Merlin
Love by any other name
Part 15
Morgana backed away from the Beast possessed body of her half-brother, tears streaming down her face as he slowly advanced. He was grinning at her, but in a way Arthur never would have done. It was another indication of how evil the Beast was, that he could look at her through black eyes, sneering as if she were the main morsel on a starving man's plate.
"Get away from me!" she screamed at him. Arthur stopped moving and shrugged.
"I thought this form would please you, while you are here at any rate. But when we return, and I am reborn, then… then we will rule together" he said.
"I will never rule with you. NEVER!" Morgana spat back. "You're a twisted unnatural thing, there is no humanity in you, nothing. You are a shadow in a vast world full of shadows. No wonder you hate it here" she added. Arthur laughed, his gaze going to the sky, then back to her.
"Really? Is that what you think?" he asked, stepping forwards again. "I am immortal Morgana, I do not age, I do not die, I am the Beast" he said. Morgana jumped as a moment later he was suddenly there, behind her, gripping her arm.
"Think of it, the power you would have ruling as queen. The lives you will influence, the wars you will rage in my name. You will be come feared across all kingdoms, your name will be revered as the mother of the beast and people will tremble at the mention of your name. Don't tell me your not tempted" he hissed into her ear. Morgana pulled away from him, twirling around to face him.
"I'm not. A ruler should be loved and respected, not feared, and I will never willingly help you" she whispered back. Arthur stepped back, closing his eyes.
"So be it. If that is how it must be then who am I to argue. You will fight me Morgana, as is your right, but no this, I will fight back. But not at you my dear Morgana, If you will not join me then those you love will Join Arthur and Uther in eternal, unrelenting death" he snarled, it turning into a grin. "Oh yes, Uther is gone my dear, the first of many" he said.
"You're lying" she said through gritted teeth.
"No, in this I am telling the truth. Now witness that what you have set in motion. Its time your friends paid the price for your arrogance" he said.
"If you hurt them I will kill you" Morgana said. Arthur opened his arms wide and grinned.
"Please, by all means do so. Do so and truly destroy him. I have other hosts here Morgana, other bodies to use, I chose this simply out of convenience for you" he said, arms still wide. Morgana blinked, then turning ran from him, Arthur watching.
"Go where you will Morgana! I'll always know where to find you!" he called after her.
Jamie was asleep in Gaius's bed, the event's of the night having taken their toll on him. Merlin and Gwen had moved Uther's body to Merlin's room after making sure it was safe and now they sat together at the small table, a book each, and all the others piled up on it. A few had been put on the floor, the ones they'd been through and discarded. Gwen looked up as Merlin closed the book he was reading, putting on the pile next to him, before he reached up and took another one down. He glanced briefly at Gwen, who smiled, before he went back to his book. Gwen sighed and turned the page in her own book, as beside her Gaius as well, reached for another book. She read for a few minuets, then rubbed her eyes, the words beginning to blur into one another.
"You should try to get some sleep" Merlin said, startling her. He was still looking at the book, reading.
"I'm fine" she insisted. Now he did look up, examining her.
"You're tired" he stated. She held his gaze for a moment then looked away.
"Not as tired as you" she said.
"Don't make me order you" he said, a small grin finally appearing on his face. She returned it.
"And you'd just love that wouldn't you" she replied. "One more book and I'll try to get an hours rest" she said. Merlin looked at her for a moment longer, then turned his attention back to the book.
Gwen watched him a moment more, astounded at the change in him. From the sweet innocent man she had met, to the brave noble who had saved their lives, mourned a king who had tried to have him killed, a loving father to a blind boy. She knew Merlin had never been stupid, often acting it because that was what was expected of him, but now she knew, now she could see how much of a lie that had truly been, how brave he really was.
"Gwen. You're staring" Merlin said, not looking up.
"sorry, I'm just worried" she said.
"We'll get them back Gwen" Gaius assured her, speaking up, "Arthur and Morgana both" he said. Gwen looked at him, hearing the determination in his voice, knowing he would do all he could to find out what was happening.
"I know" she agreed.
"You like him don't you?" asked Merlin softly. Gwen looked up.
"Like who?"
"Arthur" he said. She looked taken aback, but he shook his head. "Don't play coy, I know you" he added.
"It's strange, I mean he was… such a bully before" she said. "then you arrived, and he began to change" she said, pausing to yawn. Merlin stood and then walking around the table took her hand gently, leading her to the bed, before sitting her down next to Jamie.
"I have that effect on people" he joked. Gwen smiled at him, gripping his hand as he went to move away.
"Merlin?" she asked gently. "We will get them back won't we" she asked softly. Merlin squeezed her hand gently.
"I'm not giving up on them, not ever" he replied. "Go on, get some sleep" he told her. Gwen nodded, and laid back, Jamie turning over putting his small arm around her in a cuddle. Merlin smiled, then walked back to the table. Gwen soon drifting off into a sleep filled with nothing but darkness. The two men continued to read in silence for another twenty minuets, when Gaius looked over at him.
"What happened out there Merlin?" he asked softly.
"I don't want to speak about it Gaius" he replied, taking the old man by surprise.
"I only ask because it may shed some light, pardon the pun, on the situation we're in" he said. Merlin sighed, but remained silent.
"Merlin, it's important" Gaius said.
"As important as it was keeping my father a secret from me?" Merlin asked, looking up.
"Merlin I was doing that for your own protection" Gaius said. Merlin's gaze turned hard.
"So you couldn't tell me, but you could tell Uther and Arthur?" he replied.
"Look, I know what I did was wrong, and you will never know how much the past weeks have pained me, seeing the distrust in your eyes when you look at me, but you must know I would never, never, willing harm you" Gaius said. Merlin blinked and looked away.
"But you did Gaius, that's the point. I really thought, of everyone, you were the one I could count on, could trust" he said. When he looked back, his gaze was wet. "My mother is dead Gaius, everyone in my village is dead. Maybe everyone but us, I don't know" he stated. Gaius looked down, hands shaking. "We got to the village, we couldn't see anyone-"
Merlin pushed the door open and moved into his house… Looking around he could see nothing out of place. Pots hanging on the walls, unused for at least a week by the smattering of dust on them.
"-Then I found the blood, my mother blood Gaius. And I lost it. I lost control. Arthur… he brought me back, then he found them. The bodies. Piled on top of each other, I lost control. Burnt them, with magic. I used magic in front of him. Then the sky went completely dark, we tried to escape, but then Arthur was taken, lifted into the air, I tried to find him. But there was nothing" Merlin said. "So I ran away Gaius. I ran until I reached the forest, I remember being attacked, then.. when I woke up they were gone. Maybe they thought they'd killed me" he said, so I stumbled back here, blind, frightened., so does that help Gaius? Does that make this any easier for you?" Merlin demanded. Gaius blinked, looking over at him.
"I don't know what to say" he replied softly. "I wish… I wish there was some way to ease your pain" he said.
"The only way I'll be happy is to see Morgana and Arthur again" Merlin replied. Then he looked back at the book, dismissing Gaius. "Just don't expect me to trust you again" he added. Gaius nodded, then looked back at his book.
It was about fifteen minuets later when Gaius looked up, over in the far corner of the room he could hear something. Whispering. And the room was beginning to darken again.
"Merlin" he said quietly. Merlin looked up, following his gaze. To the corner and the slowly encroaching darkness. Slowly he stood, moving towards the bed. He raised his hands when suddenly the door burst open from his room, and the candles went out. Gwen screamed suddenly, and Jamie began crying out for Merlin.
"EMBLAZRIE!" he yelled, his hands glowing, showing the creatures pouring out of his room, not towards him, but towards the bed. They'd been cleaver this time, there was no way he could incinerate them without taking Gwen and Jamie out as well. A moment later Gwen's screams faded as had Morgana's.
"Daddy!" Jamie called out. Merlin, enraged rushed forwards, blasting the creatures as fast as he could, they retaliated however when there was a thud from behind him and Gaius cried out in pain. Merlin suddenly roared, his eyes glowing bright yellow and every creature in the room was thrown back from him, incinerating as they hurtled through the air.
"Merlin?" Gaius called over.
"Its fine" he said, rushing forwards. Jamie was sitting on the bed, alone, crying. Merlin rushed to him and pulled him into a hug, then frowned, pulling his hand away he looked down, seeing blood on it.
"Father?" asked Jamie, looking up at him. Merlin closed his eyes.
"GAIUS!" he screamed, as Jamie began to shake in his arms.
Gwen looked up into the featureless, bland sky. Feeling the dry ground beneath her. She got to her feet quickly, looking around, then smiled as she saw Arthur, waving at her. She ran over to him.
"GWEN!" screamed Morgana from near one of the trees. Gwen skidded to a halt, seeing the blackness of Arthur's eyes.
"Hello Gwen" he sneered, suddenly raising his sword. Gwen screamed and stumbled back even as the sword came around, only to suddenly be deflected by another sword. Arthur spun around in amazement.
"You have a lot to answer for" Said Morgause, dressed in armour.
"Who the hell are you?" he demanded, even as Gwen scrambled away from them.
"Your own personal nightmare" she replied advancing, the Beast, miraculously, stepping away from her.
Morgana ran to Gwen and helped her to stand, embracing her fondly.
"How… oh my god…." Morgana said, as behind them blades met.
"Sister you must go!" yelled Morgause.
"sister?" wondered Morgana, then shook her head, and with Gwen's hand in hers, they fled away from the battle.
"Get me the antiseptic!" yelled Gaius, Merlin rushing to comply, tears blurring his eyes. He quickly got the bottle, and ran back, handing it to him, as Jamie's face creased in pain. Gaius treated the wound, it wasn't deep, thankfully, but it was already red and swollen.
"Bandage!" Gaius snapped, Merlin moving away again, returning but a moment later.
"Jamie, this will hurt, but you must stay still, do you understand?" Gaius said.
"Yes.. sir" the boy replied, felling out with his hands. Merlin took them, kneeling down, by him.
"How the hell did they get into that room?" demanded Merlin as Gaius worked. Gaius shook his head, concentrating on his work.
"They must somehow use the shadows to move about. Notice they cannot abide the light" Gaius said, as he pulled another stitch through, Jamie gritting his teeth, Merlin holding his hands tightly.
"then that's where I need to go" Merlin said, Jamie tensing again.
"It's far too dangerous Merlin, you don't know what you'll face there!" Gaius retorted.
"These things have killed Uther, kidnapped Morgana and Gwen, injured an innocent child and possibly Killed Arthur, Gaius, we need to stop them. And if we can't fight them here, then we'll have to do it there" Merlin replied.
"and how do you get through? Can you even see the portals?" demanded Gaius, as he finished the last stitch.
"If I use magic I should be able to" Merlin replied.
"And I tell you it's too dangerous!" Gaius retorted. Jamie was still crying, when he reached up to Merlin.
"Daddy?" he asked. Merlin looked down at him, then stroked his hair.
"Can Jamie be moved?" Merlin asked.
"As long as its nothing too strenuous then yes" Gaius reluctantly admitted. Merlin nodded and stood.
"then its time to find out what the hell is going on" Merlin said.
Morgana and Gwen ran for what seemed like hours, the landscape never changing, not really. Just the same desolation, the same dead trees. Morgana found her thoughts going back to Morgause, the strange woman who had saved Gwen, why had she done so? How had she gotten here? Those were questions she wanted answers to. Morgause was alive, no doubt about it, and her presence had confused the Beast. It hadn't known she was here, so the question was, If Morgause had gotten into this strange dead world, then the chances were damned good that she could get out as well. As the realisation hit her, Morgana came to a halt. Gwen moving several paces beyond her before she too stopped, looking back.
"We need to go back" Morgana stated. Gwen shook her head.
"No we need to get out of here" Gwen countered. Morgana held up her hand.
"Gwen, I know your scared, I know because I am as well, but think, Morgause got here, without that thing knowing about it. She must know a way out" Morgana said. Gwen frowned, thinking.
"But she could be dead already" Gwen persisted.
"We have to take that chance. Gwen I know its strange, I know… it sounds insane, but in her own way she is trying to protect me, I really believe that" Morgana said.
"you know nothing about her!" Gwen replied.
"I know she just saved our lives" Morgana shot back. Gwen sighed, then slowly moved back to her.
"And Arthur? If she's killed him?" asked Gwen. Morgana looked away.
"Then I'll deal with it" Morgana said. "Or Uther will" she added. Gwen's face suddenly went animated, Morgana watching, confused.
"Oh my god. You don't know…" Gwen breathed softly. Morgana felt herself tensing.
"Don't know? Don't know what?" she asked. Gwen gulped, then looked at the ground.
"Uther. He's dead" Gwen explained.
"This is useless" muttered Gaius, as he tossed another book down to the floor. Merlin was holding Jamie, who was sleeping in his arms, even as he used magic to turn the pages of the book her was looking at. Merlin looked up sharply at him.
"There has to be something Gaius" said Merlin. Gaius shook his head as he opened the next book.
"Nothing. There's plenty on Darkness, on eternal night and creatures that live in the shadows" Gaius said. "but nothing that links them together" he said, the frustration sounding in his voice. The two men jolted as from somewhere in the castle, someone screamed.
"then we're looking at it the wrong way, we're missing something" said Merlin. Gaius shot him a look.
"I know that, It's finding out what we're missing!" he shouted. Merlin looked like he was going to make a retort of some kind, but instead looked back at his book. They carried on in silence again, when there was another scream, this time an animal, from outside. Merlin looked over at the window.
"some poor beast is getting slaughtered" he muttered.
"Indeed" agreed Gaius, then he looked up sharply. "What did you say?" he asked suddenly.
"I said some animal is getting slaughtered" Merlin replied.
"No… no… Beast!" Gaius exclaimed, hunting through the books on the table.
"Gaius?" asked Merlin, as he watched him. Gaius squinted his eyes, then pulled one of the books from near the bottom of the pile. He held it up for Merlin to see.
"Myths and Legends of the Old World?" asked Merlin confused.
"Exactly" said Gaius. He opened the book, scanning through several pages, Merlin watching as Jamie shifted in his arms. Suddenly Gaius's eyes went wide.
"Here!" he said. "this is a supposed journal entry of a Sir Shaun De'Lacy, from the last time the darkness fell across the land nearly five hundred years ago" Gaius said, then began to read:-
"T'was near midday when the darkness arrived, my friend, and King, the honourable King Calour was not in the castle that day. He had left the running of it to his son, my godson Peter. We did not know at first what was transpiring across the land, only that a darkness had fallen, blacker than any night, colder than any winter storm. People were screaming in the city. I stood with Peter as we prepared defences, believing, wrongly so, that the Sorcerer Calibra was behind this latest attack. Then the report's came, the creatures of the shadows, hideous things that ripped and tore, taking people and livestock alike. So it was with some trepidation that we two, Peter and I journeyed through the darkness, only to be attacked. Peter was badly hurt, and I despaired. It was then it spoke: the Beast, locked for millennia in a dead world. It spoke to me, through Peter. It spoke of the horrors it would inflict upon this world. It had waited, so long, until, finally, it had been freed, sending the Shale first.
"the Shale?" asked Merlin. Gaius nodded.
"I assume that's the name of those creatures" Gaius said. Merlin nodded.
"for the Shale paved the way for its arrival, preparing the land for their god's habitation. Some would live, most would die, for it needed little to sustain itself, except for a corporeal body. I pleaded with it not to do this, not to attack and kill the innocent, to destroy those who had never harmed it.
The pleas fell on deaf ears. For it's intention was clear. Peter was a young lad, fit and well versed in the sword, and also intelligent. A fitting host it had said.
My sorrow was great, for I had no choice. The beast cannot live without a host in our world. I was angered, sorrowed at the course I took that day. For I realised when it was over that the king had been one of the first to fall, and now. Now I had killed his son, the Beast fled, vowing he would return one day, that the land would be his, I pray that if that day should come, people will be better prepared to defend. For not even the noble Dragon's are foolish enough to fight the darkness as I did.
Gaius stopped reading and looked up at Merlin. Merlin remained silent, looking down at his son.
"Merlin?" asked Gaius softly. Slowly Merlin stood up and looked around, shifting Jamie's weight to one arm, he held out his hand.
"Sicto, nassa, vimto, calas mor, sala trepodi, visionas solamo forshere kaa" he intoned. There was a bright light, and the air about five feet away began to shimmer. A tearing sound issued around the room, and then the air literally split open, a glowing white disk. Merlin looked back at Gaius.
"What are you planning?" Gaius asked.
"Me?" asked Merlin stepping forwards. "I'm going to get my lover, rescue my friends and kill a demi god, if we beat it here, then it'll just go back and try again some other time, we need to beat it there, where it has nowhere to run" he stated.
"Is that all?" Gaius asked mildly, then smirked, it quickly fell away as the room began to shake.
Morgana and Gwen looked around as around them the ground began to crack and split.
"Morgana?" asked Gwen, as they gripped each other for support. There was a roar around them as the magical energy began to pulse through the sky. The two women ran looking for shelter, instead finding Morgause standing over a bleeding Arthur.
"ARTHUR!" Gwen screamed running forwards.
"He's not dead, mores the pity" Morgause spat, as Gwen rolled him over. He was bleeding from several cuts, his breath was coming in ragged gasps, his shoulder was dislocated, but the main fact was, he was alive. Morgana knelt down by him, tears stinging her eyes.
"PITIFUL LITTLE DRAGON LORD YOU DARE INTRUDE INTO MY DOMAIN!" the voice of the Beast rolled across the land.
"Oh my god… Merlin" whispered Morgana, as Gwen clutched her hand.
"I DARE!" Merlin called out. Morgana turned seeing him and Gaius appearing from a rip in the air, Merlin carrying Jamie, who was wide awake now. Slowly she stood, then ran forwards, He smiled when he saw her, embracing her, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss.
"Merlin" said Gaius slowly.
"Oh how pitiful" said Arthur standing behind them, Morgause backing away from him, her sword drawn. "Though not surprising" he added.
"So you're the big bad beast" muttered Merlin.
"This is not my true form" Arthur said with a grin, then slumped to the ground, Morgana catching him. He looked up at her, his eyes dazed.
"Morgana?" he asked softly, around them the ground began to shudder and shake again, Morgana and Gwen supporting Arthur, a moment later they all yelled in fright as a massive claw burst from the ground, as something heaved its way up out of the ground. A moment later a second and third claw appeared, before it heaved forwards, a massive, humanoid looking head appearing, but its eyes were black orbs, and the mouth, much like the creatures, was rounded, with row upon row of sharp teeth. The body looked like a cross between a Dragon and an insect, moving out behind the face.
"I trust this is more appealing?" Said the Beast when it had finally emerged from the ground. The group backing away from it.
"Can people please remind me not to open my big mouth" Muttered Merlin as the Beast advanced on them.
"What do we do?" asked Gwen, her eyes wide.
"We fight" replied Merlin. The Beast looked into the air, roaring.
"Then die" it intoned….
To be continued…..