Disclaimer: Merlin isn't mine, just Diedre and Endrich.

Chapter 4

Diedre walked up to Merlin and kneeled down. Merlin pushed himself up, forcing his wobbly arms to hold his weight. He met her eyes, hoping his fear wasn't in his eyes. The pain in his back was unimaginable and it was all he could do to keep tears of pain from slipping out once more. An eager grin spread across her face as she reached out and cupped Merlin's chin in her hand. Her eyes closed and when she reopened them they were glowing red and unrecognizable words fell from her lips.

"Cyrchu annioddefol gwewyr ar warthaf y bachgen. Dirboenus poendod ar wartaf efe!"

The pain was instant. The lashes on his back began to burn, as if salt had been poured on them. The bleeding resumed, flowing into a puddle all around him. His legs and arms began to tingle, then to ache, then to full out hurt. It was as if someone was placing pressure on them. An earsplitting crunch filled the room and Merlin screamed, grabbing at his arm.

The bone had broken, and every touch brought more pain. He cradled the broken limb to his chest, biting his lip as tears of pain fell from his eyes. Soon the pain in his arm was replaced by another pain. He closed his eyes, fighting back shouts of agony.

The pain was beyond any he had ever felt before. He couldn't pinpoint one single pain. His whole body was burning, hurting. He was aware of nothing but the agonizing pain. He jerked and twisted, trying to escape the torture. Screams tore from his throat as the pain spread, completly consuming him in unbearable pain.

As the pain increased and he shook and screamed, Merlin became aware of another sensation. This one was not painful, but pleasent and healing. With a start, Merlin realized his magic was reacting without his calling on it. The warm glow was spreading, quenching the pain and overcoming the spell.

Merlin was tempted to let his magic continue, to let it stop the torment. The pain began to fade and Merlin opened his eyes. Diedre was looking down at him, shock evident on her face. He craned his neck ever so slightly as saw Arthur staring at him with a range of emotions on his face: fear, anger, hate, worry, and confusion. Merlin looked back at Diedre and his breath caught in his throat as he saw her looking down at him with something akin to understanding on her face.

"So, there is something you have been hiding." she said slowly, quietly so Arthur could not hear. "Only a powerful sorcerer could cancel out a sceadugengan's spell."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Merlin replied, breathing heavy despite the fact that the pain had faded to a dull ache.

"I am sure you don't." The creature said, licking her lips once more. "Tie him to the rack."

The two guards jumped forward, picking Merlin up roughly by his arms. A cry of pain escaped as his broken arm was yanked. He was dragged, tears staining his eyes, over to the rack. It was not a complicated machine, consisting of just a large wooden board and and a rope-and-pulley system. Merlin was forced onto the rack, the two guards roughly pulling his arms above his head. A scream escaped his lips as his broken arm was tied above him.

Diedre turned back to Arthur, sadistic grin on her face.

"This is your last chance, little prince." She warned. "Are you going to tell me what I wish to know?"

Arthur started to tell her no, but hesitated. He looked over at Merlin and saw the pain written on his face. Even from the distance, Arthur could tell he had one arm broken, and the wooden table would not do his back any good. His duty was to Camelot, but was duty more important then a friend's life?

"Don't...even think about it...prat." Merlin's voice was forced, and the grin he gave didn't come anywhere near his usual smiles.

Arthur looked at him sadly before turning his head back to Diedre.

"You heard him." he replied.

Diedre just grinned at him, having expected that answer. She turned back to Merlin and nodded at Endrich, who grabbed onto a rope and began to pull slowly. Merlin's limbs were stretched, earning another scream as his broken arm was stretched. The ropes pulled, yanking on his arms and legs and pulling them apart.

"Gwewyr dwysáu." Diedre chanted, her black eyes fading red once more.

Though Endrich was barely pulling, the pain for Merlin felt as if his arms had already been ripped off. He screamed as another pull straightened his broken arm, sending spasms of pain racing through his body. His eyes closed and he bit his lip to keep from crying out, but grunts and gasps of pain still escaped.

The pain was worse then ever before. His eyes flashed open for just a second and he saw Diedre's eyes glowing red, though he heard no words spoken. He felt as if he were on fire, the pain was beyond imagining. His arms and legs felt as if they were going to be torn off as Endrich gave another pull on the rope.

"Gwewyr dwysáu!" Diedre shouted, excitement overtaking her. "Gwewyr dwysáu!"

The pain racked his body until he could no longer keep silent. His screams of agony echoed in the small room. He could feel his magic surging in him, trying to react, to stop the torture, but he forced it down. He couldn't risk it. Arthur wasn't in danger. He wasn't ready. His secret had to remain a secret.

"Stop!" Arthur shouted, eyes wide with horror as he watched his friend being ripped apart before his eyes. "Stop! I'll tell you what you want to know!"

"It is to late for that, Arthur Pendragon." Diedre snarled, turning and smiling like a blood-thirsty beast. "You have doomed your friend. You will talk, but your friend will not be here to hear you. He is mine, and it has been so long."

She turned back to Merlin, words of an ancient language sliding from her tongue. Arthur could only watch, heart heavy with misery and guilt, as his friend screamed in agony. He lowered his head and closed his eyes, willing for it to all end.

Merlin could feel his magic bubbling inside him. He pushed it back, but the pain soon became to much and he could do nothing but lie there and scream, twisting and turning in an attempt to free himself and end the pain. He was aware of nothing but the pain, the unending pain as his arms and legs were pulled violently and his wounds were lit on fire.

His magic finally reacted against him. With an ear-shattering scream, a blinding white light broke the darkness.

*I know the rack wasn't invented until the 1400s, but for sake of the story I had to ignore that little fact. Just imagine a Braveheart rack and not a very complicated one.

*Information on a Sceadugengan can be found here: www. /page/Sceadugenga I have taken many liberties with this creature (mostly because I didn't look up a name for it till after I got to this chapter) so I'm basically just borrowing the name and the pure black eyes.

Spell Translations

Cyrchu annioddefol gwewyr ar warthaf y bachgen. Dirboenus poendod ar wartaf efe-Bring unbearable pain upon the boy. Agonizing torment upon him.

Gwewyr dwysáu-Pain intensify.