If anyone cares, we have a specific episode that this story takes place after now. It's after A Herald of a New Age, to explain Gwen's absence. This'll be the last time we change this, we swear. And to ThreeGoodReasons: we're sorry.
A whimper passed Garman's lips as the pulsating pain in the left side of his body was regained along with his consciousness. He felt small, firm hands gripping him under each arm, and his left shoulder was out of place and throbbing. The grass and dirt slid underneath him, moving in lurches, and he realized he was being heaved along the ground. His head lolled back and forth with every pull, and he groaned again. There was a smell of smoke lingering in the air, along with the heavy scent of body odor. Was that him?
Finally, he was gingerly lowered down and in his daze he heard someone kneel beside him at his right side. He was yet to open his eyes.
Fingers at his hairline. He noticed that he was drenched in sweat as they moved across his forehead, catching in his sticky hair.
"Garman?" came a voice. It sounded far-off, but he recognized it. He would have recognized it anywhere.
He worked his jaw, his tongue rasping against the roof of his mouth and catching on his teeth as saliva started to cover it. Swallowing the dryness was like eating dirt, but he gulped until he was able to say, "Amice?"
His eyes fluttered open along with the word. The concerned face he saw hovering above his head answered his question.
Amice was Edgar and Garman's best and only childhood friend of their little village. She was between their ages, so Edgar had never been without a friend. Garman, however, being the first of his generation in the village, had spent the first three years of his life as an only child and had appreciated her birth probably more than her parents had. From that day forward, they'd been fast friends, and even when Edgar had come along three years later, he'd only served to add another dynamic to the trio they then made. Garman had never told Amice just how grateful he was for her steadfast friendship, even when Edgar's superior traits had begun to show over Garman's own.
"Thank God," Amice breathed, letting her cheek fall onto his chest. He felt the added weight on his lungs as he inhaled.
He breathed like that for a few moments, trying not to think about his arm; trying not think about-
"Edgar," she said, lifting herself up suddenly. "Oh, Garman, he…"
Garman held his breath. "He what?"
Garman watched Amice swallow and look somewhere to the left of where Garman lay. "Let me help you up."
Merlin languidly watched the flecks of dust drift around in a beam of sunlight that had planted itself in the center of the round table. He stood in the corner as Arthur, his knights, John, and Sherlock had a meeting. As he looked around at each of their faces, they didn't seem too eager to be there, either.
Arthur sighed. "Do any of you have any objections on the matter of Gwaine being the one to find a replacement for our head chef?"
"Why was she executed in the first place?" asked Leon.
"Someone witnessed her using magic."
Leon grunted in acknowledgment.
"So, no objections, then?"
The room was stiflingly silent.
"Good. Then Gwaine, you'll. . ." Arthur's eyes scanned the knights' faces, looking for one in particular. "Where is Gwaine?"
Merlin frowned. Despite Gwaine, being, well, Gwaine, he had never failed to attend a meeting before. Although he had been late in the past, it was unlike Gwaine to not show up. The knights' eyes lifted up as they glanced around at one another. "Probably out galavanting somewhere," said one of them. There were several agreeing chuckles.
"Last I saw him," droned Sherlock from one end of the table, "which was last night, just before curfew, he was being carried by one of you lot to the tavern."
There was muttering for a few moments as the knights figured out who it had been. Finally, Percival spoke up. "Whoever it was, it wasn't any of us."
What? Was Gwaine all right? Merlin shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Plus, the tavern has been closed for a while now," another said.
There were many grunts of agreement around the table.
Sherlock sat up. "Why's that?"
The knight shrugged. Everyone looked at everyone else for the answer.
"John and I will go and investigate it," said the detective as he began to stand up.
He didn't get halfway there before Arthur rested a firm hand on Sherlock's shoulder and forced him back into his seat. "This meeting is not yet over. Does anyone have anything else of concern?"
The knights looked annoyed and anxious; anything but concerned. It was John who spoke up.
"We were wondering if we could, with your permission, search your quarters."
"We? And on what grounds?"
"Merlin, Sherlock, and I." Merlin stiffened, glancing towards John. "The servant—Julia—might have been acting under the influence of a mythical creature called the fomorroh. She entered your chambers the night before she died. She might have planted something there."
Arthur seemed to contemplate something, then slowly nodded his head. "I suppose-"
The grand doors at the end of the hall opened with a resonating bang. Gaius entered alongside a short, skinny young woman with loosely braided mousy hair. They supported a young man between them, his tunic soaked with blood along his left side and his skin frighteningly pale. One of his arms was done up in an amateur sling. Arthur circled the table of now-alert knights and approached the trio. Merlin forced himself to look away from the young man's wounds as he felt bile rise in his throat.
"What is this? Who are these people?" Arthur demanded.
"They just arrived to me, Sire. I insisted that he be tended to immediately, but he wouldn't have it until he spoke to you," said Gaius.
"Big. . . huge. . . lion-goat-snake thing. . . there was fire. . . Gwaine-" the young man broke off with a gasp. His weight started to give out and the young woman on his right lifted him further.
'Lion-goat-snake thing?' Merlin narrowed his eyes. Only one creature came to mind with that description. But chimeras weren't even native to Camelot—Why would one attack these peasants?
"Gwaine?" Percival questioned.
The man nodded, grimaced, and went on, "I saw him. . . the spears. . . a knight was dragging him away. . ."
The girl on his right patted his shoulder, and explained, "My name is Amice. One of your knights came last night to see Garman's, erm, spearmanship. . . your majesty."
Garman grunted.
"I came running when I saw fire where they—Garman and his brother, that is—usually practice throwing. The knight wasn't there, Garman had this wound, and Edgar. . . well, Edgar's dead, your highness."
"What happened to Gwaine?" Percival had come to stand behind the king and directed his question at Garman.
Garman attempted a shrug, then almost collapsed. When he was recomposed, he said shakily, "I- I dunno. . . knight came out of forest after the monster ran off. . . he picked up Gwaine and-" Suddenly Garman's eyes rolled back into his head as he slumped forward, the girl and Gaius barely preventing him from hitting the ground. When he didn't regain consciousness, they carefully lowered him to the floor. Gaius stood and clasped his hands behind his back.
"Sire, I'm afraid he needs immediate attention. This interrogation can wait until later."
Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Very well-"
Percival interrupted him. Amice seemed surprised that someone interrupted the king.
"Wait. He said there was a monster. A. . . lion-goat-snake thing. And another knight. We-"
Gaius and the girl already had Garman lifted into the air again, and were backing him out of the doors. Gaius said distractedly, "Look, we know you're very concerned about Gwaine, but this man-"
John spoke up from back at the table. "Maybe we could ask Merlin. He seems to know about mythical creatures."
Merlin's eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he stood straight up. All eyes in the room were suddenly on him. Gaius' especially.
"Oh, not that much," he said quickly. "I, erm, well, a lion-snake? Sounds like a. . . a. . . griffin? No, sorry. Maybe, uh, what's the word? Chi. . . chimera?" Merlin struggled to remain nonchalant and oblivious. He'd recognized the animal immediately, but stayed silent, hoping Gaius would say something.
Gaius raised an eyebrow and smiled halfway at Merlin before he was out of sight as he hauled the young man away.
Sherlock spoke up, "We had an issue with a chimera in our kingdom some years back. It had come over from Ishbayern, which is the only kingdom in Avalon that they're native to."
Arthur paused, running his hand along the back of his neck. "Sherlock, John, Merlin," he said, turning around, "forget my chambers. This takes priority. You will investigate the scene, then go to Ishbayern. That girl can take you to her village."
Merlin exchanged a glance with John.
"Now!"
The three abruptly stood, their chairs scraping and clattering backwards, and they quickly walked towards the exit. Merlin swallowed. Another one killed? He didn't like how this was going, even if they were finally getting some clear leads.