I am so sorry this took so long! For once in my life it wasn't laziness or procrastination that was at fault! Crazy, right? I honestly had such a hard time writing this chapter. I rewrote sections of this chapter four and five times after consulting one Merlin friend and one non-Merlin friend for help. It was really really difficult. But I love you all and so I forced it out! Surprisingly, I am pretty happy with the way it came out.
Oh! I was so remiss about thanking everyone for all of your reviews, and so all of my chapters have been updated with review responses. If you wanted to see my reactions to something you said or asked, check out the previous chapters to see what I said. :) From here on out, I will be doing review responses every chapter. If you have a question or comment you want me to respond to, just stick it into your review and I will let you know in the next chapter.
I really apologize to all of those who reviewed as a guest, I appreciate your reviews, but unless you leave me something detailed to answer, it would be difficult to tell who I am talking to when I respond. I still appreciate your reviews and if you leave me a name I can use to respond in the next chapter, I will use it! Please keep on reviewing! :) Here are the responses to the reviews for chapter 13!
Review Responses
kitkat: Yay! Thanks!
flyawaye213: Ahhhh!
IndiaMoore: Thank you. :)
WE-ARE-SHER-LOCKED: I did want a part that he got to tell them just a few of many times he has saved their asses. XD
AmberW: Yeah, I'm having fun with Arthur's ability to actually feel the magic.
Ash9: Merlin is so used to running around at 100mph all the time, I figured he would almost go insane with nothing to do for that long. The sharing emotions thing is fun too. There's plenty of that stuff to come.
Geckoshan: Oh this story is getting finished. I promise you. :3
blackcallalily: Yay!
IsadoraKayStone: Thank you! :)
Morena Evensong: Merxalibur! LOL I love it!
Linnea.E: Buckets and buckets of wooooords! I haff brought them for you!
Alright! I don't own Merlin, and I hope you're ready for some action! Here we go!
Arthur struggled against the magic that bound him, looking this way and that for the movement of men, but seeing nothing. He looked to the sword and whispered, "If there are mercenaries, why are you holding us down?"
"They are on all sides. I didn't want to startle them before you woke."
Percival nodded in understanding and looking to Gwaine and then to Arthur. The question of how Merlin knew such a thing would be one for after they were safe. They felt the binding magic lift away and then shifted to be ready for a fight. Percival did not sit up, but lay flat and slowly placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. Gwaine rolled slightly as though in sleep and grabbed his as well. Arthur stared at Excalibur, hoping he could arm himself without prompting the ambush. He looked to his knights and nodded at them. Some unspoken understanding passed among the men and they all lay still until the shadows of the attackers could me seen in the moonlight. Slowly they crept around the camp, like silent beasts sniffing out prey. Arthur saw one man pause in front of Excalibur, eying it hungrily before he was pulled back to his mission and approached the largest man's bedroll.
Without warning, Percival picked up his sword and ran the man through. Gwaine stood and slashed the one closest to him across the chest. Arthur rolled to dodge a thrown knife and grabbed Excalibur, turning to face three men that had gathered near his bedroll. The king leaped into the fight, slashing at the man at his front. He blocked an attack from his right, then his left before planting the ball of his foot squarely into the gut of the man at his front. He glanced to one side, seeing Percival flipping a bandit into another and slamming his sword down against a small man, who buckled under the knight's strength. Gwaine bounded around the area fluidly, punching one man before stabbing another. He engaged a man with a mace, taunting him before disarming him and slashing him across the chest.
Arthur turned his attention back to the men that surrounded him, a new man having replaced the mercenary he had downed with a kick. He attacked with a yell, going after the man at the right. The other two rushed him, and he rolled out of the way, stood, and plunged his sword into the side of the man he had rushed. He swung his sword in a wide arc to chase back the other two, who stood a few steps away, and then readied themselves to charge again.
"Sire, behind you!" shouted Percival suddenly.
Arthur took a step back to glance quickly over his shoulder, seeing two men with maces running at him. His mind raced to try and come up with an escape, but before he could conjure anything, Merlin said, "I've got them."
Arthur felt Merlin's magic well within him, and he turned his attention back to the two at his front. Suddenly, there was a loud bang and Excalibur was expelled from his hand. He felt as though something heavy had landed on him as he hit the ground hard. He saw stars and when they had cleared, he looked up. The two men that had attacked him were lying on their back a few feet away and a backwards glance him told him that the two men ambushing him from behind had met the same fate. Excalibur was imbedded in a tree halfway to the hilt some yards away.
"What happened, Merlin?!" Arthur shouted.
"I couldn't control it! I just wanted to stop the men behind you!"
A blade appeared at Arthur's throat and pressure on his chin forced him to his feet. Once he was upright, he raised his hands in submission, but sent a resolute glare at the man holding the blade. He was a large brute with rough hands and a straggly beard, and he gave Arthur a smile that was missing more than a few teeth.
"Lady Morgana has requested that we bring you to her alive so that she can do the honors," he croaked.
Arthur said nothing, his face stoic and emotionless. He gritted his teeth as his position was pointed out by the other bandits and Percival and Gwaine stopped their fighting.
A thud was heard and suddenly Excalibur was in his hand. He glanced to it, decided quickly not to question it, and then attacked with all his strength. Caught off-guard, the large threatening brute only managed to block two of Arthur's attacks before the king ducked and cut his legs out from under him. As the brute fell, Arthur could see a bandit lying a few feet behind him with blood seeping from a wound on the back of his head. It did not escape his notice that Excalibur's hilt was stained with a little blood.
"What did you do?" Arthur asked, blocking an attack from his side.
"That wasn't me!"
Arthur turned and stabbed the last of the men surrounding him then spun to look at another large group that was fast approaching. Arthur groaned, then looked at the sword. "Think you can at least direct that blast?" he asked.
"Probably... maybe."
The hesitation in his voice did little for Arthur's nerves, but he aimed the tip of the sword at the group of men. Merlin quickly got the message, and sent a powerful blast wave out from the tip. The blast swished harmlessly to the side of the charging men, sending an unfortunate rabbit sailing out of a bush with a squeal.
"Oh Merlin, you are so useless!" shouted Arthur, running at the men himself. The sword suddenly screamed in his head to stop and as a surge of magic punched him in the chest, he felt Merlin grab hold of his voice. "Ligfyr (1)!" the king suddenly shouted, his blue eyes flashing a vibrant gold.
A wall of fire exploded upwards in between the bandits and the king. Arthur stumbled back at the heat, and one unfortunate bandit fell through the wall. He screamed as he was instantly in flames. Arthur walked over and stabbed the fallen man in the chest, choosing to put the poor man out of his misery. He looked to the three men that were still scuffling with Gwaine and Percival. They stopped at the sight of the fire, looked at the king and his sword before turning on their heel and fleeing as fast as they could.
Arthur sighed and tossed the sword's point into the ground. "I cannot tell you how strange that feels, Merlin," he groaned.
"You shouldn't complain."
The king rolled his eyes and flopped back against a tree, sliding down to sit. "I suppose we shouldn't be surprised. I expected them to attack us some time ago."
"What now, Sire?" asked Percival, he and Gwaine walking back and forth along the borders of their camp, looking for straggling enemies.
Arthur looked to the sky, and then at the dying remains of the fire. "Try to get a few more hours of sleep. It's too dark to travel now." He squinted against the sky, glancing up to the moon sliver and then back to the ground. "Keep an eye open, Merlin. We can't assume those are the only ones out here for us."
The knights nodded and reluctantly sheathed their swords, slowly laying back down on their bedrolls. They lay staring at the sky as they waited for the rush of battle to wear off.
"Merlin, how did Excalibur wind up back in my hand after it was stuck in that tree?" asked Arthur suddenly, reclining on his bedroll.
"I'm not sure. One minute I'm half-blinded by the trunk, the next I'm flying through the air."
"Maybe it reacted to your needs or your thoughts?" asked Percival, looking at him.
Arthur shrugged. "I wished my servant hadn't flung my sword into a tree," he said, glaring at the gem.
"Excalibur was burnished specifically for you, Arthur. It's possible my magic simply allowed you to call it."
"I could use a sword like that," chuckled Gwaine. "Would be quite useful in the tavern. Can't ever remember where I put things in there."
Percival punched the knight's arm. "Shouldn't be in the tavern in the first place."
"Why Percival," began Gwaine, chuckling and spreading his arms, "that is where the true people of Camelot spend their days."
As Percival shook his head, a thought suddenly occurred to Arthur and he looked to the gem. "Now that I think about it, your trips to the tavern..."
"I don't know what possessed Gaius to give you that excuse," groaned Merlin. "I've only been to taverns in search of people. I'm actually quite surprised you never went to any to drag me out."
"Or asked Gwaine," muttered Percival, earning a kick from the smaller man.
"So all those times Gaius said you were at the tavern, what were you doing?" asked Arthur.
Merlin paused for a long moment, and Arthur could feel him debating whether or not to answer truthfully. Arthur growled at the sword, and Merlin seemed to get the message. "For the most part, working on getting your royal backside out of trouble." He said bluntly. Arthur had asked for the truth.
Arthur gaped for a moment before thinking back to the last time the excuse had been used. "So the two days you were gone were..." He waved for Merlin to finish.
Merlin fumbled for a moment. That story was quite a long one that he wasn't entirely sure he was ready to divulge. "The short version is that I had to go and find something in Morgana's hut."
The knights and king exchanged a look and then Arthur said, "You went to see Morgana?"
Merlin sighed. "I didn't go to see her. I went to take something of hers that was threatening your life."
"Oh." Arthur hoped his guilt wasn't trickling into the sword, but it probably was. He had been so angry with Merlin, and the servant had taken it upon himself to protect him. He had even threatened to sack him.
Gwaine couldn't help the proud smile that ghosted onto his lips. "I always knew you were a do-gooder, Merlin, but it seems that you surpass even my expectations. You did all these things and received less than no thanks for them."
Arthur felt some satisfaction at the servant's blush that would have turned the sword bright red if it had the capability. The embarrassment was fleeting and quickly replaced with something that Arthur couldn't remember ever associating with Merlin, but it now seemed that the quality had always been there simply unnamed; humility. It wasn't an entirely foreign concept to the king, but it was something that a royal generally had little use for. Granted, he and Guinevere had a great deal more of it than their predecessors, but Merlin's humility was on a different level. Despite the power and destiny he was born with- the uniqueness of his very being- he thought no more of himself than of any other. More than once Arthur could remember Merlin offering to die for him. What had Arthur ever done to deserve such loyalty? All he could ever remember doing was bullying the man. Albeit, his cruelty spoke to something more of a brotherly relationship, but there were plenty of times when Arthur could remember treating Merlin as far less than he was.
Merlin listened to Arthur's meandering thoughts as he drifted off to sleep. There was both a happiness and a sadness that flowed through him at the king's thought process. Though he never sought reward for the things he did, it was nice to be noticed. It was nice to realize that Arthur was understanding just how much Merlin had done for him. But the king seemed to be taking it the wrong way. The things that Merlin did were out of his own sense of duty and his own values, and thus Arthur shouldn't think of the actions as a burden, as though the king owed him something. Perhaps that would have to be a completely separate issue they addressed later on.
Merlin stayed mostly alert through the rest of the night, only once or twice being lulled by the wind or the glowing of the dying embers. As the first rays of dawn began to light the sky, Merlin glared at the embers and they burst to life, a crackling fire forming in an instant. Soon, the three men were up, fed, and back on their horses, again following the invisible golden thread through the countryside.
The second day's ride was just as hard as the first, but a great deal of tension had been released during their talks the night before. Merlin seemed less an unknown entity and was quickly returning to being their comrade. The magic would take getting used to, yes. But each moment they were bathed in the power that radiated from the gem on the sword's hilt, the more comfortable they felt and the more they felt that they were surrounded by the essence of all that was their friend.
A few hours after midday, the group paused to water the horses and eat a small bit, finding a stream on their way. Percival passed out bread and cheese and they sat down as they let their weary steeds rest.
"Do you not feel hungry, Merlin?" asked Gwaine.
Merlin chuckled. "No. I imagine I will be when I wake up, though. Can't feel much of anything like that in here."
Percival shuddered a little at the thought. "Can't be pleasant," he mused.
"It's not unpleasant," offered Merlin. "I'm still mostly aware of myself and my surroundings. I can actually see behind me as well."
"Really?" asked Arthur with a smirk.
"I can see out of both sides of the blade I suppose."
Gwaine suddenly stuffed the last bit of bread into his mouth and leaped to his feet, running around to stand on the side of the sword without the gem. "You can see me?" he chuckled.
"Yes," said Merlin.
"I've always thought of the gem as though it was... your eyes," said Arthur, motioning with his hands.
"I guess the gem is just how I'm being held in here. I am in the blade itself- yes, I can still see you, Gwaine," laughed Merlin, as the knight dashed back and forth at the sword's back as though attempting to escape his eyesight.
Gwaine seemed to give up on his endeavor, returning to his seat beside Percival and grabbing another bit of cheese. "You make a better night watch than I thought."
Arthur finished off his meal and sat forward, pulling the map from his pack and laying it out on the ground in between them. "How far do you think we are from the gem, Merlin?"
"I feel we are close, but I'm not sure its the gem we are seeking."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Remember that Dayla said I had a connection to the spell being cast. Even if we find the gem now, I don't think it would do us any good without stopping the spell."
"You're saying there's a possibility that the gem won't be there?" asked Percival.
"I suppose. I wouldn't know. I'm following the only connection I feel right now."
Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Was this only one of two journeys they would have to make? "Can Camelot survive long enough for us to stop the spell and retrieve the stone?"
Merlin was silent for a long time before admitting, "I don't know."
There was a painful silence that gripped the group. The concept of Camelot falling was a bleak enough one. Far worse was the idea of Camelot falling without them being there, doing everything they could to defend her.
"Percival!"
Percival looked immediately to the sword and watched a crossbow bolt suddenly veer away from his heart and into a nearby tree. The knights were on their feet in an instant, swords drawn. Arthur grabbed Excalibur and began searching around for signs of the attack. The only answer they got was another bolt, veering away this time from Gwaine's head.
The knight let out a breath and looked back at the sword. "Thank you, Merlin."
"Don't thank me yet."
There was a pause and Arthur could feel Merlin's eyes sweeping the area. He looked expectantly at the gem, and then up at the trees, his heart racing with the anticipation of where the next bolt would come from. One last bolt was veered away from the group and barely missed impaling Percival's arm. Merlin's horror suddenly dashed up Arthur's arm and hit his heart.
"Druids... they bring magic with them!" cried Merlin.
The expansive net of his magic felt heavy and clouded. Foreign magic was floating around within his own and he grumbled at the clarity it stole from him. Arthur could feel Gwaine and Percival tense up beside him. They continued their scans of the trees and bushes, and yet they saw nothing. There was no movement, no men racing toward them, and no sounds to indicate a direction. The forest had gone oddly quiet.
Gwaine and Percival automatically took up positions on either side of Arthur, all three sets of eyes glued to the surrounding forest. Arthur's eyes glanced across their horses, who seemed somewhat oblivious to the danger they were in and he briefly wished he could mount one and simply continue their journey and avoid the fight. The chances of the enemy allowing such a thing were rather slim. He could feel Merlin's magic moving and probing the area, looking for the invisible attackers. He struggled not to let himself panic as his anxiety mixed with Merlin's.
Arthur suddenly turned as an image flashed into his mind. He stared at a tree many yards away and he could feel Merlin's magic welling against it. At Merlin's silent suggestion, Arthur buried the sword's tip into the earth and looked up at the tree, his eyes flashing a vibrant gold. There was a deathly silence.
A loud crack exploded through the forest and Arthur watched as the top of the tree trunk emerged from among the leaves of the indicated tree. Every single branch connected to the trunk suddenly snapped away and plummeted to the ground. A scream was heard just before the deafening sound of logs slamming into one another and rolling on the ground. Where the tree had just been now stood a naked trunk, just a tall upright log amidst the large trees of the forest.
Arthur looked accusingly at the sword. "What the hell, Merlin?" he demanded.
He could feel Merlin become sheepish. "I told you my control is a little... wonky. I meant to just break the branch he was standing on."
"Nice job of that," hummed Arthur sarcastically, yanking the sword from the dirt and looking around again.
The haze of magic was growing thicker. He could sense the magic building, but nothing was happening yet. Merlin's anxiety heightened, but he forced his mind back to the task of taking down the archers. He could barely feel the breath of a second crossbow-wielder high above a particularly heavy cloud of magic, and sent the information to Arthur as he diverted another bolt aimed at Gwaine's back. Arthur turned and pointed the sword this time at Merlin's suggestion.
"Ábrecan!(2)"
Once again, the three were deafened by the explosion of wood and magic. The tree at which Arthur's sword was pointed suddenly gave a violent shudder and quickly began to topple. It dove straight into the ground, the trunk and large branches breaking into countless smaller pieces as though its foundation had simply vanished. They heard no scream, but Merlin could feel the archer tumble to his death from his high perch, and the magic that was gathering below him quickly dissipated.
"Merlin!" shouted Arthur again, staring at what remained of the tree. If there was a single bandit in this forest who hadn't previously known their exact location... they did now.
"I'm trying!" whined Merlin.
The other two points of magic swelled even greater, and Merlin's mind began to race to try and decipher the motives of the hidden druids. However, his pondering was short-lived as he barely managed to divert a bolt away from Percival's head. The last archer revealed, Merlin put the location in Arthur's head and the king turned toward the tree. All three braced themselves.
"Cierran tó næssa! (3)"
There was no ear-shattering sound this time. This time two screams cut the still air around them. The man who had been in the tree was of little concern to Percival and Arthur, as the last bolt the man managed to fire had landed squarely in the top of Gwaine's thigh. The knight gripped his leg and dropped to the ground, grinding his teeth and doing his best to retain his grip on his sword. Arthur stooped to help him, but stopped as Merlin's voice echoed around them.
"Arthur!" he shouted.
The magic that had been gathering suddenly burst, sending a backlash that made Merlin wince. The earth rumbled and groaned and all eyes were immediately drawn to the large figure that began to make its way toward them from the trees. The creature stood around seven feet tall and it was slow and lumbering. It possessed wide shoulders but no head sat upon them. The large arms that hung at its sides had no fingers, hands, or wrists, but rather looked like two blunt logs. As it made its way toward them, Arthur turned to see another one heading from the opposite direction. Percival's grip on his sword slackened at the sight of them, but only for a moment. He then deemed the one at their backs as 'his' and moved toward it, positioning himself firmly between the injured Gwaine and the monster.
"Golems," growled Merlin.
"What the hell is a golem?" demanded Arthur, staring wide-eyed at the creature.
"Remember the afanc?"
Arthur's mind raced back to the dark tunnels where they encountered the strange four-legged beast. He looked back to the headless form still making its way toward him. "Oh," he muttered.
Percival bounced on his feet in anticipation as the monster finally cleared the closest bit of brush and rushed it. No particularly vulnerable points on its body presenting themselves, Percival dropped into a slide and chopped one of its legs out from beneath it. The beast stumbled, but merely swung its massive arm out to the side, catching the knight under the chin and knocking him back several feet. As Percival regained his faculties, the monster wobbled a little, the earth rising up to reform its lost leg. The knight rolled his eyes as his one bit of progress was quickly undone. But his attack had done its job; the beast was now focused on him. He scrambled to his feet and backed away as it slowly turned toward him and lumbered in his direction, moving more quickly than it had before.
Arthur ducked as one of the beast's log-like arms swung above his head and rolled away as the other slammed down into the ground, making a nice-sized divot. He chuckled at the beasts slow movements, but he could feel panic rising up his arm again.
"What's wrong, Merlin?" he asked. He leaped to the side and chopped off a chunk of the beasts arm with a single swing of Excalibur, but the creature seemed to barely notice. It swung again, and Arthur had to fall back onto his rear to avoid getting hit. "Your faith in me faltering?" He smirked a little.
Merlin didn't answer for a long moment. The magic that had summoned the earthen beasts was greatly depleted; the druids that had summoned them low on energy. And yet they still gathered more magic to themselves, and Merlin could feel them preparing additional attacks.
"Percival, duck!" Merlin suddenly shouted.
The large man glanced over from where he had managed to slow the creature by placing a tree between him and it. He raised an eyebrow, but quickly obeyed as he felt heat building up on the side facing the forest. As he dropped to the ground, a mass of fire sailed over his head. As the fire made its way through the clearing, Gwaine folded over himself, pressing against the ground to avoid it as well. As the burst of flame now flew toward Arthur, he felt a tug and leaped to his feet as Merlin took his voice.
"Ceorfan galdorcræft! (4)"
His eyes flashed golden, and the blade glowed blue. With an urge from the sword he swung the blade upwards and to his shock, the flames split around it as though it were made of water, instantly extinguishing itself. He had barely a second to stare at the sword in wonder before he had to dive away from another strike from the golem.
Gwaine growled and looked down at his offensive leg. He glanced up to his king and then to his fellow knight as they took on massive creatures of magic, and he lay helpless to assist. Or perhaps not...
His eyes widened as they fell on the horses and the nearby stream. He gripped his sword tight and plunged the tip into the earth, using the weapon as a crutch, and hauled himself onto his good leg. He slowly began hobbling toward the rushing water, trying to keep an eye on both fights as he moved.
Arthur felt the sword urge him away from the golem, but the king grumbled and dodged another punch.
"I can't leave Gwaine unprotected, Merlin!" he cried, swiping at the arm that came at him.
"He's moved off, Arthur! Come on!"
The king twirled around to see the knight hobbling toward the horses and sighed, doing his best not to mentally admit that the servant was right; he'd hear that after all. Pain suddenly blasted into the back of his head and he flew forward a few feet before he tasted dirt. Stars clouded his vision for a moment. He glanced over his shoulder at the approaching golem and scrambled to his feet, running in the direction that Merlin was indicating.
"Fine! What are we doing?" he asked. A rumbling returned his attention to the golem and he looked to see the creature picking up speed as it pursued him.
"The druids that summoned them are still attacking. We need to deal with them if we are to effectively fight the golems!"
Arthur rolled his eyes then looked once more at his attacker. The golem was now sliding along the ground as though on wheels, moving at around the same speed as Arthur.
"Marvelous," groaned the king, turning his head forward again and pushing himself faster.
Beads of sweat appeared on Gwaine's forehead as he hobbled ever closer to the shifting horses and the equipment they carried. He was only a few feet away from reaching them when something struck him from the side and his good foot left the ground. He landed a few yards away and screamed as it painfully jostled the bolt that remained in his leg. Once his vision cleared, he looked up to see a black-cloaked woman with her hand stretched toward him. She took a few more steps forward and began muttering something. Gwaine looked to the horses and forced his good leg underneath him, taking one last glance at the woman. As she yelled in the old tongue, Gwaine launched himself behind the horses with a cry of pain and the ground where he had just been laying exploded. His heart pounding, he forced his legs under him once again and grabbed the piece of equipment he came for.
"I will die before I let any escape, Knight of Camelot!" the woman suddenly cried.
Gwaine laughed at her suggestion. "Escape?" he called, taking a firm grip on the crossbow bolt in his leg and bracing himself. "Not at all." He yanked the bolt from his leg and stifled his scream of pain by gritting his teeth and pursing his lips. Despite the blood that now freely soaked his breeches, he smiled again. "I was merely getting a gift for the lovely lady."
In one fluid motion, he notched the bolt into his crossbow, stood, and fired it straight into the woman's chest. The woman gasped, gripped her chest, and then fell backwards and lie still.
Gwaine held onto the horse's saddle and smiled, his eyelids drooping a small bit. "A fitting gift, indeed," he muttered, giving a wry smirk. He turned and looked to Percival. The large man was effectively slowing the beast as it attempted to move through the trees and brush after him. He threw off the strap of leather that held closed the quiver of bolts that hung from the horse's saddle and grabbed one.
"Percival!" he shouted. The large man glanced to him and side-stepped to allow the bolt that Gwaine let fly bury itself in the beast's chest. The golem didn't seem too particularly bothered by the attack, but it did shift itself a little and made Gwaine feel it was looking at him, despite lacking eyes.
Arthur weaved in between the trees, glancing back and feeling a small bit of relief filling him as he watched the golem struggle to move now that it was not on open ground.
"Hlaep on bæc!"
The foreign cry pulled Arthur's attention forward and he could feel Merlin's magic surge. His eyes burned golden and he could faintly see the coming blast deform against a wall of blue. Straight ahead he could see the black of the druid's cloak.
"I don't wish to kill you!" Arthur cried. He could feel Merlin's worry at Arthur's attempt to speak to the man.
"Believe not the lies of a tyrant!" the man cried back. "Hlaep on bæc!" The blue shield dispersed the attack again and Arthur saw the black cloak move off to one side. "My magic protects me, your highness," he sneered. "You cannot kill me, or my beast."
"But I can."
The druid halted, and glanced around, searching for the source of the voice that boomed in his head. Arthur felt Merlin's magic again and was compelled this time to raise his hand, crying out in the foreign tongue. "Slæp nú!"
The druid dropped to the ground. Arthur sighed; he could feel that Merlin had done more than simply knock the man out.
"He will wake eventually, Arthur," Merlin assured him suddenly. "I don't know when, but we will be long gone by the time he does."
A grumbling behind him startled him back to reality and he glanced back to see the golem still making its way toward him.
"I guess they aren't sustained by magic once created," muttered Merlin.
Arthur could feel his surprise and he rolled his eyes as he darted to his right, intending to make a wide circle back to the clearing where they had camped. "That had better not be your only thought on how to kill them, Merlin!"
Percival slashed the beast across the chest, but another bolt landed in its shoulder, and its attention remained on the one firing them. The large knight growled at the injured one behind him. "Gwaine! You're in no shape to fight this thing!" he cried. Even from the distance, Percival could see the sheen of sweat on Gwaine's forehead and the blood pooling below his injured leg.
"In case you haven't noticed, big man," laughed Gwaine, notching another arrow, "none of us are really in a shape to fight these things." He let the bolt fly, this one landing in the beast's leg.
Percival growled again, looking between the beast, which was now gaining speed as it moved toward the smaller knight, and Gwaine. He suddenly threw down his sword and crouched, summoning all of the strength into his legs and shooting himself forward. He plowed his shoulder into the golem, hitting a surprisingly solid form, and the two tumbled to the ground. Percival barely had time to react when the beast rolled, with quickness that the knight could hardly believe it possessed, and placed itself on top of him. The breath was instantly pushed from his lungs and he pressed all of his strength against its belly. He managed to lift the creature enough to take a breath, but his arms quickly gave out and the monster pressed down on him again. He heard Gwaine cry his name.
"Áberstan eac æledfýr! (5)" he heard Arthur shout.
The point of a sword emerged from the earth on top of him, stopping just a few inches from Percival's face. He was once again pressed into the ground beneath him as the creature exploded around the blade, spinning as though it were being swept by a powerful whirlwind. As the dust settled, he smiled up at his king, whose eyes were shifting from gold back to blue. Arthur nodded and offered a hand to help him to his feet.
"Thanks," sighed Percival, his lungs grateful for the oxygen.
Arthur nodded and gripped Percival's forearm. Arthur felt Merlin roll his eyes at the king's taking of the credit, but chose to ignore him. They heard a cry of pain and their attention was pulled behind them. Gwaine lay on the ground now several feet away from the horses, stubbornly gripping the crossbow and staring up at the golem that had struck him as it emerged from the trees. In desperation he raised the crossbow and took aim as the monster loomed over him with a log-like arm raised to strike.
Arthur's hand flew up, palm aimed at Gwaine. "Áberstan eac æledfýr!" he shouted again.
As Gwaine loosed the arrow as the shaft flashed a vibrant blue, and it vanished into the golem's midsection. As with the first, the earth suddenly tore itself apart around the bolt, spinning violently until there was nothing left but dust in the air.
Silence overcame the clearing for a long moment before Gwaine's laugh echoed around them. He threw his arms out to his sides and lay flat on his back, finally releasing the crossbow. "Whew! I could use a pint of mead... or three."
Arthur dashed to the fallen knight's side and looked him over. He heard Merlin growl.
"Oh Gwaine, you've lost a lot of blood. Why did you pull the bolt out?" he demanded.
Gwaine's eyes were only half-open. "The druid lady needed it," he said with a morbid smile.
Arthur set the sword down and grabbed Gwaine's leg, pressing down against the wound and attempting to stem the flow. Gwaine's yelp of pain was mixed with a wry chuckle.
"Percival, grab the medical supplies and water skins," ordered Merlin. The large man hurried to obey.
Arthur looked down at the sword. "Think you can walk me through this?"
"Do we have a choice? I don't really have hands."
Arthur chuckled a little and Percival returned, dropping the medical bag and three water skins onto the ground beside him.
"Well," mumbled Gwaine, looking at the sky, "this ought to prove to be interesting." He finally closed his eyes as Arthur, Percival, and Merlin set to work.
1: Fire! From the Episode The Kindness of Strangers
2: Break!
3: Fall to the ground!
4: Cut the magic!
5: Burst with fire!
Whew! Hope you guys liked that! Review and let me know what you think! I'll see you soon!