AU: Hi again this is the 18th chapter of The Forgetting Curse.
Thanks to SPN-Mel for her review! ^^
I think that this will be the beginning of the end. In the next 3 chapters I hope to finish it. Let me know in a review what do you think of the story!
Hope you like it.
Love from me! ^^
The Nameless Beast is what happened…' – Her voice broke down.
'What is that thing?' – She asked again.
'It is a creature from the bottom of Hell.' – Eurina said and fear appeared in her eyes.
'Tell me more about this creature.' - Morgana said and sat next to the woman leaving her cup on the little table in front of them.
'It started a few days ago, buy it seems like it has been ages.' - She fell silent
'Why?' - Merlin interrupted.
'On one normal afternoon... everything was fine, when suddenly the Beast appeared…' – Her voice cracked. – 'It was awful, and everything happened so rapid. In one minute there were people smiling and in the other blood covered the walls. It was flying around, grasping people, tearing them apart in front of their children eyes. There were screams everywhere….' - She fell silent.
'Oh my...' – Morgana whispered.
'Has anyone tried to battle it?' – Merlin asked softly.
'Every man in age that was able to fight tried to beat it. None of them returned…' – A tear fell from Eurina's eyes. – 'I was a wife and mother, now I just want this thing to go.'
'We will make it.' – Merlin said firmly. He was sure that they will find a way. When Arthur comes, they will talk. He will find a way.
'I now doubt that anyone can help…' – She was desperate. – 'We asked for help from Camelot… no one came.' - The raven haired boy wasn't sure if they were to tell her that he and Morgana were from there, because how was he going to explain the Prince's appearance.
'I am sure they will come.' – Morgana said. Apparently she was thinking the same.
'When? When we are all gone?' – She said and shook her head. – 'They are too selfish to come.'
'No.' – Rapidly said Merlin. – 'They are not.' – He didn't know what happened to him. He almost yelled at the old lady. – 'I am sorry.' – He apologized and on the other side of the table the king's ward gave him a strange looks saying mutely "What on earth?" he just smiled apologetically.
'Tell me, can you describe me how did it look?' – She said.
'It was several meters big and wide about three or four. I cannot tell exactly. It had wings but it had no legs. On the ground it moved like a snail.' – She said. – 'His upper body was strange, I wasn't able to take a good look, it looked like a snake's head, but it had arms. This is all I remember.' – She said and looked down. He guests were thinking about what she said. None of them had heard of such beast. Merlin wasn't sure if it was even able to exist.
'Has anyone ever seen anything like this creature before?' – He asked. Eurina just shook her head.
…
In the forest Arthur was just at the place where his lover had fought with the harpy. He was feeling quite strange; last night he had a dream about something weird. He imagined that Merlin was there and took the map, but as if it was there in the morning when he woke up, he again realized that there noting like this could happen. He was safe and sound in Camelot and the Prince longed to see him, even if they had been apart just for one day.
They were on their way to the road fork and as they were passing some trees and plants he noticed that most of them had dark red marks on them. He made a gesture telling the knights so stop. He jumped of his horse and went to one of these marked leaves. He took it and smelled it. It smelled like dried up blood. What was going on? He asked himself. Saying nothing, he got on his horse again and spurred it into gallop. He was thinking that if the blood marks started from here, what it was going to be in the village they were going to. Followed by the knights they were riding with the wind.
A few hours later, they were almost at the entrance of the Lower Lands, but since they passed the road fork, no blood was seen. Arthur was confused. How was it possible? As they were at the gates of the village they saw no body. Not a single man was walking around the streets. He dismounted the horse and jogged along the place. He looked in through a window. He saw no body. After looking at the second, the third and fourth and saw the same, he told the knights to tramp and see if they will find someone.
The next house he was to look at he was people inside. This was Eurina's house. The door was a couple of meters away from him, but there was something strange there. He couldn't see them very good, because they were turned against the window, but he thought he saw someone he knew. No, this is not possible; he is back safe at home. This back, this hair the way the boy was standing was so familiar to him; this boy looked so much like Merlin. He rushed at the door, even if he knew his mind was just playing tricks on him, his heart rose its beating.
Inside Eurina's eyes widened, there were people outside. A knight was looking through her window. Was this even possible.
'There are people outside. You were right!' – She said with hope in her voice.
'People?' – Merlin sounded confused. It was almost impossible for Arthur to be here so soon. His mind was working fast. – 'Can you hide us?' – He asked rapidly, his voice sounded worried.
'Why? What is going on?' – The old lady asked.
'I can tell you later, now please, can you hide us.' – Morgana interrupted. The king's ward also knew that if the knights knew of the fact that they are here it wouldn't turn out good. Then the woman nodded.
'Come after me.' – She said and got out of the room. She opened a door and told them. – 'This is the basement. If you need to get outside, you can push the wooden crates in the back of the room. They will open a tunnel leading outside the village, but I don't recommend it. It hasn't been used for years.' – She told them and before they left down Merlin said:
'Thank you, I promise we will be back as soon as possible.' – And then Eurina closed the door beside them.
Arthur was just knocking at the door as she was returning to the room. She was wondering if she was to tell him about her guests. She decided not to, because it they were trying to escape from them, she should tell them. Opening the door she said:
'Good day… Can I help you?' – Her voice was confused.
'Hello, I am Prince Arthur of Camelot.' – He said with pride.
'Oh. You are here to help, is that so?' – There was some relief in her voice when she understood how was in front of her.
'Can I come in? I want to talk with you, can I?' – He said.
'Oh, come in then.' – She said and opened the door widely.
'Thank you.' – Entering the house, he didn't saw anyone in the main room. – 'Where did they go?'
'Where did who go?' – Eurina asked even more confused/
'There were people in this room. I saw them from outside.' - Arthur said, his eyes strained, he didn't understand how could this happen. He was sure that the woman was not alone in the house but he could miss the fact that there was no one around.
'I am sorry, Sire. There is no one here.' – The old lady said and gave him a light smile.
'Are you sure?' – He asked and when she nodded, he decided that he must have been mistaken. – 'However, I want to talk to you.'
'Alright.'
'Before two days in the castle of Camelot had been sent people to ask for help. They said that the villagers have been terrorized.' – He broke off for a second. – 'What is the creature that harms you.'
'It is called a Nameless Beast.' – She said and pressed her lips. She was going to have to tell the story again. The Prince asked the same questions as the travelers from before. She told him the same things. He hadn't heard of the beast too and he also didn't know what to do.
'Why is this creature called like that, Nameless'.' – He asked.
'It is not very easy to explain, because of it's horrible nature and appearance, it was not given a name from many centuries ago.' – She tried to expound it to him.
'Do you have anyone that I can talk to about how to fight it?' – He asked and stood up from the chair.
'There are several men in the inner part of the village, but they are not very capable for fighting.' – She said and pressed her lips.
'Lead me to them, please.' – He said.
…
Merlin moved the crates and opened the tunnel. A not very big dusty hole opened. It was big enough, so he and Morgana were able to move in, one after another. Merlin was in the front will a torch, the slightly enlightened the road they were walking on. Not too long after that they were out of there. They walked out of there, looking as they had been in a chimney.
'What are we going to do now?' – Morgana asked and sat on the ground.
'I don't know, but I think that we should understand what Arthur is going to do.' – He said and joined her.
'And how are we going to do that?' – She asked. – 'As we are not to tell or show ourselves to them.'
'I don't know yet. I think if we disguise…' – He fell silent.
'In what?' – The king's ward asked and raised her eyebrows.
'You are not helping, just for the information.'
'What am I supposed to do?'
'I don't know. Be more supportive…., the other option is to wait here and see what happens.' – He said and looked towards the village. – 'What do you think?'
'This or that way we will know what they are going to do. I propose that we wait here until the beast attacks, and then we move closer to the village. We watch as they fight and win and then we go home. What do you think?' – She said and gave him a light smile.
'I hoped that you said this. I mean I have been to such trips before, but then I helped him in some way. I always was incognito. He never knew I was there and I was always back in Camelot before he was and he never doubted that I ever left the place.' – He said and smiled to himself remembering how many times he had save Arthur's life. – 'But back then I had my magic and now as I don't I don't see how can I be helpful….' – He fell silent.
'Don't worry. Everything will be alright.' – Morgana petted him back. – 'Come on, we have to find a place to hide, if we are seen up here, we might have problems.' – they stood up and just a few meters away from the place they were, they found a gigantic tree wide more than four meter. They decided that it will be enough for now.
They didn't have to wait much before something happened. About an hour after they sat under the oak tree and heard slash of wings. It was the beast. Morgana and Merlin looked at each other. It was time.
Hope you liked it! ^^