A/N: This story began with two simple images- the one at the end of this chapter, and one of Merlin sliding along the floor as it turned vertical.
Yes, from those snippets came that first chapter.
The sound and fury continued for an indeterminate amount of time as the people clung to each other in fear, but eventually the chaos began to fade away; wind dying out and only the infrequent rumble of falling debris reaching their ears.
After a few moments of silence punctuated by muffled whimpers and sniffles Arthur released his tight grip on his wife.
"I'm going to go check-" he searched the space for his fellow knights "Sir Leon, with me."
Curly hair bounced as the man nodded and immediately moved to join his commander.
The two made their way up the steps, avoiding the sporadic piles of rubble to emerge in the wreckage of the castle proper.
They stared in shock at the pieces of wall-hangings, furniture, and personal belongings littering the floor.
Everywhere they looked doors and windows were open, broken, or completely removed with the contents of the rooms forcibly rearranged.
As they progressed, however, the damage became less extensive- only small and light items having been relocated.
Looking outside there was no sign of further ill weather- the sky was once again blue, just beginning to darken with the approaching night, and only a few wispy clouds remained.
The monarch gestured to his knight.
"Let's return and gather the people- we need to start doing repairs and searching for other survivors."
"Yes Sire."
Gaius was one of the first out of the crypts, verifying the good health of everyone who had sheltered under the castle before beginning the trip to his quarters to gather supplies.
"Ah, Gaius- I'd like to ask you to set up a temporary infirmary here in the courtyard to handle any injured. You'll be given assistants as soon as the volunteers are gathered."
He hesitated a moment before continuing to ask the worry-filled question he had shoved to the back of his mind.
"Gaius... do you know where Merlin is?"
"He was about to lie down for a rest when-"
The physician had raised his head to look at something behind the king and was now standing with eyes wide and mouth agape.
"What is it?" The king asked, turning to behold what had so thoroughly captured the elder's attention.
An entire tower had been torn from the castle and was nowhere to be seen.
The tower that housed the court physician's chambers
The chambers Merlin had been inside, sleeping
"I want teams of four to scour the town. Every able-bodied citizen is to assist in the rescue efforts. I need two men with me- Percival, Gwaine! We are going to follow the path of that thing and see what destruction it has wrought."
The two knights nodded, knowing they were actually going to search for Merlin.
Everyone leapt into action without complaint, work parties dividing to cover the lower town while maids and kitchen workers saw to the necessary support activities of preparing beds and meals.
Arthur nodded in satisfaction, kissing Guinevere and leaving her in command alongside Leon as he departed with Gwaine and Percival.
The trail was, of course, absurdly easy to follow.
The column of wind had torn past the castle and back out the city walls, cutting a wide path through the surrounding forest and leaving behind bare earth, uprooted trees, and the occasional pieces of buildings from Camelot.
They were almost a mile out and still there was no sign of the tower or Merlin, Arthur's steady facade was beginning to wear thin.
Then Gwaine's head jerked up and he rushed ahead, cresting a small hill and gazing into the relatively undisturbed remainder of the wood.
"Arthur- it's here!" And he continued running, not bothering to wait for his companions.
The king's breath caught as the structure came into view, firmly planted upright in the soil.
"We'll have to go in through the windows."
Gwaine called, already climbing through one whose panes were missing.
The trio made their way cautiously up the partial staircase, calling for their friend.
"Merlin?"
"Merlin!"
They heard no reply and so it isn't surprising that they burst into the familiar chambers in a bit of a frenzy, stopping in their tracks to survey the damage before them.
Nothing remained of the homey space they had come to know, everything had been gathered up and hurled about without care- some of it still smoldering with the remains of the hearth fire.
Picking their way across the blackened floor, they opened the door to the storeroom; finding only the bed, desk, and chair shoved against one wall along with a few bits of their friend's clothing.
"Where is he..."
Arthur muttered in a broken voice, not even realizing he had said it aloud until Percival clapped him lightly on the shoulder.
"We'll keep on searching the tower, Sire."
The blond nodded absently, despair beginning to overtake his thoughts.
He was still standing in the wreckage of his servant's meager belongings when the two knights returned, regretfully reporting Merlin was not inside.
Arthur drew in a deep breath, releasing it all at once and relaxing his shoulders in an attempt to exorcise his increasingly powerful emotions.
"We'll search the forest, moving out from this point in a spiral. We'll find him."
"Yes Sire."
The two knights agreed, neither one wanting to give up on their friend.
It was a good thing Percival had had the presence of mind to salvage a torch from the tower, for they were still searching after night had well and truly fallen.
Tired and becoming ever more hopeless, the king tripped over a root and stumbled into a tree.
When their leader continued to press his forehead into the bark instead of righting himself, his companions inquired worriedly "Sire?"
"Where is he?"
He repeated quietly, sounding small and lost.
Gwaine and Percival were silent, already struggling with their own feelings.
A drop of wetness hit his neck and the royal started in surprise.
"Is the rain returning?"
"Sire?"
"Something-"
He looked up, what he saw freezing him in place.
A pale hand dangled from the branches above, blood pooling in the slightly curved palm and dripping slowly from one long finger.
Merlin