emerald.97 - Thanks! Glad you're still loving this; Orion1432 – Thanks! Glad you liked my Merlin and Arthur characterisation. That means a lot to me. I hope this next chapter doesn't disappoint; Fantasyreader – Here's the next chapter for you. Hope you like it. Thanks for reviewing; desertangel21- Thanks! So pleased you're liking this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter too.
Also, thank you again to everyone else who reviewed! I hope I didn't miss replying to anyone.
I've posted this a earlier than I'd intended because I lack any form of willpower, but now you'll have to wait a bit longer for the next chapter as it's not yet written. If I wake up I might do some more this afternoon but don't hold your breath. To those of you who pursuaded me to get this up quicker, you know who you are and you brought it upon yourselves. Ha! This'll teach you to be impatient!
Enjoy! :D
Chapter 21 – Destiny Unwravelling
Arthur was squatted on a small stone which protruded out of the scrubby grassland. Fixed in his gaze at a sensible distance opposite – not too close but near enough so as not to be completely invisible in night's pitch – was the sorceress, Mildryd, her hands and feet bound tightly and her mouth gagged. On the floor next to Arthur lay a plain stone pendant, which had been removed from the sorceress's neck as a precaution. Who knew what tricks these sort of people had up their sleeves – or round their throats for that matter? Ambling towards them came Merlin, stretching himself more fully than one of the stray cats of the town after a particularly strenuous nap.
"Arthur," Merlin said. "You need to sleep sometime too you know."
"I'm not tired," Arthur replied, stifling a yawn.
"No, of course you're not."
"Someone's got to keep an eye on her."
"Well I could do that."
"Someone competent," he spoke so Mildryd wouldn't hear.
"I think I can handle it. She is tied up after all."
"Given she can do magic, I wouldn't count on that," Arthur whispered.
"I won't take my eyes of her, I promise. Anything remotely suspicious and I'll wake you."
Arthur considered this for a moment. It was against his better judgement but maybe he was a little sleepy after all. "Alright," he conceded, tugging his sword out of the ground before handing it to Merlin. "But don't let her speak and if she even looks as if she's about to try anything…" he said with a deliberate glance at Mildryd. "Remember, your life's worth more than hers."
He wandered off to the side. Upon reflection of the situation, he drew the additional sword that was still strapped to Merlin's recently recovered horse and placed it beside him before lying on the ground to rest – not that he really needed any.
The minutes between Merlin and Mildryd passed by in unbroken silence until Arthur's snores could be heard reverberating across the way.
"So, you helped create the illusions on Camelot?" Merlin asked softly. Mildryd nodded, "And it was you that faked my death?" Mildryd nodded again. "Then I take it you know who I am and that I don't really need this," Merlin said , putting the sword he was holding, rather pathetically, to one side. "I assume you're after the usual revenge on Camelot, but how is it that you know about me?" Merlin asked. Mildryd's eyes glanced downwards. She probably didn't need words to speak but she was clearly going to be obstinate. He crouched down and removed her gag, his stern look a clear warning against her trying anything.
"I'm not the only one who's heard of you ," she said. "You know that."
"Yes, but you're no Druid and you've called me Merlin, not Emrys. Tell me what you know."
"I am a seer. I have seen your future and what may or may not come to pass. Your master could become a great king with your help; Arthur has the potential to unite Albion and then and only then can magic be restored peacefully to the kingdom. That's what you wish, is it not?"
"Surely you want that too," Merlin said. A peaceful solution to the laws against magic was in everyone's best interests and but for people like Mildryd the task might even be simple.
"What I want is Uther dead and yes, I'll admit peace would be nice. " Mildryd said. "But what I want is irrelevant. I know what you're destined to become; you have barely scratched your own surface."
"Look, no offence but I'm tired of hearing about what I'm destined to become."
"Have you heard the full story?" asked Mildryd curiously.
"Knowing the dragon that told me, I doubt it," Merlin admitted, "But I don't suppose you're about to tell me and I wouldn't believe you if you did. You've given me every reason not to trust you."
"Arthur may become king or he may not live to do so but magic will return either way. This will be your doing, it is part of who you are and whichever road you take that destination is always the same."
This was news to Merlin. How could he lift the laws on magic. Then he realised that she had said nothing about changing laws, only that magic would inevitably return. He had little patience for more riddles. "If you've got a point could you get to it quicker."
"Only Arthur can bring peace," she explained. "Without peace, Camelot will fall." She paused as if struggling with how to continue. "You will destroy... everything."
"What?" Bands constricted around Merlin's heart, clenching it tightly in his chest. Impossible. This had been the last thing he'd expected to hear. "You're wrong! I could never." He couldn't… and even if his powers grew to such extent, he'd never be capable of that…. He couldn't, he wouldn't… would he? She was lying. She had to be lying, but he needed to know more. "Everything?… What do you mean by everything?"
"I don't know for certain. All I know is that the world as we know it will be no more." What did that even mean? It sounded overly melodramatic and maybe it was, but why would she make this up? What did she have to gain?
"I'm not like you," said Merlin. "I would never do anything to harm the kingdom." Not again, he thought to himself.
"You may not have a choice," she replied sadly. No, there was always a choice.
"That does not matter. None of this matters. It is my destiny to protect Arthur and I would do so even if it were not. He is my friend. He will become the great king he was meant to be and neither you or anyone else will stop me." He couldn't risk waking Arthur but Merlin's forcefulness more than made up for his lack of volume. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because every night I dream and every night I see more clearly another future where your power overwhelms us all. Recently those dreams have crept into my waking moments. The first steps down that path have already been made."
"By me?"
"I cannot say."
"Can't or won't." Merlin was frustrated. He was being told that he would bring about Camelot's downfall and now he couldn't even get a straight answer. If he didn't know what he was supposed to do to cause this, how was he supposed to prevent it? He was not this person Mildryd spoke of, he couldn't be. He did not have it in him to destroy a kingdom. "I'm fed up of people telling me who I'm supposed to be," he argued. "I'm Merlin, just Merlin. Warlock. Servant. Friend. That is all and everything I am."
"I can't say," Mildryd said. "Timelines are complicated and I do not have the details. I only know I don't want that future any more than you."
"Then why are you doing this. You said that Arthur's death will cause this."
A short distance away Arthur stirred, hearing raised voices. He recognised Merlin and the sorceress.
"Almost definitely," he heard her answer. Neither of them had noticed he had woken. Some lookout Merlin had turned out to be.
"And yet you want to kill him." Arthur should go to help Merlin. He'd told him not to let her speak – the idiot – now he was in danger, however the conversation was intriguing; clearly they were talking about him. He crouched down behind the low bushes, listening quietly but ready to act in an instant if necessary.
"I do not," Mildryd assured him. "But I know who I am. Survivor. Sister. Coward. That is all I am. I cannot and will not turn against my family."
"You could actually live with yourself knowing you murdered the one person who could save the kingdom? How can you have such disregard for other's lives? It's pathetic."
"Yes it is," confessed Mildryd. "But I have made my choice and nothing will change my mind."
"You know I'll stop you," Merlin spoke with unwavering resolution.
Arthur could scarcely believe how confident Merlin seemed given he was face to face with a sorceress who could probably take him apart with less than one blow. He wasn't sure if it was bravery or stupidity. Possibly both. Either way, his extreme loyalty stunned him. Merlin couldn't possibly stop anything and here he was sticking up for his life like this. Arthur couldn't help but feel the admiration welling up inside him.
"Part of me hopes you will, but things must return to the original plan," said Mildryd.
"Which is?" Merlin asked. Not for a second did Arthur believe that this sorceress would reveal anything but he admired Merlin for trying.
"Arthur Pendragon will die by our hand, and so you must die with him."
"That's enough!" Arthur yelled, revealing himself and standing between Merlin and Mildryd. "I knew I should have killed you. I thought I owed you for Merlin's life when clearly I was mistaken. I'm playing your game. I will go to Heolstor to beg for the lives of my people and bargain if I must, but you will not lay a finger on Merlin. He's not part of this battle."
"But he is part of the war," the sorceress stated.
"No, he isn't. He's just a gormless fool, I can't shake off – no offence, Merlin."
"None taken."
"It was not I who drained the swamp," she declared. "I just watched." Arthur stopped. So did Merlin.
"Then who?" Arthur asked. Mildryd raised an enigmatic eyebrow. There was a pause as he half expected someone to leap out and own up, but of course there was no-one else here except himself and Merlin.
"Ic onbinde Þás cnottan," she said suddenly taking Arthur by surprise. He took a step back as the knots retraining her hands and feet began to untie themselves and his fearful eyes darted backwards to the man he was protecting.
"Merlin, get out of here," he shouted.
"No."
"This is no time to pretend to be a hero."
"No!"
"Merlin! Ooof!" Arthur found himself thrown face-down to one side with a mouthful of grass.
"I am not going to kill you yet, Prince, but I need to know for sure," said Mildryd. She spoke to Arthur but was staring at Merlin with grim determination.
"Know what?" Arthur asked from the ground.
"If your servant will become what I've seen."
Arthur leapt to his feet – too late.
"Offylle mid Þæt drýlice eafoð"
The stone pendant on the floor radiated like a hot coal and launched at Merlin's chest before Arthur could stop it. There it stayed, flashing golden sparks which were clearly magic and Merlin was brought crashing to his knees, and then the floor. Arthur rushed to his side. Dread crept through every inch of him leaving his throat dry. What had she done? Merlin's body was convulsing wildly and his skin burned like a branding iron in the darkness. Arthur couldn't touch him but not through lack of trying.
"What did you do?" the prince shouted, cradling his own blistering hand and not daring to tear his eyes from Merlin for more than a split second. The sorceress was watching her handiwork, a faraway look in her eyes. Merlin's eyes flared as the raw magic crept through every fibre of his being. The grass around his juddering figure blackened and died at the touch of so much untamed power and Arthur was forced to edge away, but still Merlin writhed against it.
"Damn," Mildryd murmured, bowing her head slightly.
"Stop this!" yelled Arthur, advancing on the woman furiously, caring naught for himself. As she fled from him, he pursued , but he could not catch her. Whenever he got too near he was tripped up ungainly until she had vanished completely into the black veil of the night. "No! Come back! Undo this!"
Behind him the darkness was pierced by the fiery glow from Merlin. He shouldn't have left him. Why Merlin? Arthur was forced to ask himself again. More importantly, how could he possibly survive this?
"Arthur," Merlin moaned as he sprinted back to him. His eyes were still blazing an unsettling gold and the Heolstor stone shone white hot against his chest. What's wrong with you? thought Arthur. What am I supposed to do to help you? "Arthur, get out of here!"
Arthur was shocked by Merlin's words, both by the fact that he was able to speak coherently and by what he was implying. "No," he said firmly.
"Please," Merlin begged.
"No!"
"Arggh!" Merlin groaned. "This is no time to pretend to be a hero."
"Don't give me any of that! I'm not going anywhere," Arthur insisted, "And neither are you. You're going to fight this."
"What do you think I'm trying to do?" he grimaced. A log exploded a few feet way from Merlin causing Arthur to start. How– ? That thought went unfinished as a larger shock-wave ripped suddenly through the night air and he was hurtled backwards like a rag caught in a gale. He sat up dazed and looked towards the source of the blast that thrown him off his feet but left him surprisingly unscathed. The searing heat and light forced him to squint.
"NO!" he screamed, hand held in front of his face against the flames. Through the rippling hot air, he could just make out Merlin's shape on the ground. "Merlin!" he coughed and spluttered, knowing there was little he could do. Still, Arthur refused to believe it and he couldn't and wouldn't give up this time. Merlin was the luckiest, most stubborn little sod he'd ever had the fortune to meet – so now, even though the idiot was engulfed by raging fire and seemed to be the source, he wasn't falling for it. There was no way it could all be over. Absolutely not. No way. No. "Merlin!" he cried, fighting the flames towards him.