Hey guys, so I have decided to go full whump… but let me explain, if you would like a half whump version of the story, message me or let me know somehow, and I'll post a half whump version of the story. There is torture in this chapter, more than before, so just FYI. Not feeling to confident about this chapter either.
All the days blurred together, and Merlin who hadn't been keeping track of them in the first place would have not been keeping track of them now. He had opened his eyes, after a very long gruesome night, that he much rather erase from his memory when he saw Cenred's castle.
Well it made sense, they had a visit from the Knights the previous night, and were being escorted by them. It was probably to make sure that Merlin did not do anything rash. He was too tired, and too weak to do anything rash, so they really had no need to worry about that.
But the night was rough on Merlin, and the knights were even rougher. He was glad most of it was a blur because it would make it easier to forget. The castle in site, and he saw a knight go down.
There was a bit of chaos, but the pace picked up. Merlin heard, Emrys, as a shrill cry, a cry of terror. Whoever was calling out to him, was as scared as he was. He tried to find the source of where it came from, but again he failed.
He felt a rush of cold hit him when they entered the courtyard. Merlin even without his magic could feel that this place had nothing good about it. Everything that Camelot had, this place lacked. Merlin could feel his heart begin to race again, as he anticipated what was to come. He had to figure out to get out of here.
He had to do a lot of things, and he wasn't sure in his current state he could do any of them. He looked around, and the embarrassment was there. Though not as bad, these people were all strangers to him. He technically was one of these people too, his own village was part of Cenred's kingdom, but his whole village basically made a stand to say they were part of Camelot. Not like Cenred cared anyways.
Merlin hadn't really been paying attention to the world around him, but when he saw a person in his line of site, a person who was rather close to the cage, he paid more attention. The person looked him over, he had an unhealthy grey sheen about him, and there was sweat that matted his hair to his forehead.
"You sure, he's the one the seer specified?" The voice was wise, and came from a man with dark hair. It was King Cenred. He was wanted. It didn't take even a thought to know he was going to be used for something.
"Yes, my Lord. I found him in Camelot, Uther wanted me to find a sorcerer, and the idiot even agreed to let me take him."
"Uther wont know what is going to hit." Cenred looked at Merlin, "He's smaller than I imagined."
The dragon said that too, Merlin's thoughts supplied, he was immediately grateful for the gag. His mouth would get him more than the stocks here, he was certain of that. At least his sass was still intact, that was a good sign. At least he thought it was.
But a good sign didn't do much for him especially where escaping was involved. A good sign wasn't going to help him figure his way out of all this. Merlin looked the king in the eye for only a second before he broke his gaze.
"We'll test his power soon enough."
Merlin gulped, that did not sound promising. Merlin did not want to test his power, he knew his strength, and he couldn't always use it. Keeping his magic hidden from the whole of Camelot was the cause of that. But he knew he was strong.
Merlin wished he knew what they were planning for him. The cage door opened, the chain unhooked, and he was pulled onto the cracked cobblestones of the castle's courtyard. He knew the bruises would come, and he knew at least one of his knees has gotten a cut at least.
Merlin saw this as a slim opportunity. He had to try. He had to try and run. So he clambered to his feet and ran. He didn't get very far. He felt like he was a stumbling idiot. In fact he felt similar to how he did after he had way too much to drink. However he looked quite coordinated, he was just slower than normal. The cuffs were the blame for that.
He ran, and a guard caught him and pushed him to the ground. This was not what he had planned, nor really anticipated. But he should have. He should have known better. He hit the ground hard, his head hit with a smack, and he was dazed for a second or two. Merlin really wasn't sure, it all happened very fast.
But being pulled up by his arm, and lifted off the ground by the king, that had happened slowly. It hurt, and Merlin felt that his arm was not going to stay in socket. "You dare try to run you worthless sorcerer.
"You are mine now." He through Merlin to the ground, "20 public lashes, keep him there til mid day tomorrow," he announced. Merlin was still trying to recover from his second, or maybe it was third meeting with the ground, he was losing count.
Then he felt something press into his back, it didn't take him long to realize what it was. It was a boot. "You try that again sorcerer and your punishment won't be so nice."
Merlin looked up at the king, and wondered what on earth could be worse than twenty public lashes. The guards grabbed him from the ground, and whimpered. He had enough attention on Cenred to notice the coin purse he handed to Aredian, who then opened it to make sure the full amount, was there. Aredian then handed a knight some keys, must be all the ones that were keeping Merlin locked up.
The courtyard soon cleared of the king, and Aredian, but the people, and the knights remained. Merlin tried not to showcase all the fear he was feeling. He was dragged to a post, Camelot had a similar one, but Merlin had never been sent there, only threatened with it by Uther. Arthur favored the stocks, and Merlin had a feeling he would too.
The chain his cuffs were attached to, were attached to the pole. Then he felt it. The first one he knew would be the most painful and he screamed. He didn't really care about his pride, he was going to scream if he was hurt.
It went on til all twenty were done. Merlin had long since slumped in towards the pole. He had also fallen unconscious. Merlin was not aware of his surroundings, and he was glad. He was in the peace of his mind for the time being. His energy was at an all time low, and he was not sure he would be getting it back.
Emrys, he didn't even hear it. It was probably a good thing. The people in the courtyard disappeared eventually, and all that was left were the guards. They went down like flies, similar to the way the knight that escorted them to the castle went down.
Emrys, Merlin stirred when he heard it this time, but not much beyond that. He was still too drained, too tired. The voice was frantic, as if it had not been expecting what it saw.
"I have the keys," someone whispered across the courtyard. He ran up and got Merlin detached from the post.
"The cuffs," the younger voice commented.
"Will have to wait, we must hurry."
The man carried Merlin away. The source of the young voice following. They met up with the rest of the people that had been tailing Aredian and Merlin, and they made it a mission to leave Cenred's kingdom. The druid's had not been known to have horses, but these ones did, on suggestion from a tip. The tip that had actually led them to following Merlin in the first place.
They pushed their limits of traveling. They rode through the night, not wanting to risk having to make camp in Cenred's kingdom. They didn't reach the borders til that night. The trip was faster than expected, but they also had more than just the horses working on their side. When they crossed into Camelot's territory, they continued on. There could be no mistaking that they were in Camelot's territory.
They had finally made camp, and one of the druid's went to care for the horses. "We shouldn't have waited so long," the voice was an older voice. "Any later and they might have done something that would be near irreversible."
The boy, who was with them, had only been half paying attention. He was not on the best of terms with Merlin, but he would let Merlin explain that all to him later. Emrys, he coaxed, but Merlin did not wake.
"Let him sleep," someone called out to the boy. The boy nodded, and watched. They needed to get the cuffs off him. But the elders decided against it for now. They would do that when Merlin was awake, and somewhat coherent.
"Can we at least take this off," the boy pointed to the chains around Merlin's mouth. The elder druid nodded, and fumbled with the keys he had taken. He unlocked the chain and it fell slack, the boy took the cloth out of Merlin's mouth, and set it aside.
All four druids were now circled around him sitting and watching, not yet sleeping. "His back will heal," one of the two younger druids said. "The salve will help keep infection at bay. He'll be better when we get him to camp."
Merlin was aware of noises, they were buzzing around him like bees. His eyes fluttered, but only slightly. The boy noticed this, and tried to cal out to him again, Emrys.
Merlin's eyes opened half way, he wasn't able to recognize the person staring at him, but the person supplied the information he wanted soon enough, Its Mordred, you will be alright.
Merlin's eyes closed again, and the darkness of sleep came.