Here's the next chapter as promised!

I have a thirty page research paper due by next Friday that I haven't started yet so it's entirely plausible that I won't be updating until next weekend but I will do my best to get something up before then.

Once again, thanks for all of the wonderful support you've given me, I really appreciate it!

Arthur watched, shocked and a little bit in awe as Merlin fought off Morgana, matching her spell for spell, taking everything she sent and turning it to his advantage. He knew it couldn't be easy for the boy, the amount of effort the warlock was using to push his magic past the bracelets was all too obvious in the way his body trembled, sweat pouring off his forehead as he repelled the witch, and that worried the king. Merlin was running himself into the ground and Arthur was scared that the boy wouldn't know when to stop, and wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice himself in an effort to free the king.

Merlin might believe his life to be an acceptable loss but Arthur certainly didn't, he would not leave without the boy, not matter what. He was just beginning to think that they might actually have a chance at escape when Merlin stumbled. His heart leapt into his throat as Morgana adapted immediately, launching a spell that grazed Merlin's shoulder. Arthur struggled furiously against the chains that bound him to the wall but they refused to budge; he hated not being able to help, being forced to watch while Merlin took on the witch alone.

Arthur was conflicted, the boy was obviously in pain but he continued fighting undeterred, and the king didn't know whether to be proud of Merlin's strength or curse him for his utter stupidity. If it had been a knight, Arthur would have praised them for their fortitude, fighting through pain wasn't easy but, in some situations, it was necessary; the only problem was, this was Merlin, Merlin who could barely hold a sword, let alone fight with one, Merlin who had cried when Arthur killed the unicorn, although that situation hadn't turned out so well…

Anyway the point was that Merlin wasn't a knight, he shouldn't have had to fight at all, and he had a knack for getting into trouble even in the most ordinary situations. All that to say, Arthur wasn't too keen on the idea of his manservant pushing through the pain, it was bound to end in disaster. Much to the king's surprise, Merlin managed to gain the upper hand in a matter of seconds, sending the witch flying across the room as if she weighed nothing. Relief flooded through him when Morgana's head cracked against the stone and she collapsed bonelessly at the base of the wall.

He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised, Merlin was an all-powerful warlock after all, but for some reason he kept forgetting that. He doubted that he'd ever see the boy as an equal when it came to fighting; perhaps it was the servant's gentle nature, or his thin frame, but something about Merlin stirred Arthur's protective instinct.

He turned his eyes back to his servant, brow furrowing in concern as the boy stumbled unsteadily towards him, Merlin didn't look good, not good at all, but the grim determination on his pale face and the half-smile that graced his mouth gave Arthur hope that Merlin wasn't too far gone, that he would be able to recover from the toll the magic was taking on his body.

With a whispered word, the chains holding the king dissolved, dumping Arthur unceremoniously on the floor of the cell. Before he even had a chance to get his bearings and pick himself up, Merlin was tugging insistently on his arm.

"Come on Arthur," Merlin gasped, desperation bleeding through his tone, "we have to get out of here now!"

Heaving himself to his feet, Arthur wrapped an arm around Merlin's waist to support him, and guided the boy out of the room. He tried to ignore the way the boy's pulse fluttered frantically beneath his fingers, breath rattling in his thin chest with each inhale; he couldn't afford to worry about Merlin's health now, they didn't have time, it would have to wait until they made their escape.

He could see the sun shimmering gently behind the enchantment that concealed the entrance to the dungeon and they were only three steps from freedom when Mordred blocked their way, eyes blazing as he conjured a crackling ball of energy between his outstretched hands. Arthur jerked to a stop, shaking Merlin out of the stupor he'd fallen into and glanced around, eyes darting frantically back and forth, looking for something that he could use to fight the druid.

At the sight of Mordred, Merlin's energy seemed to return and he pulled himself up, shoving Arthur the remaining distance to safety. Once the king was through the enchantment, Merlin reinforced Morgana's concealment charm with a shield that would prevent Arthur from entering the dungeon again.

He felt bad about using his magic against Arthur but he couldn't afford to be distracted while he was battling Mordred. It would take intense concentration to beat the druid, something that would be impossible if he had to deal with Arthur's heroics as well. If the king had any sense at all he would leave Merlin behind and head for Camelot while he still had the chance. Undoubtedly, Arthur would insist on remaining in the clearing until Merlin escaped… if he escaped, but at least this way, the king would be safe from any spells that might happen to stray his way. There were some things that were easier to do alone, and this was one of them, Arthur would just have to understand that.

Turning to face Mordred, Merlin raised his hand, ready for anything the druid would send. Mordred smirked, glancing back and forth between Merlin and the place where Arthur's blurred outline could be seen, pounding his fists against Merlin's shield, muffled shouts making their way past the barrier.

"You've made a valiant effort, Emrys." Mordred hissed, letting the energy in his hands dissipate as his mocking voice slithered its way into Merlin's thoughts, "But you can't fend us off forever, sooner or later you will slip and when you do, I'll be waiting. I wonder how long you can hold that shield before it starts to fade? If you yield now and swear fealty to Morgana, I can promise that she will spare the king his life."

"I'll never yield to you, and I would die before betraying Arthur and Camelot, you know that." Merlin growled, backing up until he hit the wall. His knees were beginning to tremble again and he wasn't going to risk breaking his concentration like before if they gave out.

"Yes," Mordred answered, drawing closer, "I know that, but your life is not the only one at stake. If you insist on resisting I will kill you and your shield will fail, then I will kill your king."

Merlin paused, considering his options, he wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to defeat Mordred, but he wasn't convinced that the situation was hopeless either. If he continued to fight, there was a very real possibility that he would lose, his shield would fail, and Arthur would once again be at Morgana's mercy; the only difference would be that Merlin would no longer be there to protect him.

The other option was to surrender now and secure Arthur's life, he could make Morgana swear in the ancient language that no harm would come to the king, but at the same time, he would be bound to Morgana by blood, in a way that would be impossible to escape. The king would live, but Camelot would fall along with all his friends; Arthur would never forgive him if he sided with Morgana for any reason.

Protecting Arthur was his primary goal but, despite his destiny, he felt that he had a responsibility to the people of Camelot as well, to protect them from those that would do them harm. He could never knowingly consign innocent people to Morgana's rule, even if it meant that Arthur was sure to live. Instead of answering Mordred, Merlin steeled his resolve, conjuring a dragon out of fire that swooped towards the druid, mouth gaping hungrily.

"Your choice." Mordred shrugged, amusement playing around the corners of his mouth as he drew water out of the ground and flung it at Merlin's dragon.

The dragon turned to ash as soon as it came into contact with the water and, as it fell to the ground, Merlin manipulated it into a pitch-black serpent that coiled threateningly at Mordred's feet. Unfazed, Mordred flicked his wrist and the snake twisted through the air, striking the wall and falling motionless to the ground.

The stared at each other for a moment, each one assessing the strength of the other as Merlin's heavy breathing filled the air between them, then, without any warning, Mordred extended his hands, palms out, pushing a raging wall of fire towards Merlin. The warlock reacted by conjuring a wind that whipped through the corridor, guttering the flames with ease.

By the time the flames had sputtered out, the breeze had turned into a whirlwind that swept crazily around the small space, tearing at Mordred's clothes and filling the air with dust. Coughing, Mordred stumbled back in the face of the onslaught; he covered his mouth and nose with his arm as he squinted, trying to make out Merlin's form in the chaos. Suddenly, out of the dust, came crackling bolts of energy that Mordred, even with all his power, was hard-pressed to repel.

…

Morgana groaned and sat up, she had a splitting headache and there was something warm dripping down the back of her neck. Gingerly exploring her scalp, she found a large knot on her temple and her fingers came away sticky with blood. For a minute she couldn't remember what had happened, then voices drifted in from the hallway and it all came back.

"Merlin." She growled, pushing herself to her feet. She was forced to pause as the room spun dizzily, but she recovered soon enough and made her way towards the shouts.

Just as she rounded the corner, Merlin thrust his arm out, sending crackling bolts of blue energy into a swirling cloud of dust. The air cleared for a minute and Morgana caught sight of Mordred retreating in the face of Merlin's fury. Striding forward, she raised a ring of fire around the warlock, who stopped attacking Mordred and concentrated on putting out the flames instead. Morgana motioned for the shaken Mordred to join her and the two advanced on Merlin, backing him into a corner.

"This is your last chance Merlin," Morgana said, looking down her nose at the boy who truly looked like death warmed over. His hair was plastered to his head with sweat and he was breathing carefully, as if every inhale caused him unimaginable pain. His unnatural pallor made the dark circles under his eyes stand out in even greater relief and every few seconds a tremor would run through his thin frame. He seemed so fragile that, for a moment, she almost regretted what she'd done but then she remembered his betrayal and her face hardened again. "I will not make another offer, join me now and I will spare your king, refuse and you shall both perish."

"I'll never join you!" Merlin hissed, voice full of venom, "I'd rather die!"

"That can be arranged." Morgana replied, turning to Mordred and taking his hand in her own. Together they created a glowing green orb that intensified in color, mesmerizing Merlin, drawing him in with its ethereal beauty.

It was only when beams of light began bursting from the ball, burning holes through the stone around him, that Merlin was able to tear his gaze away and defend himself. Reaching high above his head, he began chanting, weaving the thin golden strands that burst from his fingers into a gleaming web that dissolved the beams of green light wherever they touched.

Merlin could feel himself getting weaker; his vision was starting to fade in and out, heart flopping painfully in his chest like a fish out of water. He could see Morgana's lips moving but the buzzing in his ears drowned out her words. His eyes rolled up in his head and he felt himself starting to slip into unconsciousness, sliding over the edge into the oblivion and there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop it.

So tell me what you think... how did you like my BAMF!Merlin?

Sorry about the cliffhanger, they just happen. In case anyone is getting frustrated, they will be escaping next chapter.