Wow, your reactions certainly put my mind at ease about the last chapter, thank you! As normal, big thanks to MerlinStar for being an awesome beta.
"Solvo mihi ex meus vinculum," Arthur listened in astonishment as the words flowed freely from his mouth, his tongue rolling smoothly over the strange sounds. Almost falling over where he was crouched as a light shot from the palm of his hand, Arthur gasped as the bands around Merlin's wrists and ankles glowed brightly, before disappearing altogether. By muttering the spell, the prince had used up all of the magic Merlin had given him, meaning his legs quickly gave way underneath him as the roar of power disappeared, leaving him breathless and shaken, but pleased.
Shakily leaning back against the wall, Arthur tried to bring his breathing under control, unable to believe he had just performed magic. After spending his entire life fighting against it, had he really just used it? In doing so, though, the prince felt a rush of respect for his servant. Did it really feel like that the entire time? It was a miracle Merlin had been able to hide it for that long, especially considering he had been unconscious when the prince had found out. If Arthur hadn't been there at that precise moment, he may not have even known. It must be so hard to keep it under control like that the whole time if it was always screaming for the release Arthur had felt. Or maybe that was just because he was not used to being in possession of something so powerful? That was another thing the prince was trying not to think about, quite how powerful his clumsy servant truly seemed to be.
Resting back with a sigh, Arthur couldn't stop his fingers begin to drum impatiently on the ground beside him. They may have managed to progress a bit further, but with Merlin now unconscious, they were still stuck until the warlock woke up. Letting his eyes roam the cave, Arthur soon felt his foot begin to join his fingers in the drumming out of an impatient tune, wanting nothing more than to get back up to the castle and stop Claton. Although that in itself was going to be a bit of a problem, unless Merlin suddenly woke up super strong. As if his silent plea for the servant to wake up had sprung out of his head and into the still form in front of him, Merlin began to stir.
The first thing the warlock became aware of was his pounding head as he slowly forced his eyes open. The instant he became fully aware of his surroundings, a rush of magic filled him up, causing his eyes to flicker gold as he leant back into the welcoming embrace. It had only been a few hours since he had been in full control, yet it felt like a lifetime to the warlock. It was as if he had been split from himself, his very soul compressed and restrained. But now, he was back again, he was once more whole. Whispering a soft spell, Merlin grinned triumphantly as his head immediately stopped pounding.
Pushing himself upright, the warlock caught sight of the prince leaning back against the wall, looking drained. His eyes, however, were relieved as they watched the boy sit up, a spark of hope once more alighting in the blue.
"It worked, then?" he said, hoping his voice hadn't sounded as hoarse to Merlin as it did to himself. Merlin nodded mutely, unable to form the words to thank the prince. He had just done the very thing he despised, to save Merlin. Although he claimed it was for Camelot, the servant knew his master well enough to sense what he was not saying, and the gratitude Merlin now felt was not one that could be expressed in mere words.
Climbing to his feet, Merlin turned to examine the cave entrance and the blockage surrounding it. It was about time he got out of here, he decided. Raising his hand, the warlock let the magic fill him up.
"Ic abietee paet stanhol," Merlin smiled in delight as the rocks immediately exploded, clearing the path.
Pulling Arthur to his feet, the two boys stood side by side, prince and warlock ready to unite and face their enemy. Clearing his throat, Merlin gestured for Arthur to go through first.
"After you," he stated softly, feeling slightly nervous about what they were up against. There was no telling quite how powerful Claton was, and whilst he may have had his magic returned to him, Merlin was not sure whether he would be able to face the sorcerer. Lifted from his thoughts as Arthur grabbed his arm and pulled him through the gap, the two sprinted up the stairs, Merlin just about registering the unconscious man at the base.
Skidding to a halt as they exited the lower levels, the two drew to a stop, observing the hallway around them. The place was unnaturally quiet, not a sound could be heard.
"Where is he?" Merlin whispered, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. Arthur turned to look at his servant, concern echoed within his eyes as he heard the tremor in the boy's voice. There could be no denying Merlin was still scared despite the great power he had had returned to him. And if he was honest, Arthur didn't blame him in the slightest. Claton had put him through hell over the last week.
"My guess is the throne room," Arthur muttered back, reluctant to raise his voice. There could be no telling who was waiting around the next corner. "Come on, let's get back to my chambers, I at least need a sword."
Creeping forward, the two of them stole down the corridor, breaths held at every corner. Finally, the prince's chambers came into sight, and breaking into a jog, the two pelted towards it, hoping to find some sense of security within. Pushing the door open, Arthur made to step forward.
"Wait," Merlin hissed warningly, but the prince rolled his eyes.
"I'm just going to get my sword, Merlin. Nothing is going to happen." Preparing to make another step, Arthur felt something cold trickle over him and could have sworn he heard Merlin mutter something under his breath. Trying to take another step, Arthur frowned when he found he couldn't move his legs.
"Merlin, what the hell have you done to me? I'm the Crown Prince, you can't do this!"
"I'm only saving your life, you prat," Merlin responded. Conjuring up a small feather, Merlin gently blew it into the room. Watching its flight in silence, the pair stood stock still (not that Arthur had a choice) as it slowly fluttered down to the floor. The second it touched the ground, the feather suddenly erupted into flames, leaving a very stunned prince standing in the threshold.
"See?" Merlin asked smugly, trying not to laugh at the astonishment on Arthur's face.
"Subsisto flamma." As Arthur watched, his floor shimmered with a soft blue light which faded as fast as it had appeared. Striding past the prince, Merlin confidently stepped into the room, his eyebrows raised as nothing happened.
"Very clever," Arthur grumbled, annoyed at being outwitted by his servant. "Let me go." It wasn't a question, but Merlin obliged willingly, not giving the prince any warning of when the spell was removed. Suddenly having the use of his legs back again, Arthur was not prepared to have his balance so abruptly restored to him and found himself flat on his face, much to his servant's amusement.
Quickly picking himself up off the floor, Arthur snatched his sword from Merlin's outstretched hand and marched back down the corridor, trying to hide how uncomfortable he still was in the face of blatant magic. He knew he would never turn Merlin in, but still... Seeing the clumsy idiot so casually cast spells that could immobilise the prince, it was just unnerving.
Hearing his servant run to keep up with him, Arthur smirked. It was still clear who the master was. As he rounded a corner, the prince stopped abruptly when he caught sight of a pair of guards standing at the other end, both armed and clearly on the lookout. Feeling something hard bounce off his back, Arthur turned around, his eyebrows raised in amusement when he caught sight of Merlin sitting on the floor, looking indignant. He may be a powerful warlock, but still completely the same old Merlin.
"Back the other way," Arthur mouthed silently, trying not to laugh as Merlin scurried along, still on the floor. He was obviously thinking more about getting out of sight than finding his feet again.
"Idiot," Arthur muttered fondly, pulling him to his feet the second they were out of sight. "Do you think we are actually going to be able to get anywhere near Claton if there are this many guards about?"
"Guards aren't a problem," Merlin said softly, suddenly feeling extremely tired. He couldn't explain where the feeling had come from, perhaps it was nothing more than missing a few nights' sleep, but suddenly, the warlock felt physically drained and the prospect of taking another step seemed far too daunting. Watching his ashen complexion, Arthur frowned,
"Are you all right, Merlin?"
"Yeah," Merlin whispered, not having the energy to explain his new-found exhaustion. Noting Arthur watching him, the servant tried to smile, but could sense his eyelids drooping at the same time, something Arthur didn't fail to notice either.
"Let's find somewhere safer," the prince muttered, grabbing Merlin by the arm and pulling him along, racking his brains for where they could hide whilst Merlin regained his strength. Much as he hated to admit it, Arthur knew he wouldn't be able to go up against Claton on his own – the man could simply fry him from a distance if he wanted to. If it came down to a fight, Arthur knew he had the skill to win, but that Claton would never play fairly. What he had done to Merlin showed that much. As he pulled the warlock along, Arthur briefly paused, a thought flickering into his head. If Claton had taken such measures to stop Merlin being a threat, did that mean the young servant semi-consciously stumbling along beside him was more powerful than the hated man?
As the two crept down the corridor, Arthur held his sword out in front of him defensively with one hand and used the other to keep Merlin on his feet. The boy was suddenly ridiculously weak, stumbling every few steps. It was almost as if the removing of the bands had sapped his strength as well, and knowing Claton, that wasn't too unlikely. As the servant's feet gave out beneath him for the fifth time in as many steps, Arthur carefully lowered him to the floor, propping him up against the wall.
"I can't face him like this," Merlin whispered, every word an effort that made his head swim. All he wanted to do was just to shut his eyes and sleep. Feeling Arthur suddenly slap him, Merlin jolted back to reality, not having noticed he was drifting off.
"Stay with me, Merlin. I can't face him alone, he will tear me to shreds. I need you here."
"Too… far," Merlin panted, his eyes once more drifting shut.
"Damn it, Merlin, wake up!" Yanking his eyes open, Merlin scrambled back to his feet in an effort to stay awake.
"This is no good. I won't be able to get anywhere near him like this."
Suddenly, Arthur began to smirk, his mind clearly racing.
"What?" Merlin asked slowly, not sure if he liked the idea of Arthur coming up with a plan. They tended to involve using the warlock as some sort of bait. Although considering his latest one of using magic himself, Merlin didn't feel that anything would surprise him anymore.
"When Claton possessed you, was he just using your magic, or did he still possess his own?" Thinking hard, Merlin had a horrible feeling he knew where this was going.
"His own," he said guardedly, watching Arthur's face light up with delight. Suddenly realising what the prince was thinking, Merlin shook his head vehemently. "Don't even think about it. I am NOT possessing you, Arthur!"
"Merlin, come on," Arthur whined, not knowing why it was such a bad idea. "That way, we will have your magic and my skills combined in one. Claton won't even know what hit him. You said it yourself you can't get there, and I can't go in there without you warding him off, as much as it pains me to admit it. He'll never even know you're there."
"It's dark magic, Arthur; I'm not strong enough for a spell like that. What if I can't do it? What if I get stuck and we end up combined forever?" Simultaneously, both boys shuddered in horror at the prospect of being stuck together, but Arthur would not be shaken.
"Don't make me order you to do it, Merlin," he said lowly, authority once more ringing in his voice.
"Like you could," Merlin grumbled in response, but knowing that Arthur may actually have a point here. They couldn't go up against Claton separately. As the damn dragon always pointed out, they were two halves of a whole. Looked like that whole may be about to become more of a reality than anyone could have anticipated. Taking a deep breath, Merlin squared his shoulders.
"Get me back to Gaius' chambers," he instructed softly, trying to hide his astonishment as Arthur jumped to do as he asked, pulling one of Merlin's arms over his shoulder.
"Why?" Arthur eventually asked, half supporting, half dragging his servant along. If he didn't know any better, he would have said Merlin wasn't even trying to help, his feet dragging along behind them.
"One, that is where my magic book is." Noting Arthur's surprise, Merlin let himself smirk a little. "Yes, I do have one. I don't automatically know all of the spells. And two, I don't particularly want to leave my body lying in the middle of a corridor waiting for some hypnotised guard to kill me. I'd rather not be stuck with you for eternity."
"Likewise," Arthur retorted, pushing open the door with his foot before hastily checking the coast was clear. When the physician's chambers appeared to be safe, Arthur quickly pulled them both inside before shutting the door behind him. Hearing a thud behind him, Arthur turned just in time to see two guards come flying out of the shadows towards him.
"Look like Claton anticipated you returning here," Arthur grunted, swinging his sword at the closest guard. To his surprise, the man blocked it with ease, obviously possessing some new sort of fighting ability.
"He was in my head for a few days," Merlin responded, conjuring up a spiral out of thin air and launching it at the second man. He didn't want to kill him, only stop him. After all, it wasn't as if it was his fault. To his utmost astonishment, the spell simply bounced off the man, having had no impact at all. Claton had obviously anticipated him using magic, as well.
As his own spell shot backwards towards him, Merlin dove out of the way, catching Arthur around the knees as he fell and bringing the prince crashing down with him. Glancing up in horror, Merlin could only watch as the guard Arthur had been fighting raised his sword above the warlock's head. His mind going blank of any spell that would save him, Merlin instead opted for squeezing his eyes shut as the weapon began its descent, jumping in surprise when he heard a sudden clang.
Snapping his eyes open again, Merlin smiled when he saw Arthur's own sword blocking the attack, the prince having once more regained his footing a lot quicker than his gangly servant. Seeing the second guard begin to sneak up from behind the prince, Merlin sprang to his feet.
"Duck!" With no more than a mere flash of his eyes, the guard was sent flying forwards, shooting over Arthur's dropped head at an astonishing speed before crashing into his colleague. Sent sprawling, both men were knocked out as they crashed headlong into Gaius' workbench. Smiling with satisfaction, Merlin knew that he was still partially more powerful than Claton. The twisted man seemed to have forgotten Merlin didn't always need words to use magic. Pulling Arthur to his feet, the two stood side by side for a moment.
"We make quite a team," Merlin eventually said with a shaky laugh, letting out an explosive breath of relief. Arthur smiled back at him, then seemed to catch himself and the smile vanished as quickly as it had come. It was time to stop Claton.
"Come on, work some mumbo-jumbo."
"You make it sound so simple," Merlin grumbled in response, leading the way up to his room. Reaching under his lose floorboard, he pretended he didn't hear Arthur's groan at such a traditional hiding place as he pulled his magic book from beneath. Perching on the edge of his bed, Merlin quickly began to leaf through the book, not really knowing what he was looking for. As Arthur took up guard by the door, sword ready just in case, the warlock flashed his eyes and let the book fall open on the right page.
"Think I've got it," he declared jubilantly, causing the prince to rush to his side. Peering over Merlin's shoulder, Arthur frowned. He hadn't a clue what it said on the page, it seemed to be in another language.
"What did you expect?" Merlin asked suddenly, sensing by the stillness overtaking the prince what he was thinking. When Arthur refused to answer, the warlock took a deep breath. The spell looked complicated, but manageable. He had done harder things in the past, and at least this time he wouldn't have to try and hide what he was doing from Arthur.
"Are you sure you want to do this? I don't know what is going to happen, I'm not even sure if I can do the spell."
"Just shut up and do it, Merlin," Arthur instructed, receiving a nod for his orders. Merlin climbed off the bed and sat himself crossed legged in the middle of the floor, gesturing for Arthur to do the same. Feeling surprisingly nervous, Arthur did as he was bid, suddenly not at all sure that this was the best idea he had ever come up with.