Chapter 14

Trapped in the cell it was impossible for Arthur to tell when morning finally arrived. He had spent the remaining hours of what he assumed was night time frantically trying to come up with a plan of escape. But he had failed. The door was solid, he could hear the guards outside and most difficult of all was the fact that Merlin was asleep again…or unconscious. Arthur did not like to contemplate that reality.

As he heard the steps of the men approaching the door Arthur knew that his time had run out. They were coming to get him and Merlin and he still had no plan. Frustration finally overcame him and in his anger he kicked the door really hard and yelled.

"There's no way even you can kick that thing down Arthur, even with your extra "muscles." " A voice came from the floor of the room.

"Are you still calling me fat Merlin? Because I will have you know that…" Arthur paused mid rant. Merlin! Merlin had spoken; which meant he was awake. Realisation of this fact hit Arthur at last. He turned round and quickly knelt beside the young man.

Despite being asleep for much of the night Merlin still looked like he had not slept or eaten for a month. Dark circles were etched into the sunken spaces under his eyes and his skin was almost bleached of all colour. But he was trying to sit up and even had a small grin on his face. The smile did not reach his eyes but Arthur was grateful for any sign of life that he could get. The King held out his hand and helped Merlin get to his feet. The warlock wobbled and seemed to find it difficult to remain upright but Arthur put his hand on his shoulder and this seemed to give the young man the extra strength he need. Merlin stood up straight, ran his fingers through his dark hair and breathed once; deeply. As if preparing himself for a difficult task.

They both turned and faced the door as it opened, determined not to show weakness to the ruffians who had been sent to get them. Six men entered and two grabbed hold of Merlin and the other four surrounded Arthur. It was obvious who they felt was the dangerous one and, despite the circumstances, Merlin could not help but have a little inward smile. This proved beyond doubt that Caldwell still had not realised that Merlin had magic.

Merlin could feel his power deep inside him, still depleted from the blackness of the nightmare world but slowly growing stronger. He could feel it trying to heal him and he tried to divert it away from that task. To get it to concentrate on preserving its own energy; not replenishing his. He needed to know he could call on it to stop what was going to happen and to help free Gaius. Merlin knew it was a long shot and that it might mean betraying his secret to Arthur but he was past the point of caring. It would be worth it if he could get them out of this situation. His magic was their last chance and as he felt it revive a small fluttering of hope was born in his chest. As they were marched out of the cell Merlin held onto this knowledge, a small spark of light in the bleak world.

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Ten minutes later that tiny, fleeting sense of hope was struggling to survive. They were back in the Great Hall. Caldwell and six of his men were standing in front of them, smiling and jeering. Both Merlin and Arthur were now tied into wooden chairs, their arms chained to the arms of the crude furniture; clothing pulled up so that their wrists and forearms were exposed. It did not look promising. But Merlin knew he needed to wait; if he used magic now then all would be revealed and it was too soon. He needed to be beside Gaius, had to see him on order to save him. So he waited. The only bright side to this was that it did give his magic a little more time to recover.

But the downsides were many. Arthur had resisted being tied to the chair and now had a cut and bruised face from the punches to the head he had received from his guards. One had even hit Arthur on the head with a wooden stick. Merlin had seen which guard was; Arnell the drunken brutish husband of Deryn. Another reason to dislike him intensely. The blows had knocked the King out so in the end he had been easy to bind to the chair. Merlin had not struggled, wanting to appear broken and weak. Caldwell had sneered at him as he was tied, calling him a coward and a disgrace but Merlin did not mind. Much could be achieved by being underestimated; as Merlin had proved many times over the past few years.

But all thoughts of how he would try and free them were pushed from his mind as Caldwell approached, dragging a young man with him. The youth was tall, dark haired and well featured. There was something about him that seemed to remind Merlin of someone but there was no time to follow this line of thought as the young man was pushed in front of everyone. He stood there, plainly terrified but trying to be brave.

Caldwell stepped forward and began to speak.

"This" he sneered "is my son. A kind, sensitive young man, despite his upbringing. He is a great disappointment to me; too much like his slave of a mother. But it does not matter as it means I will not have to share any of the power with him; he does not have what it takes to rule and to instil fear into the unworthy."

Merlin looked at the boy, more closely this time and he saw the youths head rise in pride at this description. At once the warlock liked the boy very much. To have the character to resist the temptations of darkness and the strength to fight against his (no doubt awful) upbringing proved he had a good heart. And there was still something about him that Merlin just could not place.

A groan from Arthur drew Merlin's attention away from the youth. The King was trying to sit up a little straighter and seemed to be beginning to grasp what was going on but he was clearly still far from fully cognisant of his surroundings. Arthur looked around with dull eyes and seemed as if he was staring directly at Merlin and then the boy. A sudden rush of understanding crossed his face and the King began to struggle, to try and break free of his bonds. But this action seemed beyond his body's strength and a look of pain crossed his face, his eyes closed and he was deeply unconscious once more. Despite his friend's obvious injury Merlin was actually almost happy that the King was not totally aware of the situation; it would make it easier for him to use his magic when the time came.

"Now boy, it is time for you to do what you were put on this miserable Earth to do." Caldwell spoke as if the young man was less than the dirt on his boots. Clearly he had no love for his son; the boy had merely been conceived and raised for this one moment. "If you do it well Gwyn, then perhaps I may let you live, possibly even join that worthless Mother of yours."

Caldwell moved over to the boy Gwyn and put a large leather bound book into his hands. The Lord himself held a wooden box. Caldwell lifted the lid and withdrew an object, tightly wrapped in a cloth. The Lord unwrapped it and pulled out a golden object. The amulet. Merlin could feel the malignancy seeping out of it. His magic reacted with a shudder and a sense of revulsion at its presence.

"Now speak the spell alongside me and I will do the rest." Caldwell reached over and opened the book to its first page and began to speak in a loud voice, reciting the initial phrase of the incantation.

But his was a lone voice; Gwyn's did not join him.

It took a second or two for Caldwell to realise that the young man was not speaking with him but when he did he stopped, turned round and viciously struck the youth across the side of his head. Gwyn stumbled, nearly fell but somehow managed to remain on his feet, a scared yet defiant look on his rapidly bruising face.

"Read it, boy" Caldwell bellowed.

Gwyn just shook his head.

Another blow, one that this time the boy could not withstand and he fell to the floor. Caldwell bent down and grabbed him by his neck, pulling the dazed youth to his feet.

"Read it."

Again the shake of the head. Caldwell roared with anger and raised his immense arm, ready to strike again.

Merlin knew that this blow would kill the boy and in all good conscience he could not let that happen. He had to stop it and was about to use his magic to protect Gwyn when he heard a voice.

"My Lord, remember you foresaw this in your omniscience. This is why you took precautions." It was Arnall, Deryn's husband who now spoke, gingerly but loudly enough to stop Caldwell's hand from falling. "I have her outside my Lord, as instructed."

For a moment it was obvious that his need to hurt his son was so powerful that Caldwell found it hard not to strike, but then Merlin could see him think it through. If he killed the boy, tempting though it was, he would have to wait even more years for his chance to gain the amulets full power and that was just not an option. He lowered his hand and instead of hitting the boy he caressed his cheek, pinching the swelling bruise. Gwyn winced but did not break eye contact. The more Merlin saw of this young man the more he admired him.

"Arnall is correct. I had a feeling that you might not do as you were ordered so I made another plan. If you do not fear for your own life perhaps there is one for whom you will fear. Bring her in."

At once Arnall and another man left the room and returned moments later with another figure. Merlin's heart clenched in fear as he saw who it was. Deryn. Oh god he thought, this was his fault. He had involved her and now she was going to pay the price. Somehow Caldwell had found out about her helping him and was going to use her to make him…then he realised that she was there as insurance for Gwyn to make him read the spell; not to get him, Merlin, to do anything. But why on Earth would Caldwell think that the boy would care about…

"Mother"

The quiet cry suddenly made it all clear. Gwyn had looked up and seen who was being brought in and at once all resistance left him. Merlin finally realised why the boy had seemed so familiar. He was Deryn's son. The child that she had spoken of as lost. Merlin had assumed had meant he had died. But it was worse than that. He was Caldwell's son and had been taken from her to be raised by the Lord.

"Gwyn. I am sorry."

Merlin saw the expressions on both mother and son's faces and knew that despite all they had endured, love had grown and survived between them. And he knew that Gwyn would now incant the spell. He would not allow anything to befall his mother if he could prevent it. Merlin understood that emotion and forgave him. After all, the warlock had done the similar things to protect those he loved.

"I will do as you ask my Lord" Gwyn's voice was defeated "Just do not harm her."

Caldwell grinned and motioned for Deryn to be brought in front of the boy so that he could see the knife held to her throat by her own husband.

"Just do everything right and I may let her live boy."

Gwyn nodded once and raised the book. Sensing it was nearly time, Merlin readied his magic. As soon as the spell was said he would break his (and Arthur's) bonds, grab onto Caldwell's arm and journey with him into the nightmare world. What he hoped to do there, and how he planned to release Gaius, Merlin was still not sure. But at least there he stood some chance, out here there was nothing he could do. All he needed was for Gwyn and Caldwell to say the spell.

Both voices suddenly filled the Great Hall and Merlin knew he had to time this precisely. He closed his eyes and was pulling up all his reserves of magic when he heard the cry of pain. Arthur's cry. The warlock opened his eyes to see an awful sight. Caldwell was standing between the chairs, his dagger in his hand and was swiping it over Arthur's wrist. Blood spurted from the Kings arm, the deep cut having severed his artery. Merlin froze.

Caldwell smiled "I told you I needed blood. And a sacrifice. In fact two of them to bind the darkness to me and allow my mortal body to travel to the place of damned souls."

Merlin was horrified, all he could see was Arthur dying in front of him; a nightmare he had had so many times was now a reality. Desperately he managed to raise his bound hand a little and cast a spell to try and free Arthur's arms and to heal his wounds.

But Merlin did not have time to see if his magic had succeeded as Caldwell had immediately turned to him, raised his dagger and slashed again. Merlin felt an intense pain as his wrist too was cut. The gash was not as deep as Arthur's and had missed the main artery but even so it bleed so very quickly.

Simultaneously Gwyn and Caldwell both said the final words of the spell and Merlin had no time left; he could only pray that his spell had saved his King. Ignoring the agony of his wrist Merlin broke free of his bindings and flung himself towards Caldwell. As he made contact with the Lord the now familiar white, torturous light flashed across his vision and the darkness fell.

As the pain in his head grew Merlin knew that at least in this he had been successful. He was journeying to the awful place alongside Caldwell. There was nothing now he could do for Arthur so he had to concentrate on freeing Gaius. For if he failed all that he and the King had suffered would be in vain and the three of them would die.

As he opened his eyes to the blackness of the subterranean hell Merlin knew that he was prepared to give up his own life in a moment to ensure that Arthur and Gaius lived.

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