A/N: I think this might be my favorite chapter so far! This happen a bit (way) too quickly, but I have no idea how to fix it, so here. Enjoy! :D

Arthur stared at the body of his best friend, lying atop the patient's bed as if he were sleeping, the corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly in a peaceful smile. He started shaking his head, closing his eyes tightly against the scene and taking a step back.

"He-he can't be dead." no matter the amount of teasing he subjected the boy to, no matter if he slipped in a joke after he said it to hide his concern, he really couldn't bear to lose the man he had come to think of as a brother.

"I'm afraid that he is, Sire." Even though he had known Gaius since the day he was born, the old man was even better at keeping a stoic mask than the king himself. He knew that they felt the same, but it would have been impossible for a stranger to gauge that by simply looking at him.

"But- I," he started how slow and soft, trying to sort together his thoughts. As soon as he did, his voice was practically dripping with rage. "No."

Gaius stared at him, a glint of surprise in his eyes at the king's determination.

"He is not dead. He can't be; this is Merlin we're talking about! After all he's been through, he never dies, and this time, I won't allow him, d'you understand me?" Arthur shouted, gesturing dangerously throughout his small rant. He had to be alive, it was as simple as that. Arthur would not allow him to be dead, not for another fifty years. Even as the denial and defiance raced through his mind, it didn't stop the small voice in the back of his mind from informing him that Merlin had never done as he was told.

"Sire-,"

"When he got hit right in the chest with a mace, then kidnaped by Morgana's men, he lived! Whenever we have been attacked by forty bandits, or even more, he walked away without a scratch! Even when we rode out after the Great Dragon, who was left standing? The prince, his servant and one knight. Out of fourteen, fully trained knights!"

Arthur continued his rant for hours, going through almost every instance that he knew of where Merlin surely should have been fatally injured, but left with hardly more than a scratch. Gaius just sat there patiently. If the older man wasn't listening to the king, he was certainly doing a good impression of one who hadn't tuned him out half an hour ago. Small slivers of light had started to shine through the windows, flickering across the floor when Arthur's speech finally died down. The man ended up sleeping on a stool beside Merlin's pale body, leaning against a support beam behind the bed, his right hand clamped tightly on his friend's shoulder. The older man could be found across from him, hunched over in a rickety stool of his own, snoring loudly. The king was startled awake hours after he fell asleep when an odd, shuttering wheeze filled the room. He sat up quickly, glancing nervously at the physician, fearing that something might have happened to the elderly man. When he found him sleeping soundly, loud snores filling the room, his eyes scanned for other options. And then he noticed.

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted, practically falling off his stool as he turned to face his best friend. The king didn't even bother hiding the overly-large smile that jumped onto his face, there was no point really, it wouldn't be hard to figure out how truly relieved he really was. "He's alive!"

Gaius woke at his joyful cry, taking a moment to process what was happening before the king was being pushed aside and the warlock examined.

"I told you Gaius, I said that he wasn't really dead!" the blond chirped gleefully, grinning like a fool. He didn't even try to stay out of the physician's way, but instead just stayed close on the opposite side of the bed, pretending that there wasn't a huge chance that this could all be a dream and he was simply still asleep.

"I don't understand how that happened," Gaius replied, every inch of his face covered in shock and relief as he fell into the stool previously occupied by the other man. "He's still cold and struggling to breathe correctly, but he is not dead!"

Without warning, Merlin's eyes shot open, revealing a ring of blue beneath his dilated pupils. He leapt off the bed, searching the room with a panicked expression, any sign that he had a broken leg was gone.

"Merlin?" Arthur studied his friend's face. Fear covered every inch of his pale features. He may have called Merlin a coward countless times, but it was always in a joking manner. He had never seen him this terrified.

Merlin ducked, his arms flailing wildly as an arrow flew over him, wedging itself in the tree he had been standing front of mere seconds ago. He started to run this way and that, dodging the poison tipped arrows firing from the men's bows. Were they even men? They had the torso of a man, glowing red eyes and long hair varying in colors, but below the waist was the body of a horse. He continued forward, running as fast as possible, but he really was an idiot if he thought you could outrun a herd of centaurs.

"Dissiliunt!" Merlin shouted over his shoulder, not daring to move his eyes from the path ahead. There was a small explosion as one of the creatures was sent flying back, a thick cloud of smoke blocking them from view.

The raven haired boy fell to the leafy ground with a sharp cry of pain. He clutched at his calf, examining the arrow protruding from his leg, his brown trousers quickly turning crimson. Taking a deep breath, he clenched his jaw and stood, running as fast as possible in the general direction of where he hoped the trees might end. He turned once more to see that, much to his relief, the centaurs had disappeared.

He collapsed onto a log, knowing that he would need to remove the arrow from his leg before the poison became too much for him to fight. He shook his sleeve down so it covered his hand and pulled the shaft out, hissing in discomfort. It may have slowed the poison, but there was more blood trickling from the wound than there was formerly. Before he had the chance to do anything but look at the wound, a soft hissing noise issued from the thick brush behind him.

Merlin took to the trees once more. He could sense the creatures behind him, hear the soft scuttling as they charged after him. Without looking, he could tell that there was a dozen serkets crashing through the forest, right on his tale.

"Awendap eft wansaeilga neatu!"

Loud squeals and more hissing followed the spell. He desperately wanted to look back, to witness the damage he caused and to see if it had bought him any time, but he couldn't risk it. Suddenly, a noise was echoing all around him, bouncing off the towering trees and filling head. He winced as the shrill laughter pierced his mind, sending chills throughout his body.

"You can't escape me now, warlock." A familiar voice called mockingly.

"Oh but I can - you underestimate me, Molly." He yelled in response, his voice gaining an air of confidence. He quickened his pace as much as possible, leaving the large scorpions behind, frantically trying to put as much distance between them as he could. He had to get out of this place.

"Oh really?" the voice teased. "Can you now?" Even when you're surrounded by wryven?"

Out of nowhere, eleven or so small, black, dragons appeared, circling their pray. Merlin's path was blocked from every angle, forcing him to dodge many pairs of teeth and claws that slashed in his direction. The air was stolen from his lungs as a pair of razors sliced his arm, leaving three large gashes pouring blood. He fell to his knees, eyes screwed shut against the blinding pain. Freya was right. He was going to get weaker the longer he stayed. He took a shaky breath, summoning his magic to the surface with a painful amount of effort.

"Nun de ge dei s'eikein kai emois epe'essin hepesthai!"

The wryvens bowed their heads, eyes glowing furiously as they back away slowly, retreating into the green at the command that they had no choice but to obey.

"Well, well, well, we have ourselves a dragonlord!" Molly pouted. "Is there nothing that can kill you?"

"Merlin, what the hell are you doing?" Arthur shouted, dodging the glass beaker that just exploded. His mind was spinning. His stupid, clumsy servant was destroying his own chambers. With magic.

"Dissiliunt!" the familiar words slid easily off Merlin's tongue, his bright blue eyes shimmering gold, causing another explosion that overturned a table.

Everything seemed to calm for a moment, everything but the warlock's breathing. Then, without warning, he fell to the ground with a cry of pain, clutching his leg.

"Gaius, what's going on?" Arthur ducked again as another spell shot towards him, scorching the wall behind him.

"I do not know, he is not in his right mind – the spell must have severe consequences that the book failed to mention!" The physician was huddled in a corner, clutching a table, ready to dodge any enchantments sent his way.

Merlin had taken to sprinting once more. He looked back at the newest set of creatures chasing him. Cockatrices were easy to destroy, but in order to do that, he would have to remember the correct spell first. Thinking was proving to be somewhat difficult considering he was putting all his energy into just trying to stay alive.

"Creatura magicae dira ante me nunc!" he managed to choke out the spell before toppling to the ground, clasping a hand to on his shoulder and wincing in pain as the blood continued to flow. He knew that he wouldn't be able to keep it up; he was losing both blood and strength too rapidly now.

There was a cry of rage from overhead followed by a loud clap of thunder echoing across the sky.

"I will kill you Merlin, even if it means the death of me!"

"You can try!" Merlin spluttered, resting his head on the ground, cursing under his breath as a large roar came from the depths of the trees. He let out an exasperated sigh. "Do you just have an endless supply of magical creatures?!"

But this time he couldn't get up. The blood loss was getting to him; he felt lightheaded and was sure that his limbs had turned to led. Probably a spell he'd never heard of. He could only lie there and watch as the griffin stalked closer, snarling as it advanced. All of a sudden, thunder once again rumbled through the sky and a blinding bolt of blue lightening flashed down and struck the creature.

"I will not allow you to harm him!" another voice yelled.

"Aw, isn't this sweet? Your little girlfriend has come to save you!"

"Molly, if you hurt her-," Merlin shouted, trying to force himself into a sitting position. He couldn't let anyone else get hurt because of him. Especially not Freya. Not again.

"Hmh…if I really can't kill you…well, I can hurt you."

"Don't you dare!"

"Merlin, run! I can hold her off, but not for long. Get to the other side of the trees!" Freya yelled, her voice swimming with emotion.

He didn't need telling twice. He stumbled clumsily to his feet and took off, head spinning, not sure exactly which way he was going. All around him lightening shook the ground, thunder vibrating through the air and hammering in his already pounding head. It started to pour as two women fought with the powers of the sky, one with the intention to kill, the other to protect.

A/N: 'Thinking was proving to be somewhat difficult considering he was putting all his energy into just trying to stay alive.'
And there's the sentence that ruined my life.
AKA the sentence that encouraged me to look up Stayin Alive, thus causing my addiction.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it! We're nearing the end :')

xxXTheReinbachDragonlordXxx