Sword in the Stone part 2

In all of his years in Camelot, in every arrest, Merlin had never been chained. Now, feeling the metal on his skin he realised something he'd never noticed before. There was a reason why sorcerers struggled to escape Camelot's dungeons and it had nothing to do with the bars on the wall. Unconsciously, Merlin sensed every millimetre of metal in the chains that held him and he could sense magic there. Strong, painful magic.

Searing into his wrists, his magic rushed to his defense, desperately attempting to keep the dark magic at bay. Weak though he was from the night's terrors he could only do so much. Merlin failed to notice when he was dragged into the throne room. Pale and shaking he was thrown to his knees, his body curling inwards, subconsciously protective of his burning wrists.

He blearily looked upwards at Morgana, not bothering to register what she was saying. It wouldn't make a difference either way, she'd get nothing from him and she knew it. Suppressing a groan he dropped his head down and focused on his breathing, praying for a distraction from the pain.

Merlin?

Merlin's eyes shot open holding his breath in pure shock. Shock and alarm because surely, that couldn't have been Arthur's voice in his head?

MERLIN

"Merlin?" Arthur called out, gasping. What is that? Pain seared into his wrists until Arthur felt his hands were going to fall off. Without the accompanying strain on his shoulders, Arthur discounted the thought of Merlin strung up in chains but couldn't place what was going on.

Arthur? What in hell are you doing? Arthur didn't think he'd heard Merlin sound like this.

Merlin, you need to tell me where you are, we'll come get you.

Get me? Arthur I'm in Camelot. What are you doing in my head!

Merlin was jolted into awareness when a force of dark magic hit him. His eyes flickered to the box in Morgana's hands and briefly wondered what she was doing before turning back to more important matters.

What was that?

What was what? Merlin snapped back irritably, eyes drawn to the creature moving in Morgana's box.

I felt something, something dark.

You feel what I feel? Merlin realised with a dawning horror.

Iseldir mentioned something like this could happen…

Iseldir? Arthur you need to get out of my head. Morgana is staring at me with that look…

Morgana? What look? Merlin what's going on?! Arthur demanded.

You don't want to know, Merlin responded grimly, flinching back from the snake in Morgana's hand, waves of dark magic piercing into him.

"Unmicel snaca, suge ba soban... swilcnesse!"

The next moment a dark force slammed into him, sending him reeling. He could feel it searing into his mind, felt it once it reached Arthur.

Iseldir, get him out now! That's an order! Merlin yelled mentally, even as his thoughts flickered in agony.

Arthur woke to find himself screaming and couldn't even begin to care that everyone was gathered around. His hand shot out to grip Iseldir's robes harshly, hardly noticing anything else, his thoughts still on Merlin's pain.

"We have to get him out of there, I have to save him-"

"Arthur!" Gaius called out, pulling Arthur's weak grip off the druid. "Calm down, sire. Deep breaths," the physician ordered gently. Arthur hands released Iseldir, finding Gaius' arm instead.

"You don't understand, Merlin- Morgana has him in Camelot. I've never known such pain Gaius-"

"There is nothing to be done, Arthur. We can't possibly save him yet, we have nothing to confront Morgana with, A rescue would be futile. Here, rest. You'll need your strength," Gaius reasoned calmly, his physician's mask firmly in place even as his hand shook. Arthur barely registered when he drank the sleeping draught. His thoughts were still on Merlin even as he fell into slumber.

Recognising that Arthur was no longer aware of his surroundings, Gaius sighed in relief, anger quickly overcoming his concern.

"You should not have done this," he said to Iseldir, his tone harsh and unforgiving. "You knew Arthur would feel Merlin's pain, we were almost certain he was in Camelot. What purpose did this serve?" Gaius demanded. Gwaine looked surprised at his tone, his gaze flitting from the angered physician to the stoic druid.

"The coin has been shadowed for too long, physician. In these times darkness reaches for every shadow," the druid intoned ominously. Gwaine stared in confusion while the druid's words only seemed to anger Gaius further.

"You know precious little if you believe a Keeper of Light could ever fall into shadow, no matter how dark its depths," Gaius responded scathingly. Iseldir's stoicism was broken by shock at these words while Gwaine's confusion remained everlasting.

"What?" Gwaine uttered, sure he'd never be able to understand the riddles magic folk spoke in. Lancelot remained quietly resigned, knowing from experience how vexing these conversations were if you weren't used to them. With one last scathing glance, Gaius turned back to the king, checking him for injuries. He surveyed Arthur's burned wrists in resignation, reaching up to check Arthur's pulse from his neck before freezing.

Peering over Gaius' shoulder, Lancelot could make out a puncture wound on Arthur's neck, the skin already inflamed around the wound, the veins darkened. The knight winced slightly.

"May the gods preserve us," Gaius uttered in horror.

"What is it?" asked Gwaine, coming over to look.

"She used a Nathair," Iseldir responded, with a great sadness. "It is a creature capable of torturing others to the limit of human endurance with a single bite, a magical creature of the darkest kind."

Gaius sank to a chair in exhaustion and worry. His mind turned back to his ward, trying to imagine what he was going through. Separated from his king, tortured by Morgana, his magic turned against him. "Oh, my boy," he exclaimed sadly.

"I don't understand, why doesn't he escape, why doesn't he-" Gwaine broke off, mouthing the next words, "use magic?" Gaius shook his head, gesturing to Arthur's wrists, knowing they were but a shadow of Merlin's condition.

"Those chains were designed to contain sorcerers. Who knows what effect it could have had on Merlin," he replied hollowly.

"They can't possibly know about-" Lancelot uttered in horror. Gaius shook his head.

"A coincidence, I'm certain. Some chains in Camelot are more effective than others, Morgana's men wouldn't know the difference."

"We'll rescue him Gaius, you have my solemn word." Gwaine swore.

"Gwaine, we can't take Camelot without magical assistance," interjected Lancelot. "It would be suicide."

"We only need to save Merlin," Gwaine countered. Gaius shook his head.

"He wouldn't be able to help, Gwaine. Not after a Nathair."

LINEBREAK

In Camelot. The rescue plan that failed utterly.

"I am Arthur Pendragon, king of Camelot. I have nothing more to say."

"I am Sir Gwaine, knight of Camelot. I serve King Arthur. I have nothing more to say."

"I am Sir Elyan, knight of Camelot. I serve King Arthur. I have nothing more to say."

Morgana signalled to the guards at the back of the hall, apparently seeming to lose interest in the men in front of her. A moment passed as Arthur and his captured knights looked over their shoulders.

"Merlin," Arthur uttered in despair.

As pale as Arthur had ever seen him, Merlin's face was lined with pain. Unable to keep his body upright through the tremors that wracked his frame, he was dragged into the hall. As he was thrown to the ground in front of Morgana, the chains that bound his hands crashed to the floor. Merlin rose slowly with monumental effort, his body trembling in agony.

He gazed around blearily, taking in the presence of his friends with an unreadable look. His eyes met Arthur's in a look of shared pain. Lancelot's gaze flickered to Merlin's neck where even from a distance the wound was clearly visible. The veins of his throat were darkened all the way up his neck, reaching down under his torn neckerchief.

"Do you have something to say, Merlin?" Morgana asked sweetly. For a while the man was silent until it was uncertain whether he could answer. Finally he seemed to gather the strength to utter a few words.

"Are we doing the "I've nothing more to say" thing?" he asked flatly with a ghost of his former smirk. If the situation wasn't so dire, Arthur would have groaned in exasperation. Morgana smirked and gestured to the thugs behind the manservant. Removing the chains that bound the warlock, Arthur didn't miss the sight of his manservant's bloody wrists. A surge of anger overcame him.

"Morgana, let him go. He has nothing to do with this," Arthur reasoned. Morgana fixed him with a cold glare.

"He has more to do with this than you can imagine, dear brother. You see I've taken everything from you. I've won. Camelot, my throne is mine and still, you stand against me. I don't need your orders Arthur. I can do what I like. And right now, I'm teaching you a lesson". Morgana strode forward, waving the guards away from the injured warlock.

Never removing his defiant gaze from Morgana's deranged one, he watched calmly as she approached him. Morgana gripped his neck and forced him back, digging her fingers into his wound. Merlin let out a choked cry and black spots swam in his vision but he desperately fought them back.

"You choose your companions well, Arthur," Morgana commented, ignoring the knights' protests. "It is unfortunate for them that they remain so… unhelpful." She paused for a moment, surveying the man in her grip who even while in agony, still gazed into her eyes with a defiance of steel. Morgana pretended to consider her next move before shrugging and smiling slyly at Arthur.

"So, I suppose I'll just have to kill him."

The reaction from Arthur and his knights were as she expected. Horror overcame their defiance as they cried out in protest. Ignoring them and not seeing Nimueh's sad expression, Morgana slowly drew a dagger. It was beautiful, a golden hilt embossed with jewels, a ruby the shape of an eye at the crossbar. She once again met the eyes of her enemy, the man who poisoned her, killed her sister and thwarted her every plan. Whatever she expected to find, she was disappointed. His face was blank, eyes riveted on the knife in her hands.

Merlin looked in terrible recognition at the dagger that haunted his dreams. This was it, he thought numbly. No more Arthur, no more destiny, no more Merlin…

Morgana paused slightly and tilted her head to the side curiously.

"Anything you want to tell me Merlin?" she asked, innocently.

This is it, my last chance, a dark part of his mind whispered. He didn't have to die after all – He ripped himself away from such thoughts and subconsciously struggled once more against Morgana's iron grip, pain from his neck now going unheeded.

"I – " Merlin began, faltering. Everyone stilled, the air itself seemed to hold its breath, waiting for his next words.

"I am Merlin," his voice sounded broken, but his eyes blazed in defiance. Arthur shook his head slowly, hardly aware of his action. Merlin wasn't a knight. He shouldn't have to suffer this. "I serve Arthur, the Once and Future King. Go to hell, Morgana."

"As a servant you have lived, Merlin," she hissed at him viciously. "And as a servant you shall die." She raised the knife over his chest.

"No!" screamed a voice desperately. Merlin traced the source and for a moment met Arthur's eyes. Even in this dark place he looked as great as Merlin always knew him to be. Pain exploded in his chest. He slumped weakly in Morgana's arms as his head became too heavy to hold up. Blearily he gazed at the golden hilt embedded into the left side of his chest, right where his heart should be.

Almost caught in an embrace with her enemy, Morgana watched in fascination as Merlin's eyes finally drifted closed. Letting Merlin's limp body collapse to the stone floor, Morgana pulled out the knife, her fingers delicately traced the blood soaked blade. She drank in the anguished cries of her enemies as one finally lay dead before her.

"Take him away," she ordered softly, her eyes on the still features of her former friend. "Leave him in the woods for the wolves. Take the others to the dungeons." She didn't spare a glance for the distraught knights or the guilt ridden eyes of her brother. As she sat down on her stolen throne, she had eyes only for the broken body being carried from the hall.

BriefShiningMoment

Well. Yes. I just killed Merlin. Some may be able to guess through my subtle hints what happened. As it's unlikely that I'm going to be posting this again I'll go through what happens next.

Tristan and Isolde are driven off course by Morgana's men closer to Camelot than they should be. Isolde stumbles across a body in the woods with dark hair and bloodied clothes… only to stop when she realises that he is still breathing.

Merlin suddenly wakes up, golden light shining in his eyes. Isolde stays back and watches as he stumbles to his feet, barely able to stand up. He leans his back against the tree, gingerly peeling back his ripped shirt to reveal a deep stab wound in his chest. Isolde gasps in horror as Merlin just stares at it blankly. Muttering "gehaele" the wound stops bleeding. He uses the bottom of his shirt and his neckerchief to fashion a bandage before becoming aware of his surroundings.

Awkward conversation ensues with Merlin only giving half answers. Before he can continue on his merry way Isolde pulls a sword out, claiming he is outnumbered. Merlin turns to see the rest of Isolde's merry band behind him looking very threatening.

That's where I stopped thinking. Sorry. The reason Merlin survived was because his heart was now on the right side of his chest, like a dragon. The reason why I had him reading that book way back in episode four and that favour Merlin asked of Kilgarrah.

So Merlin survives really. Commence the badassery. Only it didn't happen because the last season killed my buzz. I mean, this one that I wrote over was fine because some of it was interesting. But the last season consisted of all those cliché fanfictions we've read about Merlin being poisoned by Morgana, Merlin losing his magic, Mordred falling in love with a Freya.

The last episode pissed me off. Kingdoms not being explicitly united, magic not being brought back until AFTER ARTHUR DIES! Aithusa doesn't do much and she doesn't recover and Kilgharrah flies off to die, Merlin doesn't fight Morgana with magic when he isn't Emrys it just annoyed me.

I eventually realised I wouldn't be able to finish this the way I wanted to and though I couldn't give you a sequel I could at least give you closure…or something like that.

Thanks for reading and reviewing and the like and I'm sorry if you don't like me anymore

BriefShiningMoment

Was kinda brief wasn't it…