I own nothing :( Darn
Once out of Camelot and into the forest, Merlin scoped the trees for the mysterious boy.
"Merlin." Merlin flailed at the sudden noise. Loki walked out of the shadows, surpressing laughter. "Okay, we're here. Now what?" Merlin was still cross, it's nealy impossible to get out of the castle at night.
Loki wandered over to a tree that Merlin instantly reconized immediately as the tree that he found Arthur at. Loki knelt to the ground, brusing his fingers against the dirt. "Luckly its only been a few days, and hasn't rained recently, there are still tracks." He continued to study the prints. "Well, what is it?" "Im not sure. Lets follow them." "What? Its night! Whatever kil-hurt Arthur might be out there." Merlin gestured to the surronding forest. "Less work for us then." Loki smiled, clapped his hands together and set off.
In the dark gloom of the forest, Merlin stayed close to the boy half his size. Loki made a ball of light and sent it off a few yards ahead of them.
Merlin was ever wary of how relaxed Loki seemed in this situation. He could be leading him into a trap, maybe the dragon was right.
They ventured father and father away from the safety of the castle walls, Merlin shivered in the pressing cold.
"Here." Merlin nearly bumped into the green-eyed magician from the sudden stop. "Thanks for the warning." Loki smiled and picked his way down the rocky slope, Merlin sliding along beside him. "I think whatever it is lives here. Its big, by the tracks." Loki gestured to the cave. "Or it just has really big feet." Loki ignored him. "Okay, great. Lets go home, and tell the knights in the morning." Merlin turned to head back up the hill.
"And, you're not coming." Merlin drew out the first word. Loki shook his head. "If you tell the knights, who would believe you? If they asked how you knew, what would you say? No, we must do it by ourselves. Tonight." Loki appraoched the cave entrance. Merlin scrambled after him, not wanting to be left behind.
Loki crept into the cavern, with Merlin a step behind. "What exactly are we looking for?" He asked the little boy. "We'll know it when we see it." "Joy."
They journeyed deeper into the dark cave. At the same time, both of the magicians created a ball of light in their hand. Loki sent his out to explore a way away, but Merlin kept his close.
It kept getting darker, and Merlin found that he was keeping as close as he could to Loki. His light illuminated his worried face.
Too quick for Merlin's nerves to register, Loki turned around and swiped the air above Merlin's hand, which 'blew out' the light, as his had already been extinquished. "Hey-" His objection got cut short by Loki's sharp elbow jabbed his stomach. Merlin swallowed hard, and feared the worst.
They heard scratching all around, the sound reverberated around the entire cave, making the hair on the back of Merlin's neck stand up. A shiver ran down Loki's spine.
As their eyes began to adjust, they could barely see outlines of rocks. Every now and then, a shadow would shoot by. "Be ready." The boy whispered. Merlin nodded, not that he could see him do it.
He felt a gentle tug on the corner of his jacket, slowly dragging him in a certain direction.
Hoping that it was Loki, Merlin complied.
They got to a wall of the cavern, Merlin laid a hand against it to guide him as Loki led on further. His eyes were ever so slightly adjusted now, only able to make out outlines and the shape of the little boy in front of him.
Loki suddenly stopped, and Merlin crashed into his still extended arm. "Oof." He said as the air escaped his lungs. "Sorry." A small voice whispered.
Merlin felt slight pressure on his jacket, pulling him to his knees. Once down, he felt a breath tickle his ear. "Are you able to create fire?" "Am I? Of course I am!" "Shh! OK, ok. What you need to do, is when I give the signal, you shoot fire towards where I will be. Got it?" "Yea-wait, AT you?" Merlin asked. "Yes. If we time it perfectly, the beast will be in the line of fire, and I can materialize back here. Do we have a plan?" "Yes. What's the signal?" "You'll know it when you see it." Loki smiled. "No I wont. I do it too soon and hit you, or I'll do it late, and miss it all together." Merlin explained his clumsiness. "For goodness sakes, I will just say 'now'. Ok?" Loki stressed. Merlin nodded. Simple enough. Loki sighed in exasperation.
Loki left to do whatever his part of the plan was. Merlin hoped his hearing was good, or he'd throw the fire the wrong way. Now that would be embarrassing.
The persistent silence was going to drive Merlin mad if it kept up any longer.
Luckily it didn't.
A growling was slowly growing louder and claws were scraping against rock. It made the hair on the back of his neck stand straight up.
Merlin was petrified with fear. All the spells except the one he's supposed to use were going through his head.
Not a moment too soon. A face lit up across the passage. "Now!"
Merlin shouted the correct spell right at Loki's face. His eyes changed to the color of the fire that now shot across the space that hit a figure and made the flames billow out all ways. Merlin had to shield his eyes. The figure twisted in pain and fell to the ground.
Once the light dimmed down enough, Merlin slowly brought his arm down. Loki was standing next to him, perfectly unharmed. "You ok?" He asked. "Hmm? Oh, yes. Fine." He was looking at the beast that lay on the scorched rock floor.
They slowly advanced towards it. It didn't seem very burned, its scales had saved it. "Scales. What is this thing?" Merlin stared, disgusted. He nudged a foot against it to make sure it was dead.
It wasn't.
It growled awake. "Good job." Loki mocked. Merlin choked up. "Run." He finally got out. They bolted out of there. Merlin easily passed Loki, and continued up the hill towards Camelot. "Wait. We can't leave it here." Loki whined. "Well, what do you suggest? Nurse it back to health and then release it back into the wild?" Merlin stood his ground. "No. To end its misery." Loki seemed close to tears. "Oh my goodness. You're serious." Merlin added stone-faced as he trudged back down to the cave entrance. "Of course. Do you want it to stay and torment the people? It could kill Arthur, again. Yes, I saw what you did in the forest." Loki added at Merlin's startled expression.
"Come on." Loki led him over to a rock that they crouched down behind as the ground began to shake again.
Out of the opening lumbered out the giant lizard like thing. A long, narrow body like a snake, but with short, sturdy legs. It had a streamlined head. It had blackened scales that probably used to be a different color. Bright, squinting yellow eyes, there was a forked tongue flickering in and out of its mouth. It swung its massive head to and fro and stuck out its tongue in all efforts to find them.
The sorcerers were holding their breath, it began to look more frustrated by the minute. It stomped its pronged feet as it headed out into the forest.
Loki slowly stood up and beckoned Merlin to follow him. He reluctantly went into the forest after the lizard.
They were careful not to make any sound. Loki deemed it necessary to step in its footsteps and in time with its footfalls. Merlin only did it to be safe, he must look like an idiot.
After a while, they finally caught up with it. Loki put his hand up, just like Arthur did when he was hunting and wanted him to stop. Smiling with memories, Merlin halted.
Out of nowhere, Loki was suddenly holding a sword. Not fair. Merlin bent over to pick up a rather large stick.
The beast was still, swinging his head around, his eyes were now shut from the burns. All he had was his smell and his hearing.
Incredibly light-footed, Loki ran up to, not making a sound.
He rose up his arms in preparation.
Unfortunately Merlin had stepped on twig that snapped. Of course. He thought as the beast raised its head at the noise. It slithered away at a frightening speed towards Camelot. "I have to warn Arthur!" Merlin bounded away. "Wait! What will you tell him?" "I'll think of something! I always do!" Merlin called back.
With a large crack, Loki disappeared.
Thanks for reading!