Living Nightmares/ Nightmares In Camelot Chapter 4

A/N: Hey guys, sorry for long wait. So many exams so little time! Urgh! But yeah, I'm trying to keep this going, I hate leaving things unfinished, and it's pretty hard to write without encouragement , but never mind! You still get a story, even if it is crap!

Chapter 4: Desperate Measures

MERLIN

Merlin was exhausted. His back kept sending awful jolts of pain through his body. Since the prince had been attacked, Gaius had kept his ward in the Prince's chambers, much to the King saying he shouldn't be. Gaius had explained that if Merlin and Arthur were going through the same thing, it would make it easier for the old man to keep an eye on them; and for both young men to keep an eye on each other.

So that's how Guinevere had found them, the Prince in his own bed, and Gaius had politely asked Uther to move a comfortable makeshift bed into Arthur's chambers for Merlin to use. Gaius had asked Gwen to help her tend to both of the boys' wounds; and to make sure they didn't fall asleep.

But now, both carers were gone. It was almost midnight and both Merlin and Arthur had insisted that they both got some sleep, to help all of them. Merlin and Arthur lay awake in candle light; talking to each other to make sure they didn't fall asleep if they felt like it.

"How are we going to stop him?" Arthur asked once. Merlin stared blankly at his pillow. He didn't know what to do, and he hated to admit it, he was scared. So instead, he chose to put a smile on his face and

"You're the prince, aren't you supposed to come up with the plans?" He grinned. Arthur's head rose up from his pillow and started at Merlin like he had grown another head. Merlin laughed and shook his head slightly.

"Don't worry, I'll figure something out." Merlin sighed, knowing that he always did.

"You can't work it out on your own though. That's unfair. You're injured." Arthur said, curiosity hidden in his tone.

"And so are you." Merlin pointed out. Arthur rolled his eyes and closed them. "And don't fall asleep. It won't help you."

"I'm not falling asleep, I'm resting my eyes." Arthur retorted.

"And before you know it, you'll be cut up into a million pieces. Don't fall asleep." Merlin said as his eyes drifted closed. "You make me sleepy."

"Don't you fall asleep after you told me not to!" Arthur's sharp voice cut through the room, but Merlin he didn't mean it. Merlin only muttered in response.

Then something soft hit his back. He cried out and jolted upwards, his eyes snapping open, looking for the imposter. He growled finding it only to be a red cushion.

"That hurt, you prat!" Merlin whined, pushing it onto the floor.

"Good, maybe the pain will keep you awake." Arthur said.

"Gaius will kill you if my wounds have reopened!" Merlin's mood was starting to get the better him, and he couldn't help it. He was tired and in pain and Prince Prat was just fuelling it more.

"It was only a cushion, don't be such a girl, Merlin." Arthur grinned. Merlin rolled his eyes and face-planted on the pillow.

Then Merlin shivered. His magic was reacting to something and he felt something pulling him. It was a different kind of pull. It made him queasy and it made him feel heavy…far too heavy. He was vaguely aware of Arthur calling his name and everything just seemed so dizzy. That's when he started to hear laughing. It was an evil laugh and very familiar laugh. The warlock shivered when he eventually figured out what was happening. That monster of a human was leading him into sleep, so of course Merlin began to fight his way out.

"Come on, Emrys, don't be a coward." The man chortled.

"No!" Merlin cried out, not knowing if he was crying out loud or just in his mind.

"Come on, young warlock, come to me. Go to sleep and let your nightmares come true." Freddie laughed.

"NO!"

ARTHUR

Arthur sighed and looked at Merlin. It wasn't like the younger man to get moody, but the prince knew it was tiredness, so he wasn't offended in any way. However, Arthur caught Merlin's shiver and immediately thought that Merlin was cold, or beginning to get a fever.

"Merlin, are you alright?" There was no immediate answer, so Arthur waited, hoping that the idiot hadn't fallen asleep, that was the last thing he wanted Merlin to do, especially when he was like this. The Prince watched as his servant twitched and flinched, as if something was happening. Was he already in the nightmare?

"No!" Came a cry from Merlin's bed. Arthur looked over, assessing the servant's body for any sign of a new wound. There was none…and his eyes were open. He looked pained and afraid. This was not something Arthur, not on the face of his ser- friend. It was the last thing he wanted, especially when Merlin was such a happy person. His friend's eyes searched frantically for Arthur, barely seeing him, and looking for someone else. Was that man after him again? Arthur shivered and built up his strength to call for the guards.

"Guards!" He called quite loudly. Merlin didn't hear him; he was in such a state, tears flowing endlessly down his cheeks as he tried to fight to stay awake. The guards burst in to the room, searching for an intruder, and only looking confused to find a servant and Arthur in beds, covered in bandages.

"Yes, sire?" One asked.

"Get… get Gaius! Get someone! Help…!" Arthur said but broke off, not finding the strength in his voice anymore as he watched his friend thrash and fight. The guards didn't even reply and they were already out of the door.

"NO!"

Arthur looked towards the makeshift bed to find Merlin on his back, writhing in agony as he tried to fight off sleep.

"Merlin…don't fall asleep," The prince said in a pained voice as he struggled to get up to see to his friend. However, those words were useless. Just as Arthur said them, Merlin's body went rigid, his expression pained and afraid as he fell into the dark slumber. Arthur stared in horror, waiting, preparing himself to watch his friend suffer at the hands of the beast.

However, the once and future king did not see his friend suffer, he heard it. He scrambled out of bed, despite it hurting so much, Merlin was hurting more, and Arthur didn't like it. He heard and watched as each bone cracked and broke; a pitiful or a gut-wrenching came from the boy. He couldn't touch his servant, not without him hurting more. Arthur was distraught. Merlin's shoulder was dislocated and bleeding from a fresh cut on his right shoulder. His left trouser leg had been ripped and Arthur could swear he could see tooth marks…canine teeth marks. That man had a dog? The sick…

Arthur snapped his head up from Merlin when Gaius came rushing in, still in his night robe, heading straight to Merlin to inspect his wounds.

"Gaius, he won't wake up. He took him…that Freddie took him…Merlin fought him but…he just couldn't." Arthur was shocked and damn it- frightened. He had never faced anything like this before, and it scared him because it was the worst.

Then the writhing stopped, and Arthur watched as Merlin regained consciousness. Arthur dreaded what was coming and stepped back, not really wanting to hear what he was expecting.

And what he was expecting came. The room was filled with an agonized scream. It was all too much for Arthur's liking. He felt like passing out, but he couldn't because he knew that Freddie would get him next. He didn't want that, he just wanted to look after Merlin. He wanted to help Gaius help Merlin. That was all that mattered now. Then suddenly the screams stopped. Arthur watched as Merlin's left hand shakily rose up so it was in his line of site. He opened his hand agonisingly slow and when he did, Arthur placed a look of disgust on his face. There in his friend's hand lay a bloody clump of something that looked like rotten skin, Arthur couldn't be sure. Merlin dropped it on the floor in horror and the three men watched as the skin rotted into maggots.

Merlin looked up and he was visibly shaking. "I have a plan."

A/N: Hey guys, here it is. Slightly longer than last time. I wanted it to be longer than this but I have been playing on my guitar at the same time, and I really wanted this up tonight. I hope the Merlin whump was sufficient enough. It was meant to be a whole lot more with the breaking bones, I was literally typing up breaking arms, shoulders, fingers, legs, and ribs! Until I realised I actually needed Merlin to be able to move XD so I had to delete it all. But don't worry, it hasn't ended yet.

You were all right. Why delete a story? It's just starting to get good now, I thank you all that have review-abused me and made me consider deleting it. I thank you all for changing my mind because I think I would have really regretted it if I did. Thank you for saving me, Arthur and Merlin (well maybe not Merlin because he's quite banged up at the moment haha)

Thanks again, please review for me? Please please please please! Thanks!