A/N: Hey y'all! So guess what? I just went to New York for the first time in my life. So much fun! Freezing cold, but I like the cold, so that was totally worth it. Highlight was either Phantom of the Opera (saw it live. So cool!) or the Natural History Museum. They're underwater section is SO well done. I highly recommend either of these things if you happen to be visiting New York anytime soon.
In the meantime, since we all know you're not here to listen to me gush about my trips, here's the next chapter of IG! Hope you enjoy! It gave me quite a bit of trouble, but I think I like the way it turned out…
Chapter Nine
Whispers. Warnings.
Instantly, Merlin withdrew his magic deep inside himself, clamping it away as his heartbeat thrummed in his ribs. His eyes faded back to blue, and the amulet's runes faded back to dark lines. The euphoria faded, leaving Merlin feeling rather cold, and empty.
All that time, Daneir remained still, completely unfazed by what was happening in front of him. He even smiled when Merlin finally turned his horrified eyes to him again.
"I knew it," he said calmly. "The prophecies speak of your inexplicable aversion to darkness. Someone like you could never use Arolygaeth. I knew you couldn't bring yourself to do it." He raised his own hand, eyes flashing, "Byddin!"
A heavy force slammed into Merlin. He flew backwards, knocking into Gwaine. Both of them smashed into the wall. Dazed, Merlin regained his feet as quickly as he could. As Daneir raised his hand again, Merlin pulled at his magic to block the coming spell, but the first stirrings of magic made the amulet hum in his hand, and a faint hint of that crazed delight returned, making Merlin dampen his power once again.
In his moment of hesitation, Merlin was magically seized, and pulled forward, away from Gwaine's grasping hands and over Daneir's head into the other wall, destroying the dressing screen. He bit his lip firmly, refusing to show the pain that resounded through his body from the impact.
"Come on, Emrys, defend yourself!"
Another throw and Merlin was smashed into the wardrobe, a small cry escaping him as his head struck the wood. He thought he felt a trickle of wetness, but before he could check, he was flying again.
Merlin endured the abuse, keeping his magic firmly at bay. He couldn't use it, not while he held the amulet. He would not use the amulet. That faintest taste of what it was capable of—those whispers of warnings—told him how much of a fool he'd been to ever consider this plan. But he dare not drop it.
He'd successfully handicapped himself. And Daneir knew it.
Sword in hand, Gwaine ran forward to run Daneir through, but the metal hilt in his hand turned red, sizzling into his hands and forced him to drop it with a small cry. Instinct made Gwaine raise his right arm in an arcing motion and block the strike aimed his way, and a left-handed strike resulted in a satisfying crack of Daneir's jaw.
Another flash of golden eyes and Gwaine was soaring backwards. The main door opened before he collided with it, and he crashed into a rather large person who only just managed to keep his footing.
Gwaine looked up in confusion. "Percy!" he shouted. "What are you doing here?"
Percival forced his friend to the side as Daneir leveled another spell at them.
"Didn't think I'd let you face whatever this is alone, did you?" He firmly gripped his sword and stepped forward, dropping into a fighting stance. Gwaine picked up his own fallen sword—now cooled—and did likewise.
"Oh for the love of—" Daneir cut himself off. "You can't seriously expect to fight me?" He raised his hand again, only to be tackled from the side by Merlin.
"Leave them alone!"
Daneir and Merlin both hit the ground and Merlin rolled off him. "Gwaine!" he yelled, and from his position on the floor, slid the amulet across the wood to the knight.
Two inches from the knight's grasp, the amulet changed direction and flew back, straight into Daneir's hand.
"No!" Gwaine and Merlin both shouted. Gwaine threw himself forward, but Daneir was ready for him. Some of those foreign words, and Gwaine grabbed at his throat, unable to breathe.
Merlin, no longer handicapped by the amulet, shouted as he let his own magic lash out. Daneir braced himself, but no amount of bracing could prepare himself for raw power like Merlin's, and it was his turn to be thrown into a wall. Gwaine gasped for air as the pressure on his throat released and sank to his knees, brain slightly fuzzy. When Daneir slid to the ground, though, he landed on his feet, and laughed.
"Yes," he said gleefully. "You really are that powerful."
"Ysigo!" Daneir dodged the blow, and the wall behind him exploded into a pile of debris and dust, leaving a line of sight into the next empty bedroom. Percival remained where he stood, mouth hanging open in utter shock, sword hanging limply at his side.
"Yes!" Daneir shouted again, sounding quite properly insane, continuing to dodge spells.
"Cwitochu!"The wardrobe was sliced into two. "Sgaldiad!" The bed burst into flames. All the time, Daneir continued to laugh, not letting off any spells of his own, merely dodging. A flash of gold in the enemy's eyes here and there told Merlin how he was dodging his spells so easily.
Changing strategies, Merlin took a deep breath, then let all the air out of his lungs as he let his magic cascade out, enveloping Daneir. The power sank, and left a very heavy feeling in the air. Daneir came to a standstill, mid-step, his body locked.
"Ha!" Gwaine shouted in triumph, slowly stumbling to his feet. Merlin raised his eyebrows at him. Then when Gwaine coughed once as he inhaled a lungful of dust and smoke, Merlin winced and looked at the destruction of the room. This was going to be a fun thing to explain. With a couple muttered words, the fire at least was extinguished, though smoke from the charred wood and cloth still curled to the ceiling.
"It's over, Daneir," Merlin told him firmly. He spared a glance for Nigel, but the lord was merely cowering in the corner of the room.
"No!" Nigel ran at Merlin, but Gwaine blocked his way and leveled his sword at the man. He stopped instantly and backed away.
"I wouldn't interfere, if I were you," Gwaine said slowly. Nigel eyed the tip of the blade, then Gwaine's face, then the frozen Daneir. It didn't take him long to think through his options, and he bolted towards the door. But Percival intercepted him, and the lord ended up tripped flat on his face with a large knight on his back. When Percival looked up again, staring at Merlin with wide eyes, Merlin couldn't help but shy away slightly.
"This doesn't change anything, Emrys!" Nigel informed them from his awkward position pinned to the floor. "You'll still be executed. No way to hide your magic now."
Merlin sighed. "Actually, there is." He'd hoped to avoid any sort of political scandal that would cast a dark light on Arthur's fresh reign. But there was no way to avoid that now. Nigel and Daneir had it out for the kingdom, and using the amulet to control them until they were a safe distance away was no longer an option. Better that Arthur deal with political outrage of the guest lord dying under his care than deal with the threat of another magical enemy plotting against them.
Another laugh broke Merlin from his dark thoughts and made all four sets of eyes turn to face the more dangerous captive again.
The amulet, still held firmly in Daneir's hand, was glowing, the runes lit up like tiny lines of fire over the cold metal.
"No!" Merlin shouted, and sprinted forward, but Daneir looked up and pierced him with a golden, blazing stare. A flash of light erupted from the amulet, and Merlin felt his whole world cloud over and a cold emptiness consumed him.
"Merlin!" the voice was dim and distant.
Gwaine looked on in horror at the glazed look in Merlin's eyes. He didn't so much as twitch in recognition when he called out his name. So the knight ran forward, grabbing Merlin's arm. He had to get him out of here, now.
But then Merlin turned to him and put his hand up. Gwaine suddenly found himself gripped in invisible bonds and lifted off his feet, dangling in midair and looking into a pair of empty gold eyes.
"Merlin, snap out of it!" Gwaine shouted, struggling the best he could. But Merlin's hand merely tightened in the air, and Gwaine felt the pressure increase until his struggles ceased.
"Merlin!" Percival shouted, horrified. "What are you doing?"
"He won't listen," Daneir said calmly, stepping forward until he stood next to his new puppet. "He'll never listen to anyone else again, not even himself. The great Emrys! Completely helpless and under my control. And by extension, the whole world."
"You're insane," Gwaine spat at him. "If Merlin's really so cursed powerful, you should know better than to try to control him. He'll break free, and then what do you think he'll do?"
Nigel laughed, still pinned underneath Percival. "No one has ever broken the amulet's hold!" he inserted. Daneir closed his eyes against his annoyance but otherwise ignored the lord's interruption. "He belongs to us now!"
"Let him go!" Gwaine commanded.
"I have a better idea," Daneir replied. "Let's see just what our new little pet can do, shall we? Oh, but I think we need a better vantage point."
Merlin didn't seem to even need verbal instructions. Daneir just simply looked at him, and then Merlin muttered some of those foreign words, and Gwaine suddenly felt like all the air had been squeezed from him, and an intense pressure built in his head. A moment later, there was a silent pop and Gwaine found himself gasping on his hands and knees. He fingered the cold stone beneath him in confusion for a moment, then looked up and gasped.
The five of them were atop the east tower, which also happened to be the tallest. From here, they had a vantage point of the entire city before them, including the farming fields out past the main gates and the forest beyond them. The moon shone bright overhead, silently mocking them as it declared all to be bright and well.
Gwaine, free of his bonds for a moment, ran forward and grabbed Merlin by the shoulders, shaking him firmly. "Merlin!" he shouted. But again he was faced with a cold stare and ended up pinned to the tower wall. Percival joined him a moment later, and Nigel clumsily regained his feet now that his captor was indisposed. "Merlin, I know you're in there," Gwaine continued, ignoring the phantom pressure on his chest. "You can't let him control you like this!"
"It's no use," Daneir reminded him in a bored drawl.
"You're stronger than him, Merlin! He wouldn't need you otherwise. Think! Remember how we met? In a bar. You and Arthur got into some trouble and I helped you out. I didn't even know who you two were. And the quest for that stupid trident! Remember? With the Fisher King, and the wyverns."
"He can't hear you," Daneir inserted again. He stepped forward and punched Gwaine in the jaw, just as Gwaine had previously punched him. Gwaine's head snapped to the side, pulsing in pain, and he fell silent, glaring at the man who had taken control of his best friend.
"Now, first thing's first, I suppose," Daneir said, looking around as though in thought. "Before we begin the demonstration, what fun is a party without the king? He should be here to witness this. Emrys?"
Merlin's eyes shone gold again, and he spoke softly but urgently.
"Arthur!"
.~.
Arthur sat bolt upright in bed, looking around frantically. Gwen jerked awake at the motion and looked around sleepily for what had disturbed her husband.
"Arthur what is it?"
Arthur glared into the darkness. "All right Merlin, that was not funny. Now where are you?"
Gwen, with a frown, sat up and lit the candle next to the bed. The soft glow gave off enough light to reveal that they were alone.
"You must have been dreaming," she said reassuringly, touching his arm.
Arthur, help!
Arthur jerked, looking every which way.
"Where are you?" he repeated aloud.
I'm on the roof of the east tower. There's a sorcerer here! He—
A scream resounded through Arthur's head, and his blood ran cold as he realized what was happening.
He says for you to come here. He told me to tell you that. Come to the east tower, or he'll—another scream interrupted him. H—hurry!
Come, Your Majesty. That was another voice, one unfamiliar to Arthur. And he's right: best hurry.
Arthur was out of bed instantly, stopping only to grab his sword.
"Arthur!" Gwen shouted, making to get out of bed and follow him.
Arthur instantly stopped his mad dash and returned to her, placing both hands on her shoulders and gently pushing her back down onto the bed. "Merlin's gone and got himself in trouble," he explained quickly. "No, it's not a dream," he answered correctly as she opened her mouth to protest. "Just, please stay here. Let me deal with this. I can't be worrying about you, too."
He prayed she would listen. Merlin was her friend, too, and he could just see her demanding to come along. But at last she nodded her reluctant agreement. That was all Arthur needed before he was out the door.
I'm coming, Merlin! he called silently, not sure if Merlin could hear him, or if the sorcerer had already severed whatever connection he had created.
It was a trap. Of course it was a trap. Someone had taken Merlin to goad and bait him. But he didn't care. The sorcerer wanted to have a go? That was fine by him. He tightened his grip on the sword's hilt and increased his speed.
A/N: Uh oh. Muahaha!
Until next time! ;)
~Syd
