Thanks to: TheReinbachDragonlord, Glacier22 (two hugs for you), readernurse, Boxerbee, and Revenge of the Red Pen for the reviews. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and I hope you'll enjoy this next one.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin

Chapter 16 - Captured Part 2

The prison cell grew colder as the day slowly passed. For a few agonizing hours, the prince and warlock sat on the cold floor lost in their own thoughts.

Many things ran through Arthur's head. He still couldn't believe that he was supposedly going to die by his best friend's hands. However, that didn't concern him at the moment. All he cared about right now was the warlock in question. Morgana said that Merlin had poisoned her. Was that true? It would explain the subtle tension between the two of them after they had found her last year.

There were so many other questions that he wanted to ask his friend but the thoughtful side of the prince (which was rarely shown) told him that this wasn't the time for prodding. Right now, he needed the warlock to focus on escaping rather than wallowing in self-pity.

"Merlin" Arthur called out to his silent friend. No answer. He tried again. "Merlin". Still no response. Groaning in annoyance, he grabbed a pebble and chucked it at his head with a little more force than last time. Stirring out of his own thoughts, the warlock half-glared at the prince.

"Ow! What the heck was that for Arthur?!"

"For moping around like the idiot you are!" the prince said, trying to goad his friend into their usual banter. Right now, he needed Merlin back to his usual, smart-mouth self but all the warlock did was slide back into his annoying downcast position. Lowering his head, he ignored Arthur. Seeing this, the prince became enraged. One, for being ignored and two, for his friend's stubborn attitude. This time, Arthur took a slightly bigger pebble and whipped it at Merlin's face.

WHACK!

"Arthur! Stop..."

"Merlin!", the prince interrupted, " you better snap out of it right now or so help me I'll keep throwing pebbles at your face until it becomes a mosaic masterpiece!" This got the warlock's attention. "Right now we need to figure out how to get out of here so stop sulking and do something useful!"

"You don't get it!", Merlin snapped. "Everything that's led up to today, it's all my fault. I poisoned Morgana instead of helping her when she needed me most. I turned her evil by refusing to guide her when she found out she had magic. I let her live in fear instead of providing the hope she desperately needed. I've made so many mistakes and now you're going to die, Camelot will be destroyed and there's nothing we can do about it. It's hopeless!"

After a pregnant pause, another pebble hit Merlin square in the face. "Arthur", he said tiredly, "I told you to st..."

"Shut up Merlin!" the prince cut him off. Surprisingly, the warlock quieted down and let him continue. "I understand what you're going through - don't think for one minute that I don't. You've made choices you regret, you're upset, you see the consequences of those actions laid before you - I get it. But right now is not the time to beat yourself over things you can't change."

"Those months ago when we hid in the caves, you told me, not as a servant but as a friend, to stop wallowing in my self-pity because I had a duty to my father, to Camelot and to my people. You have always told me what I needed to hear, not what I wanted to hear, and it is this that has always renewed what inner strength I had lost."

"So now it's my turn as your friend."

"You've made mistakes - we all do. The thing that defines us is not what we do but how we deal with the consequences of those actions - and right now, you have to face it Merlin...but not alone. Never once in the time we've known each other have you said that a situation was hopeless. One thing you have taught me was that nothing is ever hopeless". A short pause. "There is always hope Merlin and we will get out this mess together." Smirking, the prince continued. "So I'm telling you one last time idiot to stop sulking so we can figure a way out of this mess".

Merlin's mouth was hanging by the time Arthur had finished speaking. An awkward silence settled in again. "Merlin, don't make me throw another pebble at your..."

WHACK!

"Ow...Merlin!"

"That's for being a dollop-head, dollop-head" Merlin grinned, satisfied at the accuracy of the pebble he had thrown. The warlock then nodded to Arthur, the unspoken message passing between them: Thank you.

"So, have you finished your girlish moping yet Merlin?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about Sire."

Anatol and Morgana marched in step as they headed to the throne room. Over the course of their 'acquaintanceship', the two sorceresses were slowly not seeing eye to eye.

Anatol, who before would've bowed eagerly at her future queen, wanted nothing more than to separate herself from Morgana. All the red-haired sorceress saw was a tempered, spoiled child who only had a title and a little bit of magic to her name. If it weren't for the past friendship she had with Morgause, Anatol would've left a while ago.

Likewise, Morgana had ill-will towards her sister's friend. She held all the power, which secretly worried her, and yet she had messed up twice already. I don't get what Morgause sees in her, she thought. To top it off, Anatol challenged her constantly and was forgetting her place in the presence of her future queen - the red-haired sorceress, in this aspect, reminded Morgana so much of Merlin which infuriated her even more.

Thinking of the troublesome manservant, Morgana snapped out of her thoughts and looked at her companion. "Anatol"

"Yes Morgana". What does she want now?!

"Do you know why you lost control over the were-wyvern?"

"I don't know" Anatol said. She was thinking about telling her about the dragon she saw earlier but decided not to. It would just lead to more questions and a probably angrier Morgana for not telling her right away, something the sorceress didn't want to deal with at the moment. "The only thing I can think of is that Merlin has a high resistance to magic. It's a rare trait but it would make sense, especially if he's foiled so many of your plans to take over Camelot like you've said."

Morgana thought about this and finally nodded her head in agreement. "Is it something we need to worry about?"

"I doubt it. With every passing day, the hold of the curse becomes stronger. Tonight will be his third transformation so the curse should definitely over-power him"

"So you don't need to strengthen the hold on him then?"

"No, it's not necessary" For now, she mentally added.

"Good" she replied just as they reached the doors to the throne room. After walking in and greeting Morgause, Morgana glared at the sorceress when she wasn't looking. It had better work or there will be heck to pay.

"Okay, maybe if you blast the wall down and..."

"Arthur, we've already been through this. My magic isn't working right now so I can't blast the wall down"

"Fine then", Arthur replied indignantly. There was a brief moment of silence. "Maybe if you blast the window out then..."

"Oh for goodness sake you prat, how is that different from blasting the wall down... or the ceiling down, or the door down, or the last hundred or so suggestions you came up with?"

"Stop exaggerating Merlin - besides, it wasn't that much" Arthur defended, slightly questioning the credibility of his own statement. At this, the warlock rolled his eyes and gave the prince an incredulous look. "Anyway, your ideas weren't that practical either"

"What?! They were practical", the warlock retorted.

"How is picking the lock practical?..."

"Well, you see..."

"...Without anything to pick it with" Arthur interrupted.

"...Um...I would've thought of something reasonable"

"You did actually. What was it you said?...Oh yes, 'use your nails Arthur'. Sure Merlin, because that's practical."

"For you it is. Have you seen your nails Arthur? You really should cut them once in a while."

The prince quickly scanned his chained hands. "My fingernails are perfectly trimmed I have you know"

"I meant your toenails, their disgusting!"

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled before playfully throwing another pebble at the warlock's arm. "I am your prince and..."

"And as such you should know how to trim them correctly and in a timely manner"

"I swear, when we get out of here I'm going to put you in the stocks for an entire week"

"I'll just get out" Merlin retorted causing Arthur to remember that his friend had hidden his magic from him for nearly four years.

"Hey Merlin", the prince called out in a serious tone.

"Yes Arthur"

"When we get back to Camelot, I think we need to have a long talk"

"Yeah" Merlin lazily said while looking away from his friend. The atmosphere in the cell had completely changed. The day was drawing to an end and both warlock and prince knew what sundown would bring.

"Arthur. The sun's setting"

The prince looked at the window. "I know Merlin, I know"

"Aren't you a bit worried?"

Arthur chuckled slightly. "I would being lying if I said I wasn't...and yet, I'm not." Merlin cocked his head to the side in confusion. Sighing, the prince continued. "I don't know how but for some reason, I know everything will be alright. That doesn't mean I'm not nervous though"

"Arthur I..." the warlock said but was cut off by the familiar throbbing. Beads of sweat ran down his face in a matter of seconds and he began to twitch in his chains.

"Merlin, are you okay?"

"Arthur", he hissed in pain, "it's... starting". Arthur nodded his head and stood up, subconsciously preparing himself for whatever could happen.

"Merlin, I'm right here." Although those words greatly comforted the warlock, it didn't stop the pain radiating through his body. Closing his eyes, he braced himself for what was coming next.

Within seconds, the sun's light left the cell.

Immediately, his back arched, the dark magic sprouting from the bitten shoulder and coursing through his very being. He felt the fire, he heard the crack, he felt the snapping of every bone in his body, he felt himself change into the beast of darkness. He was the were-wyvern.

Arthur watched the transformation take place. After Merlin's back arched, he sank to his knees and clasped his head in his hands. Sweat glistened on his brow and a dark aura-like substance seemed to incase him, originating from his bite wound on his right shoulder. A pair of black wings painfully sprouted from his back and once they were at their full size, they wrapped themselves around him, completely hiding him from sight.

CRUNCH!

SNAP!

Arthur mentally winced at the familiar sound of shifting bones. After a couple of seconds, the wings retracted and fell back into place. A black tail, horns, fangs, and scales - Merlin was the were-wyvern again. When the beast roared when its transformation was complete, the prince couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like if their positions were switched. If Merlin didn't get bitten, he somberly mused, remembering that he was the original target of the cursed wyvern's rage.

However, the prince snapped out of his thoughts when the were-wyvern suddenly lunged at him. It didn't get far with the chains still restricting its movements. Seeing this, it tugged at each chain until the whole link ripped off the wall and then proceeded to break the remaining slack off.

When it was finally free, the beast slowly headed in Arthur's direction.

The prince didn't bother trying to run. Hell, he was chained to the wall - there wasn't much room to move in the first place. He calmed himself, stood up straight, and waited for the were-wyvern. It wasn't until it stopped, a mere two feet in front of him, baring its pointed teeth, that the prince's heart pumped faster in his chest.

Both of their eyes met and they stared at each other for what seemed like eternity. "Merlin, are you still there?", Arthur asked hesitantly. The beast blinked and moved closer. Waiting for the blow that would end him then and there, the prince closed his eyes.

He felt the breath of the were-wyvern on his face as it snorted on him. He heard its mouth, saliva oozing and dripping between it teeth, as it opened it wide. He bravely awaited his end. And then the strangest thing happened...

It started...laughing at him?

"Haha, you should see your face Arthur. That was priceless!"

Arthur's eyes shot open and he looked at the sniggering beast whose telepathic voice he would recognize anywhere.

"Merlin! That wasn't funny!"

"From my point of view, it definitely was"

"I...I thought you..."

"Nope! It's still me."

"How did you..."

"I remembered Kilgharrah's words. I'm a Dragonlord and I am Emrys. It's within my right to control the beast. When it's will grows stronger so does mine" he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Then what was all that" Arthur flailed his arms in what translated as 'losing control', "back there?"

"Oh that! I was trying to reach you but forgot about those nasty chains I had to get off. They were bruising my wrists!", Merlin complained and showed Arthur a black, scaled wrist to prove his point. Of course, whatever bruise the were-wyvern claimed to have couldn't be seen due to his dark complexion. The prince's eyes twitched in annoyance. Of all the...I thought he was...when we get home I'm going to kill him!

"I don't care about your wrists Merlin", Arthur yelled still annoyed, "don't be such a girl or er - female... were-wyvern...thing." At this, the cursed warlock internally cocked his brow in amusement at his friend's loss of words. Ignoring the unspoken (or un-telepathic) insult the wyvern had just given him, he showed him his chained wrists. "Now be a good little were-wyvern and break these off already", Arthur teased.

Grudgingly, Merlin carefully slashed the chains from the prince who then gave his friend a half-glare when a very small trickle of blood fell from his wrists.

"Sorry"

Snorting in annoyance, the prince made his way to the door. Surprisingly, no-one was stationed to guard it. Must've figured there would be no point in guarding a room with a soon-to-be dead prisoner, he thought to himself.

Stepping aside, Arthur addressed his friend. "Merlin, how about you put my brilliantly thought-of plan from before to action and blast down this door?"

Merlin internally rolled his eyes. Prat. Standing on his hind legs, he came down on the tightly secured wooden door with all of his might. Their way out was right in front of them.

Nothing would stand in the warlock's way to get both him and his friend safely home.

Thanks for reading. I know there wasn't a lot of action, but I promise that we'll definitely see some in the next two chapters to come. I hope I got Arthur and Merlin's characters down. I figured that in a situation like this, they would still find a way to banter as a way of putting on a manly bravado of sorts.

Please review and tell me you what you think. Next chapter should be up Friday.

Until later,

-STL13