No. 1 Unconventional Restraints & No. 5 Running Out of Air

Lancelot didn't know how Merlin used to deal with magical threats to Camelot on his own, and now that Lancelot was a real knight, he always accompanied him. Even though, more often than not, he found himself out of his element. Like now, when they were hunting for a sea hag that had been taking victims. Lancelot had presented himself as bait on the shore, and once the hag snatched him, Merlin would follow covertly. They figured Merlin could easily free Lancelot and then the two of them could confront the sea witch. But neither of them had counted on the hag having a sea creature at her command. And now Lancelot was being held by numerous tentacles wrapped around his torso and limbs, holding him stock still at the very edge of the cave pool in front of the sea witch.

She cackled in delight at her latest catch and raised a jagged shell scallop toward his throat. But before she could make her cut, Merlin came barreling into the sea cave and blasted her with a spell that threw her across the chamber. The sea creature screeched in response and yanked Lancelot back and up, dangling him high above the water.

Merlin faltered at the sight of it, eyes wide as he hesitated to cast a spell that would hit both the creature and Lancelot.

From his position aloft, Lancelot spotted the hag getting up. "Merlin!" he shouted in warning.

Merlin turned and cast a deflecting spell just as the sea witch fired a spell at him. They exchanged multiple magical blows that exploded all over the sea cave. Lancelot struggled to get free, but his efforts were futile. Merlin was gaining the upper hand, though. Then the hag shrieked something, and the creature holding Lancelot suddenly plunged him down into the dark waters.

Air bubbles spewed up in flurries as Lancelot was submerged. He renewed his struggles, again to no avail. Amidst the murky water, a pair of pale eyes glinted in the dark, triggering an instinctive panic to struggle even more, which only made him lose more precious air. Somehow he managed to force himself to stop and focus on holding what little remained of his breath. The creature pulled him closer, revealing a head with a gaping orifice lined with spirals of teeth. Lancelot nearly choked in terror, but the beast just held him there, as though awaiting its mistress's command.

Lancelot was running out of air, his lungs burning and his vision going spotty. Flashes of light reflected through the water above. Then there was a splash, and Lancelot saw Merlin swimming toward him, a sword in hand.

The creature lashed a tentacle out at him, and Merlin sliced with his blade, hacking it in half. Dark ink bloomed in the water. Lancelot still couldn't move, and then the last bubble broke free past his lips as he convulsively gasped for air that wasn't there. Water rushed in, cold and choking forcefully. Merlin was still fighting the creature, his movements slowed by the resistance of moving through water. Lancelot had gone completely limp, even as his lungs screamed and froth churned inside them. He didn't register the tentacles slipping loose.

Then someone grabbed his arm and kicked their way to the surface. Lancelot's lungs gave a weak spasm at the sudden slap of air, but he couldn't make them work enough to draw in a full breath. Merlin dragged him up out of the pool, dripping some kind of black ichor onto the rocks. He rolled Lancelot onto his side and started pounding his back mercilessly until he coughed up the water and gasped like a fish. His throat burned as acid came up with the brine and foam, and the influx of oxygen further seared it.

Merlin kept hitting him until he'd coughed it all up. Then Lancelot lay there for a long while, shaking and gasping as Merlin held him steady. When he finally settled, Merlin tentatively asked,

"Are you okay?"

Lancelot managed a feeble nod. "The- hag?"

"Dead. And that creature. I hope," he added after a beat. "I stabbed it in the eye."

Lancelot closed his eyes and focused on just breathing as his body began to shiver. Merlin let him stay like that.

"Lancelot?" he called after a while. "We should get you to Gaius."

He hummed in response and prized his eyes open again. "Next time, you get to be the bait," he murmured.

Merlin huffed out a laugh and pulled him upright. "Come on."