Another Thursday update coming your way. This chapter is epic in my opinion, so hopefully it's epic in yours. Have a wonderful rest of the week.
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
"Gaius, you need to leave. Go get help," Lancelot commanded as he swung Merlin up into his arms and began searching for a place to hide him. Percival and Gwaine were tearing through the room, trying to find some place that would keep Merlin concealed and safe. Elyan was staring out the window, watching as Darian kept coming closer. Darian wasn't with Leon. He was coming here for Merlin. Luckily, the man was well liked so he was often stopped by passersby. It would hopefully give the group enough time to keep their injured member safe. It was the least they could do after everything that had happened. Though everyone was trying their hardest to ensure Darian wouldn't get near Merlin, Lancelot still felt nervous and restless. This was it. This was were everything was going to end. Either Darian would win and continue living as a golden boy, or Merlin would be safe and Darian's head would be on a platter.
Lancelot's heart felt as if it were about to burst out of his chest. His palms were sweating and his legs felt weak. He couldn't help but feel terrified of what was going to happen soon. Lancelot glanced out the window to see Darian being stopped by Gwen. She was chatting with him as if nothing was wrong. Lancelot couldn't be too upset with her. But the way Gwen laughed at whatever clever thing Darian had said made his blood boil. She wouldn't appreciate Darian as much after she found out what he had done to Merlin. Lancelot would ensure that no one would love Darian after the spell was broken. Darian waved goodbye and continued across the courtyard. Even from this distance Lancelot could see that Darian was on a mission. Lancelot didn't know if this small group of men would be enough to stop him.
"What about you and Merlin?" Gaius asked. He was standing resolutely in the middle of the room. Lancelot knew Gaius wouldn't want to be too far from Merlin, especially considering the state the boy was in, but they couldn't risk it. Gaius wouldn't be able to help fight Darian. Lancelot didn't like the odds of protecting two people. Percival crossed the room and put his hand on Gaius' shoulder. If anyone could convince the old man to leave, it would be Percival.
"Merlin's too injured to be carried great distances. And if we're in here, we have a better chance of winning against Darian. The smaller space and the fact that we outnumber him should be enough to overwhelm the man," Percival explained as he ushered him out of the servant's entrance. Gaius turned and faced the group. His face still looking determined to stay in the room with his ward.
"You don't understand. That man is practically immortal. A few jabs to the torso won't do anything!" Gaius exclaimed. Lancelot couldn't help but feel even more terrified by this news. If Darian were indeed immortal, then there was no way he could be stopped. There was no way the knights would win.
"We can slow him down, distract him from Merlin," Percival responded, giving Gaius one last shove out the door. Lancelot empathized with Gaius. If someone were trying to tear him away from Merlin, especially after a revelation such as the one Gaius just had, Lancelot would be fighting to stay as well. He decided to give Gaius something to do. After all, if the physician felt as though he was helping keep Merlin alive, he might be more inclined to leave.
"Stay out of Darian's sight. Find Arthur, he may be able to kill Darian," Lancelot said. Gaius gave a nod and sped off down the hallway. Percival closed the door and sighed.
"Is he still in the courtyard, Elyan?" he asked.
"He's talking with one of the scullery maids," Elyan replied, not taking his eyes off the scene below him. Percival nodded and continued searching for a place to hide. The problem was the room didn't have a lot of places that could hide someone as tall as Merlin. Lancelot supposed that was a safety measure. The less places there were to hide, the harder it would be for an assassin to sneak in and kill the prince.
"How about the antechamber?" Gwaine asked after deciding under the bed wouldn't be secure enough. He walked towards the small room and opened the door.
"That'll be the first place Darian will look," Percival responded, shaking his head. Gwaine cried out in frustration and slammed his fist into the wall.
"Nowhere is good enough! We can't just stand here cradling Merlin in our arms and hope that Darian won't attack us! He wants to kill Merlin and he'll do anything to make sure that happens!" Gwaine shouted. Lancelot jumped at the sudden change in Gwaine's demeanor. He couldn't blame him for getting frustrated. Tensions were running high and Gwaine was feeling just as guilty as the rest of them. He was taking it upon himself to ensure no other harm could come to Merlin. Lancelot wondered if Merlin knew just how much his friends cared for him.
"Gwaine, calm down. I know you're frustrated but we can't go losing our heads now," Percival commanded. Gwaine growled and sank down onto the floor. Lancelot shifted Merlin in his arms and bit his lip. Percival had a point, but Gwaine also had a point. If they didn't come up with something soon, Lancelot was just going to put Merlin in the antechamber and call it good. It was better than standing out here in the open with him.
"I can no longer see him. He must be inside the castle!" Elyan cried. Gwaine leapt up and began pacing around the room, muttering to himself. Percival stepped over to the door and locked it. Gwaine stopped pacing and stood up straighter.
"That just might work," Gwaine muttered to himself, sweeping over to one side of the room.
"What might work?" Lancelot asked, following close behind Gwaine. Gwaine opened a wardrobe and smiled. In the bottom was some folded clothing and bloodied sheets. It was what Arthur had been using to store evidence of Merlin existence.
"Lancelot, how about in here?" Gwaine said. Lancelot looked over Gwaine's shoulder and smiled.
"That should do perfectly. It looks smaller on the outside, so Darian probably won't think to look in here," he said.
"You should stay with him. He's quieter if someone's there to comfort him," Gwaine suggested. Lancelot nodded. He passed Merlin to Gwaine and worked on moving a boot and some of the cloths out of the way. It wasn't going to be the most comfortable position but it was going to have to work. Darian would be here soon. Lancelot carefully lowered himself into the wardrobe. A few adjustments and he was able to fit quite nicely in the bottom. Gwaine lowered Merlin into Lancelot's arms. He gave the pair a small smile, ruffled Merlin's hair gently, and then closed the closet door.
"Try and keep him as quiet as possible," Percival commanded. Lancelot heard swords being drawn and peaked through the keyhole. There was some footsteps that resounded in the room before everything went silent. Lancelot couldn't even hear breathing. Everything appeared to still in time, waiting in suspense for Darian's long awaited arrival. Everyone was waiting for Darian. The anticipation was intense as the group dropped into a fighting stance. Their swords were poised, ready to go. The moment Darian stepped through the door, Gwaine, Percival, and Elyan would attack. Darian wouldn't even have the chance to see what was happening. He wouldn't be able to prepare himself. The element of surprise was the group's greatest asset. Darian didn't know how many people were immune, he didn't know the plan, and he was outnumbered. Such an attack would usually be easy to complete. Quick and painless. The only problem was that they were fighting a man with unknown powers. A man who was living off another's blood like he would a pig's meat. Lancelot hoped that Gaius was wrong. He hoped that Darian wasn't immortal. It was all too soon to tell. Lancelot hated this waiting game. His mind was racing and a thousand possibilities kept his heart beating painfully against his chest. The only thing grounding him to earth was Merlin's warm weight on his chest. Merlin began to shift in Lancelot's arms and mutter. Lancelot winced as his friend's voice appeared to carry loudly through the room. Hopefully it wasn't as loud as Lancelot thought. Still, it wouldn't pay to have Merlin making noise when he was supposed to be hidden.
"It's okay, Merlin. Just keep sleeping," Lancelot said soothingly. Now would not be a good time for Merlin to wake up. He would probably be confused and would fight Lancelot. Lancelot's words had the desired affect. Merlin stopped moving and his breathing became deeper. So long as he was unaware, Merlin could dream of a world where this hadn't happened to him.
Lancelot sighed and leaned back. The respite didn't last for long. Tap, tap, tap. The sounds of footsteps that had previously been absent now were heard on the floor in the hallway. Tap, tap, tap. They were coming closer to the door. Lancelot could only guess that they belong to Darian. Tap, tap, tap, tap. The footsteps were slow and laborious. But not as if the action was difficult to complete. It was more like Darian knew he was going to have adversaries in the room, so he dragged out the walk for as long as possible. Tap, tap, tap, tap. The footsteps were so light and springy. They were mocking Lancelot with the thoughts as to the man who owned them. It was difficult to believe that such evil could hide itself so well. It was frightening. Tap, tap, tap. Lancelot tightened his grip as the footsteps came closer. They stopped in front of Arthur's room. There was no doubt as to who owned the mocking walk now. Lancelot's heart raced. This was it. He heard a dark chuckle from outside the room. Everyone bristled with anticipation. Their grips tightening on the hilts of the swords, poised to strike the moment the door opened.
"Did you lock the door?" Elyan hissed. There was a slight tremor in his voice. Whether it be from fear or suspense, it did not matter.
"Yeah," Percival answered quietly, every syllable working itself around the room, ensuring every sound was heard. The door handle jiggled. Lancelot saw Gwaine twitch with anticipation. Percival clenched his jaw tighter. Elyan dropped down lower and raised his sword. The rattling stopped and there was a quiet tapping sound that indicated Darian was walking away from the door. Lancelot let out a sigh of relief. Later he would curse himself for his stupidity. He should have known it wasn't going to be that easy.
"æbære hæste" Lancelot heard these words and before he could give any sort of warning, the door was blasted off its hinges. His shout was drowned out by the sound of the door being violently ripped from the wall. No one had the time for a proper warning. Lancelot watched as time itself seemed to slow down. Bits of rubble from the wall were blasted across the room. His three friends went flying back, the door hitting Percival square in the chest. Everyone's swords were torn from their hands. They crashed to the floor. Lancelot was sure he heard a sickening crack. There was no way Darian could be defeated now. Lancelot should have known the man would use magic. That should have been in the possibilities. But Lancelot couldn't focus on that right now. Right now, his eyes were glued to the scene in front of him. His friends lying on the floor, grunting in pain as the door and bits of stone crashed down around them. Darian stepped through the hole where the door had previously been lodged. He still looked regal, though there was something off about him. His hair seemed to be sweaty and greasy, instead of slicked back smoothly. His eyes were wide with lust and greed. There was a smile plastered on his face, though it showed too many teeth. Lancelot let out a small gasp. This wasn't the man he met not even a week ago. This wasn't even the man he and Elyan saw this morning. It appeared as though Darian had finally snapped. He was shedding the mask of innocence and bliss. Even if Darian did manage to get to Merlin, Lancelot wasn't sure Darian would be able to keep up the persona he had so carefully crafted.
"I'm so glad you boys locked the door. I was itching to do that spell," Darian sneered. Elyan was gasping with pain and Percival was attempting to stagger back to a standing position. Gwaine had been in a lot of situations where he had been violently thrown to the floor. This meant his head cleared fairly quickly. Within seconds Gwaine assessed that he was no longer armed and the enemy had made it into the room. Gwaine's hand hit the handle of his sword. He grunted in pain and grabbed the hilt. Darian was still laughing at his cleverness so Gwaine was able to stagger back onto his feet. Darian stopped laughing and looked at Gwaine.
"What do you think you're doing up?" Darian snarled. Gwaine shook his head in an effort to clear the remainder of fog from his head. Gwaine stared at Darian before taking action. He launched himself at Darian, a battle cry tearing from his lips. He was going to behead this bastard once and for all. It didn't matter that Darian had magic and was probably ten times more powerful than Gwaine. Pure rage could be a powerful weapon.
Darian apparently didn't think anything of Gwaine's attack. He didn't even move. Darian smiled and simply said, "bindan!" Of course, Gwaine couldn't hear the spell over his loud scream. But he could feel its affects. Gwaine felt his wrists snap together and his arms wrench over his head. His feet were picked up off the floor and Gwaine was thrown back a few paces. Gwaine struggled to comprehend what was happening. It was only when he realized he was suspended in midair that he became fully aware of the extent of his condition. Elyan was the first to react to seeing Gwaine suspended with his arms over his head. He staggered to a standing position. He was leaning heavily on his sword. Elyan knew he didn't look very threatening, but he couldn't let Darian get away with this. He had to take a stand.
"Let him go!" he said with all the strength he could muster. Darian sighed and rolled his eyes. He looked so bored with the whole situation.
"Bindan!" he drawled. Elyan felt his arms snap to his sides and his legs become unable to move. He cried out as he crashed to the ground. Well he would have cried out if he weren't gagged with invisible cloth. He looked at Percival to see him struggling with the invisible bonds as well. Elyan turned back to Gwaine. Now that the man was comprehending the position he was in, he was trying valiantly to get out of it. He was grunting with pain, struggling against the ropes. But instead of freeing himself, Gwaine just swung back and forth across the rafters.
"It's no use struggling. I've bound you using magic," Darian smiled. His teeth looked unnaturally sharp. Actually, everything about Darian looked unnatural. He wasn't human. He hadn't been for a long time.
"Go to hell," Gwaine gasped. Darian didn't acknowledge this. He walked over to the fireplace and leaned against it. The flames cast an orange glow on his face. The shadows cast by his cheekbones made him seem hollow and dead. Darian's eyes were fixated on the flickering flames, a sort of meditative trance. He looked rather pensive standing there. Darian sighed. The meditation was broken. Gwaine braced himself for what was coming next.
"Where is my lamb?" Darian asked. Gwaine looked at Percival and Elyan to see if they had any idea what Darian was talking about. They looked just as lost as Gwaine.
"I'm sorry, what?" Gwaine asked. He didn't remember Darian coming to Camelot with a lamb. Even if he did, why would the knights steal it?
"The boy. My life." Darian growled and spun on his heals to face Gwaine. Gwaine glared back at Darian. Merlin was not a lamb and he would not respond to this man's questions.
"Why would I tell you where my friend is?" Gwaine snarled. Darian stared at him for a second before laughing.
"If I remember correctly, you thought he was pathetic and weak. You wanted him to die!" Darian laughed. He walked around the room. Darian smiled and slipped onto his hands and knees, looking under the bed. Gwaine growled. This was just a game Darian was playing. He was trying to make Gwaine think that he hated Merlin. Gwaine wasn't going to allow this.
"That wasn't me. I didn't say those things. That was you and your damn spell!" Gwaine snapped. Darian straightened up and walked towards Gwaine. He smiled and began trailing his fingers down the knight's chest. Gwaine struggled to get away. He didn't like to think that this was how Merlin was treated for two days. It was uncomfortable and disgusting. Gwaine could only imagine how Merlin must have felt, trapped with this man as his only company. It must have been difficult for Merlin to find the strength to survive.
"I didn't force you to say anything. Those were your words, Sir Gwaine, not mine," Darian scoffed. He gripped Gwaine's chin and turned his head to the side. Gwaine once again tried to jerk his head away. Darian stared at Gwaine thoughtfully, ignoring the muffled protests coming from Percival and Elyan.
"Not really my type. Not innocent enough. Merlin, on the other hand. I'm glad I managed to catch such a treat," Darian chuckled. He began stroking Gwaine's cheek with his thumb.
"You might want to watch what comes out of your mouth," Gwaine growled, attempting to ignore every sickening touch Darian was bestowing upon him. Darian released Gwaine's chin and stepped back.
"If you haven't noticed, I've got you all tied up," Darian laughed. Darian walked over to the antechamber door and flung it open. He didn't look phased at the lack of Merlin. Instead, Darian appeared as though he rather expected not to see the boy in there. Darian sighed and stepped back in front of Gwaine. He studied Gwaine for a second before turning and squatting down to Percival and Elyan's level.
"Don't hurt them," Gwaine growled. Darian snorted. He reached up and ran his hand through Percival's hair. Percival tried to jerk away but to no avail. Gwaine felt a twisting feeling in his gut, he felt as though he were going to be sick. The way Darian was treating them wasn't right. Gwaine could handle being punched and stabbed and kicked. He couldn't handle this stroking and caressing.
"Sir Percival and Sir Elyan. It's so nice to see you again. Although, you can tell Arthur was desperate if he knighted a peasant, a drunk, and whatever the hell Elyan is," Darian smirked.
"They're better men than you," Gwaine snarled. Percival gave him a look of thanks. Darian sighed and rolled his eyes. Although he seemed calm, it was still unnerving Gwaine. Like the calm before the storm, there was no telling when Darian would break and kill them all with the wave of his hand. Never had Gwaine felt so helpless. Darian cleared his throat.
"Arthur is with his father, Leon is lying dead in an alley…" Gwaine gasped. Darian grinned at this. He had found something to torture the drunk with. Oh this was going to be fun.
"You're lying!" he cried. Darian stood up and faced the knight. His face was smiling but it was so empty and soulless that it made shivers run down Gwaine's spine.
"If only that were true. But I wrapped a belt around his throat…"
"Stop it." Gwaine didn't want to hear anymore. He tried to drown out the voice. But Darian was in the back of his mind and standing right in front of him. He was forcing Gwaine to hear his words. Forcing the knight to confront this twisting feeling in his gut.
"And I slammed his head into the side of a building…"
"Leon is not dead!" Gwaine shouted. He didn't want to believe it. Leon couldn't be dead.
"And I left him there in an alley, bleeding and dying," Darian snarled. He reached up a hand to brush some of the hair out of Gwaine's eyes.
"You're lying. He isn't dead," Gwaine whimpered. He felt broken and drained. Darian grinned. He had accomplished his task. Now to continue.
"Lancelot isn't here with us," Darian stated. Gwaine took a deep breath and regained his composure.
"What of it?"
"Does Lancelot have my lamb?" Darian asked sweetly. Gwaine could see the sugar was coating something poisonous. Rather than answer Darian's question, Gwaine decided to reassert himself.
"Merlin is not a lamb," Gwaine snapped. Darian chuckled. He was done playing games. If the knight didn't answer him, things were going to get dangerous.
"Where is the boy?" he asked, his voice dangerously low. Gwaine was not deterred. He didn't want to think about Leon dying by the hands of this man, but he was determined not to let Merlin suffer the same fate.
"Like I would ever tell scum like you," Gwaine snarled. Darian did not get angry like Gwaine expected. Instead, he straightened up and plastered another smile onto his face.
"You will," Darian chuckled. Gwaine was thrown off by this change for a second before regaining his composure. Two could play at this game. He wasn't afraid.
"Torture me all you want. I'm not telling you where Merlin is," Gwaine snapped.
"I'm not going to torture you," Darian snickered. Gwaine's eyes widened. If Darian wasn't going to hurt him, that only left two options.
"NO!" he shouted. Darian threw back his head and laughed. Percival struggled to place himself in front of Elyan. Gwaine continued to try and break his bonds. His legs were flailing dangerously, but nothing ever came close to hitting Darian. Gwaine continued to shout at Darian, in an attempt to draw the fire from his friends, but Darian had made up his mind. Darian tapped his chin thoughtfully and smiled wolfishly.
"Sar," Darian whispered darkly, turning towards Percival. Gwaine saw the man's eyes glow gold for just a second before returning to brown. Percival's eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to the floor. Gwaine could only watch as his friend began twitching. Darian laughed while Percival continued to roll on the floor. Gwaine and Elyan stared in horror. That was all Darian said. No explanation as to what was happening, no other demands. He just sat there and watched with a sick look of satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. Gwaine couldn't shout for help, he couldn't shout at Darian to stop, he couldn't shout insults. He could just watch while Percival was tortured with magic.
"Ablinnan," Darian hissed. Percival stopped twitching. His breathing was heavy and sweat poured from his brow.
"Did you use that on Merlin?" Gwaine asked quietly. Gwaine didn't want to know, but he had to. Darian took a deep breath and slicked his hair back.
"No. I've found that magic tends to make the blood sour," Darian responded. Gwaine rolled his eyes. Of course magic makes blood sour. How could he have been so stupid? Everybody knows that. Darian was staring gleefully at Percival. "Now, tell me where the boy is. I'll let you go free. Just let me finish what I've started," Darian pleaded. Gwaine bit his lip, his eyes met Percival's. They told Gwaine to not give into Darian's demands. Merlin was tortured for a lot longer, Percival could last until help arrived. Gwaine silently begged his friends for forgiveness. Of course if he did tell Darian where Merlin was, he wouldn't be forgiven anyways.
"No," Gwaine said weakly. Darian's smile fell. He roared with rage and grabbed the fire poker out from the burning logs. The storm was now unleashed. There was no stopping Darian. Gwaine eyes went wide as Darian began beating Elyan with the white-hot iron. Elyan cried out in pain and attempted to keep a brave face, but he was failing miserable. He continued to try and squirm away from the fire poker, but Darian was relentless. Each blow resounded in the room with a smack. Gwaine could smell Elyan's skin begin to burn. It was horrible watching. Percival clenched his jaw and made a split second decision. He swung his legs out from underneath him and managed to catch the back of Darian's knees. Darian cried out as his balance was lost and he came tumbling to the ground. His head hit the ground with a thud. Gwaine was pleased to see the man look legitimately dazed and confused by the attack.
"Way to go Percy!" Gwaine cried out. His joy didn't last long. Darian stood up and began kicking and punching any piece of flesh that was within reach of him. Gwaine got quite a few hits to the gut. He felt his ribs crack with each blow that landed on his chest. Percival had maneuvered and was now trying to block Elyan from the majority of the blows.
"Tell me where he is!" Darian cried out. A fist slammed into the side of Gwaine's face. Gwaine gasped with pain as blood began to fill his mouth and stream out his nose.
"Stop!" a voice shouted. The men all looked towards the door. Gwaine managed a crooked grin.
"About time, princess," he rasped.
oOoOoOo
Arthur and Leon were sprinting down the corridor faster than humanly possible. Arthur kept glancing back at Leon. It was clear the man was in considerable pain, but Arthur knew he could not persuade Leon to sit this fight out. Merlin was as much of his responsibility as he was the rest of the knights. Arthur ignored his father's shouts behind him and instead urged his limbs to go faster. His lungs were burning and his legs were pumping in a relentless cycle. Arthur willed his burning limbs on. If it weren't for adrenaline, he would have collapsed long ago. Everything was on fire, but Merlin was in danger. Arthur could ignore the pain until his brother was safe.
"Arthur stop!" Uther called out, trying to keep up with the two younger and healthier men. Leon gasped with pain and stumbled. Arthur wanted to yell at him to go see Gaius, but he didn't have the time. The bruises on Leon's neck were another reminder of how Arthur wasn't good enough. How he couldn't protect his people. Leon, despite being injured, was keeping up with Arthur fairly well. A sweat had broken out on his brow, blood was still leaking from the head wound, but Leon was still running. He was still straining his muscles to the maximum.
"Darian's probably at the room now," Leon panted, keeping his eyes focused forward. Arthur gritted his teeth and skidded around another corner.
"Let's just get there," Arthur said back. Leon nodded and continued running. Arthur couldn't think about what was going on in his chambers now. He could process the information later. Now he had to focus on making sure everyone was safe.
"Arthur!" a voice called from behind. Arthur and Leon stopped and turned to see Gaius hobbling towards them. He was just as out of breath as the two men were.
"Gaius!" Leon called. Gaius stopped and examined Leon. He looked as though he was about to tell the knight to stay out of the fight, but he decided better of it.
"Darian's in the room. They've hidden Merlin but it will only be a matter of time," Gaius panted. Leon was leaning heavily against a wall.
"Thank you, Gaius. We'll bring him back safe," Arthur vowed. He hoped it wasn't an empty promise. Gaius nodded and was about to start back to his chambers when Uther caught up with the group.
"Can someone please tell me what's going on here?" Uther demanded. The vein in his forehead was throbbing. Arthur wasn't entirely grateful that his father was coming with them. He would rather break the curse on Darian and then let Uther know that the man was using the castle as a hunting ground. Right now Uther was unpredictable since he was still under the enchantment. Gaius was apparently thinking along the same lines.
"Sire, perhaps it would be best if you waited in my chambers," Gaius pleaded. He placed his hand on Uther's forearm and attempted to lead him in the opposite direction. Uther ripped his arm out of Gaius'.
"I will not," Uther snapped, continuing towards Arthur's chambers. Arthur and Leon watched Uther stride purposefully down the halls. Leon grabbed Arthur's arm and pulled him after the king.
"We've wasted enough time as is. We have to hurry," Leon said, once again taking off down the hall. Arthur spared Gaius one last glance before chasing after his friend and father. He prayed his men were able to defeat Darian and that everyone would be safe.
"Tell me where he is!" Darian's voice rang out through the corridor. Leon and Arthur skidded to a stop. Arthur gasped. His door was blown off its hinges, Darian was hitting three of his knights, and Gwaine appeared to be suspended in midair. His room looked like a battle had taken place there. Blood appeared to be pouring from Gwaine's face and a discarded fire poker suggested that Arthur's men had been severely questioned. Arthur felt anger bubbling underneath the surface. The more he stared at the scene, the more he felt sick about the fact that he was friends with Darian at one point. Uther also gaped at the scene. Hopefully now the curse would be broken. There was obviously magic going on here. Uther's hatred for the stuff would be enough for him to suspend any belief and listen to whatever Arthur had to say. A new problem presented itself. Darian had three of Arthur's knights. He could easily manufacture hostages if need be. Arthur stepped forward, he had to convince Darian to go quietly so as not to hurt any innocent bystanders. He cleared his throat and stood up straight. He hoped he presented the very essence of regal power.
"Stop!" he commanded. Everyone turned towards him. Darian's grin got even larger. He looked like a crazed animal. Arthur wouldn't be surprised if the man were foaming from the mouth.
"About time, princess," Gwaine grinned. This helped lighten Arthur's feeling of guilt. If Gwaine could still joke, then perhaps Arthur wasn't a complete failure. It also appeared that Darian was unable to figure out where Merlin was. That was one victory Arthur could enjoy. His friend was safe, so far.
"Uther, my old friend," Darian said stepping forward. He spread his arms wide as if to go in for a hug. Leon drew his sword.
"Don't talk to the king like you're not the scum of the earth," Leon growled. Darian sighed and turned towards the knight. He shook his head in a reproachful manner. He snapped his head up to stare Leon in the eyes. Arthur was surprised at the ferocity they held.
"I thought I killed you. Looks like I'll just have to try harder," Darian snarled.
"Darian, why did you attack Leon?" Uther asked. Arthur knew it would be difficult for Uther to accept the fact that Darian was evil. The man was an old friend and loved by all. Arthur felt sorry for his father. Finding out that your daughter was evil and one of your best friends was also evil couldn't be easy. Uther was probably trying to deny what he was seeing. Everyone else had. Darian wasn't attacking anyone so Arthur felt that he could let his father work through the emotions that would be swirling about in his head. Gwaine had other ideas.
"Because he is evil!" Gwaine cried. Arthur rolled his eyes. Couldn't Gwaine just let Uther do this on his own? There was still blood coming from the man's nose. Arthur looked down to see that Percival and Elyan were in a similar state.
"You have no right talking to this man in such a manner," Uther gasped. Everyone stared at the king. Arthur couldn't believe what he had just heard. This wasn't the Uther Arthur knew. He decided to try and make his father see sense.
"Father, he's using magic. Darian is actively harming three of Camelot's knights. He almost killed Leon!" Arthur cried. Uther turned to glare at his son. Arthur faltered under that gaze. It was one that he hadn't seen in a while.
"How dare you, Arthur. This man has brought nothing but peace to this land. And here you stand accusing him of sorcery!" Uther snapped. Arthur couldn't help but shrink under his father's words. They were so filled with hate. This went beyond normal disappointment. This was almost as if the mere sight of his son was enough to cause Uther to be sick. Arthur didn't know what was happening. Usually the mention of magic was enough to get Uther's attention. But Darian was clearly performing it right now, yet Uther hadn't even batted an eye. How could he break the spell if Uther didn't care about the magic? Uther apparently decided that he would hear no other complaints from his son.
"What do you want to know?" Uther asked, smiling at Darian. Darian chuckled and stood by Gwaine. He began running his fingers through the man's hair. Gwaine jerked back, but Darian's hands held him in place.
"Did I tell you, Prince Arthur, the weaker your mind, the harder it is to fight?" Darian chuckled. He turned towards Uther. "I want to know where Arthur's manservant is," Darian said. Uther nodded and glared at Gwaine. Gwaine glared back. Darian stopped petting the knight and stepped away from him. Arthur was rooted to the spot. He didn't know how to stop any of this from happening. He wondered if he could knock his father out. But that still wouldn't take Darian out of the picture.
"Tell Sir Darian where the boy is," Uther demanded.
"I won't," Gwaine rasped. Uther frowned. Arthur was surprised at how dignified Gwaine looked right now. Even with blood pouring from his nose and bruises decorating every inch of visible skin, Gwaine looked more like a knight now than he ever did with chainmail on. Arthur couldn't help but swell with pride as he realized how much Gwaine had grown in the short time he had been in Camelot. The loner was now protecting someone he cared about. He was no longer a rogue, and he no longer was alone. Sir Gwaine was nobler than half of the people who dared to call themselves noble. Uther didn't have the same reaction to Gwaine's defiance.
"If you do not tell Sir Darian where the boy is, then I will kill you right here," Uther growled. Leon put his hand on Uther's shoulder and pulled him around.
"And I will stop you. My lord, you are a wise king, open your eyes. Fight this curse!" Leon pleaded, putting himself between Uther and Gwaine. Arthur could tell the man was in pain. Every breath was a struggle and he was hunched over in considerable pain. Arthur pulled out his sword and prepared to defend his friend.
"Step aside, Sir Leon," Uther commanded. Leon did not move. His breathing was heavy and he looked like he could keel over at any minute, but Sir Leon was not moving. Arthur's eyes flickered over to Darian. The man appeared to be thinking something through. Arthur decided to watch Darian so that Leon wouldn't have to. Leon could then focus completely on Uther.
"You always annoyed me, Leon," Darian snarled. Leon turned to face the man. But before he could do anything, Darian's eyes flashed gold and Leon was thrown through the antechamber door. The sword was flung out of Leon's hands and skittered across the floor.
"Leon!" Arthur and Gwaine cried in unison. Uther sighed. Arthur had had enough. It was time to make his father see sense. Even if he had to smack it into him.
"Father! How are you not seeing the magic? Darian is evil, we have to kill him!" Arthur cried. Uther shook his head.
"Sir Darian, restrain my son until he sees sense," Uther commanded.
"With pleasure. Bindan!" Darian cried. Arthur felt himself lift off the floor and slammed against the wall. His vision went spotty and his ears began to ring. He struggled against the invisible bonds, but it was no use. They cut painfully into his torso, squeezing him to ensure that there was no movement. Uther turned back towards Gwaine. Darian grinned and winked at Gwaine. Gwaine glared in response but knew that he could do nothing.
"I must teach these men a lesson," Uther said blankly. He pulled out a sword and walked towards Gwaine. Arthur struggled even harder.
"Father, please," he begged. Uther ignored him and walked towards Gwaine as if he were in a trance.
"Let's start with the drunk," Uther snarled.
oOoOoOo
Lancelot hugged Merlin tighter to his chest as he was forced to listen to the screams of his friends. It didn't seem fair that they were all getting tortured mercilessly while Lancelot sat here safe. Then again, it wasn't fair that Merlin got the brunt of the torture for two days while all his friends forgot about him. Lancelot looked down at Merlin.
"Merlin, we need your help," Lancelot begged. Merlin had been getting more and more restless as the minutes wore on. Lancelot wondered if his friend was going to wake soon. If Merlin was awake, then he might be able to cast a spell that would render Darian harmless, or at least knock the man out. Lancelot shook these thoughts out of his head. He couldn't ask Merlin to do something after all he's been through. It wouldn't be fair for his friend to fight in such a condition. This was something the knights were going to have to do on their own. Lancelot heard Arthur shout for Darian to stop. Hopefully the prince would be able to kill the man and free the knights. That didn't appear to be happening. Lancelot listened in horror as Leon was thrown through the antechamber door. He hugged Merlin tighter as Uther commanded Darian to bind Arthur. There was no one that could stop Uther from killing Gwaine. Lancelot wondered if everyone was going to die, or just Gwaine. It was too painful to think about. Still, Darian didn't know where Merlin was. There was still a chance that he wouldn't be able to kill the boy. Though that would be a shallow victory if everyone else was dead.
"Lancelot?" a raspy voice called out. Lancelot gasped and looked down. Merlin's eyes were open and they were looking at him.
"Lancelot, it hurts," Merlin whimpered. There were unshed tears in his eyes. Lancelot stared for a second before realizing that instead of a confused haze, Merlin seemed fairly aware of the situation. He probably knew how the enchantment worked.
"Merlin! How is Darian casting the spell?" Lancelot asked quietly. He didn't want to waste too much time asking if Merlin was okay. Darian needed to be revealed immediately if Gwaine were to survive. Though Lancelot couldn't stop his hand from brushing through Merlin's hair. Merlin leaned into the touch, his eyes slipping closed. Lancelot was about to call Merlin back when he heard Merlin's reply.
"Necklace," Merlin answered quietly. His breathing evened out and Lancelot knew that there was nothing else he could ask of his friend. Merlin was asleep now. He had done his part in fighting Darian. Now all that was left was for Lancelot to find this necklace and destroy it. He peaked out and found Darian amidst the destruction. There, on his neck, lay a gaudy gold chain with a silver pendant. That must have been the necklace Merlin was talking about! Lancelot maneuvered himself out from underneath Merlin. He had to get to it. He probably needed to smash it. The chain didn't look very thick. One good tug and it should come off Darian's neck. Lancelot slowly opened the cupboard. Arthur's eyes widened as he realized Lancelot was beginning to open the cupboard more. Arthur looked around frantically. Before coming up with an idea. He had to keep everyone's backs to Lancelot. He didn't know what the man was planning, but it would hopefully help break the curse or kill Darian. Arthur really didn't care at this point. He came up with an idea. It wouldn't last long though. So whatever Lancelot wanted to do, he had to do it quickly.
"Father, I completely agree that Gwaine should die," Arthur stated. Darian and Uther turned towards the prince. Lancelot took this chance to slip out of the wardrobe and onto the floor he only had one shot if this was going to work.
"That's my boy," Uther said fondly. Lancelot crept behind Darian and prepared to snatch the chain off his neck. Arthur furrowed his brow. What the hell was that man trying to do? He hadn't even picked up a sword. Surely the element of surprise would help Lancelot kill Darian easier.
"Why the sudden change of heart?" Darian asked. Arthur struggled to come up with a response. Luckily, he didn't have to.
"Don't question it. Just be happy Arthur is finally seeing the light," Uther chuckled. He patted Darian's shoulder and turned back towards Arthur. Lancelot's heart pounded. It was now or never. If he waited much longer Darian would bind him just like the others. Uther and Darian were going to turn around any moment and see him. This last thought spurred Lancelot into action. He lunged forwards and grabbed the necklace. Darian cried out in surprise as Lancelot's foot connected with his stomach, helping to push the man farther from him. Uther whipped around to see the necklace break free from Darian's neck.
"NO!" Darian cried as Lancelot flew back. Lancelot looked down and realized the gem in the center was probably what was holding all of Darian's power. He threw the necklace to the ground and slammed his heal down on the pendant. He felt the gem crush under the weight of his foot. Darian cried out and Lancelot felt his feet leave the floor. His back hit the bedposts and his head slam against the wooden backboard. Lancelot's vision blacked out quickly. He only hoped he was able to break the curse on Camelot once and for all.
oOoOoOo
Everyone stared at the smashed pendant that lay on the ground. Arthur wanted to get to Lancelot and Leon to see if they were okay, but he was still pinned against the wall by invisible rope. Arthur's heart beat as he realized that Merlin was now alone. There was no one with him. But hopefully that wouldn't matter. Hopefully, Uther would kill Darian on sight and this whole nightmare would be over. Darian was breathing heavily, his eyes were budging. There was nothing keeping his persona intact. Everything was destroyed. Darian wouldn't be able to ever rebuild the empire he had crafted. Now everyone would begin to realize just what kind of man Darian was.
"Darian, you're a sorcerer," Uther breathed. He turned to face Darian, lowering his sword from its spot on Gwaine's neck.
"Told you so," Gwaine muttered, breathing a sigh of relief. He didn't like sharp pointy things being pressed against vital spots on his body. It was a general rule Gwaine tried to follow. He craned his head to look at Lancelot. The man was sprawled on his back, pieces of wood lay shattered around his body. But there was a definite rise and fall of his chest. Gwaine looked at Arthur and nodded. Lancelot was still alive it appeared. Both men turn to stare at the enemy. Darian's head bowed. For a second, Arthur thought the man had given up. His spell was broken. He had no more friends left. He should be surrendering. But instead, he started laughing. It started with a low grumble and built up to a loud, booming laugh that could be heard across the castle.
"I can't believe that after three hundred years, you are the first people to get close to beating me," Darian laughed. "All because of a servant boy." Darian wiped a tear from his eyes. Uther roared with rage and plunged the sword into Darian's breast. Darian didn't even seem fazed. Uther's eyes widened and he let go of the hilt of his sword. Everyone gasped. The weapon had gone completely through Darian's torso, yet there was no indication that this man was dying.
"Do you see what you're up against now?" Darian asked, gesturing to the sword. Uther stumbled back.
"What are you?" he asked. Darian laughed.
"I used to be human. But now I am so much more. Now I am a god!" Darian cried. Arthur thought this was taking it a bit far. He was sure Darian could be killed, he just had to find a weak point.
"You've gone mad!" Gwaine exclaimed. Darian turned towards the knight and smiled. He lunged forward and wrapped his hands around Gwaine's neck.
"NO! STOP!" Arthur screamed. Darian didn't listen to him. He squeezed tighter and tighter on Gwaine's throat until the knight stopped kicking and just hung there.
"Aliesan" Darian hissed. Gwaine fell to the ground in an undignified heap.
"Gwaine!" Arthur called out. His friend didn't stir. Darian turned towards Percival and Elyan. Percival straightened up and glared at the monster.
"Fleogan!" he cried. Percival and Elyan were lifted off the ground and thrown into Uther. The three men were then tossed out of the room and across the hallway. Arthur heard them hit the wall and sink down the floor. Darian turned to Arthur.
"I wonder if you'll be able to defeat me," Darian wondered, removing Uther's sword from his chest. Arthur's eyes went wide. He was now all alone. Darian was stronger than him, and he appeared to be invincible. Arthur didn't think the chances of defeating Darian were very good.
"Aliesan," Darian said. Arthur felt the invisible ropes release and he fell to the ground. Darian threw the sword at Arthur's feet and drew his own.
"Let's see if the future king of Camelot can really protect his people," Arthur stood up and gripped the sword tightly. He refused to run away from this fight. His men lay injured because he let this wolf into his kingdom. Arthur may die here, but he would die protecting his people. Darian seemed to read Arthur's thoughts and smirked.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you. But you'll watch as I kill my lamb," Darian sneered. This was enough to get Arthur going. He threw himself at Darian with a downward stroke. Darian met the attack easily. Arthur continued to swing at Darian, trying to get a hit off, but to no avail. It occurred to him that Darian was just playing with him. The man had yet to attack and was instead just blocking every stroke Arthur delivered with definite ease. Arthur cried out in frustration as he and Darian made their way out of the room and into the hallway. Arthur's sword swung at Darian's head. Darian laughed playfully and ducked. Arthur's sword crashed into a decorative vase that was placed on the pillar. He pulled his sword back in front of him and continued to swing at Darian. Windows were smashed, curtains and tapestries were torn. The hallway was being destroyed. Arthur was thankful that no other people were around. He swung violently at Darian. Darian met his blow with a graceful block.
"You will never harm another innocent person ever again," Arthur snarled as he went to swipe Darian's stomach. Darian didn't block this one, mostly because he was taken by surprise with Arthur's comment. But even still, Arthur only managed to catch Darian's belt. The leather fell from his waist with a clatter.
"I liked that belt," Darian roared, lunging forward to meet Arthur's oncoming blow.
"Do you really think you can defeat me, boy? I have hundreds of years and hundreds of lives to give me strength," Darian cried.
"Then it's time for you to leave this world," Arthur countered. Darian started going on the offensive now. It appeared that he was done playing with Arthur. Now, it was time to show the boy who was the strongest in the land. The two continued to attack and block, Darian slowly leading Arthur towards the throne room. Fitting, Darian thought. The prince of Camelot would lose to the new king. The throne room would be where Darian became ruler. He had stayed in the shadows for far to long. He could cast another spell and make everyone forget, but being the supreme ruler of the world was far too tempting. Darian was a god. It was time for the people to treat him as such. He wasn't sure why he ever stopped at being a knight. With so much that he could command, his supply of lambs would never run out. Darian grinned and elbowed Arthur's face. Arthur cried out and fell through the doors. He didn't have enough time to recover as Darian quickly disarmed him. Darian's sword was pressed to Arthur's chest, a trickle of blood making its way down Arthur's torso. Arthur remembered that Merlin had kicked out the man's knee and decided that Darian could still be injured. Arthur punched Darian in the face and delivered a powerful kick to the knee. Darian cried out and fell to the ground Arthur scrambled away.
"Merlin did that to me," Darian growled.
"So I've heard," Arthur glowered.
"I think you've overstayed your welcome in my kingdom," Darian snarled, lunging forward. Arthur knew this was it. He didn't have any weapons. He had no back up. He was alone while Darian had all the power. The world moved in slow motion as Darian launched himself at Arthur, sword poised to spear Arthur through the chest.
"I'm sorry, Merlin," Arthur whispered.
oOoOoOo
"Merlin," A very familiar voice called out.
"Go away you stupid dragon. I'm trying to sleep," Merlin muttered. He couldn't figure out why everything hurt so badly. Arthur must have gone hard on him during training yesterday, and then Gwaine must have drug him down to the tavern to celebrate something. That was the only reason Merlin could think of as to why he felt like he had been continually beaten for two days.
"Young Warlock, the prince is in danger. You have to save him," The dragon whispered. Merlin groaned. If the prat was really in danger, then Merlin decided that he should probably go and save him. It was his job on top of servant, cook, physician, horse, training dummy, and whatever else he had the time to be. Merlin opened his eyes. He was in a closet. That was not something he expected. He must have gotten really drunk last night. He opened the door and gasped. He was in Arthur's room. Though it didn't look like Arthur's room. The place had positively been destroyed. Merlin rolled out of the cupboard and stood up. He cried out in pain when weight was put on his ankle. It felt as if the thing had been broken. Merlin struggled to recover his memories from the previous evening. He looked towards the antechamber.
"Leon!" Merlin cried out, seeing a familiar figure covered in what used to be the door to the antechamber. Merlin gasped as his ribs began to throb painfully. He fell down and crawled towards Leon. He shook the knight before deciding Leon wasn't going to wake anytime soon. Merlin turned and saw Gwaine sprawled out on the floor. His eyes then settled on another figure on the bed. He managed to drag himself over to the bed. Merlin's mind was struggling to try and comprehend what he was seeing. He couldn't figure out what had happened. But he knew that he had to find Arthur and make sure the prince was safe.
"Lancelot," Merlin whimpered. He shook Lancelot before realizing that his friend wasn't going to wake. Merlin had a brief flash of something, of someone. He closed his eyes and focused on the vision. Hopefully he could figure out what had happened. It was then that Merlin remembered everything. Darian, the days of torture, everything. He didn't realize that Arthur had actually come and got him.
"Arthur!" Merlin gasped. Darian must have found out and came searching. That meant Arthur was in danger. Merlin tried to stand but found that his ankle could not support him. His vision was fuzzy and he felt light-headed. Merlin crashed to the ground. One of his arms appeared to be bound to his torso. Merlin grunted and tried to move forward. Merlin desperately wanted to help his friends, but they all appeared to be alive. Arthur was who was missing. Arthur was the one in trouble.
Merlin decided that he could deal with his friends later. They were all unconscious and he couldn't do anything for them besides stop Darian. But Merlin wasn't sure if he had the strength to stop Darian. He hated feeling so useless, but perhaps he could convince Darian to leave Camelot alone. It was worth a try.
He continued to crawl forward. Letting out small cries of distress when he realized Percival and Elyan were also unconscious. He dragged himself forward, following a trail of destruction that lay in the path of Arthur and Darian's fight. Merlin stopped when he recognized a familiar belt lying on the ground. It was Darian's. Merlin was about to continue moving when something caught his eye. Merlin bent down and withdrew a knife from a holster on the belt. It was the knife Darian had continually used to torture Merlin with. His blood was still gleaming on it. At least Merlin wasn't entirely defenseless now. Maybe he could stop Darian after all. Well he would feel more confident if he weren't dragging himself down the hallway and towards the throne room. Merlin gripped it and continued to move forward. Every part of his body screamed with pain, but Merlin ignored that. Getting to Arthur was more important.
Merlin stopped in front of the throne room. Darian was still standing and Arthur was on the floor.
"I think you've overstayed your welcome in my kingdom," Darian cried out. Merlin hardly recognized him. He was no longer calm and collected. Instead he was wild and crazy. Merlin saw that Darian had started to lunge forward and was fully intent on killing Arthur. Merlin's eyes glowed gold and time slowed down. Even still it wasn't enough for him to get to Arthur on time. But Arthur wasn't armed. Merlin looked down and studied the knife. It would have to do.
"ARTHUR!" Merlin cried out. Arthur turned to Merlin. His eyes went wide as he realized that Merlin was in the throne room. Merlin grunted and threw Arthur the knife. It skidded across the floor and managed to stop right by the prince. Merlin was glad that Arthur didn't spend to long trying to figure out what to do with the weapon. His reaction was actually immediate. Arthur picked it up and flung it out in front of him. Darian had gained too much momentum to stop and before he knew it, the knife was buried hilt deep in his chest. Darian staggered back.
"His blood," Darian gasped. Arthur could tell that Darian wasn't going to die quietly, and it looked as though Merlin had used all his strength getting here. Darian let out a scream and Arthur scrambled to his feet and launched himself towards Merlin. He didn't have time to question why the knife had killed Darian and not Uther's sword. All that mattered was that the ceiling was coming down as Darian screamed in pain. Arthur threw himself at Merlin and covered the boy's body with his own. Arthur turned to see Darian catch fire and shriek with agony as his body slowly contorted. The flames burst from his body, scorching the surrounding area. Arthur gripped Merlin and tried to drag him out of the throne room. Arthur made it to the door, dodging the large chunks of ceiling that continued to fall down. With one last cry of pain, Darian exploded. Dust showered Arthur and Merlin and Arthur could feel the heat that escaped from the man's body. Arthur looked around and realized Darian was gone. In his place there was a black scorch mark that covered half of the room. Arthur slumped back against the wall.
"We did it," Arthur gasped. He turned to Merlin but his smile fell when he realized his friend was asleep. Arthur hugged the boy and whispered, "I'm proud of you." He heard footsteps and several guards entered the room. Arthur looked up. It was about time.
"Sire, are you alright?" one asked. Arthur straightened up, still clutching Merlin, and prepared to give them orders. Darian was gone, hopefully the past could be put behind them.
Yay! Darian is dead! How many of you were just itching for that to happen. There's going to be one or two more chapters to tie up loose ends and then we'll be done with this story. See you on Sunday probably.