The Golden Shield
Merlin/Arthur AU
—
You are someone to die for
Someone to me to die for
Help me
I love you
—-
It was a very normal day.
Some banter with Arthur. Disturbing the hunting. Got yelled again of course. That stick was right there, naturally it was, Merlin made sure that he was stepping right over it at the right moment. What they were thinking, that he was clumsy? No, he just didn't like hunting. He was a peasant and lived his whole youth in the woods. If he wanted, he could be quiet. Lancelot rolled his eyes when Arthur stopped yelling and Merlin just shrugged and grinned.
Then the king ordered to find some place to camp. They surely could take the brake. Midsummer was hot that year, especially at midday. They could continue the hunting later the day when it wasn't so hot anymore.
And then came the bandits.
Surprise?
It shouldn't be. The king, some knights and one servant versus ten bandits and one sorcerer.
Yes, a sorcerer. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Merlin cursed quietly when he tried to find some way to hide himself out of the way and use some spells. But he didn't see any openings and then he got the bad feeling from the whole situation.
Usually the sorcerer, if there was one, was the one hiding behind the bandits, giving them some background support. Like Merlin giving the support to the clueless knights and Arthur. But this sorcerer was fast marching forward, hands and lips moving preparing to cast the spell. Bandits near him fending the knights of. Merlin's eyes widened. Things were running fast, faster than he was able to think straight.
Merlin had learned to trust his instinct. He trusted his magic to guide him when there was no time to think.
"Merlin!" Lancelot yelled, noticing the same thing at the same time as Merlin. How the enemy sorcerer headed straight toward Arthur. Twenty feet. Merlin spurted forward, right between Arthur and the sorcerer. He raised his left hand up toward the sorcerer, his finger spread out casting his own stunning spell.
"Ástríce!"
And at the same time when Merlin stepped in the way, the sorcerer finished his own spell and casted it.
"ðrôwian for ðý ðe forl¯ætan sê scilfor ieldo âgânðætte we canne w¯ære âdragan!"
The sorcerer flung back, but his spell hit Merlin's hand. There was a whoosh and a strong force that spread all over the knight and the bandits alike and knocked them to the ground. It took a moment for Arthur to stumble up, his eyes searching Merlin, who was the only one to still stand.
"What the hell, Merlin…"
His left hand still up, Merlin turned his head, his eyes shining golden and Arthur froze. But what else the king saw, was terror. Merlin raised his right hand toward Arthur, palm up. He looked at his fingers then back at Arthur. Arthur looked at Merlin's outstretched hand. There were golden sparkles, tiny tiny golden sparkles coming from the fingers, then from the palm, floating in the air. Arthur looked at Merlin's golden eyes. No more terror, but resignation.
"Merlin?"
Merlin shifted, bringing his left hand beside the right, staring at them. There were more golden sparkles and they seemed to consume his whole arms now. Coming from Merlin, making him little by little disappear. Arthur's mind seemed to halt when he realized what was happening.
"Merlin!" Arthur reached forward, his hand trying to take hold of Merlin. Merlin smiled, sad little smile, when he straightened his left hand toward Arthur's reaching hand.
"Arthur…"
You are someone to die for
Someone to me to die for
Help me
I love you
When Arthur touched Merlin, the younger man seemed to explode. There were golden sparkles everywhere. Arthur stared the place where Merlin had been. The sparkles floated away. Away from Arthur. Up, up they went leaving nothing behind.
"MERLIN!"