Prompt number: 11. "I told you so"
Fandom: Merlin
Rating: G [General Audiences]
Warnings: Rude behaviour ?
The moment the sword made contact with the magic shield a loud crack, like thunder, resonated across the field. The knight was sent flying from the force of the magic, landing hard on his back. The air sizzled with the aftermath of the magical discharge.
Arthur watched from a distance, hidden from sigh as Merlin slowly approached the downed knight, offering a helping hand only to have it briskly shoved aside. "I'm fine. I don't need your help." He stumbled upright, trying to look less frazzled than he clearly was.
Ever since Arthur found out about Merlin and his magic -after Merlin saved him with it, Camelot had undergone some changes. He'd lifted the ban on magic and asked -pressured- Merlin into teaching the knights how to fight or defend against magic. There was no denying that against it they stood little chance and even if they now gave everyone a fair trial, they still needed to know how to deal with magic now that it was a deeper part of the kingdom than ever before.
"I told you so." He heard Merlin say to the knight. He was a new recruit to Camelot's roster, though no rookie knight. He had some experience under his belt serving another kingdom, but his knowledge of magic was limited. Clearly he had never faced a sorcerer before. "You can't attack it head-on. It misdirects your strength."
"I would have succeeded if you'd actually cast minor magic. This is clearly an advanced move that you deliberately used to make me look a fool!" He gave Merlin a derisive look. "Just as I expected from a sorcerer."
Arthur was shocked by the arrogance of the knight. He'd been completely polite during his recruitment talk. Clearly he had misread the man if this is how he behaved to others. He had half a mind to step in and defend his best friend when Merlin beat him to it.
"There is no one here but us. What would be the point of making you look like a fool is no one is around to witness it? And more importantly, this is minor magic. As I explained earlier, even minor magic can be powerful. This shield absorbs the force of your hit and redirects it back at you. It literally uses your own strength against you. It wouldn't be any use against a magical attack but faced with a physical opponent it is very useful." Merlin vanished the shield bubble with a wave of his hand, his eyes briefly lighting up gold.
"If you had bothered to listen and not assume you know better when you've clearly never face before, perhaps you might have succeeded." He then promptly walked away from the field leaving the knight to call after him confused and irritated.
"Where are you going?"
"To find someone else to teach. Someone who actually wants to learn and doesn't care more about his reputation than keeping the people of the kingdom safe."
Arthur smiled at the gobsmacked expression of the arrogant knight while Merlin returned to the castle in search of a willing and eager recruit to teach.
fin