Gold
Chapter Nine
"Merlin!" Arthur saw Merlin stop suddenly and he paused in his slashing of the spectre. It wasn't having an effect anyway. Then he saw Merlin fall to his knees, a surprised look on his face, and then a pained expression crossed it and stayed there. "MERLIN!" Arthur yelled this time, realising that the spectre was paying attention solely to his manservant and that it must have done something to him. "MERLIN!" he yelled again, but he had no reaction from either Merlin, nor the spectre. Arthur ran around the spectre, taking care to avoid the curling black smoke, to run to his friend, but then the spectre did see him suddenly and paid attention. Arthur was flung back again, and although he immediately got back to his feet, he realised that there was nothing beneath his feet. A trapdoor! Arthur realised, flinging out his hands to his sides to try and catch a hold of the floor around the hole that had appeared, but he didn't have enough time to grab purchase on to something, and he fell to the darkness below.
"Merlin!" he shouted as he fell, his voice heard by no one.