AU: Hi again this is the 18th chapter of The Forgetting Curse. Hope you like it.
Sorry that the chapter is a bit shorter but I didn't have any time.
Sorry for any mistakes.
Love from me! ^^
He had to think how to kill a harpy. – 'Go!' – He said to Morgana. Right after that the monster attacked. He searched his in his mind. Nothing came out of there. He just remembered he had read something about harpies. Let him see, he knew they were mythological creatures, he knew about their appearance, he knew they were able to kill you and he remembered that in one of Gaius' book he had read something about how to defeat one.
The creature rushed rapidly at him. He spurs out his horse and moved so it missed. He looked around him. There was nothing but woods and twigs around him. What was he going to do? The let his hand fall in the saddle incidentally, he found the sward he had completely forgot about. Merlin drew it and pointed the harpy with him. The monster just screamed as it attacked again. He was able to transfix it, but nothing happened, it continued flying around him. The raven haired boy couldn't understand what was going on. So far he knew that everything that has been stabbed so brutally must at least bleed. The Harpy attacked again. He wasn't so lucky this time. It jabbed its beak in his arm and he fell from the horse. His forearm was bleeding lavishly. He was on the ground and he looked around him. The harpy was in no sight. Merlin looked at his arm; the wound was big, about ten centimeters.
Suddenly the creature was back. Gazing at the ground he didn't see his sword. The distance between them was getting smaller with each second passed. Merlin wasn't able to do anything; he was going to die there. To die without seeing Arthur for the last time, to die alone in the woods torn apart by a harpy and what was the Prince going to do when he reached this point of his trip. He couldn't be able to do anything against the monster, because a sword couldn't kill it. The boy's eyes watered. He took a deep breath and prepared for the biggest pain in his life. As he was on the ground he lifted his arm in front of his face and when the thing came and touched his bare arm, it screamed as if it was hurt. Merlin opened his eyes, he saw the harpy a few meters away from him. Her face looked like it was burned. But from what? He thought. He hadn't done anything. As he couldn't use magic, and there was no one around this version was impossible.
The harpy came against him again, now more disgusting than ever. He decided that he has nothing to lose and tried touching it. Steam came from where he touched it. Merlin had found what was responsible for the burning traces on her face. It was him. He hit her again, now with more power and confidence. The harpy screamed as it was stepping back. Finally fire started on the place where his hand has been for more than a second. The creature burned so rapid that the raven haired boy couldn't even realized what he had done. Within a few minutes the harpy was gone. All that was left from here was ashes that soon were interspersed among the air, by the wind. Merlin afforded a smiled. Even though he didn't know how he defeated the creature, he was still proud of himself for doing it.
He looked at the sky. It was almost down. His horse was still around him. The animal was scared to death, but it still was next to its owner and the boy thanked god for that. He mounted it and rode to the south, where he and Lady Morgana were meant to meet.
….
Morgana was waiting on the road fork just as she was told to. She was on the edge of her nerves. What if Merlin didn't show up? What was she going to do? How was she going to explain to Arthur how and why was she in the Lower Lands and when they returned back to Camelot, the fact the Merlin was not there. She was twisting her fingers and in every couple of second she was looking around to see if the raven haired boy was coming from somewhere. The king's ward was looking awful. Although she let the horse sleep, she was much more tired. She longed for her night rest.
It was moments before sunrise when she heard some strange noises. She was on the ground, leaned back on the sleeping horse. Not even realizing it she was in light dreamless sleep. When she heard hoofs she jumped. Gazing around, she saw Merlin coming on a horse. Taking a closer look at him she saw that his shirt was ripped on the left sleeve. What had happened?
'Merlin!' – She said and stood from the ground, walking towards him. – 'What happened?'
'I…I don't know exactly.' – He said and got of the animal. – 'Was everything fine, while you waited?' – he asked and even if he was tired and hurt, he still knew that his should be caring more about the king' ward than himself.
'I was fine.' – She answered and touched his hand. – 'You are hurt.' –She said and pulled him to the place where her horse was. They sat and she took a closer look at the wound.
'What are you doing?' – The boy asked.
'Somebody has to tie up you sore.' – Morgana said and after a moment added. – 'I will need you to take off your shirt.' – Doing as he was told, he felt much pain as he was moving his forearm.
'Ouch.' – He said. The wound was awful. Seeing it Morgana made face. – 'Is it that bad?' – He asked and raised his eyebrows.
'Well, I don't want to lie to you. It couldn't have been worse.' – She said and gave him a sad smile. She stood up and walked to the saddle, from there she took canteen with water and poured some on the wound. Merlin clenched his eyes and teeth as he felt the water run through the hurt place. After removing the blood from there, the sore turned out to be not that big. Morgana tore some of her clothing and muffled it around his arm, carefully making a knot at the centre. – 'There you go.' – She said and petted his arm.
'I think we should go now. The Prince and the knight will be soon woke and on their way. If we want to get to the Lower Lands before them, we must be going.' – Merlin said as he was struggling into his blue shirt.
'Fine' – Morgana said. – 'Tell me how did you beat that thing?' – They were now on their horses, ready to go. The boy looked at her and said.
'It was really strange…' – He fell silent.
'In what way?'
'Well, when I touched the harpy, it was a harpy, it got burned.' – He said and looked down at his hands. – 'But I don't know why…'
'What were you thinking?' – She asked. Morgana knew some things about weird event. She knew that they could be cause even by a thought, if it was strong and pure.
'How am I going to die?' – He said and smiled silly.
'No. What were you really thinking? Take a moment and remember.' – She said. Taking himself back to the moment, even if he didn't like it, Merlin just now realized that though the whole time he was thinking about Arthur. And he even didn't think it was strange or anything. He knew that the Prince was the only thing he cared about, the only thing that could give him powers to do anything.
'Arthur… I was thinking about him.' – He said and smiled to himself.
'There it is, just as I thought.'
'What do you mean?' – He asked frowning.
'I mean, that this is the reason you could burn the harpy. Arthur. From what I read, weird things can happen from very strong thought and I am sure yours was one like that.' – Morgana said and looked at it.
'Do you really believe that?'
'Why not? Do you have any other better explanation?' – She said.
'No, but could a single thought really to such thing?' – He and frowned again. Was it really possible, that Arthur protected him? Merlin felt warmth on his cheeks. His heart always raised its beats when it came to the Prince. From the first moment he saw him right until now he was always excited about him.
'Yes. I do believe.' – She smiled at him. – 'And I am sure you love Arthur enough to be able to do such thing.' – She said and after a moment added. – 'Now, let's go. We have a Land so save.' – And with this she put her horse on the spurs to gallop. Merlin followed her, thinking that when she said was really true.
Fortunately for them they had got pass the hardest part of their journey. They had to pass about five more hours a road and they wound be in the so called Lower Land. They were riding in silent, but there wasn't much they could talk about.
…
The time was passing, so were the miles they left behind. Finally they were entering the village, that looked more than awful. The streets were almost empty and even if there was someone out, he was fast to go home, where he thought it was safe. The slowed down the horses and not they were walking and looking around to talk with anyone. Merlin saw am old woman with a walking stick. He got of his horse, walked to her and asked:
'Hello. What is going on here?' – His voice was a bit tense. When he saw the woman's worn out face, his eyes softened.
'Everyone is gone. Everyone disappeared.' – She said quietly and looked at the boy with a hidden beg for help in her eyes.
'What had happened here?' - He asked again. – 'What do you mean 'gone'?'
'The Nameless Beast is what happened.' – She said with fear in her eyes.
'What is that thing?' – Never before had Merlin heard of such creature.
'Come on inside. Here is not safe.' – She said and pointed the near house. – 'Your friend is to come as well.' – Nodding to Morgana, the raven haired boy followed the woman.
Entering her house, he looked around. It looked well, but it was nothing special. The woman nodded to them to sit and the near bed and went to the kitchen to take some drinks, even if Merlin had tried to convince her not to. When she returned the king's ward asked.
'What is your name?' – Her voice was calm.
'Eurina.' – She answered and looked at her hand.
'Tell me, Eurina, what happened to this place?' – She asked.
'As I told the young man, The Nameless Beast is what happened…' – Her voice broke down.
'What is that thing?' – She asked again.
'It is a creature from the bottom of Hell.' – Eurina said and fear appeared in her eyes.
Hope you liked it! ^^