound but you lost a lot of blood and need rest.'
'What…happened to Arthur? The knight's?' Merlin asked directly.
'I believe they are being held in the ruin's north of the valley, but I cannot be sure.'
'Then I need to go,' Merlin tried to stand but found his legs were too weak to hold him and settled with sitting himself with his back against the cave wall.
'You will need help to rescue Arthur and stop war coming to Camelot. Alined desires war as his coffers are empty. No doubt he will try to use Arthur to gain what he wants. This cannot be allowed to happen.' Kilgharrah wrestled with his fears about what else may be upon them but decided that for now Merlin did not need to know. However, he would point the young warlock in the right direction.
Merlin looked at the dragon and asked, 'What do I need to do?'
'Without Arthur, Alined would never dare attack Camelot. He needs the kingdom to be in disarray.'
'Then I need to get Arthur and the knight's out of those ruins. Arrgghhh,' Merlin grunted in pain as he tried to stand again.
'Merlin! You will be of no use if you continue to injure yourself. I cannot fly you back to Camelot in your condition but you will need help.'
'Where exactly…am I going to find help?' Merlin asked incredulously, starting to feel his strength waning.
'You must call on the man you trust the most. Even more than Arthur. He will be your and Camelot's salvation.'
Merlin tried to think about who he trusted the most. There was Arthur, the knights, Gaius and Gwen. Arthur and the knights were prisoners and Gaius and Gwen wouldn't be much help. Merlin couldn't think of a person alive that he trusted more than those he just listed. But there was one who was dead that would surpass them all.
Merlin looked to Kilgharrah as if the dragon could read his mind. The dragon stared beadily back as Merlin came to the right conclusion. Lancelot.
'There was only one person I trusted more than anyone else…..but he is dead,' Merlin looked hopelessly to Kilgharrah who sighed.
'Lancelot, like Arthur, is eternal. Yes he can die but he will always rise again,' the dragon explained. 'He is the only person without magic that knows your secret.' Merlin noticed the use of present tense but still couldn't see what Kilgharrah meant.
'He would never have told. I know that. He saw me for who I was and didn't judge me because of my gifts. Around him, I could truly be myself. But I cannot raise him from the dead,' Merlin said bitterly.
'You misunderstand. There is a time where Lancelot lives again. You must call to him from that time and bring him back to this time. He must transcend the worlds to be at your side again. However, it is possible that he will not remember his past and you must help him to understand who he is.'
'So you want me call Lancelot, who may not be Lancelot, and get him to come here?' Merlin said with sarcasm in his voice. 'Great plan.'
'Although he may not remember, the values that made him Lancelot will still be there,' said the dragon, choosing to ignore Merlin's sarcasm. 'The bond you have with him is even stronger than that you have with Arthur. Lancelot knows the true Merlin. He was not afraid of you when he learnt of you powers and he has loyally kept your secret. It was your life he saved on the Isle of the Blessed when he walked through the sundered veil, not Arthur's.'
'You knew?'
'That he would give his life for yours? Yes.' Merlin turned away from the dragon. Lancelot had walked through the veil to stop Merlin from doing it. Merlin had always suspected this but now it had been confirmed.
'How do I call him?'
'I will give you the spell. This cave is a gateway between worlds. Once open its strength will increase as Lancelot approaches, it will close when he has passed through. It will only open again once his task has been completed.' Kilgharrah transferred the spell to Merlin in a haze of gold and Merlin instantly knew which words to speak.
'Venite ad me, amice. Te require. Lancelot. Transite in mundo, qui nos separare. Adiuvetis me,' Merlin's eyes flashed gold and a flickering light appeared in depths of the cave. The portal was open.
'You have done well Merlin. Now you must rest,' Kilgharrah said pointedly.
'How will he know to come? We can't be sure he will,' Merlin mumbled as tiredness began to overcome him.
'He will come,' the dragon said softly. As Merlin fell into an uneasy sleep Kilgharrah whispered a few words over him and Merlin began to dream.
Aramis lay in a restless sleep in his bed. Tossing and turning constantly. The sense of anxiety he had felt earlier in the evening heightening in his sleep. Suddenly, he dreamed of a young man with black hair and blue eyes before him. The man looked so familiar and yet Aramis was sure he had never seen him before in his life. The man looked tired and distressed and Aramis felt his heart swell with friendship and concern for him. This man that he didn't know.
The man's eyes flashed gold and he called, Lancelot, Lancelot. I need your help. Lancelot.'
Aramis woke with a start and found himself sitting upright in bed with his heart pounding quickly and his breaths rapid. This was a different dream. He was used to nightmares but this had truly scared him. He knew the man but he was sure he had never met him. That didn't make sense. The way his eyes flashed gold was something Aramis had expected but he didn't know why.
However, one thing confused him more than anything, who was Lancelot?
A/N: The spell Merlin uses is in Latin. It means: Come to me, my friend. I need you. Lancelot. Cross the worlds that separate us. Join me.
Or at least that is what the Latin translation app I used said! :)
