"Merlin?" One of the guards outside the throne room blinked as the warlock stomped towards him, his hair stained red with blood. "What-."
Merlin murmured a spell under his breath, and the two guards were pushed away from the doors. Merlin waved his hand again, and the doors flung open. Arthur was sitting on his throne, staring thoughtfully at the wall. He jerked as Merlin entered.
"Merlin?" The king started to rise to his feet. "What are you doing back so soon? I-."
Merlin didn't speak. He just flicked his head. The ruby around his friend's neck snapped clean off, flying across the room and hitting the wall.
"You'll thank me in a moment." Merlin breathed, as Arthur gaped at him. However, Merlin could already see a curtain of bleariness dropping away from the king's eyes. The warlock made his way across the room to where the ruby had fallen. He kneeled down and picked it up.
Magic really can be used for terrible evil in the wrong hands. Merlin mused, turning the cursed jewel around in his fingers. And this little trinket has caused so much harm… all because of Thomas.
"Merlin?"
Merlin glanced over his shoulder. Arthur had risen to his feet, and was staring at him in horror.
"Merlin…" the king's gaze shifted to the doors. "Is Callum with you? I…I don't know…" Arthur grimaced, reaching up a hand to rub at his face. "I didn't mean anything I said to him. I felt-."
"You were cursed." Merlin sighed. He held up the ruby for his friend to see. "By this. I don't know what it does… but I know it was meant to turn you against Callum."
Arthur flinched.
"Thomas?" He asked. Merlin nodded.
"He's a sorcerer…" the warlock stood up. "And not one fond of you."
Arthur stood as still as a statue, his face flushed.
"He betrayed me." The king murmured, his voice thick with betrayal. Arthur's head drooped. "Merlin… I like to believe I'm a just enough king. I know I try my best. So, why is it that everyone I come to trust, or care for, turns against me?"
Merlin didn't have a good answer for that. He didn't understand it either. Arthur was a good king; and yet, he'd face more adversity from his own people, and had more traitors from within the walls of his kingdom, than anyone else Merlin knew of. It wasn't right.
"Merlin? Are you bleeding?!" Merlin blinked owlishly as Arthur furrowed his brow at him. He reached up a hand and gingerly touched his fingers to his head. Sure enough, they came back red.
"Oh. Thomas attacked us on the trail this morning." Merlin explained. His chest tightened. "Arthur… everyone is ok… but…"
Arthur took a step forward, his eyes narrowed.
"But what?" He growled.
"He knocked us all out." Merlin explained, his voice thick with emotion. "When I awoke… he was gone. And so was Callum."
Arthur looked as though he'd been struck. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, as though he were struggling to find the right words.
"Why?" He finally mangled to rasp out. "Why take the boy? Why turn him against me? What did he achieve by doing any of that?"
Merlin drew in a breath.
"Arthur…" he swallowed. "You've said it yourself, you've grown to love the boy like a son." The warlock felt a cold dread wash over him. "And what better way to destroy the father, than through the son? I don't know exactly what Thomas is planning… but I believe he saw your bond, and he's going to try and use it against you."
Arthur rubbed at his neck. The skin was red where the string of the necklace had been.
"That won't happen." The king decided, his jaw tightening. "I won't allow Callum to be manipulated… and I sure won't allow him to believe that I meant anything I said! That I actually…" Arthur blinked hard. He looked away for a moment, before he lifted his head and started towards the doors.
Oh no… Merlin, recognizing that stance, eyed his king wearily.
"Where are you going?" He wanted to know. "Arthur, it's dusk outside…"
"I don't care if it's midnight!" Arthur spun to face him, his eyes blazing with determination. "I'm getting the best knights together- you said they were unharmed in the attack- and we are going to find Callum! I don't care if I have to search every inch of all five kingdoms before I do!"
What did you expect? Merlin sighed, eyeing his friend with a mixture of affection and worry. He loves that kid… I would do the same for my daughter. I would do anything for my child.
"My God…" Arthur stopped with his hand on the door. He turned to look at Merlin, face wracked with guilt. "I can't believe the things I was thinking, Merlin. The things I did, and the things I would have done if you hadn't been there to stop me… thank you, my friend. Thank you for protecting him."
Merlin gave a half smile.
"I didn't know what was going on with you." He admitted softly. "But I knew you would never hurt him… don't blame yourself for that. Don't blame yourself for being cursed. It wasn't your fault." Merlin's smile fell completely away. "But, Arthur? We can't just ride out wildly. We have to have some idea of where to start searching."
"I do." Arthur's eyes darkened. He pushed the door all the way open. "Thomas must have received that cursed gem from somewhere, correct?"
Merlin nodded.
"I suppose. Yes."
"Right." Arthur's lip curled. "Well, I happen to have a man on his way here willing to trade a good sum of gold for a ruby that looks just like that." Arthur indicated the jewel in Merlin's hand.
"Oh." Merlin nodded. "The man you were telling me about… when you were whining about not having the keys."
"I was not whining." Arthur frowned. "I…never mind, you're too dense to understand anything I say anyway. Yes, Merlin. That man. He wrote to me about the ruby… perhaps he's seen others." Arthur nodded slowly, more to himself than to Merlin. "We will intercept him on his way to Camelot, and see what we can find out."
"What if he doesn't know anything about the curse?" Merlin asked. "What if he can't help?"
Arthur closed his eyes briefly, before opening them and stepping out the door.
"It's not a guarantee." He called over his shoulder. "But it's a start."
Callum shuddered as a spider web caught on his shoulder, the sticky substance clinging to his arm.
"Thomas?" He called, his voice echoing. "How much longer?"
After they'd teleported away from the knights and Merlin, they'd reappeared in darkness. At first, Callum hadn't a clue where he was. Then, Thomas had clarified that they were in a cave.
"A series of caves." The warlock had explained. "They all lead to the center of the mountain."
"Mountain?" Callum had glanced up. "We're in a mountain?"
"In?" Thomas laughed. "I don't know if that's correct grammar, kid. But sure, we're under a mountain; In it. Come on."
After that, Thomas had begun to make his way through the darkness, Callum trailing behind him.
They'd been walking for hours in the blackness. Callum shivered, blinking his stinging eyes. The air around them was thick, and it was hard to breathe. The smell of earth filled the tunnels, and there was no sound except for the soft thumps of their footsteps against the stone ground.
"Not long," Thomas called back from overhead. "Hang in there. We're almost there."
Almost where? Callum wondered. He stopped, casting a longing glance over his shoulder. Am I making a mistake? Maybe I shouldn't have come with him… maybe I should have just stayed with Merlin.
And what? A voice inside his head snarled. Let him take you away to live in a village somewhere as a farmer? Arthur abandoned you! He doesn't want you anymore… What does it matter where you go now? He won't care.
"Callum?" Thomas's voice drifted back to him. He glanced ahead, watching as the older boy stepped from the shadows and came to stand in front of him. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Callum assured him. Thomas eyed him, an unreadable expression on his face.
"I'm really ok." Callum asserted. He lowered his head. "I'm just thinking."
Thomas hesitated, before asking.
"About what?"
Callum swallowed. An image flashed in his mind… an image of Arthur sneering at him, telling him he was a waste of time.
"I don't know. Dumb stuff." Callum whispered. He didn't look at Thomas, but he could feel the warlock's eyes on him.
"I'm… uh…" Thomas trailed off. "I'm sorry that…that he hurt you. I tried to tell you Arthur Pendragon wasn't a good man."
"You did." Callum agreed vaguely. He didn't want to talk about how bad Arthur was… because, even though the man had hurt him, there was a huge part of Callum that still… that still thought of Arthur as his hero. The man who'd saved him from Odin and given him a home… given him a purpose.
But I didn't do anything wrong! Callum thought, his anger resurfacing. And he abandoned me… heroes don't do horrible things like that… Do they? I don't think so.
"Hey, kid." A hand came to rest on his shoulder. Callum glanced up. Thomas was smiling thinly at him. "It'll be ok. Alright? Now," Thomas gave him a pat, before pulling away and starting back down the tunnel. "Let's keep going. Morga- I know it's not much further now."
Callum stood there for a heartbeat, his legs aching and his mind racing. He cast one last long look over his shoulder.
Goodbye, Arthur. He thought, his eyes prickling with tears. Then, Callum turned and started into the darkness after Thomas.