Chapter Eleven
Arthur thought that Gaius and Gwen would be back soon. But they were detained; Gwen got caught up in the panic that ensued when everyone realized a battle was approaching. She was dragged along with the current, setting up the Great Hall to be a hospital again, blocking off parts of the city, distributing weapons to the guards. Though she wondered why Arthur hadn't shown up yet, it never occurred to her that Merlin would be all alone. Gaius, meanwhile, was called to take care of a man who'd had a bit of a mishap (but Gaius was fairly certain his rib would be fine soon and he could go back to fixing his roof). Once he finished there, the talk of the oncoming fight reached his ears, and he had to join in the preparations, making his way towards the castle to be at Uther's side. He thought of Merlin, of course, but nothing could be done at the moment. Lives depended on the speed with which they prepared for what could be all-out war.
\-_-BREAK-_-/
Dim!
Mynd i gysgu!
His mind swirled. He was asleep, but still thinking. He felt as though Morgana was physically there, pushing his head under water, keeping him from surfacing. He was back into that lake in his mind, the one with the shimmering half-awareness and the deeper, darker sleep.
It was as though he was blind and paralyzed, only able to hear what was going on, but not react. He heard Morgana convince Arthur to come with her, and the thought sent waves of panic through him, nearly bringing him back to consciousness. But just as he thought that he would wake, her spell came back, stronger than ever, pushing him under the water.
It was as though he was drowning.
The darkness began to swirl into a vortex, various shades of browns and grays all blending to form one giant black hole. Actually, he thought dizzily, sleep sounded really good right now… Really good. He should probably just… drift off through this black sea…
Dim!
No! No, he had to wake up! Who knew what Morgana was planning to do with Arthur this time? He had to fight the spell.
But then he felt her words leaking back into his brain. Such pretty words, beautiful. She was beautiful too; beautiful and dangerous.
Mynd i gysgu…
They were like a soft touch, a gentle whisper as though someone stroked his hair back, urging him to go back to sleep. He felt his body begin to relax.
And then he remembered Arthur.
Dim! Like a slap to the face. He tried to push against her magic, to fight her. He pushed every particle of determination in his body into that one word.
But he was so weak, partly thanks to her. He should sleep. She won't hurt me if I do what she wants me to. It's so much more peaceful…
But she would hurt Arthur. She'd hurt all of Camelot… Who knew what she was planning this time? He had to stop her.
He wanted to sink like a stone into calm dreams, to float away, to sleep.
He needed to get up. Dim! Effro!
He needed to save Arthur. Effro!
He needed to help, to fulfill that stupid, stupid destiny that just refused to leave him in peace.
Dim! Effro!
EFFRO!
Her spell still tickled at him, holding him back, but barely. He was winning. His slap to the face could overcome her wicked, seductive caress.
Mynd i gysgu…The spell tried one last time, a final murmur in the dark, one more sensation of delicate, wispy fingers running through his raven hair, sliding lazily down his face…
Then it left him to float back to the surface of the water alone. An odd feeling came with the spell's absence. It was such a relief to have it go, to have nothing stopping him from waking, but at the same time, he missed it. He yearned for that soft whisper, that drowsy feeling of having nothing at all that he needed to do; he longed for it until his insides ached with its loss.
But it was better with it gone.
He had responsibilities that he couldn't shirk.
And with that thought, his golden eyes snapped open, alive with magic, bringing him to the surface and back onto the bed in the middle of the physician's chambers.
