Thanks to Cawm, Haley-Renee, Jissai, and Ava Pearce for their reviews on the last chapter. It didn't take me that long to write this, so I hope you enjoy it!
The corridors of the castle had fallen into a precarious balance of chaos, and calm order. Guards were running here and there, some even shouting out, complaining that they had to go and check on their families, who lived in northern villages. Servants were in a similar state, and Merlin was no exception. His feet felt like solid lead as weaved in and out of the panicking faces and rushing feet, the only thing keeping him going was the determination to catch up with Arthur and ask him what the hell was going on. The look on his friend's face foretold terrible news, probably not even worth hearing, but when the Prince had mentioned his mother, Merlin had entered panic mode, and there was no bringing him out of that quickly.
By the time he had reached the courtyard, chaos had succeeded in battle over order. Carts were overturned as a throng of servants, guards, and even one or two noblemen pushed itself through the tightly packed area, all of them funnelling out of the drawbridge. Knights were barking orders to one another from the battlements, sending the message down to the city gates, to keep them firmly shut. In the masses wake, carts lay on their side, their contents strewn all over a lifeless courtyard, the echoes of the panicking mob drifting back through from the arched tunnel to the drawbridge. One or two terrified people sprinted past Merlin, desperate to join the growing mass of people in the city streets, all desperate to check that their families were safe. Merlin couldn't blame them; half of him wanted to run down with them and go all the way to Ealdor, which must be about twenty leagues away. Then again, what was the point; she was probably dead already-
Merlin fell to his knees, squeezing the sides of his head, in a silent attempt to drown out the terrible thoughts that were somehow leaking into his mind, corroding who and what he was. His head banged onto the floor as he collapsed, his eyes perceiving the cobbled floor as vertical, when an apple rolled past. That was when Merlin realised he had been like this before, when the soul of Cornelius Sigan had taken over his body, and very nearly killed him. Despite the Dragon's extremely powerful incantation, the sorcerer had still managed to take Merlin over, even if only for a short while... and that was without the stone's power. He shivered, as if a gust of biting wind had funnelled down the tunnel and into the courtyard, but it had not. His body had turned cold, and his heart soon would, if he couldn't do anything about it-
"Merlin," Arthur asked, frowning from the sight of Merlin curled up in a ball "is everything all right?"
The warlock scrambled slowly to his feet, dusting off his clothes and pretending to nurse his head "Fine, I just got hit by one of those... people."
"Let's take a look." Merlin nearly fell over again when Arthur went to inspect his head. His soft blue eyes found nothing and nodded. "You're ok, now let's go."
It all made sense when Merlin realised that none of the Knights were here yet; Arthur wouldn't have done that otherwise. This was also an opportune to find out what was in that letter.
"Arthur, please, tell me what is going on."
The Prince looked around the dark courtyard for any possible eavesdroppers, and when he was satisfied, he still only spoke out in a whisper.
"The people are partially aware of what is going on, but they don't realise the magnitude of the problem. They believe the northern borders were overrun by bandits."
"Have they?"
"No, it was a fake rumour to act as a distraction."
"A distraction for what?"
"It's a distraction for us so we can slip silently out of the west gate and find out what is really going on."
"Which is?"
"I don't know," Arthur hissed angrily "all I am aware of is that a village called Ederton has been completely abandoned, without a single trace of violence or a struggle. One man was found running out of a nearby forest. He was that terrified he died of shock the moment he got out. There were strange writings all over his body; it's being taken back to the city as we speak. Gaius is to examine the body and make a conclusion. I am personally convinced it is linked with the star."
Merlin gulped noisily. That didn't sound good at all. "Is there anything else I need to know before I go out and risk my life for you again?"
Arthur managed a half-hearted grin, but it quickly vanished as he continued "Yes, there is more. There was an explosion in the forest, and there's a rumour of a beast inside, but I'm not too sure about that. If for once, rumours turn out to be true, this is for you." Arthur withdrew a sword; one he normally carried as a spare, but this time he handed it over to Merlin. The servant was humbled.
"I want to see if the rumours about you are true too," He smiled warily, moving away from Merlin and barking orders to his Knights, who had just arrived. Merlin held the sword in his hand, the balance perfect in his hand and its weight effortless to carry, lift, and strike. He'd never been handy with a blade before, but now he could probably take on Arthur in a fight.
It looked like all the Knights had been briefed before about what was really going on, and the normally uplifting Gwaine had shadows under his eyes, the usually jolly Percival was gritting his teeth. The tension could be felt, but Merlin didn't mind. He was not worried about himself anymore; it was Arthur and the Knights before him that needed protecting. If he could control this awesome power, Merlin could glorify and extend Arthur's already great destiny. Perhaps, together they could not just rule Albion, but the entire of Europe. Little did he realise he wasn't the only one with such power.
As the group of brave young men left, a gangly figure in the shadows turned and entered the darkness.
Morgana and Morgause's room...
"What do you mean 'you were spying on them'?"
Morgause was ruffled by her sister's latest attempts to impress her. Morgana was a very intelligent woman, but even intellectually bright people could be fools. A delicate balance of intelligence and common sense would be required in order to succeed, and the younger sister needed reminding of who made the important decisions.
"I thought you would be impressed, sister," Morgana said haughtily "although clearly I have accidentally struck a nerve!"
"Do you not understand, sister? I thought you would, but clearly I was mistaken. Even you told me, that countless enemies walked into Camelot, certain that they could bring down Uther, Arthur, or both, almost instantly, without raising suspicion. They were all fools in that regard! We must not fall down that same trap; perseverance and patience will bring us victory-"
"I don't have the patience," Morgana hissed vehemently "I want Uther, Arthur, Merlin, and every single stinking knight... dead!"
"That kind of mindset will bring you only defeat and misery, sister. Now sit down and tell me what you overheard, and let us both calm down."
It had taken Morgause a huge amount of control to stop herself from verbally exploding. Morgana sat beside her, regret on her sharp new face.
"I'm sorry, sister. I only wanted to please you."
Morgause's tiny figure embraced Morgana's tall and thin one, and the two relaxed, both of them comfortable in each other's company.
"You may tell me what you heard, and see if there is anything we can do about it. I heard the panic from outside, so it must be of some importance."
"I heard Arthur speak to Merlin about the population of an entire village just disappear. No one knows what has happened to them, and there is no sign of an attack or violence."
"Anything else?"
"Reportedly a man was seen running out of a forest, screaming his lungs out, and covered in unusual writing. He died the moment he got out."
Morgause found this most interesting, and had it not been for the important mission at hand, she would have gone and investigated. Sadly, though, she was confined to the court.
"Do you know where the body is now?"
"It is being sent to Gaius."
"Perfect," Morgause permitted herself a smile "I can examine the body while it is in Gaius' courtroom."
"How are you going to get in without him noticing?"
"I won't. I shall ask Gaius for a cure to some illness I have, and while he fetches me a potion, I may examine the writings, and perhaps even translate a few words."
"Perfect indeed," Morgana smirked, raising a glass to Morgause. She replied warily, the two crystal glasses clinking softly in the candlelit escape.
Outside the Western gate of Camelot...
During the pinnacle of the sun's rise, its momentum barely lifted it above the towering rock that had rudely settled itself next to the sunlight-starved city. Luckily for the people, the star only smothered the eastern ascent, son when the sun moved southwards, it would finally manage to dodge the seemingly limitless heights of the rock, and warmth would reach the city and all the surrounding lands. Not yet, though.
A few rays were creeping over the top right corner of the almost-cylindrical shaped rock, and these shards of light hit Merlin in the eyes. He didn't squint, and was able to keep looking at them, before being forced to focus ahead on the changing landscape. He was beside Arthur, and two lines of red caped warriors were behind them, all armoured but none helmeted. Head protection was used during heavy attacks coming from one direction. In all honesty, none of them knew what to prepare for this time. Nonetheless, the creeps were tickling Merlin's spine, and from what he had heard, phenomena was gripping the Kingdom in terror. Fear of the unknown was always more terrifying that fear of the known. Merlin knew Morgana and Morgause had never got him this scared before.
All were silent as they passed the rolling green plains, the grass whistling softly in the midday breeze. A looming forest lay ahead of them, dark and unperturbed by the growing power of the sun. The soft sound of hooves plodding on lush, dewy grass reached Merlin's ears, as well as very distant shouting from Camelot behind him. As they neared the forest, Arthur signalled with his hand for the column to halt. He dismounted, and all the Knights followed suit, as well as Merlin. They all huddled together, right next to the edges of the dense, unwelcoming woodland.
"We will have to leave our horses here. Sir Caedmon, stay here and guard the horses. We'll be back in a few hours."
The youngest of the Knights, barely nineteen, nodded and gathered the reins of several horses, proceeding to tether them to an old oak tree, a fair few paces away from the main body of trees.
"Sire, surely we will need our horses. If we get attacked we will have no way of escape-"
Arthur cut Lancelot short "That is a risk we will have to take. Our horses will create too much noise, and because of the thickness of the trees, they will inadvertently slow us down. Now, gather as much food as you can. It will take us an hour to get to Ederton; it is just at the other side of this forest. Now, load crossbows, sheath swords. Be as quiet as you can, and keep your eyes peeled for any movement. Understood?"
They all nodded, ten in number, including the sometimes stubborn manservant. Merlin had to react and think quick when a crossbow was thrown in his direction. He scowled as a counter to Arthur's grin, and heftily lifted it in an expression of 'what is this for?'.
"You may be a servant, Merlin, but you are going to need to be a soldier today. I have no idea what lies ahead of us, so keep your weapons close to you; they might just save your life. We might not even need them. I don't know, just... be prepared for anything." Merlin received a manly clap on the shoulder, and he nodded inplain understanding. He'd be in positions like this before, although admittedly not many. This just felt an awful lot different; in the sense that he was already aware of an enemy he had to protect Arthur from... Merlin.
An Hour Later...
Shafts of sunlight pierced the canopy of lush green leaves and strong, supple branches, lighting up patches of ground, whether it be layers of rotting leaves, a grey rock covered in algae and moss, or hard, dry soil. The seducing, beautiful sound of birdsong reverberated throughout the forest; soft, yet high pitched tweets of a sparrow, or the loud caw from a crow, which made Merlin's eyes sharpen from the source of such a loud, sudden noise. He'd been in the forest a couple of times before, with Arthur, to hunt for deer or rabbit. It would be infamously remembered in his mind for when Arthur had killed a unicorn, and was forced to undergo several tasks to redeem himself. That had been at the northern part of this forest, where the ground was uneven and large, moss covered rocks created a maze like atmosphere. They were in the southern part of the forest now, where the land was fairly even, but the trees were denser.
Merlin was behind only Arthur and Lancelot, treading his feet carefully as to avoid any fallen branches, whose dry wood would snap loudly and then they would all be noticed. The peaceful atmosphere did not settle their warring nerves within, and Merlin's knuckles were white after gripping the crossbow so tightly for what felt like days. There was no visible proof of an explosion yet, and there were no tall hills or sharp inclines ahead that would mask the inevitable column of smoke that would rise high into the sky. There were no enormous, mysterious footprints in the ground, or any distant screeches or roars. The lack of both made Merlin feel even more uneasy for some strange reason; for all he knew they may well be falling into a very delicately planned trap.
The ground soon levelled out completely, and looking over Lancelot's crouched figure, Merlin saw a clearing a few hundred paces ahead. The trees were thinning out, and those here were a lot younger, most barely wider than Percival's strong arms. No leaves smothered the ground; only pine and a few acorns dotted the scene ahead. They all bent to their knees, eyes piercing the gaps through the sparse leaves. From what Merlin could see, there was a village, not much larger than Ealdor, ahead. There was no sign of movement, or noise, or even life. The place looked like a ghost village, and Merlin did not like it... he didn't like it at all. Even Arthur seemed unnerved, and as he turned to face them Merlin could see the uncertainty leaking from his eyes.
"Right, this is it, this is Ederton. There are about twenty houses, two stables, a farmhouse, a tavern, and an old temple shrine, dedicated to a Roman god. We will split into groups of two; Lancelot and Gwaine, Percival and Lancelot, Leon and Elyan, Drostan and Alynor. Merlin, you come with me. Search each house, one kick the door in, the other have your sword at the ready. Be ready for anything." Arthur drew his sword, which meant Merlin must have the job of kicking doors down. Great, something else for Arthur to laugh at when he barged a door and he would just fall to the ground.
They dispersed, travelling in pairs while rushing through the light woodlands' edge at a light jog, and breaking through onto the undisturbed clearing of grass, the sunlight warming their backs. Merlin kept close behind Arthur, his eyes subconsciously wary of any form of movement ahead of them. The beautiful weather, atmosphere, and land made it all the more suspicious and worrying. The two friends neared the back of a small house, not much smaller than Gwen's. There was no back door, so the two had to move around to the front of the hovel, which was made of timber, the roof was entirely thatched, with a small hole at the side for a chimney. Merlin waited for the other groups to assemble, and they had all chosen the smallest buildings first too, with the exception of Lancelot and Gwaine, the latter of the two who had ironically chosen to take on the tavern. They all looked across the village square at one another, which was an old, eroding roman column. Receiving firm nods from the others, Merlin grimaced and kicked in a door.
The force of the kick took the slab of wood clean off its rusty hinges, the door slamming to the ground in a flurry of rising dust, and a surprised Arthur ran into the house warily, sword held like a spear. As Merlin followed him, the noise of other barged in doors filled the once peaceful air, accompanied by a dreadful silence afterwards.
The house was dark and cool, with a breeze flowing in through the now permanently open door. Life here was lived to the bare minimum, as Merlin had been accustomed to for most of his life. Roughly carved furniture was evenly spaced out, with an old wooden table in the centre, with four chairs. A couple and their two children, presumably. Just gone, without warning or notice, or even any sign of bloodshed.
Arthur was a stubborn man, however, and he strode out of the abandoned building with a chip on his armoured shoulder, as he ignored the signs from other Knights that they had found no one either. Merlin had to run to keep up with him, and this time the Prince kicked another door down, routing through the entire home, leaving no small space behind. He did this another five times, before sighing and half resting, half collapsing onto the marble column in the centre of the village. His head was in his hands, and Merlin thanked the Knights for continuing the search instead of standing there like gaping idiots.
"What can I do, Merlin?" Arthur asked, his voice tainted with true desperation. "How can I protect my people from something that I cannot even see coming?"
Merlin found a comfortable position to sit down next to Arthur, and patted his friend's back awkwardly "There's nothing you could have done, Arthur. No one save a seer could have seen this coming. Perhaps even they wouldn't have. All you can do now is set up a place near the city walls, to protect them from whatever is responsible for this. You are not to blame, and you have done nothing wrong."
Arthur nodded, and Merlin jumped up enthusiastically, offering a hand, which was gladly accepted. He pulled his friend back up to his feet, and knights emerged from various houses, all shaking their heads in unison. No one had been found, alive or dead... just like during the mist, then. Merlin had to admit he was struggling to be upbeat; they had nothing to work on, nothing to help uncover who or what was behind this. He sincerely hoped that when they got back to Camelot, Gaius would have some answers waiting for him... and a hot bowl of soup wouldn't go amiss either.
A wave of ear-splitting noise hit Merlin in the ears, temporarily deafening him as they rung dully. Arthur and the knights were cradling their ears too, some of them having dropped to their knees. Merlin's eyes discovered the source of the blaring explosion, a column of thick, ash-saturated smoke was rising from the forest they had left barely minutes ago. It didn't blot out the sun, but it darkened the mood further among the band of men. Merlin, however, was unwilling to give in, and he ran towards the building scene, determined to find out what was going on this time round. He heard desperate shouts from Arthur and Lancelot, but he didn't stop. People had gone missing, and as far as he knew from the evidence during the mist, they were all dead too. Men, women, and children. Husbands, wives, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, cousins, lovers... everyone, all supposedly abducted and killed for no reason at all. What was capable of this? Who?
As he sprinted into the forest, deftly weaving in and out to avoid small trees, another explosion sent Merlin off his feet, and he crashed into the solid earth, his back contacting something tough. He gritted his teeth in irritating pain, and threw himself off the ground, as his ears felt like they were about to bleed. He kept going, feeling like sweat was going to break out on his forehead, but none came. He expected to feel a sharp pain in his side as a stitch would inevitably stop him, but it did not arrive. Merlin knew he would soon run out breath, but for some unknown reason, he just kept going. The adrenaline was coursing through his body, his pumping heart strong and showing no signs of tiring. His eyes and mind were focused on the next destination, but they were soon thrown off course when another bang forced Merlin to clutch his ears in agony. Roaring defiantly, his eyes felt like they were about to be forcefully ripped from his sockets, and he propelled forward into the air, landing nearly a hundred feet closer to the source of the noise. When he looked up, a wave of blue fire threw itself horizontally across the forest, stampeding in a thin line across the doomed woodland at a truly terrifying speed. When the initial, jaw-dropping attack had ceased, Merlin realised he had been responsible for that. Thank the Gods Arthur or the others were not here.
Merlin was left to survey the scene; half of the destruction was his own fault. The very ground had been eternally cooked, the surface charred, blackened, and smoking. What had once been tall, proud trees, were now nothing more than barely discernable stumps. The fire had died away as quickly as it had been born, and all that remained was an apocalyptic scene of suicidal provoking gloom and misery. There was no proof of what had been here, what had caused the explosions, and inadvertently who was responsible for so many innocent deaths. There may have been evidence here, but Merlin's rash, uncontrollable power within him had destroyed what could have been here. He shouted in frustration at himself, for such weakness, and hurled a piece of charcoaled wood towards the dead land. He was left to ponder in his defeat, and wondered why on earth the power within the Stone of Inobscurity was attempting to change who he was, both physically and biologically, as well as mentally, but that went without saying.
He heard heavy footsteps behind him, but Merlin did not bother to greet Arthur and the Knights. He felt a hand softly touch his shoulder, and turned round to greet his friend.
"I hate to say it, but it's too dangerous," Arthur said seriously, eyes wide in shock from the carnage before him "and we need to get back to Camelot. As soon as I get back I'll ask my father to have all the citizens of Camelot sent to the city. It is the only way to ensure their safety."
"Come on, let's go." Arthur had to tug Merlin to bring him away from the border of life and death. All the warlock could hope for now was the wisdom of his tutor.
Gaius' Workroom...
Merlin groaned, head in his hands as sheer frustration nearly made him kick the nearest object, but the fact that object was Gaius' leg prevented him from just doing that.
"Gaius, surely you know some of the symbols."
"No, Merlin," Gaius replied sternly "I have checked every single one of my books on ancient texts, and there is nothing even remotely similar to this." He eyed the dead man disdainfully, whose bare skin was completely covered in mysterious, unusually shaped letters. They could be entire sentences as far as Gaius knew.
Merlin stared into his empty bowl of soup, mimicking a yawn "Does anyone know who he is yet?"
"No, but notices have been sent out with his physical description. I've already had four distressed ladies, claiming he was their husband, but no, it turned out not to be for any of them."
"Whoever the wife is, she's lucky," Merlin said grimly.
"What in the name of the gods could cause you to say such a thing!"
"At least she will have his body. Imagine all those people who have missing family and friends, and I'm the only one who knows that none of them will ever come back."
"Merlin, I hardly think she will happy to find her husband's body, which has essentially been covered in graffiti!"
Merlin sighed; he was doing an awful lot of that these days, and he knew exactly what to blame it on.
"If you don't know what the language is, then have you at least heard of a ritual or rite similar to a man being covered in symbols?"
"Yes, there is one case," Gaius said, momentarily giving up on deciphering the words and joining Merlin at the table "but it is not in the same language."
"It's something, though," Merlin said simply "and it is all we have to link this to."
"Many, many years ago – and I'm talking before the birth of the Isle of the Blessed - legends have been passed down from the creators of the runes. These were the very first druids, and they used magical stones to predict the future; the Crystal of Neahtid is but one of those ancient artefacts. They carved these visions into blessed, ancient rocks, which they surrounded with clear quartz rocks from the Crystal Cave. The language the used is known only by a select few to this day and you can be assured, Merlin, I am one of those people." Merlin nodded, allowing Gaius to continue without hindrance.
"However, the druids believed that carving their visions into flesh was as powerful a statement as hewing it into rock. Rumour has it these writings did not kill the people they were magically carved on, but instead gave them extended life, some enduring as long as three hundred years. The visions of the future constantly filled their minds, and in their infinite wisdom, they could further explain the future, and figuratively set the future in stone. The druids fully believed these visions were going to happen at some point in history, and the meaning of destiny was defined and given power."
"So, they didn't die soon after?"
"No, and that doesn't add up with this fellow." Gaius pointed over to the motionless figure on the work table.
"Unless...," Merlin started, thinking hard "hold on, what if the visions literally killed him?"
Gaius laughed "Merlin, visions can do many things to you. They can terrify, inspire, and change people, but they cannot kill you. I think you need to go and get some sleep."
Merlin was going to challenge Gaius, but the door was carefully opened, and the beautiful head of the Lady Rosalia peeped around the corner, her eyes brightening when she saw Merlin.
"Ah, Lady Rosalia," Gaius said warmly "what brings you to this dark corner of the castle?"
She walked forward, fidgeting her hands "I... I needed a potion for something. I've been suffering from some terrible headaches recently, and I was wondering if you could have anything to ease my pain."
"Of course, my dear," Gaius said, forgetting to cover the body and bustling over to one of his shelves, which was overstocked with potions and herbal ingredients. He emerged with an unpleasant looking green liquid.
"Here you go," Gaius handed over the small liquid bottle "it's called Ginkgo Biloba, and it should ease your headaches considerably.
"Many thanks," Rosalia smiled warmly, but her face turned to that of shock when she noticed the body, and the potion slipped out of her hands. In one blurring movement, Merlin moved up behind her, standing from the table and catching the bottle in one hand. Gaius frowned at his superb reflex; his assistant was clumsy. What had happened to him?
"Thank you, Merlin," Rosalia's cheeks grew pink as she smiled, dimples showing. Merlin felt himself blush, but quickly realised he actually couldn't anymore. No more warmth emitted from his body.
"My pleasure," he replied, quite taken by this girl. Obviously, past experiences had taught him to have an open mind with a mildly cynical outlook, but Merlin couldn't see what was wrong with this girl. She was down to earth, but as sweet as an angel. Then again, from first impressions, Sophia appeared to be like that, but look how she turned out.
"We don't know," Gaius replied to Rosalia's question, which for a moment had been forgotten "but we are working on it, that you can be assured of."
Rosalia nodded, her eyes turning back on Merlin, and she slipped a note into the warlock's hand as she left.
After closing the door, Morgause nearly ended up sulking. She had firmly believed she knew all the ancient writings of magic... clearly there was one she had missed.
Midnight...
In the darkness, Merlin had settled himself beside the body of the poor man, who had yet to be identified. He had been unable to sleep, and Gaius' constant snoring didn't particularly help either. Nonetheless, he had grown accustomed to the sound, and its frequent, timely arrival was like a clock in his head. The day had been an interesting one. The morning had been asking for advice from the Dragon, which had proved unsuccessful. Midday, he was chasing burning shadows, and that had been unsuccessful. During the afternoon, he had attempted to decipher the tattooed code on the body, with the help and knowledge of Gaius; that had also been decidedly unsuccessful. In the evening, Merlin had adhered to Rosalia's note, and met her in her chambers. There she had gifted him with a new scarf, which was made of fine silk and was a deep, intense blood red; far more vibrant than his old, dull one. That had been rather successful, but it still did not solve the infuriating, seemingly unsolvable case before him. Whatever, or whoever they were, they were darn clever. All they left Merlin behind was frustrating, indecipherable readings, and he was left chasing and groping at shadows which had long gone. The hand that had pierced the mist to reach out to him may be the closest he would ever come to facing this unknown, cruel enemy. Merlin had no idea how many of them there were, but they were slowly... agonisingly slowly eating away at Camelot's pride and strength, mocking powerful kingdom by slitting its knees and wrists, and bringing it crashing down. At least that was what their effective plan appeared to be giving out.
Merlin twiddled his cold thumbs, his new, refined eyes piercing through the darkness onto the exposed skin. He had checked his eyes in the mirror next to Gaius' other various instruments, and the sight of them had unnerved him. They were like no pair of eyes he had seen before, and the closest he could compare them to were Nimueh's. They were a cold, icy blue, its colour whole and untainted around the edges. Merlin's, however, were not icy, but they were cold. They had grown in intensity and depth, and he swore that he had seen red, white and blue lines flicker across his iris for a split second. His eyes were more than just for seeing through now; they were a weapon in their own right.
Moonlight would have lit up the writings on the man's body, had it not been for that infernal rock, which denied Camelot two hours less sunlight. Merlin had a sudden inspiration, and stood up, looking over the body, towering over the man's bearded face. He grasped his left hand, and slowly brought it down, his fingertips barely touching the man's forehead-
He recoiled sharply, taking a deep breath in. The ink began to vaporize and rise towards his outstretched hand. Merlin, realising what he was about to experience, braced for the worst as the visions that killed the man entered his own mind. His vision was covered by another layer of perception, which rudely placed itself in front of his own.
Blue fires were dancing high into the sky, as fully armoured men, from toe to head, marched coldly and quickly without speaking or stopping... all arched eye slits ahead. Unusual weapons hummed and snarled as they burst into life, the sound of cracks filling the air as blue lights flitted across the landscape at indescribable speeds, breaking the air apart and killing those they hit instantly. Magnificent explosions lit up the marching force, which was moving at an unstoppable, steady pace towards Camelot. Screams filled the air as guards on the watchtowers and knights on the battlements were hit by flashes of light, their heads bleeding as their bodies fell and stumbled over their lofty heights. Hundreds, thousands... no, tens of thousands were being slaughtered with horrifying efficiency and something enormous in the sky rumbled to life-
He was moved to another scene, where a man was passionately kissing a young woman, although he could see neither of their faces. His eyes, just like Merlin's, were filled with regret and sorrow. His heart was burdened with the death of millions, and even then he struggled to leave this woman. Surely such strong love should survive anything-
Then, finally, his vision cleared, and a symbol, unlike anything he'd ever seen before, embedded itself into his mind, flashing furiously across his eyes. Merlin realised he was back in the room, and everything was calm and peaceful, save his panicking breathing, and his shaking hand. In horror, Merlin looked and realised that the symbol had not just embedded in his mind; it was now etched into the back of his left hand.
So, that's it! Thanks for reading, and reviews are most welcome! May the mystery deepen, although I'd say that's the least 'cliffhangy' ending I've put up so far. What do you think? Next chapter, you will see Merlin finally face his ever evading enemy for the first time. :P