Nowhere in Particular, No Time Anyone's Sober Enough to Note
"Go faster."
"Merlin, I'm going as fast as I can!"
"Your hurting me Dion."
"Shhh."
"It's to tight!"
"Merlin I'm almost done."
"Ughh, please Dion finish quickly."
"There, I'm done, yeesh." Dion stood back, dusting of his hands and admiring his handiwork. Merlin sat on the ground, tears in his eyes and legs stretched out. Both his feet were snugly tied to smooth grey rocks. The rope looped up his legs numerous times and was tied to two medium sized stones Dion had put holes in. Dion had a similar thing done to his own legs but the rocks were a little bigger because he was taller the Merlin.
"Are you sure we can't just swim down?" Merlin stood with Dion's help and dragged himself unsteadily towards the edge of the bluff. The rocks on his feet dragged behind him and left muddy trenches in the soft ground.
"We have to jump off the cliff and sink to get through the portal. It's the only way. To deep to swim." He dragged his own weights over beside Merlin. They both towered over the river that ran below them. The drop was a sheer one and the river, though fast moving, looked quite shallow.
"I don' think this'll work." Merlin shuffled closer to the edge and leaned his head over. Then the world kind of wobbled for him and suddenly he was toppling over the edge. He drew short at the rocks and almost pulled his ankle out of its socket. But his weight yanked the rocks over the edge and sent him over.
"Merlin!" Dion cried out then and started to reach out for him before he fell off the cliff in the same manor as Merlin. Merlin was to busy trying to fly to bother worrying about him now though. His spell chanting sounded more like 'gibith huhi oyhargghhhhhhhhhh' They both hit the water with painful smacks and sunk like stones into the river that was deeper then an ocean.
Camelot Same Time
"So Mary, Merlin left an hour after I did with his friend."
"I believe the boys name was Dion." The stoutly woman said, she was wiping down the bar as they spoke to her. In her hands were stained ale mugs, the entire tavern stunk of the heavy scent. They had left for the tavern right away and were now getting Mary, the bar keep, to help them.
"Do you know where they went by any chance?"
"You are the second one to ask me that today actually." Mary set the glass she had picked up down thoughtfully, "now I can't remember the lads name but he came in the wee hours. Just after I came in to clean up. I told him we weren't open yet, quite surprised someone planned on drinking this early I do say. And he says that he just wants to know if I've seen a young man with brown hair and green eyes. That was the man who was with Merlin."
"What did you tell him."
"Well same as I'll tell you actually. I kicked them out, the rowdy buggers were getting quiet and figured it would be best if they left before they caused trouble. They hobbled out and further into the lower district. Asking around there might help you." She said before turning away and starting to wipe down the back counter.
Taking it as there cue to leave Arthur and Gwaine thanked her and headed out back to the street. As soon as they went through the door Killer leapt up and into Arthur's arms. He pecked Arthur angrily until he apologized for not letting him come in too.
"We should try and find the guy who was looking for Merlin's friend, Dion." Gwaine thought aloud as he led Arthur through the town.
"But where could they be? If they were that drunk you figured they would've left some kind of trail. Someone should have recognized them. Where shoul-" He was cut off by a scream coming from a nearby shop. With a quick glance to Gwaine they both ran into the shop.
A older woman sat on the ground strewn around her were bottles of various dyes and inks. On the walls were multiple coloured rolls of fabric. "It's been stolen!" she cried out in anguish. On the other side of the room a young man held another blonde one by the throat.
"What is going on here?" Arthur demanded. Killer squawked furiously. The man choking the other dropped the blonde in shock and he fell to the floor gasping for air, he scrambled away on all fours. The woman turned in her spot to face the prince.
"That boy there stole my red dye."
"I," he stopped to get a few more breaths in, "I didn't I just wanted to know if you had seen my brother."
"But you said the boots belonged to you!" The attacker snapped back.
"They do! They do but my brother borrowed them before he left the other day."
"Would you brother happen to be Dion?" Gwaine asked.
"Yes! Have you seen him?"
"No," Arthur answered lowering his guard and relaxing, "but we believe that he is with our missing friend."
"The owner of the third boot?"
"The third boot?" Gwaine asked. The blonde nodded and shakily got to his feet. To the credit of his attacker, he did help him up. Then the blonde walked over to them, and leaned down picked up a boot that they hadn't noticed coming in.
"It's Merlin's." Gwaine inspected the boot, before handing it to Arthur who nodded in a agreement.
"My red dye! Your friends stole my red dye!"
"How do you know this? Merlin isn't the stealing type, I'm sorry." Arthur said, coming to his servants defense.
"We saw them," she hissed, "they ran out the door with the bags of dye dripping red everywhere. Only your Merlin could grab his shoe before Brendin here scared them off."
Arthur was about to fight back when Gwaine poked him in the back. He turned harshly about to call off the knight when Gwaine shoved the boot in his face, tapping the spot that had a few droplets of red dye on it. Arthur sighed, what the hell was wrong with Merlin.
"I apologize sincerely for my servant. I hope that you will treat this incident with the utmost secrecy. Please send a bill for any loss or damage to the castle." Arthur spun on his heels, leaving before Killer could add his own defensive cluck.
"Hey!" The blonde boy from the shop called out before they had gotten to far. "It seems we have a similar goal, what do you say to working together. I'm Apollo."
"I'm Gwaine and this is Arthur, our most esteemed princess with his pet chicken Killer."
Arthur glared at Gwaine before speaking to Apollo. "You say you're looking for your brother?"
"Yes." The boy said. He was quite handsome in the light, the small purple marks around his throat seemingly the only blemish on his soft pale skin. His hair was a soft blonde and longer then even Gwaines. He wore it up tied in a short ponytail. His clothes showed that he came from some wealth as they had no noticeable tears in it and no stitching. But it wasn't the nicest material or of any noble design. Arthur figured he was the son of a prominent farmer or land owner. He seemed like he could be helpful in the search.
"Do you know what they might've done with the dye?"
"Well I'd say it has something to do with that chicken."
Under Water
He struggled violently for air, blind terror masking the feeling of the weight around his legs. He watched as the sun slowly shrunk, the water above growing darker and darker. He couldn't see Dion.
Suddenly the rock pulling down yanked him hard, and he was pulled down and out of the water. The rock hit against the hard ground with a spark. Merlin smacked into the ground with similar force, he rolled onto his side spitting out a mouthful of water, he didn't even have to say anything as his magic reacted for him and the binds around his legs unwound.
He sat up just in time to see the similarly drowned Dion crash into the ground. Merlin leaned back on his hands gasping in air. He tilted his head up drawing a shaky breath, he found himself mesmerized by the watery ceiling that they had just fallen through. He listened to Dions labored breathing before reaching his hand out to find the other boys shoulder, he patted it softly when he touched it.
"Do you wan' hear a secret?"
"Right now Merlin?" Dion huffed patting Merlins hand before standing up and shaking his head, the rope around his legs unwinding itself as well. Merlin pushed himself to his feet while nodding.
"I have magic!"
"I knew that already." Dion said dismissively, he was already looking for something.
"Then you must die!" Merlin shouted before brandishing his imaginary sword. Dion just casually raised his old crossbow in response.
"Wanna fight boy?" He said before losing an bolt. In Merlins defense there is little an imaginary sword can do in any fight, and bringing one to a crossbow fight wasn't the smartest of ideas. And he was really drunk. The bolt whizzed past his head and his jaw dropped as small trickles of blood started to roll down his cheek. A thin cut forming on his forehead and running just past his ear.
"You shot me! You actually shot me!"
"Oh triple goddess!," Dion rushed over slamming a hand on Merlins temple in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "I though you would catch it!"
"Catch it!" Merlin said incredulously.
"No, not catch per say but block it with magic!" Dion ripped a part of his shirt, still inside out and used it to bandage Merlins head.
"Meanie." Dion rolled his eyes at the childish come back. He opened his mouth to say something when another voice cut in.
"Who might you be, oh courageous adventurers, who are you to challenge to cave of youth?"
Merlin jaw dropped, "Dion your voice changed!"
"It wasn't me it was that frog!" Merlin looked to see what Dion was talking about and was quite surprised to find that it was indeed a frog, riding an armored goat and wearing a tiny crown. Merlin rubbed his eyes bleary.
"I think I need more magic ale." Dion just laughed and handed Merlin a overflowing glass.