Everyone held their breath as Merlin's soft leather boots scuffed their way over the worn stone. The rasping sound echoed the grave and the last rattle of dieing men. A few feet away from the others he stopped, the imposed night closing in on him. It occurred to Arthur how small and vulnerable his friend seemed when standing against the ever-growing darkness which loomed above him. As it started to swallow him, drowning him; Merlin looked back once before he was lost from sight.
Arthur tried to rush forward but Morgana's hand on his arm halted him. "Stop."
"But Morgan-"
"Watch." She said looking at a small point of light that seemed to grow steadily, pushing back the dark until Merlin could clearly be seen; hand aglow and braced against the attack. With shinning orbs of light that he conjured with a sweep his free hand; Merlin pinned the mist to the walls, where it strained against its captivity. Merlin had little reprieve as the creatures then oozed their way back into the hall. They seemed drawn to him yet repulsed by his light which still shone brightly. While most came to surround him, some carried on for easier prey. However, mere seconds away from the frightened mortals and their weapons of hardened steal, the monsters were halted abruptly by a wall of pure golden light that appeared in their path. Those who pushed against the barrier gave one last wordless wail before they froze in place: Statues, which then crumbled into dust. After sending his own cocky smile to meet Arthur's surprised expression, Merlin turned his attention back to the monsters at hand.
During those precious seconds lost however they had formed a deadly circle and had started an inevitable procession forward, closing the trap. Merlin turned this way and that trying to locate a gap, a chance for escape. When he couldn't, Arthur's heart fell. The Warlock's face however hardened and he raised his cupped palms to his lips. The golden shadow of his eyes seemed to be mirrored in his hands, spilling out between his fingers as flame and light. Turning full circle and shouting a word from the old religion, Merlin flung his arms in wide arcs to send the fire in his hands out in a deadly spiral. It cut through the shadow creatures, burning them to ash that drifted to earth in silence; casting a circle in their remains.
A slow, sardonic clapping filled the room. Merlin spun around to face Caddug who stood behind him. The sorcerer walked towards Merlin. Stepping contemptuously through the remnants of his creatures, his boot causing a dirty plume of air to rise, he started to stalk the younger man; studying him. "Well, well, well. Colour me surprised, who knew that a warlock resided in Death's own court. But I suppose power has always been drawn to Camelot and that is what you are, child: Power. Not completely trained yet but still, it takes a certain amount of energy to destroy these… imperfect vessels of my power." The two men started to circle each other, watching. Waiting. "I'm curious though. Why stay here? With the killer of your own kind? You risk everything by staying and yet Uther still lives, so it can't be for revenge. So why?" This truly baffled the sorcerer; the emotion seemed to struggle to the surface, appearing briefly in his eyes before disappearing again to leave them empty once more. Merlin was silent. Suddenly a crack rang through the hall as Caddug lashed out. Lightening seared across the gap between the two, only to be stopped by Merlin's magic. Three charred smudges were left on the stone floor. Considering, Caddug spun and flung a spell at the group of people who waited, the prince at their head. The force of it crumpled the barrier like old paper but before the spell could reach beyond this point, Caddug found himself distracted as he was slammed into the wall. Uther shot to his feet, Arthur and Morgana were stunned. All three had seen what the now chuckling sorcerer had missed: Merlin hadn't uttered a single word.
"Well done, boy. Attack is always better than defence. You know… there's no need for us to fight. Yield. Join me instead. I've been meaning to take an apprentice. You may even survive." Caddug said as he slithered back to his feet. "Or maybe not. You see you really shouldn't have let me get rid of that protection you had around your little friends. Do you know why that wasn't very clever?" Hands outstretched Caddug summoned two crackling balls of black energy, one shot towards Arthur and the other; the other flew straight and true at Merlin's heart. Going on instinct Merlin deflected the one that would have taken Arthur's life. So intent on protecting Arthur, he never even glanced at the one that tore into his own chest, sending him flying backwards to lie slumped on the floor. "Stay dead, boy. There's nothing to fear in death."
A mindless bellow broke from Arthur's throat as he charged forward. He raised his sword and ran, focused only on the still form at the end of the hall and the figure that stood in the way. Morgana screamed and Uther's soul stuttered as Arthur took two violent swings at the sorcerer. The keen blade passed through Caddug, but it was like he was made of smoke; insubstantial. Laughing, Caddug sent the young man skidding across the floor to halt at Morgana's feet. "The foolishness of Youth!" He said as he strode towards the King. "Uther I expected better of you. You put your trust in traitors and children. To think if only you hadn't, had the boy had been properly taught; had known about the balance of life and death, he still might be alive and you would still have your throne. But then who would have taught him? You? You know only death. Or Gaius? No, not Gaius the traitor, Gaius the fugitive!"
"Caddug, listen-" The old physician started but he was cut off.
"Save your words. No sound comes from the dead and you're dead, have been since you turned your back on your own people. You just don't know it yet." Turning back to the King he seemed to raise his head in proud arrogance. "The crown is mine. Your champion is beaten. Come now Uther; I am the clear victor, the boy is dea-
"You know I have a name."
Caddug turned slowly, his face a mask of disbelief. Everyone stared at the warlock that stood straight and true.
"In fact, I have a couple. Merlin for instance, but the one you may recognise is…Emrys." His eyes bleed to pure gold as his magic reached out to pin the sorcerer where he stood. "But I suppose you have been right in some respects, no one here fully taught me about the old religion or the balance between life and death. Nimueh did. The day I traded her life for Arthur's. The day I called lightening from the sky to destroy her." When he had heard the true name of the warlock he had foolishly sort to kill, the trapped man had started to shake violently. By the time Emrys had finished talking, his words hard and chilling to the bone, pure terror had robbed the man of speech and fear consumed both his face and soul. "I would ask you to carry a message to all the slime that would seek to harm Camelot, a warning that this place is under my protection but… unfortunately, for you, I always seem to take an unfavourable approach to those who try to kill me." Now Caddug was struggling, desperate to form enough focus for just one spell to save his life. He never got to utter a single word. "Goodbye Caddug, I hope you burn." With these final words Emrys' power pored out and called the fiery orbs from the wall. They had but one centre. Caddug gave one last scream as they ripped through his body, searing flesh; scorching both his power and soul from this world forever. Quiet ruled the great hall of Camelot, Relief and Fear acting as her consort and fool.
Like a sigh the last scraps of the smoke disappeared and the late evening light of the dieing sun crept its way in through the high windows. Pain coursed through Merlin's body as the adrenaline and power of the moment left him. Eyes closed he swayed, his chest damp with his own blood. "Why is it you people always aim for the chest?" Merlin murmured to the smoking corps at his feet. Grimacing, he took two faltering steps then slowly collapsed to his knees. The sight of Arthur running towards him was the last thing he saw before, ironically; another kind of darkness finally took him.