Arrietty paced the walls of her cell as far as the chain would let her. She thought this was supposed to some kind of temple. What were a bunch of priestesses doing with a dungeon?!
After Nemieh absconded with her here, she dragged the girl to the dungeon, magically threw her up against, the wall, then while Arrietty was stunned locked her in the chains. She had been trying to find a way out ever since.
Of course, it would be helpful it she didn't have a flashback to the last time she was in dungeon every five minutes.
She's feeling the side of the wall. It's so dark she can barely see three feet in front of her, and of course she can't hear, but she can feel a slight, vibrating. Someone is moving somewhere.
It's wet and cold and uncomfortable. No one will even try to talk to her. She feels scared, alone. She hadn't seen her brother since they dragged him out a day ago.
Where's Arthur? What were they doing to him…
Meanwhile, Arthur was quickly passing out swords the arm from Essiter had been willing to lend him. "What's the fastest way to the Isle of the Blessed?" He asked Mourguse.
"The fastest way I know of is at least two days from here." Mourguse told him.
Arthur rubbed his face wearily. And that's two days this pscyho has my sister. "Can't you use that spell you used to take Morgana?"
Morguse looked at the forming group. "I don't think I do transport this many people at once."
That was when Morgana and Merlin ran up. "What if we all did it at once?" Merlin suggested, "All of us take a group of people and preform the spell?"
"Maybe, but—we'd need more power." Morgause told them.
"Would one more a difference?"
They turned to see Lorelei, accompanied by Beor the younger, Leon, Jensen, and Angel, Cerdan and Mordred.
"What are you all doing here?" Arthur asked, surprised.
"I saw in the stone's you were in trouble." Lorelei explained, "We wanted to help."
"Stones?" Morgana repeated.
"She divines some." Percival explained
"Well, that's lucky. "Merlin commented.
"What if you made six?" Cerdan asked, stepping up with Mordred.
"Who are all these people?" Morguse asked in a low voice.
"There' sorceresses and Druids." Merlin explained.
Morguse thought for a minute. "We might be able to do this." Then she gestured from them to come with her. "Follow me. We need to plan this out."
Ten minutes later, the small army and standing in a strange, Morgause, Merlin, Morgan and Lorilei at the corners, and Morded and Credan as the sides.
"I won't lie to you." Arthur addressed the troops, "This is going to be dangerous. Nemiuh is powerful and had home field advantage. Some of you may die. So, if anyone wants to back out, now, no one will think any less of you."
His offer was met with silence.
"Really?" Arthur asked surprised, "No one? I was being serious; I wouldn't blame anyone for refusing."
"You and your friends." Beor spoke up, "You're helped us in one way or another."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"We owe you." Beor finished.
"You don't owe me anything." Arthur protested, "And if you do, you've done repaid it in one way or another."
"Be that as it may, we will still help you." Beor vowed.
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
Arthur could feel tears welling up in his eyes, but he quickly whipped them away. "Thanks. Well now that we have that of the way," His head turned to Morguse, "Morguse, are you ready?"
"Ready." Morguase confirmed, "Alright, now!"
At once all the magic possessors began to chant, "Bedyrenne us! Astyre us panawerde!"
Suddenly they were all disappeared in a fog.
When they landed, they were in the field surrounded by stone ruins. "She'll be this way." Morgause declared, taking the lead with Arthur.
Meanwhile, Nyemiah was watching from her bowel, seething in rage at the betrayal. Oh, well, she could deal with that once she dealt with Arthur and his snot noised sister. She turned and headed for the dudgeon.
Arrietty was struggling against the chains when suddenly the door opened. She ran to the corner, as Nemieuh stepped in, smiling at her wickedly.
They marched up to the front gates of Nemiah's fortress and Merlin said a spell. The Gates flew open for them and they began walking through.
"Nemiah!" Arthur shouted, "Show yourself!"
"Come and find me!" A voice called out, echoing through the halls. And that was the problem, they couldn't tell it was coming from.
Arthur ran his fingers through his hair, thinking. "Alright, we split up!"
They split into four groups, each with scorer began running through the halls. "Stay close." Morgana warned, "She could have set up traps."
"Like this one?" Sybil asked, stepping out front of Morgana and shaking her head, "You stupid, stupid girl."
"You don't have to do this Sybil." Morgana told her, "Come with us, please."
Sybil scoffed, then began to recite a spell.
Morgana began to recite a spell back causing objects to start flying around the room, forcing Sybil to stop chanting and duck. "Aw," Sybil grinned, "Someone's been teaching you."
As Morgana kept Sybil distracted, Angel snuck from the group, dodging projectiles left and right. He managed to get behind Sybil and pistol-whipped her, sending her semi-conscious form to the ground.
Morgana ceased spell casting. "Thank you, Angel."
Meanwhile, the group being ran by Merlin and Arthur rounded a corner and passed a window. "Arthur, look!" Merlin exclaimed, catching something outside from the corner of his eye.
Arthur stepped back to see Nemiah dragging Arrietty by a rope attached to her bound hands. She was dragging her towards a burn pyre with stake sticking out of it.
"Oh, Lord please no." Arthur gasped.
"We need to get down there." Merlin declared, pulling on Arthur, "Now. Before it's too late."
"This is how Uther killed so many of my kind." Nemiah told Arrietty, as she tied her to the stake. Arrietty didn't see what she was saying, she was too busy trying to get free. Nemiah reached out, and touched her cheek, causing the girl to freeze with a terrified whimper. "Maybe now Arthur will get the point."
She finished tightening the ropes and stepped down, just as the group arrived. "Stop!" Arthur shouted at stop of his lungs.
Lancelot and Percival grabbed Nemiuah by the arms as Gwaine put a sword to her throat. She however, seemed unphased. "Just int time for the show."
Arthur ran to the pyre to get Arrietty down. Nobody Nemiuah whispering something softly.
Cerdan and Mordred's group arrived and Daisy saw what Nemiuah was doing. "Somebody shut her up!" Now!"
But it was too late. The base of the wood caught fire, causing Arrietty to scream.
Arthur jumped onto the pyre, trying to climb up. The others began to find something that could hold water, enabling Nemiuah to escape in the fracas.
Merlin sprung after her.
Someone finally found a bowel and splashed it on the fire, but it did no good. If was because the fire was magic or because it just wasn't enough water, they couldn't tell.
Arthur tried to reach Arrietty, but he kept sliding, barely missing the flames himself. Feeling the heat from inside his metal boot, he clung to the sticks. Please Father, help us…
Meanwhile, Merlin had Nemiuah cornered by more stone ruins. "Come now." Nemuiah tutted, "We are too valuable to each other to be enemies."
"No!" Merlin snapped, "I share nothing with you." He would never do what Nemiuah just did. He would never take his anger out of innocent people. He would never sacrifice people for his own ends.
"With my help, Arthur will become king." Nemiuah declared.
"And what makes you think he'll accept your help after what you just did?" Merlin challenged.
"He'll come to see why it had to be done." Nemiuah justified, "That it was his own doing. Had he done what he said, his sister wouldn't have had to suffer."
Merlin just looked at her in disgust. "Do you even hear yourself?"
Meanwhile, the flames were getting dangerously close to Arthur, and Arrietty was coughing, choking on the smoke. "Arthur, you have to jump." She managed to get out.
Arthur shook his head. He was not leaving her. Neither of them died today!
By then the group being led by Morgana got out. After realizing what was happening, she stared at the water, picturing what she wanted in her head. She didn't know a spell for it, but maybe, maybe she could will.
That was when Gwen saw a swore on the ground. She picked up and shouted, "Arthur!" Before throwing it to him.
Arthur managed to catch it. He pulled himself up just close enough to reach the ropes and began to cut.
"I will make Arthur King." Merlin declared, back with Nemiuh, "But you will never see that day. Astrece!"
Nimueh absorbed his attack. "Your childish tricks are useless against me Merlin. I am a priestess of the Old Religion. Forebane!"
He dodged the attack.
"You too, are a creature of the Old Religion." Nemiuh told his sauntering closer to him, "You should join me."
"You think I would join someone with such selfish and cruel magic?" Merlin countered, "No!"
"So be it." Nemiuh responded, "Acwele!"
The spell hit Merlin, sending him to the ground.
"Pity." Nemiuh declared sadly, but sure she had won, "Together we could've ruled the world." Then she began to walk away.
Merlin got to his feet, glaring at her. "You should not have tried to kill my friend."
Focus on the clouds he summoned power of the clouds and a flash of lightning struck Nemiuh down. Striking her dead.
Back at the pyre, Arthur had managed to pull Arrietty off the stake and they were heading towards the ground. There was no way they could miss the flames at the angel they were at. Suddenly the water from the sea around them rose up and engulfed the flames, snuffing them out.
Morgana let out a sigh of relief. She was starting to fear it wouldn't work.
The rain started to come down as Arthur took his crying sister in his arms, forgetting she couldn't hear him as he whispered into her hairline, "It's okay, you're okay now, you're okay…"
AN: Two things:
First, sorry this is late but I have good reason this time : I graduated this weekend and got busy with that. (Finally! Now here comes the hard part.)
Second, and probably more important: I still have some lose ends to tie up, but I think this story might be coming to its logical end. I don't have an exact date in sight, but I wanted to give everybody fair warning. Thanks to everybody who read, followed favorited and/ or reviewed. I appreciate it.