Bradley stares at Kilgarrah from across the small coffee table and the former dragon stares back calmly.
"What do I have to do?"
"You have to remember, but to do that, will mean battling your inner self and allowing magic into your body." Arthur glares at Kilgarrah who simply watches him.
"Is it the only way to wake Merlin up?" Kilgarrah nods and Arthur hesitates before resigning control back to Bradley. "I'll do it."
"Good, then close yours eyes and picture Merlin as he was before. Not of this time, but back when Camelot was still in it's youth and you were of royal birth." Bradley closes his eyes but only spurts of images containing bright sunshine and Merlin's smiling face splash through his mind.
"This is stupid." Bradley lashes out at his inability to focus.
"Do not give up so easily!" Kilgarrah gruffly shouts at him. "Does Merlin's being mean so little to you that you cannot even focus on his past self to bring his present back?"
"No! That's not what I meant! I... I..." Kilgarrah settles back in his seat.
"Think well on the one you knew." Arthur takes a breath and nods, closing his eyes one more time.
Merlin, Arthur, Leon, Gwaine, Percival, Eylan and Lancelot stay around a fire, keeping vigilant of the outside darkness. Gwaine throws a singular piece of wood into the fire and everyone looks to him as he speaks. His voice carries well enough in abandoned ruins they rest in.
"The last one. Maybe we should draw lots, see who gets some more."
"I'll go." Arthur says decisively as he steps away from his position next to the fire.
"You'll need help." Lancelot states and stands while Merlin quickly does the same.
"I'll go with him," everyone pauses to look at him. They all stand at various degrees of ready to go instead as Arthur responds.
"You sure you're the right person?" Lancelot sheathes his sword as Merlin retorts.
"And since when have you known how to collect firewood?" the others laugh as he glances to them and Arthur smirks a little. Arthur shakes his head before leading the way off into the darkness.
"Carefully now," Kilgarrah's voice injects itself into Arthur's subconscious. "Don't hurt yourself by trying to rush. Just take it slowly."
Arthur stands holding the torch and watching Merlin's back as he's stooped over to grab the wood. The wind is howling eerily as they stand quietly. Suddenly, a ghost like figure comes screaming directly at Merlin and Arthur jumps to his aid.
"Merlin! Look out!" They tumble down to a lower path and the creature disappears. "Let's go!" The two of them waist little to no time in getting up and moving into an corridor just to their left. They run down it and into a room of which they close the door heavily together.
"Now, now. What did I just say a moment ago?"
"Just, shut up." Arthur retorts at Kilgarrah who huffs in contemptment.
Arthur and Merlin are now sitting at the corner of a pillar with no way out behind them and no foreseeable exit to either sides either. Merlin is fixing a section of Arthur's armor that had come lose during the fall. Both are out of breath and looking past the corner at every chance as the creatures screams continue. Arthur shivers visibly and Merlin looks at him in concern.
"What?"
"It's cold." Arthur states.
"Right" Merlin nods.
"You're not feeling it?" Arthur asks indignantly.
"I.." Merlin trails off and shakes his head no.
"You know, Merlin, you're braver than we give you credit for." Arthur states as he positions himself to better look past the corner. Merlin pokes his head a bit further out and stares at him.
"Really? Was that a compliment?"
"Don't be stupid." Arthur moves back behind the corner and Merlin chuckles. The shrieking seems to be getting louder and closer. Making both men pear past the corner once more. Arthur's shivering seems to get worse and Merlin looks at him solemnly. The shrieking seems to fade again and Arthur speaks. "All the things I've faced, I've never worried about dying." he stares Merlin in the eye.
"I don't think you should now."
"Sometime you puzzle me."
"You never fathomed me out?"
"No."
"I always thought that if things had been different, we'd have become good friends." both nod.
"Yeah."
"That's if you hadn't been such an arrogant, pompous dollop-head." Arthur chuckles as he shivers. and Merlin looks upwards, shaking his head. Arthur does the same before they look at each other again. "We will defeat the Dorocha. We will, Arthur. Together." Arthur nods but can't seen to keep eye contact for long.
"Well, I appreciate that." he hesitates before saying more. "You know, you're a brave man, Merlin... Between battles." They both chuckle.
"You don't know how many times I've saved your life." Merlin says with a smile.
"If I ever become king, I'm going to have you made court jester." they laugh some more before the screams become loud once more. Both men look past the corner. Arthur's breathing is much heavier now as he stutters to speak. "They say the darkest hour is just before the dawn."
"It's pretty dark right now."
"It can't be long then." the screeching penetrates the door as the creature seeps quickly through it. Arthur raises to charge it only for Merlin to pull him by the shoulder back down and charge instead.
"Merlin! No!" Arthur shouts out as the mist like creature throws itself through Merlin's body. The creature levitates Merlin through the air and past Arthur, making him slam hard into the back wall just as the door bursts open. Lancelot comes through first with his torch and dissipates the creature as Arthur tries to stand. Lancelot then hands the torch off to Percival before addressing Arthur.
"What happened?" Arthur doesn't respond as he rushes to the back of the room where Merlin lays with his face towards the wall. Lancelot quickly follows. When they pick up Merlin's head his face is covered in ice and his eyes are still open.
"...Merlin..." Arthur is gritting his teeth as his nails bite into Kilgarrah's coach.
