Chapter 19

He had not reached the lake yet when he heard barking and howling. The horrible noise made the hair at the back of his neck stand and his horse kick back on its hid legs.

"Come on! They're close to the lake. We have to make it!" he yelled to his horse.

But the animal was stubbornly pounding its feet.

"Fine! Have it your way!"

As soon as he set foot on the ground, the horse took off at a run. Merlin immediately felt hugely unprotected. In his haste to leave the keep, he had picked up an old sword that was lying uselessly against the wall. It was a long blade that had lost its shine with a black hilt unfamiliar in his hand and too heavy.

"I guess you'll have to do," he whispered as he entered the black forest.

It was dark now but finding his way towards the Black Lake was not that difficult. He just had to follow the barking wolves and the thread of evil. He could feel it now, creeping under his skin, invading his mind like a poison.

It had taken Galahad and him a few months to realise the full impact of the curse, what it had done to the lake, and what it was doing to Merlin. The knights and villagers were afraid of that lake; they had been for twenty years because of the creatures of darkness that loomed there. They had sensed perhaps on some level what Merlin had experienced first hand. That water was like a poison to him. At first, he had thought that he was being the prey to some random sickness. The fever had appeared after a night of hunting dark creatures. It had been Galahad who had made the connection to the lake. He had tested his theory by letting out a few drops fall on Merlin's skin. The young warlock had immediately felt weak, as though his energy was being sucked out of him. Since then, he had tried to stay away from the lake. He feared it. Most of all, he feared being weak and powerless. But such a fear was nothing compared to the dread of loosing Arthur.

He knew that he was close now, even in the darkness. The barking of the wolves was louder and the evil of the lake was stronger, almost like a presence.

"Get back! Arthur! Get back!" screamed a familiar voice.

Merlin immediately recognised Lancelot. Without further thought, he sprang forward until the trees opened up in front of him and the ground under his feet became pebbles and sand.

The three wolves caught his attention first. They were huge, ferocious, with eyes shining red and fur as black as the night. The beasts were advancing menacingly on two other figures: Gwaine and Lancelot. The biggest one of the wolves was about to prance. Merlin could see the creature leaning back on its hid legs now.

There was not a moment to waste.

"Forbaern!" cried the young warlock.

A streak of fire slid across the ground like a snake and Merlin aimed it straight at the wolves. The first creature yelped as its body caught fire. When Merlin saw that the other two wolves were unharmed, he willed the fire around them in a closed circle. He waited until Gwaine and Lancelot were out of the way and then, with a quick movement of his hand, the flames burst higher, forming a cage. The mad barking soon turned into panicked wails. The third wolf was lying dead on the sandy beach.

Gwaine bowed at him lightly as a kind of quiet thanks, but Lancelot was looking past him at a scene that Merlin had not seen.

"Arthur!" yelled the young knight.

Merlin wheeled around to see the prince struggling with another wolf with his bare hands. The creature was trying to snap its attacker but Arthur was maintaining its mouth shut in a tight grip.

"Merlin!" bellowed the prince. "You're a sorcerer! Do something!"

But the memory of how his spell had hit both Arthur and Morgana a few months ago was too vivid in his mind. He didn't want to take that risk. Instead, he sprang forward, aiming his sword at the beast's right eye. He thrust his sword through it, but the wolf jerked its head upwards at the last moment and it broke the blade. The creature howled in pain and recoiled.

"What are you doing, Merlin? You're supposed to kill it!" said the prince irritably.

"I might have hit you!" replied Merlin on top of the howling wolf.

"Hit me with what?" snapped back Arthur, glaring at him and at the broken blade.

Merlin threw the useless weapon to the ground. "With this! Astrice!"

He felt the wave of magic like a lightening bolt going from his outstretched hand towards the beast. The evil creature gave a final yelp and fell to the ground, dead.

"Not bad Merlin," yelled a familiar voice.

But Merlin could not hold back his scream. "Gwaine! Watch out!"

He felt the presence of the flying daemon before he even saw it. Gwaine and Lancelot were running towards him and Arthur and the enormous winged creature came swooping down between them, catching the knights unawares.

Merlin took a step in front of Arthur, purely on instinct, and then he cried out "Astrice!"

The giant bat-like daemon twisted and writhed as the spell hit it, and then it shot upwards with a deafening screech.

"Don't you know any other spell?" cried out Arthur.

Merlin immediately felt like jumping at the prince's throat.

"Let's see you try it!" he yelled.

"You two can have an argument later," cut in Lancelot. "We're not out of the woods yet."

As he spoke, they heard more screeching above their heads. Merlin couldn't help glaring at Arthur. The fact that he had just noticed his silver and gold sword in Arthur's hand did nothing to improve his mood.

"What did you come out here for?" he asked forcefully.

"To break the curse!" retorted Arthur, raising his voice as well.

"With my grandfather's sword? Are you mad?"

"It's a Dragonlord's blade," replied Arthur pointedly. "What if the words on the wall beside it were some kind of spell?"

Merlin could not contain his look of shock. "You are going to cast a spell."

"I already tried!" cried out Arthur, outraged. More screeching high above seemed to echo the prince's bellowing voice.

"Really?" snapped back Merlin smartly, "How did it work out? I don't see any real improvement."

Arthur's offended expression turned into a sneer. "I don't have your apparent years of practice, don't I?"

"Shouldn't we just get out of here?" said Gwaine. His eyes were fixed on the three creatures circling above them.

"No!" commanded the prince. "Let's get this over with!"

The two knights took position on each side of Arthur. They were standing in the middle of the sanded beach with the glow of the fire behind them as only light.

"Got any ideas?" said Gwaine, watching the creatures coming closer.

"Why don't you ask Merlin?" Arthur sneered.

"Me? Aren't you the one with the plan?"

"Well, YOU'RE the sorcerer!"

"They're coming!" shouted Lancelot.

Merlin had to dive out of the way as two of the creatures aimed for Arthur and him. Immediately, Gwaine and Lancelot took a step forward, protecting the prince and manservant.

For a moment, he lost sight of Arthur. In fact, he lost sight of everything. All that he could see was huge black wings flapping in front of his face, cutting his skin with razor-sharp edges, and throwing clouds of sand into his eyes. And then he saw Lancelot fall heavily besides him, pushed from behind by the beast, and his sword knocked out of his hand...

Merlin did not want to waste the precious opportunity. He cried out "Fleoge!" and sent the sword flying towards the creature that was on top of him. He watched in stupefaction as the sword ripped through the bat-like wing only to end up planted on a nearby tree trunk. The creature lifted in the air with a shriek and the others followed it. It's not over yet, thought the warlock.

To make matters more humiliating, Arthur was glaring from him to the sword in the tree, and at the same moment the circle of fire that was keeping the wolves at bay died out and Merlin saw the only remaining wolf still living spring to its feet and growl in their direction.

Arthur's mortified look was not helping him concentrate.

"You have got to be the worst sorcerer ever," cried out the prince.

"I don't see you being all helpful," snapped back Merlin.

He was cut off as all three flying creatures soared low over Arthur and began their attack again. Gwaine and Lancelot were quick to get by the prince's side (Lancelot did not even have a sword), but the creatures were angry and fast. One of the daemons was aiming for Arthur's head with its long fangs. They were like birds of prey and they were going for the kill.

"Sword!" yelled Lancelot.

He did not even wait for the prince to throw him the weapon; he swooped in, took the sword from Arthur's hand and sliced the creature that was trying to snap Arthur's head. The monsters fell on the sand but it wasn't bleeding; there was a black smoke coming out of its wounded belly.

"Don't let it touch you!" screamed Merlin. He could feel the evil of that smoke even from a distance.

With a quick movement of his hand, he pushed and two knights and the prince out of the way. All three fell on their backs. It was the perfect opportunity for the two flying creatures to swoop in. The only remaining wolf seemed to think the same and it sprung forward towards Arthur and the others.

"Astrice! Forbaern!" said the warlock.

The first of the two daemons recoiled wailing in pain and Merlin lost sight of the second one as it soared higher. The wolf caught fire as it ran and it collapsed on the sand still far from its target.

However, something else had caught Merlin's attention. Underneath the surface of the Black Lake, evil was stirring. The smoke escaping the carcass of the dead wolf was floating steadily on top of the water. A cold shiver shook Merlin's body.

"Get away from the water!" he yelled to Arthur, Gwaine and Lancelot.

The only reply that he got was a panicked "Merlin!" as he felt the daemon's claws grasp his left arm. He was immediately lifted into the air toward the center of the lake. He tried kicking and scratching the claws with his free hand, but the creature had a powerful grip. The only reason why it wasn't tearing through his skin and flesh was because he was still wearing his chain mail from the afternoon's training.

You're not going to get me, he kept thinking defiantly.

But he could feel his strength leaving him. His magic was powerless against the creature of darkness. The lake under his feet was like a dark abyss ready to swallow him whole.

And then, without warning, he fell into the cold and black water.