Arthur looked around him. What was going on? This place, he knew it. The walls, the floor, the layout, he knew it. Though that was impossible, he had gone through a hole behind a bookcase he had never been through. He couldn't grasp it. Nothing was making sense. Nothing at all. Suddenly out of the corner of his eye he saw movement.
"Hello? Is anyone there?"
Silence.
"Seriously? Hey is that you Morgana? Gwen?"
Silence.
"This is great and all, but can you stop now, it's getting kind of creepy,"
"Tick-tock goes the clock, can you make it out Arthur Pendragon?"
Arthur felt a sudden chill down his spine.
"Who's there? This isn't funny!"
"Tick-tock goes the clock, can you make it out Merlin Dragoon?"
"Merlin?!"
Arthur turned round but the space behind him was empty, just white marble and an empty corridor.
O
Merlin heard the voices echoing off the marble, staring at Arthur, he tried to make a connection with him.
"Arthur?"
There was no reply, Merlin tried again, but in vain. He wasn't used to telepathy; he wasn't supposed to use it. He tried again, but nothing happened. Slamming his fist against the marble wall he panted for breath. He closed his eyes, willing that Leola would help him.
Merlin felt something in his soul, something new and dangerous. Opening his eyes, he saw gold light in vortex swirling towards Arthur, it hit him square, in between his shoulders blades.
O
Arthur felt himself fall forwards, his hands made contact with the cold stone floor and the building was blazed in light.
Arthur picked himself off the floor, he pulled an arm in front of his eyes, to protect them from the intensity of the light. He stopped mid way and stared at his arm, the clothes he was wearing had changed, from his pyjamas to armour. He heard a sharp intake of breath from behind him. Whipping his head round he saw someone.
"Merlin?!"
Merlin looked at him with an almost cartoon expression of confusion upon his face. He was wearing a servant's uniform from the middle ages. Arthur burst out laughing.
"Shut up prat,"
"Nice to see you again Merlin, wait, why are you in my house?"
"I was at home, this doesn't look like a house."
"Yeah, but," Arthur stared passed Merlin, he hated to admit it, but Merlin was right this definitely wasn't a house.
"So where are we Merlin?"
Merlin shrugged. A wind abruptly started up in the corridors. The howls it made pierced the heart of both youths. Merlin could feel the magic power that made that wind. It was a dark soul who created that scream that was for sure.
Arthur made a spontaneous decision; he started to run, towards the noise.
'My God," thought Merlin as he ran to catch up, 'In every horror movie the main character runs towards the obvious bad thing and they tend to die, so why not run towards the obvious evil, makes total sense you pratty idiot!'
Arthur followed the wind but it was getting harder the fight against the wind, it was if it was almost solid. He stopped in a space between two pillars gasping for breath. Merlin joined him a little while later.
"A little while Merlin that would have been acceptable! But not flipping 20 minutes!"
"I'm fragile, okay,"
"No, Matt's eyebrows are fragile. Not you,"
"Who's Matt?"
Arthur gave Merlin a withering look, almost identical to Leola's the afternoon before.
"It doesn't matter, what matters is what's about to happen is important. How are we going to beat this wind?"
"Well you have a sword, don't you? Try cutting it."
"Are you an idiot?"
"Just try it, my God, just try it, seriously," Merlin continued to mutter to himself.
Arthur sighed 'It won't hurt to try right?' he thought. Pulling out his sword he ran out and faced the wind, holding the sword above his head he sliced. The wind became stronger and blew Arthur from his feet. The sword clattered to the floor and span away across the marble.
Merlin winced as the wind rushed into the space he was hiding in. It pushed him back up against the wall, before suddenly stopping and letting him go. He fell to the floor in pain.
O
A bright light focused on Merlin. He pulled himself up, but instead of marble he saw his room. He focused and saw Leola asleep against her drawers, in a rather uncomfortable position. He smiled, she looked so content asleep and without the weight of the world on her shoulders. She was cute. Merlin started; did he really just think that? No, this couldn't be happening, he shook his head. She just reminded him of an anime character. That was all, nothing more.
O
Arthur, unlike Merlin was not comfortably asleep in a bed, but rather half stuck in his childhood hidey hole. The only though he thought was, 'crap,'
Sorry this chapter took so long, I apologise. I was busy over the holidays, and then I came out of routine and I apologise, I didn't even give a warning. Though here it is, I am truly sorry.