Everywhere she turned there were people screaming and yelling in terror, pushing each other down in hopes of making an escape. Wide eyed, she was frozen in place as beasts and steel clashed in a frantic frenzy, the beasts slowly being slain one by one. Tears began running her face as the sword wielders turned on the beasts masters, cutting them too down mercilessly.
Before she could close her eyes to the sight, a firm hand grasped her arm and swung her around, placing their other hand over her mouth to stifle the startled scream working it's way from her throat. Whimpering, she shot her tear filled eyes up to her attacker, only to see none other than Merlin himself. "Quite little one!" He hissed as he began pulling her deeper into the cave. "You must flee from here while there's still a chance." Relaxing slightly, she pulled her face from his hand as she allowed herself to be guided along. "But what about the others?" She asked, chancing a glance over her shoulder to the carnage happening behind her. "I'll do all that I can to help them child, but you must remember you have the most important job of us all," he said sternly before letting go of her arm to dig through the satchel resting at his hip. "What is your job, young one?" He questioned, pulling first one herb and then another from his bag. "Find the Born King and Excalibur, and guide him along his path," the young mage recited, watching as her mentor began, what she had just learned to be, the steps to open a passageway from the Dark Lands.
As the passage opened, the sounds of the fighting grew closer and the terror that had dwindled at the sight of her mentor, came back with a vengeance, making her palms clammy and heart race. Her breath began to come quickly as Merlin placed his hands on her shoulders and moved her to the entrance of the passageway. As she looked into the passageway and saw not the rock of a cave or wild forest she had grown accustomed to, but instead cobblestone roads leading to stone buildings, doubt began to creep into her bones and she hesitated. "But. . " she said, spinning around to search her mentors eyes. "What if I can't do it?" She whispered lowering her eyes.
War cries made her raise her head and peer past Merlin, to see that some of the men clad in black armor had stopped slaying her people long enough to take notice of them, and had begun to approach them with swords raised, a couple of the soldiers using them to bang them on their shields.
Gasping she looked up to warn Merlin, only to frown in confusion as instead of turning to face the incoming threat, he had began to smile and bend down to her level. "There could be no other," he murmured placing his hands gently on her shoulders. "The two of you are bound little one." he finished pulling her into a tight but unfortunately short hug. Clearing his throat, Merlin tightened his hands on her shoulders before he closed his eyes and took a calming deep breath. "If I had to guess who would win between you or Vortigern," he said, smiling once again, "My bets on you," he whispered before, with a hard shove, he pushed her through the passageway, and began the motions to close it. Crying out at the abruptness of leaving the Dark Lands, she glanced back up towards the passage and away from the ground she landed on.
As the soldiers approached Merlin, who still refused to turn toward them, the young mage could here shouts of "King Vortigern" echoing through the caves as the fighting began to come to an end. Slowly she began to notice how the soldiers were parting ways to make room for someone to walk between them. Focusing as hard as she could without drawing on her powers, she felt her blood freeze as the man who up until this point she had only heard been described as the Mage Murder,and the False King, walked casually into what had once been her safe haven. She watched as he carefully stepped over her peoples' dead bodies, so as to not get blood on his shoes. Lord Vortigern was here...and he had killed all of her people! If he was capable of all of this, how on earth did Merlin expect her of all people to be able to defeat him?
Frazzled, she turned incredulous eyes to her mentor, more distraught than ever. "Find Arthur. The two of you are bound in more ways than one," he said as the portal began to close. "Remember little one," he whispered finally beginning to turn around to face the threat. "My bet will always be on you...Guinevere."
So... it's been awhile! I have not given up on this story, I've just been a little busy. Thanks for all the favorites and reviews, it means a lot!