I'm back with another chapter! I couldn't update yesterday (I was with my family at our weekend house for three days without wifi), but I'd proofread this before that so I'm ready to post it now :) I hope you'll like it!
CHAPTER 2
Angels Don't Need Sleep
This wasn't the first time Arthur hated his chainmail more than he hated boring council meetings his father had him sit through. But this was certainly the first time that he was genuinely worried he might die because of a piece of metal that was supposed to protect him. And the first time that he knew his death would result in another death – if he didn't come back with the flower, Morgana would surely die.
No matter what, he just had to come back. He had to survive. But the enormous spiders crawling up the cave wall weren't making it any easier, especially when he had only one arm to keep himself balanced and his heavy armour was making it even harder to move up and reach the flower, let alone get out of the cave. The only way out was up, and gravity wasn't exactly on his side.
Arthur took a few quick breaths and then tried to kill another spider with his sword. He missed. But on the second try, he managed to throw it down the seemingly bottomless pit that he tried hard not to think about.
Just as he was about to climb another inch up, a strange blue light orb appeared next to him, giving him light and as if looking at him.
"Come on then! What are you waiting for?! Finish me off!" Arthur yelled at it, barely holding on to the wall. The witch he had just met was most probably just making sure he was dead, or she wanted to watch his death through this magical light orb.
Arthur tried to swing his sword at it, but he missed and couldn't try again because of more spiders. In the end, he stopped worrying about the orb because at least it was giving him light and it wasn't attacking him. He used it to his advantage and fought off the spiders, climbing up inch by inch, until he finally reached the flower. He hid it inside his belt and turned back to the cave wall, eyeing the light orb suspiciously.
It was just... floating there, keeping an eye on him, as if observing him. Waiting and giving him its bluish white light. It didn't seem dangerous... Arthur shook his head and started climbing up again, killing another spider and then finally getting out of the cave, emerging in the middle of a forest next to a huge hole in the ground.
He lay down on the grass and closed his eyes, still feeling the orb above him. When he opened his eyes though, it flew away and he found himself in darkness again. As quickly as he could, he stood up and checked if he still had his flower. When he was sure it was still tucked under his belt, he smiled and looked around.
It was only then when he noticed someone was hiding behind a tree.
"Hello?" He called. "Is it you again? Are you too afraid to show up? Your spiders didn't work! Is that really all you've got?" He drew his sword and pursed his lips. He knew he shouldn't be playing with the witch like that, she had a very big advantage on her side – magic. She might as well throw him back into the cave.
That was why he quickly stepped away from the hole and pointed his sword at the tree that someone was hiding behind.
To his surprise, the one he was talking to peeked at him. It was a boy, a young dark-haired boy with... Arthur's eyes widened and his hand with the sword dropped to his waist. "Are those wings?" He mumbled. Then he regained his posture and frowned. "Who are you! Speak!"
The boy stepped away from the tree, his huge white wings knocking into a twig from the tree he was hiding behind. He hissed and moved his wings closer to his back and then he looked up at the prince with his eyes wide and curious and a little bit scared.
"Y-you can s-see me?" He stuttered.
Arthur frowned. "Of course I can see you." He said, not putting away his sword. Not yet. He looked up at the wings and back down at the boy. Then a thought crossed his mind. "Are you a sorcerer?" He asked. He was genuinely curious, but also on high alert. All sorcerers were evil, weren't they?
"What?" The boy laughed softly and he made a few steps towards Arthur, stopping when he saw Arthur tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword. "I'm not a sorcerer, I'm a... um... I'm not supposed to be here." He avoided the question. But Arthur wasn't one to argue with.
"Who are you then?" He asked. "If you had anything to do with king Bayard and his pois-"
"No, not at all, no." The boy said. "Look, you're not even supposed to see me, I... uh..." he scratched his head and swallowed. Then he shrugged and looked up at the trees and made a few steps closer to Arthur again. It surprised him how unalarmed the boy was by Arthur's sword.
"Will you answer my question then? Who are you?" Arthur demanded. "And are those wings? Answer me!"
The boy looked at Arthur and there was pain in his eyes. "No, sorry, I can't."
"What do you mea-"
With that and without letting Arthur finish his another question, the boy spread his wings and used them to fly up into the dark night. Arthur looked up, but he couldn't see him in the dark.
He was alone again.
Arthur looked around a few times, still keeping his sword in his hand, but in the end, he sheathed it again and went to look for his horse to get back to Camelot in time. Morgana's life depended on him after all.
xoXÖXox
Merlin kept flying until he was sure the prince couldn't see him anymore and couldn't follow him. He stopped in mid-air, beating his wings and looking around before he slowly landed in between the trees in the forest and looked up through the branches.
All he could see were hundreds of stars and the moon and clouds. No heaven, no Garden, no angels, not even Will. Merlin sighed and frowned, wrapping his wings around himself.
He screwed up. Seriously. Humans were never supposed to see angels unless it was completely necessary. And that was rare. He was a young angel and didn't even have a human and he wasn't supposed to just go down here and let Arthur see him, let alone talk to him. That was unacceptable.
Merlin shivered and frowned. He felt something... on his forearms. When he moved his wings and looked at his arms, he saw what it was. Goosebumps. He was cold. He's never experienced this, the temperature in the Garden was always perfect.
He gritted his teeth and looked up at the sky. "Nunc viribus uti volo. Volo ad caelos!"
But nothing happened. He tried again, louder, but before he could finish, he saw something move in the dark forest. He quickly spread his wings and flew up to a branch, noticing it was only a squirrel.
"Nunc viribus uti volo. Volo ad caelos! Obsecro!"
The night was still cold, the forest was dark and the stars were the same above him. Nothing happened and he was still alone. And afraid. With fear in eyes, he realized he had no idea how to get back home and that he was stuck down here, on Earth. Among humans. With his wings.
Thinking about them, he realized they were his only hope for help. He could use them to get to the only place he could – the only place he knew on Earth – Camelot.
But what about his wings? Oh, right. "I can make them invisible." He whispered and hit himself in his forehead with his palm. He was such an idiot! Why hadn't he hidden them from Arthur before?! Then he would have thought Merlin was only a lost boy or something and he wouldn't have pointed his sword at him. But it was too late for that, and Arthur knew he wasn't human.
Actually, Arthur was his only help because he was the only human who saw him, and Merlin had to keep it that way. He had to find Arthur and ask him for help. It was his only way back to heaven.
None of the angles were expecting to find one of their own on Earth, let alone in the middle of a forest. They were watching over their humans, not over squirrels. Which was why Merlin had to get to Camelot too. He was sure one of the angels was watching someone in that castle and maybe someone would notice him and save him. But, not every angel in heaven knew him...
Merlin closed his eyes and sighed. No matter what, Camelot was his only chance. He spread his wings again and flew above the trees, flying back to where he met Arthur and then quickly following his footsteps, walking on his own. He wasn't in the forest anymore and there was always the possibility he could meet someone on his way to the castle. He could make himself invisible and just fly there, but... to be honest, now that he was on Earth, finally breathing in the air around him and seeing the nature from so close... he really wanted to walk to Camelot on his own and spend some time in nature. So he only hid his wings and started walking, hoping he'd find Arthur on the way or in the castle.
xoXÖXox
Arthur left his horse in the stables and ran back into the castle, right into Gaius' chambers. He gave him the Mortaeus flower and then ran for fresh water, while Gaius worked on the antidote, and when he returned, it was done. They quickly poured it into a little vial and left the quarters, heading back to Morgana's chambers.
The prince was worried about her. She wasn't really his sister, but it felt like that. And he knew they were usually just insulting each other and bickering, but he loved her. And he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he was too late and let her die.
Once they opened the door, Uther raised his head and Arthur could see rage in them.
"Arthur!" He called. "Where have you been? I have sent guards to find you, I-"
"We have the antidote!" Arthur interrupted him, thankful that the rage in his father's eyes got replaced by surprise and hope.
"Hurry then," Uther gestured towards his ward that was lying in bed. Arthur watched as Gaius came to her and opened her mouth, pouring the potion in and then closing it.
That was the first time Arthur noticed the blisters on her skin. His eyes widened and fear gripped his heart. He hoped they weren't too late. Her skin was pale and she looked as if she was dead. Arthur couldn't see her like that, but with every passing second, his hope kept slipping away.
Finally, Morgana gasped and started coughing.
"Morgana!" Uther smiled and leaned closer to her, together with Gaius and Arthur and Morgana's maid that he didn't notice was in the room with them too. They all let out a huge sigh of relief, and while Gaius took Uther away to tell him something in private, Arthur sat down on the edge of his sister's bed.
"How are you feeling?" He asked her, his voice uncharacteristically soft.
"As if I got run over by a horse." Morgana smiled up at him. She still looked pale and he could clearly see how weak she was. Then she frowned. "You don't look so good yourself. What happened?"
Arthur shrugged. "I went on a day-long trip. To find a flower that would save your life."
"Oh, you did, didn't you?" Morgana smirked as she closed her eyes. "I knew you cared about me." And before Arthur could answer, Morgana reached out her hand towards her maid. "Gwen?"
"I'm here, my lady." The girl answered, taking her hand.
"What time is it? How long was I unconscious?" She asked, finally opening her eyes and finding Gwen's face after a few seconds.
"It's close to midnight. You were unconscious the whole day." Gwen told her, squeezing her hand and smiling. "But the prince saved your life, now you're going to be alright."
Morgana nodded.
"She needs rest," Gaius turned to them, just as Uther turned around with a grim expression.
"But-"
"No buts, Morgana." Gaius shook his head. "As your doctor, I know what's best for you. Now shush, and try to sleep. It's late."
Morgana nodded and sighed.
"Sleep well," Arthur told her as he left the bed and walked over to his father. Uther was just speaking to the guards, but Arthur didn't hear what he told them. And he didn't care. He's been stuck on a cave wall for at least an hour and now he needed to get to his bed otherwise he might pass out right there in Morgana's chambers.
He left her rooms and walked back to his own chambers, opening the doors and closing his eyes. He was exhausted and would prefer a bath, but it was too late for that and his manservant was already asleep, wherever he lived.
"Hello." Someone said and Arthur immediately opened his eyes and reached for his sword, realizing it was not there. He must have left it on his horse.
As he looked up with bare hands, he frowned. The dangerous intruder in his chambers was the boy he met in the forest. The boy with wings that... Arthur couldn't see now. Did he even have wings? Was it only some magic trick? "You followed me here?" He asked, slowly moving towards his table, where he'd left his dagger from earlier that day.
The boy shrugged. "I had nowhere else to go." He told him. Then he stepped forward with his hands up in surrender. "Please, I didn't come here to hurt you. The light you saw in the cave... that was me."
"So you are a sorcerer!" Arthur frowned and considered calling the guards, but he couldn't be faster than any spell and he was already too close to the table.
"I'm not a sorcerer." The boy hurriedly said.
"Then what about the wings I saw!" Arthur asked him, finally reaching the dagger and pointing it at the boy, but he didn't seem alarmed.
"I'm sorry, you weren't supposed to see them." He said and looked at the dagger in Arthur's hands. "No mortal blade can kill me, sorry." He apologized again, making Arthur frown.
"What if this isn't a mortal blade?" Arthur tried, knowing damn well it was a normal dagger.
The boy pursed his lips. "It is, I can feel it."
"How?" Arthur asked, but the boy only shrugged again. So Arthur tried another question, far more important. "What are you doing here? Why did you follow me?"
The boy's shoulders slumped. "I... I need your help."
xoXÖXox
Merlin saw that Arthur paused and stayed silent for a while, probably thinking about what to do. Merlin didn't have to say anything to use his powers in a small way, for example, he could read minds. And he knew Arthur was hesitating right now, deciding if he should use the dagger or call the guards or demand more answers.
"Well?" Merlin asked. He wasn't very patient.
Arthur pursed his lips but didn't hide his dagger. "Prove that you're not evil. If you want my help, I need to know what you need from me and why you want it and why should I help you."
Merlin sighed and went over to sit on Arthur's bed. Arthur didn't seem to mind... a lot. So Merlin moved his hand and made his wings visible again.
"You want answers." He said. "I've already broken a couple of rules, but in order to get home, I need your help, and for your help I need to prove I'm good and tell you more, which means breaking more rules, but I guess I'll have to do it because I already miss the Garden an-"
"Could you please start making sense?" Arthur stopped him. He put the dagger into his belt and slowly sat down on a chair at the table. "You can start by telling me who you are."
Merlin sighed again. "I'm... not a sorcerer. You can see my wings now, and I doubt you've ever seen a sorcerer with wings."
"True." Arthur nodded and looked at Merlin's white wings warily. "So you are..."
"An angel." Merlin finished for him and smiled. "You probably won't believe me right away, but I'm here and I'm real. And I need to get back home."
"And you want my help with that?" Arthur laughed. "Even if you were an angel... I'm only a human. How do you expect me to help you?"
"Well, I'm not sure exactly." Merlin frowned. "I don't know how to get home and I know you won't know how to do that either, but I was kind of hoping someone from heaven would notice I'm missing and the biggest chance that they do is if I stay here, where there's a lot of people that my brothers and sisters watch over."
"You're not making sense again." Arthur rubbed his eyes, yawning. "So... you want to get home, and I need to help you... how?"
"You'll let me stay here." Merlin smiled at him. He couldn't believe he was actually talking to Arthur. To a human. To the very human, he wanted to protect once he returned to heaven.
"And if I let you stay here, what do I get for it?" Arthur asked. "Why shouldn't I just call the guards now and let them take you to the dungeons?"
"See this?" Merlin pointed at his wings that disappeared again. "I can make myself invisible, so you would look like a fool if you called them for nothing." When Arthur frowned, Merlin quickly added, "but of course I can't make you let me stay. But... you know, I'm an angel in need and you're human, so if you help me, I guess... you'll go to heaven once you die."
"That is if you are an angel though and aren't lying." Arthur pointed out. "What if I die young? What if I die tomorrow and won't be able to help you?"
"I'll do everything in my power not to let you die." Merlin told him honestly and smiled, standing up. He was glad that Arthur didn't reach for his dagger this time. "I know who you are, and although I'm too young to have a human to protect, I want it to be you. And once I'm back in heaven, I'll make sure you're okay."
"That's... nice?" Arthur raised his eyebrows but was still frowning. "Um... I need leave." Arthur stood up and put the dagger into his belt. Merlin quickly searched his mind and found out he wanted to go to that old physician that he saw by Morgana's bed in the pond.
"People can't know I'm here." Merlin took a step closer to him. "Please think twice before you tell someone. I'm in hiding. Humans shouldn't see me at all, this was really just a huge mistake." Merlin confessed and sat back on the bed.
Arthur didn't say anything and quickly left his chambers, not saying anything to the guards in the hall. Merlin smiled to himself and lay down on the bed.
He just actually talked to Arthur.
He couldn't believe how easy it was to find him and talk to him and let him see his wings and all of that. He'd thought it would be much harder. Well, actually, when he was still in heaven he thought he'd never get the chance to talk to Arthur, but seeing how easy it was now, he was glad he messed up the spell and ended up here.
He wouldn't even mind if the angels didn't find him at all. He never really felt at home in heaven. It was his home of course, and he loved it. But he always liked to watch the Earth in the pond. He loved to watch Arthur especially.
His cheeks started to feel little warmer than usual and he quickly touched them, hurrying to the mirror on the wall. Was he... blushing? Why was he blushing? Merlin shook his head and smiled to himself when he thought about Arthur again. He'd love to be his angel, but at the same time, that thought made him sad. If he returned to heaven and became Arthur's angel, he would never talk to him again. He would just watch his life from afar.
Merlin sighed and went to sit down on the bed again. He didn't know what to do. He was used to not sleeping at all and having all the time in the world, but the Earth was so interesting and he wanted to explore as much as he could. But at the same time, he was stuck in Arthur's rooms and it wouldn't be appropriate to just go through his things.
So he lay down and sighed again, suddenly feeling something he's never felt before. His eyes closed on their own, and he didn't fight it. And within the next few seconds, he was asleep.
TBC
Translation
- "Nunc viribus uti volo. Volo ad caelos!" - I wish to use my powers now. I wish to return to heaven.
- "Nunc viribus uti volo. Volo ad caelos! Obsecro!" - I wish to use my powers now. I wish to return to heaven. Please!
Well, I hope you enjoyed it and that you're looking forward to the next chapter! To be honest, every damn time I reread some of their conversations in this fanfic or when I'm naming the chapter, all I can think about are Supernatural references :D This chapter had an alternative name "I'm an Angel, You Ass" :D Anyway, thanks for reading! ;)
P.S.: check the name of this chapter again *evil laughter*
