Hey Everyone sorry I've been gone for so long but I've had sooooo much stuff going on and life is evil and won't let me be and let me write what i want to write. Again, sorry so here you go PM me if something makes absolitly no sense.
"Austin! Why not? Please? Can't we just follow closely behind them?"
Austin rubbed his temple"No, your father is worried sick. Now stop whining, and let's go."
"Forclyccan." Her eyes glowed gold, and the horse suddenly stopped.
"Please, Fawn, we don't have time for this." She just folded her arms and stared at her red-headed protector in defiance. He stared back just as defiantly and sighed in exasperation before looking away.
"Fine! Let's go." He turned the horse around back the way they had come.
"Yes!" She cried from atop the steed.
"But if I tell you to run… you will run. No matter what happens. You will run all the way back to your father. As fast as you can. Do you understand?"
She glared at the back of his head, and feeling her eyes boring into him, he turned in his saddle to look at her with pleading brown eyes. "Fawn, I asked if you understood, so I need you to answer."
Her eyes softened. "Yes, yes, I understand."
Austin smiled and nodded. "Good." He turned at a twig snapping. His eyes searched the forest around them in a frantic sequence, hoping that nothing dangerous was lurking in the shadows.
"Who's there?" he called loudly. His voice almost quivered. Something did not feel right here. The forest was too quiet and the wind was too loud for the time of year.
Then a young woman all in black stepped out from behind a tree. He raises his hands in defense as he feels her evil presence. Her entire being had a dark aura.
Her eyes flash gold.
Then everything went dark.
-
Arthur, Gwaine and Percival turned on their heels to come face to face with none other than (you guessed it) Morgana. Merlin and Artemis looked at her over their shoulders. The storm was back in her eyes.
"Le Fey." Artemis snarled, standing and spitting on the ground. "What do you want, bitch?"
"Witch." Gwaine corrected her. She gave him a look.
"That's what I said."
Morgana ignored the queen and gave them a dark chuckle. "Arty, I'm so glad to see you." She walked forward her voice dripping with false camaraderie.
"Well I'm not." Both Artemis and Arthur said, each giving one another a look.
The witch laughed again. Then her face went dark. "You're all being thorns in my side and you've incapacitated my little darling. She was doing so well! Eating villagers with the help of my bandits … and attacking you."
In response, Artemis spat again, right in front of her feet.
She looked at her in disgust. "Well, that's not very lady like, is it my lady?" She mock curtsied to her.
Artemis' eyes were purple flames. Ablaze with a hate he had never seen on her or anyone's face but Morgana's… but it wasn't an evil loathing, it was a righteous hate. She hated Morgana on a personal and a level of queenly good intent. Obviously, she had harmed her people before.
'Oh if looks could kill,' thought Merlin and Percival.
"I've always wondered why you rule in the stead of your brother."
Artemis gave her a glare and growled, "Because in my kingdom, the heir is the first born. Not the first born male."
Morgana looked unperturbed by the queen's deadly gaze. The witch looked at her nails in mock boredom and said:
" well I'd love to stay and chat just a little longer but it appears… I'm on a tight schedule," and before they could do anything more Morgana's eyes flashed, and they knew no more.
Merlin woke to a darkness like no other and the dripping of water. 'A dungeon or a cave,' he thought to himself. He was about to call out when he heard muttering.
"No, it wasn't my fault. No, not me. It was… it was my fault. NO! It wasn't; don't blame yourself. Stop it. You're wrong! You killed them!" He recognized that voice. Whose was it?
"Hello? Who's there?" He called quietly. The muttering stopped. The only sound he could hear was their breathing and the 'drip, drip' of the water.
"Who are you? W-what do you want from me?" It was a frantic voice, practically screeching. Then it dawned on him who it was.
"Artemis? Is that you? It's me Merlin! Are you alright?"
"No. I-I'm not al-alright. Me-me-Merlin h-elp me, please. They won't-t stop screaming. They, they won't stop calling my name and b-blaming me. MERLIN, PLEASE! MAKE IT STOP!" She started sobbing, muttering 'make it stop, make it stop' over and over again. This scared him. Artemis would never scream like that.
"Is anyone else here?"
The muttering and sobs died. "I don't think s-so."
'She stutters now,' he thought grimly, 'I'll have to fix that. It just doesn't seem right.'
"Léoht," he muttered. A bright white light burned into existence. She was right in front of him, rocking back and forth holding her knees to her chest. She was covered in dirt and grime, and tears ran down her face, leaving tracks in the dirt there. She looked at him trying to smile.
"I knew you had magic." She whispered.
He chuckled at the comment. She would have felt something like that.
"The Druids call you Emrys… as do my people…" she trailed off, and she clutched at her head with her hands and began muttering again.
"No, no, it wasn't your fault. She told you it wasn't your fault. They wouldn't blame you. No! Stop it! Stop calling my name! It wasn't my fault! I–"
"Artemis!"
Her eyes snapped up to his. "Yes?"
"I need you to calm down and tell me what happened, alright?"
She nodded. "Alright." She looked so lost and broken. So small. She shivered and clung to herself. "The witch knocked us out and took us to this place," she spat with some of her old vigor and flame in her eyes. "She took Arthur, Percival, and Gwaine to another cavern over in that direction." She waved her hand to the left of them. He noticed it was red and raw.
"How long have I been out?"
"A day or two… I can't tell." He nodded for her to continue. "She tied me to the wall for a while then got bored and… forced something down my throat. I keep seeing… things, things I don't want to remember." She shivered involuntarily. She stared at him wide eyed and unblinking. The purple in them all but gone. Now they were a milky white. Her pupils were extremely dilated even in the bright light he had created. She looked away quickly, and her eyes flashed purple. She was muttering again.
"No, Septum, it wasn't my fault. No! NO! It wasn't! Stop! Stop looking at me like that! Mum said it wasn't my fault. She said it was supposed to happen and that I wasn't supposed to blame myself. NO! Septum! It wasn't! Please, please stop it. Please…" she trailed off into more soft sobs.
Merlin's hands hadn't been chained neither had his feet so he shakily got up and came close to her. She flinched when he touched her, but then she looked at him and pulled him close and cried into his tunic. He awkwardly patted her back as her sobs died down and her breathing became even. He laid her down gently and put his fingertips to her temples. He felt his eyes flash under his closed lids and slipped into her dreams.
First it was just darkness and a little girl sitting in the corner. She turned at his echoing footsteps. Her eyes were wide as he got closer. 'This must be what Artemis looked like when she was younger…' he mused silently to himself.
She cocked her head. Then she beckoned him to follow her. So he nodded and did. As they walked, she began to disappear as the a scene began to appear in the darkness around them. It looked like a family picnic. A young man and woman sat on the sides of a small girl who could only be Artemis and a young boy, who could only be Artemis's brother Septum. His bright green eyes, dark black hair, and regal facial features gave him the strict appearance of a young prince. He looked like his father, but his eyes were all his own.
The man sat proudly but smiled fondly at his children as they played on the blanket in front of them. The mother was soft and gentle with her children but had the air of royal grace that many nobles should have but lack. Brunette hair like her daughter's hung around her face in straight strands. Her eyes were lilac. Then he saw Artemis and realized that her eyes were entirely different from that of what they were now. They were a pale navy. The small scar he had once noticed was no longer upon her lips, and there was a greater happiness in her than he had ever seen.
Merlin watched the happy family play and laugh with a small smile on his face. The little boy who wanted to be prim and proper eventually eased and became the little child he really was. He ran after his sister as she chased a butterfly across the large blanket. Merlin yelped in surprise when one of their guards suddenly fell, an arrow protruding from his chest.
Artemis screamed. Men rushed into the clearing massacring the guards of the royal family. The young king and queen stood both drawing swords. A small hawk flew to Artemis and landed on her shoulder, letting out a screech. Its wings were spread as it prepared to attack any that came close. The king and queen were soon subdued as one of the bandits took a hold of Artemis and Septum. The man holding Artemis leaned down and put a blade to her lip.
"Now your highnesses, I wouldn't want anything to happen to this beautiful little thing. Cooperate and we'll see about letting them go."
Artemis's face was filled with rage and a quivering fear. One man had a grip on the screeching hawk as it tried to attack. Her eyes flashed purple and gold. They swirled around her irises. Her mother's did the same but more subtly.
"Do not touch my daughter, you arrogant fool!" The queen shouted. The leader of the bandits looked at her in a parody of offense. His mouth wide in mocking.
"Fool? No, never a fool. Arrogant? Maybe a little and maybe even… a little cruel." He growled and pushed down on the razor sharp blade. Blood swept down Artemis' small chin. Her eyes filled with tears, but she never made a sound. Septum looked at his father with a level of detachedness that only princes were taught at a young age. He did not move nor did he make a sound. Merlin realized that Septum was trembling, however.
The young princess had a look of fury in her eyes as the men made her brave little brother shake with fear and dare to touch her family.
Artemis began to mumble in the old tongue. "Íc ácíegan ond sé holt…" The man looked at her in horror.
"I call the forest." Merlin translated.
"What is this little witch doing!?" The man screamed. His knife flew from her face.
"ond sé holt andswerian…" Her eyes became even more purple and even less blue.
"And the forest answers…" Merlin translated again.
"æ ond cwealmbealu forþfolgian mín forelædan…"
The men and bandits, except the ones holding the royal couple, backed away from the girl. Her eyes glowing violently and the wind and trees moving as she beckoned them.
"Life and death follow my lead…" Merlin whispered.
The leader's eyes were wide, angry, and scared.
"For íc béon sé unbeden's cwén ond tóweard gúðcwén…"
"For I am the Unbidden's princess and future queen…"
The bandits were trembling at this small show of power. Many ran, but the leader of them stood his ground. A feral growl left his mouth as he stared at the little girl that foiled his plans.
"íc beclyppan úre tóweard in sé brádhand mín."
"I hold your future in the palm of my hand."
"Ond dafenlicnes heorcnian to úre feora."
"And time listens to our souls."
The leader ran behind the queen as she whispered the words with her daughter and held his knife to her back. Artemis's head snapped to the man.
"bladesung sy getamcian swá léoht…"
"lightning as tame as light…"
"in sé undéadlic's hrinan."
"In the immortal's hand." His voice hitched at immortal. This little girl of not-so-long-ago knew who he was going to be before he even knew it himself.
"Emrys cíegere mín nama…"
"Emrys calls my name…"
"swá íc ést cuman."
"So I will come."
The man was shouting something, threatening the queen. The king and Septum stood still, eyes flickering with gold.
"Sé ácennicge ond sé dohtor."
"The mother and the daughter."
"ánwealda hwa álibbend æfter cwalu ond ánwealda hwa álibbend eac ælíf."
"One who lives after death and one who lives with eternal life." Merlin watched in horror as the man stabbed the queen. She cried out and the little girl grabbed at her side as her mother did. She screamed in pain as her mother fell to the ground. The king snapped out of his stupor and after running the man through, he kneeled next to his queen with tears in his eyes.
"No, you didn't tell me this would happen."
She smiled, her eyes white and creamy no longer purple. "Yes I did. You just didn't listen. She did not know, but this would always happen."
Septum was holding his sister closely to his chest. The king turned to his children.
"Junior, bring your sister here." His son listened and brought them closer. The queen stared with blind eyes at her children.
"Now I want you to be brave, children. You will be great at whatever you do. You will find the prophecies though and you will be great even in your fear. Artemis, I want you to remember that you are not a monster for the powers we hold inside us. I will see you again. For I am the one who lives after death–"
Everything around Merlin went black then pulsed purple. He stared forward as a small figure walked forward. Then she appeared before him. Hand in hand with her mother. The mother smiled and bowed her head.
"Hello, Emrys."
"Hello. Uhhmm… may I ask what is going on?"
"Yes, you may."
"How exactly do your powers work?" the old queen's lips twitched upwards sadly.
"Our powers are of nature itself… which is magic. We belong to the earth, sky, water, air, fire, forest, ect. We live to protect the magic of the world. Emotions such as anger and other passionate sentiments can start the effects sooner. What you saw was how my daughter came to have my powers. It is like your dragonlord powers. Hereditary, however, who has it, does not always have to be the daughter."
She smiled and looked to her daughter who had been quiet until now, she giggled girlishly. "Sé æce." Artemis says through the giggle. The Elegant figure beamed again at her little child.
"Yes, Artemis, he is the eternal. But he is also your friend."
She stared up at her mother in confusion then looked to him. Her navy blue eyes looking straight into him. "Really? You'll help me be free to walk as any other person. To walk among the living and leave the dead behind? But never forget them. No never forget." She then stared at her mother with glowing purple eyes.
He looked at them both. "I will do my best."
Artemis smiled widely. Then her form morphed into a more recognizable personification.
"Then you've already done so. I assume you have some more questions."
"Yes, one being how you and your mother are attached to my destiny?"
"Ahh, that. You see my mother handed the Ladyship of the lake to someone you hold dear. She is the gate to the afterlife now. My mother no longer has a part to play in this. I am the gate of the dead to the living and nature's mouth piece." Merlin raised an eyebrow.
"Nature's mouth piece?" She nodded.
"I speak for the creatures of the earth, sky, and sea. I am also your way of hearing the will of the Fates when they so wish to give us something they think useful."
That explained a lot, Merlin thought.
She spoke again. "We do not have much time, Merlin; you must leave my mind and find our friends."
He nodded quickly, and the darkness receded. Then when he blinked his eyes open again, she was staring up at him with his hand inches from her face. She smiled with her canines bright in the light of his weir light.
"Ready to save his highness?" He smiled and helped her up.