Merlin barrelled up the stairs from the Dragon's Cavern and along the tunnels and passageways that led back up to ground level. Despite the feeling of wonderment at the new powers the Dragon had bestowed upon him, there was a Kingdom and a Prince to save...
As he got closer to ground level, he met more and more people. He was puzzled to find that the dark dank dungeons in which he had been so alone just hours before were suddenly teeming with Camelot's citizens, including the injured who had until now been treated in the Great Hall. It was a strange scene. Noblemen and peasants rubbed shoulders and sat around the walls and inside cells, all notions of class and rank for the moment forgotten. He gasped in surprise when he stumbled across Uther and the members of his Inner Court sitting in the furthest, darkest dungeon. The cell door was wide open of course, and an impressive retinue of Royal Guards kept watch, but the picture was nevertheless unsettling. Merlin searched in vain for Gwen, Morgana or Gaius so instead stopped one of the pages that he recognised from the kitchens.
"What's going on?" he inquired, "Why are the dungeons filled with people?"
"Where have you been, Merlin?" asked the boy in return. "Those creatures have virtually ripped the citadel apart up there! Walls and windows are collapsing around us. The only place that we can shelter from them is down here."
"Is Arthur here?" asked Merlin in alarm, "I left him in his chambers recovering from his wounds, is he safe there?"
"No, he isn't here." said the boy, "I didn't see him, but Maisie from the kitchen tells me that he led a rescue mission to get people across the drawbridge and into safety..."
"B-but that's not possible!", exclaimed Merlin, "He was badly injured and I gave him enough sleeping draught to stun a horse!"
"I'm only saying what I heard." said the boy raising his hands. "In any case - whether they were led by Arthur or not - the last of the Knights went out to rescue townsfolk. They were all gathering up in the Great Hall the last time I saw them."
"Thank you" said Merlin, clapping the boy on the shoulder and hurrying up through the noise of the crowds below ground to the noise of the battle above.
The going got harder as he encountered a stream of people hurrying in the direction that he was coming from. He had to shoulder his way through and grew frustrated as the crowd got thicker. Several times he was held up as masses of people tried to crush through doorways. With no small effort he fought his way through into the Great Hall. The noise there was incredible. There were soldiers shouting instructions over the semi-hysterical cries of relief of the townsfolk that had been rescued from beyond the walls. Merlin skirted groups of families and friends who were having tearful reunions and being moved along through to the vaults below the castle. With a good deal of shoving he eventually made it over to the doorway where the mass of the soldiers stood.
He caught the sleeve of the closest guard to him to grab his attention. "Where is the Prince" he called above the noise and commotion.
The soldier glanced at him and acknowledged him as Arthur's manservant. He nodded out into the courtyard. "He's out there with the Knights" he said.
Merlin peered out through the open door. He could see thick smoke and the red glow of a fire, but very little else. "Are you certain that Prince Arthur is with the Knights?" he asked the man.
"Saw him with my own eyes" replied the man. "The plan to get the people from beyond the wall is his - he led the Knights over to fight those ...things...so that we might have a chance. Bandaged and with his arm in a sling, he was, but that didn't stop him." He shook his head in wonderment at the Prince's bravery.
"Let me through" said Merlin, starting forward. I must get to him!"
The soldier put a hand on his chest to stay him. "Son, it's hopeless." he said shaking his head. "Even our finest Knights stood no chance against those beasts. It was a suicide mission. As we bought the last of these people through only Arthur and one other were still alive, and one of the beasts had knocked Prince Arthur to the ground...I couldn't watch after that...there's not a chance that he still lives."
"There's always a chance! Let me through!" said Merlin pushing the soldier aside and rushing out into the courtyard. He shouldered his way through the mass of soldiers and townsfolk who were crowding into the Hall as fast as they could. Tears began to prick at the corner of his eyes; he couldn't have come too late to save Arthur, could he?
Just as he was pushing through the last of the last group of people he was swept sideways by a surge of panic in the crowd. He turned around and stood as tall as he could to see what was causing this new commotion. His eyes widened and his heart leapt in relief when he saw Arthur striding purposefully toward the Great Hall.
"ARTHUR" he bellowed, struggling to be heard above the screaming around him and shoving his way through to his Master. It was only as he got closer that he understood the reason for all the consternation of the crowd that surrounded him. Arthur stood tall, unhindered by injury and his storm-blue eyes had gone. Instead he viewed the world through completely blackened pupils. These eyes were such a stark contrast to his halo of blond hair that it gave him the look of a demon. Merlin's heart sank into his boots when he realised that Sagan had possessed the Prince. It leapt back into his throat when he realised that Arthur was flanked by the three beasts. Against all his instincts, he pushed on toward the Prince.
"Arthur!" he called again, finally breaking free of the crowd and stumbling out in front of the man. "Arthur! It's me! Merlin..."
The Prince paused for a fraction of a second before striking Merlin aside with the hilt of his sword. The boy stumbled backward and crashed down painfully onto the stone paving of the courtyard from the force of the blow. As he lay trying to get breath back into his winded lungs, the Harpy-beast came and leant over him. He closed his eyes and waited for the death blow, but the thing simply screeched foul breath into his face before falling into step between the possessed Arthur and heading through into the Great Hall.
The hysteria that had greeted Arthur and his unholy retinue at the entrance of the Great Hall continued as he walked through it. People rushed aside and cowered against the walls and crushed their way through to head underground. Merlin followed after and watched helplessly as small children and the elderly were knocked over and trampled during the paniced stampede of humanity.
Mercifully, the beasts did not wreak havoc and destruction inside the hall. They seemed to be completely in the thrall of Arthur and followed behind him. As he strode through the Hall with his sword aloft, the Prince demanded, "Where is the King? I command you to tell me where he is!" He seemed to be addressing nobody in particular and nobody answered, merely hurrying away from him as quickly as they could.
Merlin alone followed after as he headed into the castle and kicked open the great doors to the Throne Room. It was empty. Merlin had caught up with him by this point and stood blocking the entrance with his body. He closed his eyes and took a calming breath and summoned to himself all the energy and knowledge that the Dragon had recently imparted upon him. Arthur turned and faced him and hurried toward him with sword raised.
"Where is Uther" he demanded, leaning the point of his sword against the boy's heart. Merlin didn't flinch, but instead stared searchingly into the black eyes. "Arthur, I know you're in there somewhere. It's me - Merlin.."
The sword point on his chest wavered uncertainly and for a moment a frown flickered across Arthur's face. Almost immediately, the Prince's head tilted upward and the sword pressed threateningly into Merlin's ribcage. "Move aside, Sorcerer, or die" said Arthur in a low threatening voice.
Merlin shook his head and resolutely stood his ground. "Arthur" he pleaded, "I know you're in there. You're too much of a stubborn prat to give in so easily! Fight this thing inside you!"
The sword wavered again and the prince's arm dropped. He shook his head and frowned. For a brief moment Merlin's heart leapt as he thought Arthur had overcome the possession but then it plummeted into his boots again when the man before him muttered words of magic and took a step back. The three beasts advanced snarling and screeching toward Merlin.
He drew in a breath and summoned all the power that he could feel surging through him. He raised his hands and concentrated his mind.
"Assuiss" he said quietly and sent a burst of energy through his fingertips.
Immediately he was knocked backward by the force of the explosion he had created. The three beasts simultaeneously returned to the rock from which they had been created and blew apart.
Merlin was still recovering from the blast and trying to pick himself up, when the form of Arthur came in to view, grabbing him with one hand around his throat and pulling him to his feet. Merlin fought for breath as he was pushed against the wall and Arthur squeezed tighter. His instinct told him to throw the man from him with magic, but he was reluctant to cause Arthur any harm.
Not-Arthur leaned right into Merlin's face and stared. Merlin fought to keep his eyes open as black dots appeared at the corner of his vision. He bought his hands up and tried to wrench away the hand at his throat.
"Who would have believed it" said Arthur in a strange hollow voice, "...you a Sorcerer - and a powerful one."
Merlin gasped and looked defiantly into the eyes of the man in front of him. "I won't let you hurt him!" he said through gritted teeth.
"And you're going to stop me?" said the not-Prince laughingly, squeezing just a little harder to make his point.
"I'll stop you" said Merlin, breathlessly and defiantly.
"He does not deserve your loyalty. He treats you like a slave" reasoned the thing possessing Arthur's body.
"That's not true!" gasped Merlin, with some difficulty. it was hard to pull air into his lungs but he would not - could not - harm Arthur to save himself.
"He cast you aside without a moment's thought" continued Athur-Sagan.
"That doesn't matter.."
The grip on his throat eased a little as Arthur-Sagan reasoned, "It must hurt so much, to be so put-upon, so overlooked when all the while you have such power..."
"That's the way it has to be!" exclaimed Merlin, as loudly as he could.
"Does it?" questioned the man. " You are young Merlin, look inside yourself, you have yet to discover your true power. I can help you. Think Merlin - to have the world appreciate your greatness. To have Arthur know you for what you really are!"
"That can never be!" said Merlin, shaking his head.
The hand around his throat eased it's grip a little and Arthur's other hand came up to caress Merlin's cheek. The boy flinched back from the touch as Arthur-Sagan continued, "It can! If you join me! Together we can rule over this land. Arthur will tremble at your voice, he will kneel at your feet!"
Merlin closed his eyes and said a little breathlessly, "I don't want that."
"You'd rather be a servant?" continued Arthur-Sagan, now in a cooing cajoling tone, still stroking his cheek.
Merlin let out a frustrated whine in his throat before turning his head aside. His mind raced and his breath came fast. All of a sudden his body relaxed and he looked down toward the floor letting out a sigh of defeat. He looked up deferentially through his fringe to the man holding him loosely around his neck and stroking his cheek. In a subdued tone and in almost a whisper he said, "Very well..."
Arthur-Sagan did not relinquish his grip entirely, but loosened the pressure on the boy's throat a little more and leaned back to look at Merlin triumphantly. He chuckled low and deep in his throat. "So glad you finally saw sense, Warlock" he said, "It would have been a terrible shame to extinquish such power as that which lives within you. Together we shall bring this Kingdom to it's knees..."
"Shhhhh" said Merlin, bringing a shaky hand up to Arthur's face and softly putting his fingers on the other man's lips. "Just...kiss me."
A brief flash of surprise flickered across Arthur's face but it was soon replaced with a smug smile. "Very well" he said as he leaned in and captured Merlin's lips.
After a moment, Merlin responded. As he closed his eyes and deepened the kiss, a single tear ran down his cheek...